Cover band bass tone

[Happy Jack]

No one except you will hear any change in tone.

No one except you will care.

No one will be watching you or listening to you. Unless you cock it up quite spectacularly of course.

Negative? Cynical? No, not a bit of it. It's very liberating. You can concentrate on enjoying yourself. If that includes fiddling about with your tone then that's fine. It's all good.

Just don't expect anyone else to be interested.

Edited July 25, 2017 by Happy Jack

[BigRedX]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1501000220' post='3341677']
The sign of a good song is one that can be alerted a lot and still be enjoyable.
[/quote]

You don't even need to play the same bass line as on the original.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1501000310' post='3341680']
Are you pehaps talking about your sound or effects?
[/quote]

They are the same thing IMO.

Edited July 25, 2017 by BigRedX

[Woodinblack]

I have my sound for most tracks, my sound with a bit of valve overdrive for older tracks, and my sound with a lot of distortion on for a couple of tracks. I sometimes also have my sound with a flanger on for one track. But not always.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1501000891' post='3341691']


They are the same thing IMO.
[/quote]

The BOSS pedal that makes a fretless played finger style over the neck heel sound like Marcus Miller is going to be a huge hit

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1501000862' post='3341689']


You don't even need to play the same bass line as on the original.
[/quote]

Agreed, see happy Jack's post

[Lozz196]

When I depped a couple of times I tried to get the bass sounding as near as I could for each track. For example the tone on All Right Now by Free and the tone on Zombie by The Cranberries are pretty different, so I swapped between pickups/adjusted tone on the bass (it was an active bass with P/J pickups). I just wanted to try and be as near as possible. Whereas when I was in a punk covers band I just had one tone and that was it. I suppose what I`m saying is, either can be done, and probably to the ears of the punters - aside from any bassists out there - no-one will really notice.

[BrunoBass]

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1500996107' post='3341606']
I just have two decent as I can get sounds, one with my fingers and one with a plec and go with that to be honest. Never had any adverse comments or thought that the sound doesn't fit with the song we're covering.

Les
[/quote]

That's exactly what I do too. My band is a rock covers band so I have a nice, slightly overdrive tone for everything. If the original is played fingerstyle I play it fingerstyle, if it's played with a pick I roll off a bit of treble and use a pick.

My one concession to closely replicating a sound is on the one Muse song we play, which needs a synthy fuzz tone.

[grumpyguts]

Excellent, I'll aim for a nice clean tone that works in the room and just get on with it.

[blue]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1501000891' post='3341691']


They are the same thing IMO.
[/quote]

I disagree.

Blue

Edited July 25, 2017 by blue

[LITTLEWING]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1500994245' post='3341583']
I don't want to say it's all in the fingers but to be honest it's all it the fingers!

I get a generic decent sound as best I can then alter my playing style to suit the song, up near the neck, side of the thumb, slap, fingers over the pickup, fingers near the bridge, plectrum, palm muting etc etc etc

I just knock a bit of treble off when
using a pick other than that I'm good to go.

Some people say a Stingray is a one trick pony, I'd say those people have a limited technique
[/quote]
100% me too.

[geoham]

What I do is have a good, reasonably flat tone and use fingers / pick / tone control / pickup selection to suit the song. I have a few effects on my Zoom B3 for songs that demand them. A phaser for Thin Lizzy Dancing in the Moonlight, some filth for No More Heroes, octave for Sledgehammer - you get the idea!

Some folk will recommend you get separate pedals. I previously tried this and it meant carrying a lot of often expensive pedals that would be used for one song. The B3 is a great multi-fx - between the effects and the amps sims, you can get whatever sound you need.

Have fun!

[ricksterphil]

Unless there is a specific need for overdrive, fuzz or whatever, I just use a tone I'm happy with and don't worry too much about originality.

[Les]

[quote name='PaulGibsonBass' timestamp='1501009324' post='3341785']
That's exactly what I do too. My band is a rock covers band so I have a nice, slightly overdrive tone for everything. If the original is played fingerstyle I play it fingerstyle, if it's played with a pick I roll off a bit of treble and use a pick.

My one concession to closely replicating a sound is on the one Muse song we play, which needs a synthy fuzz tone.
[/quote]

What bass do you use ? I'm recently on a jazz and I love it. Tends to be both pickups on full and roll the treble off for a plec but I'm toying with the idea of rolling the bridge pickup off to play with a plec hoping that will give me the extra bass I want.

