5 string-6 string sound and slap problems.

[Asomodai]

Hey guys.

First Question

I have played 4-5-6-8 string basses and in all the time i have played them i allways find when i am playing high up or on the lighter strings on a 5 or 6 it just doesant seem like a bass, whereas on a 4 string if i am playing on the G string it sounds like a bass and that theres bass behind the note. But when i play on a 5 or 6 string on the same note/string it seems like its less a bass and way too much mids and no amount of EQing will help, Also when i go above the 12th fret on a 5 string bass it just seems to lose all low end where as on a 4 string it doesant lose it.

Is this inherent in all 5/6 string basses? Or is it more of a setup problem? I have tried to EQ it but doesant seem to work.

2nd Problem.

When i slap it seems to be that i slap a lot quieter then when i play fingerstyle, How do you guys deal with it? Do you use a compressor or a volume/mid boost?

Cheers. Rob

[Spencer!]

Originally Posted by Asomodai

Hey guys.

First Question

I have played 4-5-6-8 string basses and in all the time i have played them i allways find when i am playing high up or on the lighter strings on a 5 or 6 it just doesant seem like a bass, whereas on a 4 string if i am playing on the G string it sounds like a bass and that theres bass behind the note. But when i play on a 5 or 6 string on the same note/string it seems like its less a bass and way too much mids and no amount of EQing will help, Also when i go above the 12th fret on a 5 string bass it just seems to lose all low end where as on a 4 string it doesant lose it.

Is this inherent in all 5/6 string basses? Or is it more of a setup problem?

You must have been playing different basses. If you play a 4 string Fender Jazz and a 5 string Musicman, The highs will of course sound different. There's nothing that would make the same note sound different on a 4 string than it does on an identical 5 string.

Originally Posted by Asomodai

When i slap it seems to be that i slap a lot quieter then when i play fingerstyle, How do you guys deal with it? Do you use a compressor or a volume/mid boost?

Try changing your technique. Slap a little harder or play fingerstyle lighter.

[Asomodai]

Originally Posted by Spencer!

You must have been playing different basses. If you play a 4 string Fender Jazz and a 5 string Musicman, The highs will of course sound different. There's nothing that would make the same note sound different on a 4 string than it does on an identical 5 string.

Yes, However i seem to be having this problem on every 5/6 string i have ever owned. (Have owned about 5 of them.) It loses practically ALL Low end, this shouldnt be a characteristic of a bass. Especially when going above the 12th fret.

Originally Posted by Spencer!

Try changing your technique. Slap a little harder or play fingerstyle lighter.

Easier said then done! I have allways played aggresivly and on really heavy strings. (Heavy metal bands do that for you)

[pretaanluxis]

While I can see how the feel and sound of the E string might be a tiny bit different between 4's and 5's, I don't see how the higher range could be different

[Swimming Bird]

It's either the basses are set up differently (or are completely different types of instruments with different tones as suggested) or you're overcompensating for the extra neck width by not putting as much weight behind your fingering. This will be even more noticable if you monkey-paw your 4, but can't on your 5 & 6. [personally, I derive a certain amount of satisfaction in monkey-pawing my fretless 6 for rock songs ]

Your slap issue is a common one, so don't worry about it -- the solution is pretty simple. Slap harder. That and play a little lighter (and up your volume to compensate) when you're doing fingerstyle and you'll have a much less noticable volume difference.

[kbr]

I usually aim more for low mids (in the 300hz and down range) to give more body to the note on my high c and f strings). When I add bass (100hz) it's nowhere near the fundamental and so pretty much nothing happens to the notes I was aiming for. Hope that helps