How to dial in a good tone?

[Bassnut62]

I always found best tone comes from a simple one-pup P Bass or a Stingray, straight into an old Fender all-valve head with some good speakers, preferably 2x15.
Set all the controls on 10 and enjoy.......adjust your playing style to get the tone, which really is 'in the fingers' to a great extent.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Bassnut62

[discreet]

[quote name='Bassnut62' timestamp='1437742134' post='2828712']
Set all the controls on 10 and enjoy... adjust your playing style to get the tone, which really is 'in the fingers' to a great extent.
[/quote]

Agree about playing style and 'in the fingers', but not too sure about 'set all the controls on 10'...

[ras52]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1436883391' post='2821679']
[b]1) Don’t just boost… try cutting too[/b]
[/quote]

One way of approaching this - and a way to find "your" tone - is to use a process of listening out for what you don't like about your sound, and then try to isolate and remove it. This also applies to tecnique (e.g. I don't like the wooly resonance from the open strings, so I need to work on muting them)

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1437743195' post='2828722']
Agree about playing style and 'in the fingers', but not too sure about 'set all the controls on 10'...
[/quote]

Set the controls for the heart of the sun

[discreet]

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1437743835' post='2828728']
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
[/quote]

You need an amp that goes up to 11 for that...

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='Bassnut62' timestamp='1437742134' post='2828712']
I always found best tone comes from a simple one-pup P Bass or a Stingray, straight into an old Fender all-valve head with some good speakers, preferably 2x15.
Set all the controls on 10 and enjoy.......adjust your playing style to get the tone, which really is 'in the fingers' to a great extent.
[/quote]I play with a pick, what do I do?

[ras52]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1437749384' post='2828803']
I play with a pick, what do I do?
[/quote]

Use the fingers to hold the pick

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1437749478' post='2828804']
Use the fingers to hold the pick
[/quote]oh yeah, I'll try that

[blue]

I have been gigging since 1966 and dialing in tone is still a challenge. I mean , where do you eq from, your bass, your amp, your pedals and the sound guy? All of these areas have their hand on your sound.

Lately I have been leaving everything on the amp flat, however , I run gain, master volume, contour and presence high. I adjust volume on the fly from my bass. Some of my pedals can really boost or lower volume.

Blue

Edited July 24, 2015 by blue

[paulbass]

It'll take you a little while to get to grips with your amp controls and it might help you to stand away from your amp when playing in a band and listen to your tone and where it sits within the band. This will help you if your too loud/quiet,too bassy/trebley etc...If you set your amp up flat as suggested work on the tone from your bass first.Once your happy with your bass tone enhance it by experimenting with the dials on the amp. Hope this helps.

[3below]

As mentioned before listening to yourself with a long lead will help. A radio connection is even better since you can get further away. Getting someone else with good judgement to listen at a distance when the venue fills with people can be useful if you have not reached the mixing / sound engineer scenario.

[Bassnut62]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1437744042' post='2828731']
You need an amp that goes up to 11 for that...
[/quote]

In a way an old Fender valve amp does go up to 11........they stay clean forever; so you can push them to 10 on all dials and they still sound pretty damn clean, full tone and loud. If you want to get to 11, you have to jump two separate gain channels with a pedal cable, to get both sides of the pre-amp tubes working simultaneously into one channel; here you will find much growl and attitude! This is true and works on a Fender Bassman 135 head anyway!