[lojo]

The fact that only myself and a few bass or production thinking people in each crowd will notice my attempt to replicate certain bass sounds in a varied set is enough for me to want to and enjoy doing it.

There's no rules really is there

One thing I would say though as a personal thing, if it's a guitar / bassist changing tone controls or effects or a keyboard player changing patches it has to be quick , smooth and well organised in advanced with no noise. If your not completely ready and preset don't do it.

Edited July 26, 2017 by lojo

[uk_lefty]

[quote name='Osiris' timestamp='1500996600' post='3341621']
My band plays a wide range of covers from 60's top modern day. I tend to play with a relatively flat eq and make any minor adjustments to playing position and occasionally panning between pickups on my basses that have more than one. I also use a bit of low gain drive, usually so low gain that I doubt anyone actually notices anyway! This gives me a good 'one size fits all' sound (with some subtle variation) that works well with everything. Our guitarist and keys players have dedicated sounds for different songs, so I like to keep the bass tone relatively constant behind them, and it seems to work really well across the board.
[/quote]

Similar to my approach. Find a good core tone and make minor adjustments only when you have to. Guitarists have it easier to replicate tones, whereas if bassists were to try you'd have long breaks between songs as you change to the bass with flatwounds, etc

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='ricksterphil' timestamp='1501017870' post='3341891']
Unless there is a specific need for overdrive, fuzz or whatever, I just use a tone I'm happy with and don't worry too much about originality.
[/quote]sounds about right, I roll of the treble for reggae stuff, and use overdrive for Stranglers and Fuzz for Ace of Spades, that's about it really, as my partner says when I ask her about the sound of a new amp or speakers or I mess with the settings "bass is bass, all sounds the same to me"

[drTStingray]

If your cover band is anything like the ones I play in youll require a range of sounds and techniques. I'll give a couple of examples - All Right Now - Free; Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding; We Are Family - Sister Sledge; Black Knight - Deep Purple; Smooth Operator - Sade; Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

I would say anyone with decent technique and a professional level bass and amp/cab can pull these off adequately. However to be more than adequate you will need possibly a little more from the bass in your hands - in my experience

On board EQ
2 pick ups

I use a Stingray HH for this type of thing because it's versatile enough, coupled with technique to sound good on all of these. I can range from a scooped Mark King sound through to mid heavy staccato to round and fat bass to thinner legato sound as needed.

You could do all of this on a Precision but for those who have heard people play All Right Now on either a P or J it is adequate rather than anything else. Add some effects it may be better.

It is possible all of it could be played on an EB3 - the rock would definitely sound good - not sure about the rest. A Rickenbacker and Jazz are also good all rounders. I find the Stingray the winner and the coil selector switch and mid range control are the main ways to get the variations needed to enhance your own technique to get the range which is desirable.

[chris_b]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1501053034' post='3342006']
. . . . as my partner says when I ask her about the sound of a new amp or speakers or I mess with the settings "bass is bass, all sounds the same to me"
[/quote]

Maybe she is right!

It's all the same to me too. As long as you sound good then I don't care either.

Whichever way, I'd always prefer the truth. I played both my P and J basses on a sound check last week and the drummer, who's also a bass player, said he didn't hear much difference between them. So it seems I really do sound like me no matter what I'm playing!

[Ghost_Bass]

This is how it works [b]for me[/b]:

I set my bass EQ pretty much flat with my choice of strings in order to achieve the widest tonal range possible (it helps having a full range bass that doesn't have a strong build-in colour). Amp EQ is also left flat unless there's some freq ressonating in the room.

I can go from reggae to rock by using the pan knob and adjusting my right hand, no need to fiddle with other knobs.

I'll never nail the exact tone for the song but i don't worry about it, it's best to have a great almost there tone that compliments the rest of the band and the room.

[Muzz]

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1501060423' post='3342089']
If your cover band is anything like the ones I play in you'll require a range of sounds and techniques...to be more than adequate you will need possibly a little more from the bass in your hands - in my experience

On board EQ
2 pick ups

...mid range control are the main ways to get the variations needed to enhance your own technique to get the range which is desirable.
[/quote]

Apologies for butchering the quote, but that's about it from my POV, and I play in a band with a wiiiiide range of material, from Johnny Cash to Nirvana to By Jovi to Bruno Marsbar to Luther Van Doodah. A pair of PUs and my onboard EQs (all John East U-Retros, seeing as you're asking ) can scoop, honk, bark, growl or even drive the amp to grind, all from the bass(es). After that, it's down to me to play it right...which is the biggest variable...

