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Originally Posted by Zanyman42788 well, i play alot of fretted basses... and i can get really good chime like harmonics out of basses. but this bass dosnt want to give me chimy harmonics, not even the 5th and 7th frets have very good tuneable harmonics because they are weak. thanx though |
I think I get what you mean. There are lots of possibilities and the less expensive the bass the greater the chance that one or many of these will affect it's tone. The harmonic frequencies you are trying to achieve are very low energy sounds. Combined with each other (there are actually dozens of harmonic points along a string) and the fundamental note, they make enough energy to really activate a pickup. The problem as I see it is that your bass is dampening these low energy/high frequency components quickly and only allowing a clear fundamental to be heard.
The first place to look for reasons this happens is in the body wood. If it's a softer basswood or acacia like is used for inexpensive imported instruments, then that can be a sponge for the highs needed to sparkle. Harder body woods won't absorb these vibrations and keep more energy in the string.
The next place I would search is the neck joint. If the connection isn't tight and the clamping force substantial, then you loose what is called "sonic coupling" or the ability to transfer tonal vibrations between the neck and body. This will kill low energy vibrations as well. Remember the tin can and string walkie talkie? If the string was slack, no voice could be heard from the other end. It's the same with a bass neck and body. I like to use steel inserts and machine bolts in my own constructions to really put the squeeze on this joint. If I do it right, I get sustain and tone to rival neck-thrus.
The next place I would consider is the bridge. A high mass bridge will keep more of the energy in the string making harmonics more clear and audible. Your stock bridge may send too much vibration into the body to be absorbed. The same goes for the nut. I like metal - brass or aluminum - because of this. Another detail in the nut and the bridge that can kill harmonics is the precision with which the saddle and nut slot are cut. A slightly deformed slot can mess with harmonics in very unusual ways.
Since your bass has passive electronics, it's easy to make an improvement here too. You can experiment with different capacitor values as your tone filter. From what the experts say, stick with the mylar film capacitors as they bleed off less signal than other types. By getting the value that best works with the rest of your tonal package (body, bridge, etc.) you will get more harmonic response from the bass.
Your strings are important too - as your primary sound making component. Your Roto's should be bright enough so I tend to think your problem is in the instrument itself. Going to flats is absolutely NOT the way to go. The flat windings press square against each other and limit string flexibility. Without flexibility, the smaller string vibrations that make harmonic sounds will be deadened completely. Just think here - that's why a thumping funk line from James Jamerson (flatwounds) sounds completely different from the clicky, hyper growl of a Chris Squire (rounds).
