Equal volume for bass strings

[Ben Santora]

Hi - Long time bassist, but interested in how players deal with the subtleties of volume differences between the 4 (or more) bass strings. For ex - The heavier E string is both thicker and lower in frequency than the G string, so will always be louder and with more boom than the thinner G string. This isn't much of an issue really, but paying some attention to it helps when recording. How might you achieve a good volume balance between strings - EQ? Pickup placement? Finger technique?
Thanks TB!

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by Ben Santora

EQ?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Ben Santora

Pickup placement?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Ben Santora

Finger technique?

Yes.
I know that seems flippant, but you get the best results by making small incremental changes throughout the "system" to improve that balance. Lower the height of your pickups a bit on the bass side, especially the neck pup. Or raise the treble sides if the pups are already far from the strings. Then work on finger technique so you attack the higher notes more strongly and the lower notes more gently. With EQ, it's trickier because you can so easily lose the low tones you want in an attempt to control the excessive lows. Make very small adjustments. And lastly, compression. A compressor is often used to balance out those levels. Just like EQ though, it's very easy to go too far and wreck your tone with a compressor, so you want one that has adequate controls and metering to allow you to dial in its effect subtly.

[Stealth]

The (apparently) simplest way to counter that would be to fix it with finger technique - more aggressive on the G string, less so on the E-string.

The simplest non-technique way to counter E-string boominess and G-string thinness is to adjust the pickup height (or, rather, the distance between each string and the pickup below it). The closer the string is to the pickup, the more energy the pickup will collect from the string's vibration, and so the louder that particular string will feel.

By angling the pickup slightly so the G string side is a bit closer than the E string you can get a more even volume. The height difference won't be big (a millimeter, two at most), but it will even out. Just make sure that, while adjusting the pickup, you don't adjust it too close - the magnets in the pickup will start to attract the string more aggressively, to the point where the string will sound either damped or have weird overtones. If that happens, lower the entire pickup a bit to counter the effect, then readjust.

[GigJones]

There is no doubt that the electrical and mechanical setup of your bass and amplifier play an important role in this endeavor.

However, I find that I can achieve better string-to-string balance by adjusting my right hand appropriately.
That is, when I play note on the low E-string, I slide my plucking hand a little closer to the bridge.
When I play a note on the A and D strings, I tend to keep my plucking hand between the bridge and neck.
And lastly, when playing a note on the high G-string, I slide my plucking hand slightly closer to the neck.

I try to incorporate these right hand micro-adjustments when practicing scales, triads, and chord tones.

[Ben Santora]

Originally Posted by GigJones

There is no doubt that the electrical and mechanical setup of your bass and amplifier play an important role in this endeavor.

However, I find that I can achieve better string-to-string balance by adjusting my right hand appropriately.
That is, when I play note on the low E-string, I slide my plucking hand a little closer to the bridge.
When I play a note on the A and D strings, I tend to keep my plucking hand between the bridge and neck.
And lastly, when playing a note on the high G-string, I slide my plucking hand slightly closer to the neck.

I try to incorporate these right hand micro-adjustments when practicing scales, triads, and chord tones.

Using the inherent difference in tone up and down the string as part of your playing technique - brilliant. That's what I love about this site -

[BullFrogJR]

Wow, kind of surprised at the responses on this one. To each their own, but for me this is NOT something I would modify my technique to deal with. I use DiMarzio Model J™ DP123 pickups for my Jazz Bass. These pickups have adjustable poles that allow you to adjust the height of each pole separately, thus allowing you to control the volume of each string separately. I purchased them specifically to deal with the string balance issue and they work perfectly (and sound great as well).

[mcm]

Try flats

[Adam Harzuf]

I second the thought of adjustable poles for precise level control.

EQ:
The ~400Hz-800Hz range controls the level of higher strings very much, as well as forwardness of tone and harmonics.

Everything below ~160Hz controls the overall bass. The higher frequencies in this range affects overall warmth and punch, as well as bass response of the higher strings, which adds up to percieved volume as well.

Compressor:
With a normal compressor, expect it to work on the lower strings better then higher (=less volume to lower strings).
If you want the opposite or to control string balance very precisely, a filtered compressor is your best friend.

If you master all these three, you should be able to solve your issues in no time.

A note worth mentioning, is that the string balance change in different amps/systems. FWIW, I play through my studio monitors (+sub) all the time at home, and make setup decisions based on full range, low distortion signal, not the deformed sound most amplifiers in the market have to offer. It also gives me a much better indiction on how it will sound live or recorded.

[matjaz123]

Hm, I would say that the key is in finger techique.

Overall pickup height is written in manuals for your guitar model...

EVERY single string is a chapter fot it self and that fact needs to be integrated in your brain.

You can DOWNLOAD VU meter and start walking thru the strings up and down and you will see exactly how much pressure you must apply to each string to maintain the same level.