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Lord Sausage
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I'm looking to buy a new amp so I have been checking out a lot of old threads on here, reviews etc.

During my research i have come across people saying some amps are woolly, others saying they aren't. Also people saying things like the bass eq on an amp is 'musical'. I have also seen a compressor described as musical. ( don't really understand that one).

So please could you give your definitions on woolly and on things like eq and compressors being musical?

Cheers

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They're not definitions, they're opinions - one bassist's 'woolly' is another's (I dunno..) 'smooth' !

I have no idea what a 'musical' compression or EQ is...except to say that the person describing it so likes it :)

Sorry, not much help but I'd say it's a matter of personal taste and it's best to try before you buy if you can.

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[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1483468507' post='3207405']
I'd say it's a matter of personal taste and it's best to try before you buy if you can.
[/quote]

I agree. Everyone hears things differently. Don't rely on other people's opinions or definitions. If you can't try before you buy, at least try to find demo clip, and judge for yourself.

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[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1483468507' post='3207405']
They're not definitions, they're opinions - one bassist's 'woolly' is another's (I dunno..) 'smooth' !

I have no idea what a 'musical' compression or EQ is...except to say that the person describing it so likes it :)

Sorry, not much help but I'd say it's a matter of personal taste and it's best to try before you buy if you can.
[/quote]
[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1483472004' post='3207467']
I agree. Everyone hears things differently. Don't rely on other people's opinions or definitions. If you can't try before you buy, at least try to find demo clip, and judge for yourself.
[/quote]
oh yeah i know, i was just interesting in finding out what people think is woolly or musical. I mean what is woolly supposed to mean.

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[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1483474321' post='3207505']
oh yeah i know, i was just interesting in finding out what people think is woolly or musical. I mean what is woolly supposed to mean.
[/quote]

OK, provisos aside, woolly to me means lacking in definition and clarity. But not necessarily lacking in top end.

Edited by ahpook
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People hear thing differently, then explain them differently.

I've never know what "dark" means.

Players are also capable of not being able to get a good sound out of gear. . . then they're just as likely to blame the gear. This seems to happen a lot with 5 string basses.

IMO woolly means lacking clarity, indistinct. Woolly seems to mean "vintage tone" to some.

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To help you understand my opinion first you need to know about "my tone":

I use a Yamaha TRB5PII wich is a very open bass with a big freq. range from the sub-lows up to piano-like highs (i use D'Addario Prosteels for extra "zing"). I Like the way it sounds naturally, it's the tone i have in my head, i would describe it as "flat", i don't like to scoop mids or boost lows, in fact i like to HPF everything above 50Hz or even 80Hz when possible because i allways go through PA (let the subs do the heavy lifting) and i don't like to have those sub-lows on stage to muddy things. My rig consists of a Genz Benz STL-9.2 (wich has a build-in HPF on the poweramp stage - Class D :) ) and a Barefaced S12T, so it is as "flat" sounding as i could find.

I like to play at lower volumes with a very clean sound (except for when i use the pedals) without gain or valve drive and i like to hear everybody that's sharing the stage with me.

So here's my definitions:

[b]Whoolly[/b] - a tone that's scooped on the mid region and bumped on the lows. A tone that gives you no note definition and often results in a sensation of a muddy stage sound. Normally this tone is taken as a good tone when playing individually but when you add a band the notes will be lost in the mix only leaving a rumble all across the stage.

[b]Musical[/b] - a tone that's very rich in note definition to the point where you can percieve the notes harmonics but keeping a good low end that's strong enough to be felt without overpowering or muddying the rest of the freq. spectrum.


This is my definition, everybody has a diferent one because we all have diferent core tones inside our heads.
Hope it helps, cheers




Edited to add a couple of lines.

Edited by Ghost_Bass
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