Farty punk sound. Help

[wtf_is_a_bass]

I didnt really know where to put this thread but i put it here anyway!

I play a whole range of styles of bass playing and i can shape out the sexiest tones to suit each, except one. When i play punk and the like, i just smash the crap outa the strings with my pick for that agressive tone. The sound ends up being kinda muffled and farty. I increased the treble on my amp and it helped alot but it stil sounds like s**t. Please help

Im playing a squier p/j with really crappy and crackly electronics, thats probably a factor. Anything else i can change (strings, eq setting etc.) to get that nice punk tone?

Thanks

[Trevorus]

What's the bass? I find that a Jazz bass or a P/J favoring the bridge pickup is a good setup for this sound. It tends to be nice and agressive depending on your playing style. You may also look into better electronics for that bass.

[HotTubesGrooves]

Boost the mids/high mids on your amp a little. Dont play so hard if its resulting in you sounding bad. Dont boost the bass too much. New strings would help if you want some cut.

[FaithNoMan]

Make you EQ look a little like a ramp...from bass to treble, you're guaranteed some cut then...

EX. - bass:4 mids:6 Treble:7


This works wonders, and doesn't sound like it looks! - it's a bass guitar, and it will do a wonderful job of rounding out the sound, plus there will be minimal mud in a live setting....

[mothmonsterman]

i beg to differ, i like cutting the mids a bit and boosting the lows and highs.

[momo]

Just my .02, for a punk kind of sound, I would roll off the J pickup. Most (not all, I know) punk players rely on precisions, new strings, and a fair ammount of low end roll off. The inherent low end girth of the P, combined with a slight ramp towards the high end should do.

[FaithNoMan]

Originally Posted by mothmonsterman

i beg to differ, i like cutting the mids a bit and boosting the lows and highs.

IMO, the smiley-face EQ and punk do not go hand-in-hand..

I feel this way because I used it for the first year of gigging, and I sounded like garbage.....too much mids can sound too "nosey", but with the right combination of highs, you'll acieve the "illusion" of a thick, full sound with clarity.

.... it's only an "illusion" on paper; our ears tend to pick up midrange very well, and lower mids can be percieved as bass once it goes through in a live setting..

[HotTubesGrooves]

Originally Posted by mothmonsterman

i beg to differ, i like cutting the mids a bit and boosting the lows and highs.

IME, this sounds good practicing at home alone but somtimes doesnt offer enough presence in a punk situation. Well, a loud punk situation anyway. Works well with other styles though like funk and reggae, most of the time.

[Masher88]

Originally Posted by ***_is_a_bass

I play a whole range of styles of bass playing and i can shape out the sexiest tones to suit each, except one. When i play punk and the like, i just smash the crap outa the strings with my pick for that agressive tone. The sound ends up being kinda muffled and farty. I increased the treble on my amp and it helped alot but it stil sounds like s**t. Please help

OK...for all you non-punk people out there. Being in a punk band isn't just beating the crap outta the strings...unless that's the act you are going for, but expect a crap sound to come out if you do this. If you want a good sound...Yes, even in a punk band, use good technique for picking or fingerstyle. The aggression doesn't come from beating up your equipment...it comes from being totally into the song you are playing...and playing it well!

[fod]

playing punk is about speed most of the time and not about hitting the strings hard. watch punk bass players all they move is their hand

[j-bass-kreep]

flat eq. with mids boosted ... play with a pick near the bridge between both pickups . also use a normal touch you dont want to drown the strings let them ring