"Core Tone" isn't very important in your bass.

[Stylon Pilson]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='739004' date='Feb 8 2010, 03:32 PM']Maybe we should set something up at a Bass Bash - get a load of boutique basses and blind test them somehow.[/quote]

Ah, but don't you see? That will only prove that most bass players are heathens who can't appreciate good tone!

S.P.

[riff raff]

all respect to you bilbo....you're committed to your craft i'll give you that.


granted i haven't read through the entire thread because it would probably make me lose the will to live.but it has occured to me that wouldn't any test like this require that we all hear things in exactly the same uniform way.d'ya know what i mean.like taste or smell....do we all experience them in an identical way?

surely we don't...so is it possible that two different people may hear a tone/bass/sound etc and like it.but actually be hearing something quite different?

[Bilbo]

[quote name='riff raff' post='739030' date='Feb 8 2010, 03:51 PM']so is it possible that two different people may hear a tone/bass/sound etc and like it.but actually be hearing something quite different?[/quote]

That would explain Duffy.....

[4000]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='739057' date='Feb 8 2010, 04:12 PM']That would explain Duffy.....[/quote]

[4000]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='739004' date='Feb 8 2010, 03:32 PM']Maybe we should set something up at a Bass Bash - get a load of boutique basses and blind test them somehow.

We could get a player to play x number of basses behind a screen; same amp, same settings, same leads etc and see whether listeners can 'hear' a boutique bass?

Or get 30 players to play the same 6 basses or so but blindfolded to see if they can 'feel' an objectively 'better quality' instrument?[/quote]

As I've always said, it's about what works for the individual. That could just as easily be a cheapy as something pricey. My favourite bass cost me £490 and I prefer the sound to anything else I've played. However my second favourite would be my old Alembic, which cost me £3.5k. All that proves is I like them both and that price doesn't come into it (although maybe US made with twin trussrods and through-necks does!).

[Spook]

[quote name='silddx' post='735012' date='Feb 4 2010, 01:32 PM']I think it's a complete fallacy that the core tone of your bass is very important. I think in most cases people are deluding themselves.

Of all the things - reliability, playability, comfort and looks - tone is by far the easiest to change to your liking. If that is not the case, why do we spend so much on eq and effects?

I think this "TONE" nonsense is a legacy of the days when bassists had very little equipment to choose from. Why would you still limit yourself to a Fender Precision because you think it has "thump", when you could have a bass with loads more mid-gig tonal options at the flick of a switch, be more comfortable, more playable and more reliable? You can easily eq that thump in to whatever bass you are playing.

Of course, you may only want one tone, but then you may only ever have one hairstyle or only eat Hawaiian pizza.

I am a complete convert from the idea of needing valve amp and a Fender, Stingray, blah blah. The future is digital. Get the bass you REALLY want.[/quote]

I have to agree! had a couple of 5-stings made to fit (I have small hands and am pretty small physically), and my 70's Precision hasn't seen the light of day since.
Got rid of the Ampeg for a Trace Elliot stack, but was disappointed when I "Upgraded" the head. The new American owned version seems to have lost all the tonal character the British produced models had, so all change again to Ashdown - Brilliant piece of kit, though I have been looking at the recent TC Electronics combos

Edited February 8, 2010 by Spook

[xilddx]

[quote name='Spook' post='739215' date='Feb 8 2010, 06:11 PM']I have to agree! had a couple of 5-stings made to fit (I have small hands and am pretty small physically), and my 70's Precision hasn't seen the light of day since.
Got rid of the Ampeg for a Trace Elliot stack, but was disappointed when I "Upgraded" the head. The new American owned version seems to have lost all the tonal character the British produced models had, so all change again to Ashdown - Brilliant piece of kit, though I have been looking at the recent TC Electronics combos[/quote]
Fancy selling me the '70s P? I LOVE the inherent sound of those things.

[Mog]

[quote name='silddx' post='739527' date='Feb 8 2010, 10:53 PM']Fancy selling me the '70s P? I LOVE the inherent sound of those things.[/quote]

Nice!

[Kiwi]

Previous owner of three smiths, three modulii, yada yada yada and you can see the stuff I own in my sig. I still prefer the sound of my 600 quid modded Czech Spectors. The core sound is in the wood, supported by design and specification that bring out the best in that instrument. You don't have to pay thousands for an awesome sounding bass, but if you want lots of features or to be considered "cool" then the chances you'll pay thousands is greater.

BTW Alembic used to tune the preamps of their Series basses so that it would get the best out of each individual instrument. This was inspite of a design that supposed to isolate the vibration of the string from other components in the instrument.

