livingbasshead Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 (edited) So just out of curiosity - Are you completely happy / settled with your bass tone - you plug in and play at rehearsals or gigs, maybe just a slight eq tweak for the venue? or are you the type that continually plays with your amp, pedals, set up, pup height etc always searching for something extra? Personally I'm the latter type - always fiddling with what I can, like i'm never satisfied and can always make improvements to my tone somehow.... Does type 1 even exist?!? Edited March 7, 2014 by tb1973 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Happy. I think people can get too carried away with the search for tone. I find whatever amp I plug my bass into I usually get my sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionn Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 (edited) Aye, I'm very happy with my tone, although I wasn't for many many years. It took me a lot of research, experimentation with different equipment, and honing of technique, but I'm there. In terms of sound gripes, it's other things which cause me to be unsettled these days (like finding the right octaver, grrrrrr). There's always something. $hit, what a luxury it is to be able to indulge this stuff, when you think that folk are machete-hacking each others heads off for peanuts in some parts of the world ... eek! Edited March 7, 2014 by Fionn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 (edited) An interesting point from S1m0n at one of the Bass Bashes; "Who's paid a thousand pounds for a bass?" Lots of hands go up. "Who's paid a thousand pounds for their amp?" Quite a few hands go up. "Who's paid a thousand pounds for lessons?" Silence. My take on this is to buy the best gear you can afford and forget about it. Then you have to start on the most important part of getting a good sound.... you and your technique. I think there are a lot more of type1’s out there, but they are the guys who don’t worry about gear and don’t post about it. They just concentrate on what they are playing. Slimmer’s want a pill rather than eating a lot less calories. Some people think that gear on its own will get them a good sound. An average player will get a better sound with good gear but you can sound good on average gear if you play it right and your technique is good. All IMO, and I nearly forget....... I've been very happy with my sound for the last 20 years. Edited March 7, 2014 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingbasshead Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 I totally agree - so much variation can be in the technique. It's never that I'm unhappy with my tone as such, but i'm always tweaking - i'm a geeky type in that way, always fiddling. rolling off pups, experimenting with pedal orders etc... i've been playing for 26 years and tone shaping is a part of being a bass player that I love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza14 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 [i]I play a mix of reggae and punk and I flit between the two depending on what song we're playing, I play a Squier jazz through a Fender Rumble stack and I can find both of the tones I need just by increasing the tone knob (I turn it up for the punky high sound and turn it off for the bass-y reggae) and that does it. The rest comes from my right hand technique, punk is fingernail or finger style above the bridge pickup and reggae is thumb or finger above the 20th fret. Am I happy with my tone? Yes and no, yes for what I need and no because i'd love one that covers both.... [/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinball Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 [quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1394187864' post='2388836'] Aye, I'm very happy with my tone, although I wasn't for many many years. It took me a lot of research, experimentation with different equipment, and honing of technique, but I'm there. In terms of sound gripes, it's other things which cause me to be unsettled these days (like finding the right octaver, grrrrrr). There's always something.[/quote] This is the road I'm on and I'm getting there. There are always more refinements to make. For me its experimenting with pedals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 (edited) [quote name='tb1973' timestamp='1394186172' post='2388791'] So just out of curiosity - Are you completely happy / settled with your bass tone - you plug in and play at rehearsals or gigs, maybe just a slight eq tweak for the venue? or are you the type that continually plays with your amp, pedals, set up, pup height etc always searching for something extra? Personally I'm the latter type - always fiddling with what I can, like i'm never satisfied and can always make improvements to my tone somehow.... Does type 1 even exist?!? [/quote] I'm type 1. I have a photo of my pedal settings on my phone which I use to just dial in settings when I'm setting up (only if any knobs have moved in transit). My amp is always set flat and I'll tweak it quickly during sound check IF the venue/room acoustics/stage requires it but that is very rare (thanks to my Auralex Gramma Pad!). Average set up time for me is easily under 10 minutes, often under 5. The rest of the changes in tone/dynamics etc come from my right hand technique. Edited March 7, 2014 by skej21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Fine thanks, never realised people got so obsessed before I came on here. In fact all I played before that was my crappy old P-bass copy which the tone control had fallen inside the plate on. It sounded fine, I've fixed the pot now, and have more gear, but I still sound the same, kind of low and thumpy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 As long as I can hear myself and the tone's beefy and substantial then I'm happy. Other than that I don't get hung up about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 (edited) I used to just play a MIJ P Bass reissue into a good old Trace GP12400SMX, with fairly standard cabs. I used these for years. I had Stingrays back home which I still love, but as they cost me a lot, and I was playing dives, I tended to use the P Bass as it was quite well used, (although looking back it was still pretty damn clean). Now, I have barely any time back home to play bass, and all the bands I've tried out for have been a waste of time, or full of dream chasers who can't play. I have zero interest in playing the local pub doing Kings Of Leon covers. I'm not amazing, but my 'thing' lies in being good with tone, good with an overall band sound, and knowing when a band is onto something. I can play pretty well but I need to play a lot more to more difficult songs to get better. I just don't have time to practice, because keeping fit and staying trim is taking the top spot, as