Bass/Amp EQ Settings-Help!

HoosierBassist · #1 05-05-2011, 03:59 PM

I have a Sterling RAY34, and a Fender Rumble 75. I need help getting a good punk sound. I know Blink-182 and Green Day aren't really punk, but I need something good for punk in general. The knobs on my bass are: Volume, Treble, Mids, and Bass. A combination of the right bass eq settings and bass eq settings should do the trick.

Thanks,

Austin

HolmeBass · #2 05-05-2011, 04:08 PM

Try starting with everything "flat" - both the bass and the amp with all tone controls "in the middle", which is easy if they have center detents, otherwise you might have to fudge a bit. Then work on the amp- make small changes to mid, bass, and treble controls, and play the same basic stuff before and after each change. Play a bass line that's down low, one that sits around the 7th fret, and another that covers more range up and down the neck. Once the amp is dialed in, use the controls on the bass to make small adjustments from song to song (songs in different keys can sometimes make your bass either poke out too much or get burried, also depends on whether the drummer uses lots of toms on a song or not, etc.). Good luck, and have fun experimenting.

Over-EQ'ing often doesn't work out well. You want an even well-defined sound that blends but is still present.

HoosierBassist · #3 05-05-2011, 04:22 PM

by tone (on the amp), do you mean EQ? because my amp has volume, then overdrive (gain/blend, not currently in use), then "Equalization" which has Bass, High Mid, Low Mid, and Treble.

RickenBoogie · #4 05-05-2011, 06:12 PM

Yes. And, +1 to setting everything at noon, and making very small adjustments, one band at a time.

Russell L · #5 05-05-2011, 06:19 PM

Be careful of too much lows. It's the mids that make you heard through a mix. But, lows can easily eat up whatever headroom you have in your rig, if they are overdone. I have found that 100z is a punchy sound I like. Below that is where I tread carefully.

will33 · #6 05-05-2011, 06:23 PM

Eq settings depend on the room (or lack of one) you're playing in. There is no one setting for punk, one for country, one for rock, one for jazz, etc. Sound bouncing off walls, the floor, people, etc. all affects it. In general, a "punk" sound would involve playing with a pick and having a "forward" and/or "grindy" sound. That means mid and treble prominent with enough bass to sound like a bass. Also gain high enough to give some "grit" to the sound. Basically, these guys are pointing you in the right direction saying start out with everything even and adjust from there. Extreme adjustments shouldn't be needed though. For example, if you've already turned your bass knob up a bit and it's still not enough, consider turning down a mid or treble knob so it sounds like there's more bass by comparison instead of keeping on cranking more bass. Likewise, if you've already turned the mid or treble up a bit and it's not enough, consider turning the bass down a bit so it sounds middier/treblier by comparison instead of keeping on cranking the mid/treble. If you have a volume or gain and a master volume, try running the volume/gain higher and the master lower for some grit. If you only have a single volume knob, try setting the volume on your bass lower so you can turn the amp up higher and end up at the same volume.