[chris_b]

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1501060423' post='3342089']
I would say anyone with decent technique and a professional level bass and amp/cab can pull these off adequately. However to be more than adequate you will need possibly a little more from the bass in your hands [/quote]

My view is that anyone with a decent technique and a brain can nail these songs by the power and presence of their playing alone. Playing Motown sounding like Lemmy or JJ Burnell would be an interesting interpretation but if you can play the songs right then [i]your[/i] sound will work.

Some of the songs in your list were recorded on a P bass so no onboard EQ and only 1 pickup on the original.

If you are saying that not copying the tone on the record makes your playing just adequate then I'd strongly disagree. As I said before, you can play every song with a different tone if you want to, but that isn't necessary. It's your playing that will make or break the song and make you a good or just adequate player.

[jazzyvee]

Consider this.... does the vocalist sound exactly like the record on all the covers you do with the band?
If not, then why should you feel you have to?
Trying to get the exact tone isn't really as important as finding a sound that works for the song.

I dep in a few bands that include covers and all I aim to do is get a tone that sounds right with whatever the song is. No-one has ever complained, and i get repeat gigs. For example this weekend I have a dep gig with a Drifters tribute band and i've never played that stuff before, I dont own any fender or passive basses which I presume most of their music would have been recorded with. All my basses are active which I doubt was even around back then either, so in my practice sessions at home I just aim to get a tone I think works for the tracks. I won't even have my own bass rig for the gig so will be at the mercy of the dreaded backline.

As for setting up your rig. Usually my settings are the same on my bass rig regardless of the gig. Sometimes I roll a little off the bottom end if the room is boomy but that's it. Everything else I do from the bass and/or by changing where and how I hit the strings, and where I think the bass needs a different tone I give it for each song or within the same song. It all helps to gain an understanding about how to create tone.

Edited July 26, 2017 by jazzyvee

[Mastodon2]

To echo many others, rather than trying to match tones I've always just tried to get the best tone from my gear. I've always loved signature gear particularly when I played guitar, as it often had specs that you couldn't get elsewhere. When I had my Fender Yngwie Malmsteen Strat, I didn't try to copy Yngwie's tone (or playing!) and when I owned a Carvin Legacy amp, I didn't try to EQ it like Steve Vai.

Now that I play bass, I just have my amp set for my Thumb. I try to keep my EQ pretty flat on the amp, set the active EQ on the bass to get the best sound from it that I can then tweak the amp a little to suit the bass. I suppose live you could adjust the EQ to suit a room if it had unusual acoustics, but more likely you'd be playing into PA and using the amp as a monitor. I think making drastic changes to your sound on stage in the middle of a gig will just end up with all the work at soundcheck being undone and will be less pleasing for the audience as the band's overall sound is worse as everyone changes settings. Easier just to keep it sounding good.

However, there are some exceptions; some songs are going to need a Fender Strat, some will need something with humbuckers. This will naturally cause a shift in sound. Some songs will need an envelope filter or a pitch shifter / wah etc. Using pedals to get the right effect on a specific part is probably good for helping the audience get into the song if they're familiar with that sound, but in general I'd stay away from big EQ shifts song to song as much as possible.

Just my 2p!

[bassjim]

Another passive jazz fan here. Use back, both or front PUPs, and adjust tone to taste to whats useable more often than not. Dont always get exactly what I like or want but do get what I can use. I throw in some chorus as and when I feel like it too even though the original has none. Sometimes I will play over the back pick up when the record is a deep P bass part. But that may be because the room sounds sh*t if any low end gets boosted in any way including just panning over to the front pick up. Sometimes its what others in the band are doing that can also dictate what works.

I dont think you can watch a youtube video demoing a certain brand of bass or amp and except that that is what its going to sound like any where you go and in any situation.

Live sound I think is part of the never ending learning curb. Can be very frustrating if you have had 2-3 gigs in a row and not the sound you want due to the room acoustics ect and can also be rewarding if the opposite happens. Too many good sounding rooms/ stages in a row can make you think you have it sussed, all your gear is the best money can buy, you know exactly what you are doing and all is well in the world only for that next bad one to put you back into having doubts.

Overall though with my jazz, it does more often than not, sound like a bass, playing the bass part.