well as the career. Shame really. I think eventually I'll find the right band again. Edited March 7, 2014 by Musicman20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 (edited) My tone changes all the time depending on the music and musicians I'm playing with. I certainly don't have the same bass tone I had back in the early 80s when I started seriously playing bass. In fact my bass tone has evolved throughout the last few years with the Terrortones to enable me to complement the different guitarists we've had in the band and how the music has changed with each change in line up. The aim of my bass tone is to make the music and band sound as good as possible. And therefore it is not a fixed thing. Luckily I have a range of basses and a flexible amplification system that allows me to do this. Edited March 7, 2014 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Another type 1, just plug in the P bass and play. Adjust amp eq to suit venue,adjust tone control on bass for some numbers. Never felt the need for effects pedals, and as I watch one of guitarists continually try to gt his to work, I am glad I don't use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinball Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 (edited) [quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1394192859' post='2388947'] Another type 1, just plug in the P bass and play. Adjust amp eq to suit venue,adjust tone control on bass for some numbers. Never felt the need for effects pedals, and as I watch one of guitarists continually try to gt his to work, I am glad I don't use them. [/quote] hah your all right I would be better off working on improving my playing rather than tone, pedals etc Edited March 7, 2014 by Pinball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 absolutley delighted with my three distinct tone options thank you status tone - squierJ with wizard hammers tone - yamaha trb tone all through a stack of hartke loveliness what more could i want Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Yep, definitely in the first category, although I think it comes down to the "£1000 on guitar/amp/lessons" question. Arguably, I've got two tones, broadly speaking, depending on setting, band and bass of choice. But I think in all settings the playing style comes through, and so a lot of "my tone" is down to me playing in my particular style. (I was almost going to say "idiom," but I thought that would sound a little too pretentious!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu-khag Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I've been away from playing live for about 5 years now and space dictated me selling my old cab and head (SWR triad and SWR head). I've been hiring setups at the local rehearsal space and Ive had use of orange bass terrors and other heads but what I've really enjoyed playing through has been an old Peavey nitrobass head - its like I'm hearing what I've always wanted! not sure I want to buy one though as it weighs too much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samashton12 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Yes, finally found it with the VT Bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 yes I have an all valve orange rig (ad200b and obc115) that sounds awesome with my usa p bass (complete with flats) and is perfect for my originals band (I might like a second obc115 at some point but it'll just be so there's even more of the same magnificent sound) I also have a markbass LMIII and EAD FN212 which is perfect for any covers band outings and sounds wonderful with my pair of acg 5 strings both very different but both very wonderful, happy me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlapbassSteve Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I think I'm pretty much there now, I've done my 10,000 hours and spent a fair bit on lessons too mind, and there are always things I'm interested in for trying to tweak the sound(next up: Sansamp VT because I love the SVT sound) but for the most part I can get the sound in my head on each of my basses through pretty much any amp or PA. Only exception is the U-BASS as it's new technology and there's been no huge pioneers with them yet like there was with the likes of James Jamerson or Jaco on the electric, so in my head I've no idea how I want it to sound, other than like it's me playing it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMG456 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Me too, pretty much. I think that the more you travel down the line, the less focused on the minutia of the tiny details like instrument setups, amplification rigs etc. you become and it is more about the music you are making and the folks you are making it with. That's not to say that I don't care - I'm extremely picky about amp rigs for example and when it's time for a change, exhaustively try out many combinations till I find the right one for me but I then forget about it until something happens to force me to change. This means that since I found the first rig that I thought "this is the one" way back in the mid seventies (Acoustic 370/ 301) I have had precisely another two rigs. Likewise with instruments - when I started out I was constantly fiddling with setups on my basses, could only play this song with that bass, needed this or that effect etc. etc. Now, it virtually doesn't matter. Again, it's not that I've lost interest - like many on here I have way more basses and other instruments than I actually need - but they all sound like me playing a bass and that's all that the guys I work with are bothered about. So yes - pretty happy and settled. Doesn't entirely stop the GAS though. :-( Cheers Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 'My' tone is different every time I do a gig. The 'ideal' tone I look to is only every an aspiration that is usually foiled by the absence or otherwise of a carpet. Sometimes I get close, sometime its a train wreck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Sometimes overjoyed, often happy, occasionally disappointed. The main f*%@-up factor is the room. Some sound great, some don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcus bell Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Happy with the 2 bass tones I have, however there is still room for a couple more options Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I'm probably in a different situation most folks in that I don't play live in a band but record at home. Most of the time I record direct into a computer and shape the tone afterwards; but I do occasionally mic up my practice amp and record that way too. ...but I definitely don't have a single bass tone that I aim for. I sculpt the tone to fit whatever I'm working on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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