[deathpanda]

Don't you think it's better to honor the age-old instruments and sounds that we've all come to love, instead of effortlessly emulating them? If this thread is anything to go by (from the few posts that I've read), in the near future every bassist will be using a black and white variax bass and some Line 6 amp... There's something about that which just isn't quite right in my mind. Is that just me being unable to adapt and face facts? I'm not all too sure, maybe in a few years I'll realise that digital is the best thing to happen to music, but for now I'll stick with my Geddy jazz and ampeg with a big smile on my face.

[xilddx]

[quote name='deathpanda' post='739595' date='Feb 9 2010, 12:05 AM']Don't you think it's better to honor the age-old instruments and sounds that we've all come to love, instead of effortlessly emulating them? If this thread is anything to go by (from the few posts that I've read), in the near future every bassist will be using a black and white variax bass and some Line 6 amp... There's something about that which just isn't quite right in my mind. Is that just me being unable to adapt and face facts? I'm not all too sure, maybe in a few years I'll realise that digital is the best thing to happen to music, but for now I'll stick with my Geddy jazz and ampeg with a big smile on my face.[/quote]
Then you are simply celebrating the equipment, not the players and their unique musicality.

[redstriper]

[quote name='silddx' post='735012' date='Feb 4 2010, 01:32 PM']Of course, you may only want one tone, but then you may only ever have one hairstyle or only eat Hawaiian pizza.[/quote]

I just realised - that's me you're talking about!

I have tried (and mistakenly bought) a number of basses that just don't have my tone and I can't get on with them, no matter how playable, comfortable or pretty they are.
Rather than try to get my tone via outboard eq and fx, I'd rather have a bass that does my sound naturally - simple solutions are always best.

I want playability, comfort, tone and looks and I want them all rather than choosing one over another.
Oh, I want it to be as cheap as possible too...........

[4000]

[quote name='redstriper' post='739609' date='Feb 9 2010, 12:32 AM']I just realised - that's me you're talking about!

I have tried (and mistakenly bought) a number of basses that just don't have my tone and I can't get on with them, no matter how playable, comfortable or pretty they are.
Rather than try to get my tone via outboard eq and fx, I'd rather have a bass that does my sound naturally - simple solutions are always best.

I want playability, comfort, tone and looks and I want them all rather than choosing one over another.
Oh, I want it to be as cheap as possible too...........[/quote]

Can't really argue with that! (Although doubtless someone will... )

[Kiwi]

[quote name='redstriper' post='739609' date='Feb 9 2010, 12:32 AM']I have tried (and mistakenly bought) a number of basses that just don't have my tone and I can't get on with them, no matter how playable, comfortable or pretty they are.
Rather than try to get my tone via outboard eq and fx, I'd rather have a bass that does my sound naturally - simple solutions are always best.

I want playability, comfort, tone and looks and I want them all rather than choosing one over another.
Oh, I want it to be as cheap as possible too...........[/quote]
Me too! My collection is in two parts, those basses with MY sound and those basses that have a well known sound. Then there's the Shuker which is a tool (although not *my* sound exactly, it's a very even and muscley sounding instrument now I've replaced the Delanos with my custom Wizards.)

[ThomBassmonkey]

While I agree that a bass's tone* is one of the least important qualities, I disagree that it's not important.

If you pick up a bass with a nice rumbly deep sound when you play with your fingers but you want it to sound like a punk p-bass, you're going to lose a lot of character from the bass.

I prefer to have all my EQs set flat if poss, if I don't like the sound of my equipment as is, I wouldn't use it. I usually EQ my bass a bit but I'd rather mess with the signal at the source than lose signal there then try and boost something that doesn't exist at the amp.

I can understand the possibilities with using digital equipment, but after playing guitar with a GT6 or studio amp sims for a number of years, I know that the tonal character is never fully there. Amp sims and multi-FX are great for deciding what you want IMO, but once I know, I'd never pick a sim over the real thing. But then I only like 1 tone per gig. For people who want to be playing a different bass through a different amp every song, they completely make sense, but then that kind of player would never have a signature tone anyway.

*Disclaimer: I'm calling it tone because I think of a player's sound as everything including style, genre, proficiency and of course tone.

[Davo-London]

Couldn't disagree more.

All that money we pay for EQ and effects? What tripe.

Never used an effect in my life other than reverb.

I would be happy with a power amp with no EQ.

I've spent my money getting the tone I want from my basses.

Simple as that.

Davo