GAH!! Where is that elusive "sound" I want?!?

[drooldud]

Why oh why cant I find the sound I want?

I want a bass tone similar to:

Justin Chancellor of Tool
Mike Dirnt of Green Day
Nikki from Silversun Pickups
the bass riff from "What is this?" by Faith No More

I use a very very good Ric 4001 copy with the treble pickup capacitor mod

I have the following at my disposal:

Peavey BAM Head
GK 1001rb ii
Sansamp RPM (haven't tried this in a long time)

2 ampeg 410 hlf
older mesa powerhouse 1000 with evm speakers (though i need a new 15L)

If someone has a good idea of what i'm looking for, please help! My brain is crying tears of whale blood.

PS: Part of me thinks i need a gk 2001 (so i can have a dirty channel) and older Mesa Diesel cabs (4x10 and 1x15) to help get me where I want to go..... or a 4x12, 8x10 and 2x15 by Mesa...just because =)

[AmadeusXeno]

For the tool tone I've found using a 4X10 cab with the eq flat except slightly boosted upper mids with a good amount of gain works well. For greenday scoop the mids, no gain and throw in a bbe sonic maximiser.

[Selta]

You know what, I JUST saw it walking past. It was going that way --->

Honestly, the tones you listed are pretty wide spread. Gear used, playing technique, FX and not to mention "studio magic" have roles in all of their tones.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by drooldud

Why oh why cant I find the sound I want?

I want a bass tone similar to:

Justin Chancellor of Tool
Mike Dirnt of Green Day
Nikki from Silversun Pickups
the bass riff from "What is this?" by Faith No More

I use a very very good Ric 4001 copy with the treble pickup capacitor mod

I have the following at my disposal:

Peavey BAM Head
GK 1001rb ii
Sansamp RPM (haven't tried this in a long time)

2 ampeg 410 hlf
older mesa powerhouse 1000 with evm speakers (though i need a new 15L)

If someone has a good idea of what i'm looking for, please help! My brain is crying tears of whale blood.

PS: Part of me thinks i need a gk 2001 (so i can have a dirty channel) and older Mesa Diesel cabs (4x10 and 1x15) to help get me where I want to go..... or a 4x12, 8x10 and 2x15 by Mesa...just because =)

Can you post a link to "What is This" on YouTube? I can't find it in their discography.

[kosmicwizard]

Munji ... The song is actually called EPIC.

To the OP, you don't need a 2001RB, the G-K diesel dawg pedal is the OD channel of the 2001. It is heavier than their new micro heads and the tone is nasty compared to the Tech21 VTBass pedal. I own the 1001RB-II and had the diesel dawg pedal, I have moved on. All the best to you in your continuing quest for the ultimate tone. Cheers.

[Devo-lution]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Can you post a link to "What is This" on YouTube? I can't find it in their discography.

Patton keeps singin "what's it - what is this"... in the bridge of "epic". Might be he's talkin about that song.

In that case, I advise a decent overdrive and some mid content.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Devo-lution

Patton keeps singin "what's it - what is this"... in the bridge of "epic". Might be he's talkin about that song.

In that case, I advise a decent overdrive and some mid content.

OK. Then he's going to need a VT Bass for that.

[drooldud]

So Should I try...

1001rb --> Sansamp RPM in FX Loop
into ampeg 4x10?

or

Sansamp into Poweramp into both Ampeg 4x10hlf?

I think part of my issue is I have no dirt in my sound.

And yes, I had a brain fart.. the song is Epic - Faith no More.

I play in a 3pc and need something that can fill the void when the guitarist is doing solos.


Another thought, since I love the tone of my old EVM speakers, does anyone know the science of how those would work in my ampeg hlf cab? Those cabs are hevily ported and have a tweeter so I dunno how that would work? Thanks everybody.

[BassMonstrum]

I actually have the same gear as you; GK1001rb-II and a Mesa Roadready 1000 (Powerhouse, only built in a flight).

My signal-chain goes from a Fender Highway One Jazz to:
MXR Bass Octave Deluxe --> Bass Big Muff --> Sansamp BDDI with the blendknob at 9 o'clock --> EBS Multicomp --> GK

[BigOldHarry]

I will bet the OP sounds *much* closer to what he wants if he listened to himself in the mix - outside of the mix it's very hard to tell how you will sound *in* the mix.

[drooldud]

older powerhouse with the EV drivers? or newer with the neo's? These EV Drivers just sound so damn good!!

[drooldud]

any ideas on putting my ev's in my ampeg? any takers at all?

[BassMonstrum]

My Mesa has the EV Drivers and yeah, they do sound damn good! However, it took some time to dial in my tone.

As for putting the EV's in the Ampeg, I dunno.

[EpiRipper]

That elusive sound you're looking for... is in my amp

[drooldud]

any more ideas or suggestions?
or anyone who knows about putting my ev's im my ampeg?

[rpsands]

Many of Tool's bass tones require chorus to sound right.

Get a chorus and a VT bass pedal, and practice a lot.

[maevinj]

Originally Posted by drooldud

Why oh why cant I find the sound I want?

I want a bass tone similar to:

Justin Chancellor of Tool
Mike Dirnt of Green Day
Nikki from Silversun Pickups
the bass riff from "What is this?" by Faith No More

I use a very very good Ric 4001 copy with the treble pickup capacitor mod

I have the following at my disposal:

Peavey BAM Head
GK 1001rb ii
Sansamp RPM (haven't tried this in a long time)

2 ampeg 410 hlf
older mesa powerhouse 1000 with evm speakers (though i need a new 15L)

If someone has a good idea of what i'm looking for, please help! My brain is crying tears of whale blood.

PS: Part of me thinks i need a gk 2001 (so i can have a dirty channel) and older Mesa Diesel cabs (4x10 and 1x15) to help get me where I want to go..... or a 4x12, 8x10 and 2x15 by Mesa...just because =)

I think you need a real Ric...

[drooldud]

am i better with a vt pedal rather than my rpm?

and ha ha on the ric quip! :P i think ric will be one of the biggest issues in getting the tone i want........but i love it

[engedi1]

Well, for Nikki's tone that is quite simple-P Bass with a pick. Nothing else sounds like this (also the only way to get Kim Deal's tone from the Pixies on Doolittle)
Mike Dirnt's Tone: Gibson Grabber, with a pick as hard as possible, a little overdrive from somewhere.
Faith No More is tougher because he primarily uses ZON basses and is really getting some studio magic to produce that tone. I am pretty sure he uses a pick as well. I have loved the tone on Epic since I was 14 and have never been able to get it either. I bet he doesn't either in a live setting...
In generally, I would say you seem to like pick players, so I hope you use a pick!
The good news, is that a Ric with a Pick will cop Chris Squire's tone no problem!

[steve.roark]

Rick's have a mid range growl unlike anything else. You are not going to reproduce the tone you are looking for with that. Just my opinion. Sorry.