Growl, Playing near the bidge and Blisters.

[Kwesi]

I think this is the first time I've been completely satisfied with the sound I get from my basses. I really like the growl that a lot of fusion bassists seem to have (Tom Kennedy, Richard Brown, Hadrien Feraud, Alain Caron, and so on) and I think that the sound I get with my basses is very close which is great.

The only "problem" is the fact that on my four string I have to play really close to the bridge and dig in really deep to get that sound. I tried uping the high and low mids to get the same growl with less effort but it didn't work all that well. I guess my question would be is there a way I can alter my playing to get the growl without having to destroy my fingers? And if thats the only way can anyone recommend some blister cream or numbing ointment (seriously, lol). The action on my bass is also pretty high and I think it needs a setup. Would that help with my issue?

[unclejane]

Originally Posted by Kwesi

I think this is the first time I've been completely satisfied with the sound I get from my basses. I really like the growl that a lot of fusion bassists seem to have (Tom Kennedy, Richard Brown, Hadrien Feraud, Alain Caron, and so on) and I think that the sound I get with my basses is very close which is great.

The only "problem" is the fact that on my four string I have to play really close to the bridge and dig in really deep to get that sound. I tried uping the high and low mids to get the same growl with less effort but it didn't work all that well. I guess my question would be is there a way I can alter my playing to get the growl without having to destroy my fingers? And if thats the only way can anyone recommend some blister cream or numbing ointment (seriously, lol). The action on my bass is also pretty high and I think it needs a setup. Would that help with my issue?

That's also the same kind of sound I like to emulate and I've spilled a lot of blood on it too . Couple things that helped me:

- pluck directly over the bridge PU. I copped this idea many years ago from a Billy Sheehan mag. article where he described doing this to enable a clearer more consistent sound. I've been doing this ever since. How will this'll work will depend on how well placed that PU is. On the jazz bass and the single PU stringray/sterling basses the bridge PU is in exactly the right place (for me) to pluck directly over and get that good whack. My L2000/2500 are pretty close as well.

- go with the lightest guage strings you can stand. By stand I mean don't introduce other problems like messing with the intonation or lots of buzz, etc. I used to run .95's on my L2000, but it made intonation kind of hair trigger. Now I run .100's which make intonation a little easier but are still light enough to pop the way I like them.

- switch to flatwounds. Flats mute the high frequency zing and harmonics which helps bring out the thudding fundamental. Either that or just never change your roundwounds out - let them die completely.

- add a ramp. This worked wonders on my 6 string whose bridge PU is too close to the bridge to pluck over. I home-made a radiused ramp for it and installed it between the PU's. I still can't get the same pop I can get on the G&L's but it was huge improvement.

- finally... consider a different bass. If none of these things work and you still have to tear up your fingers to get your sound, it's probably time to shop for something more suitable for you and your sound.

LS

[BigOldHarry]

If you have to beat your fingers up to get your sound, something isn't right. Like UncleJane suggested, try playing directly over the bridge P'up - - perhaps raising that p'up a bit might help too...

As for strings, try nickle rather than SS. I prefer the sound of SS myself, but nickle does seem a bit easier on the fingers...

Given that you're 17 and have good gear now, I'd try not to spend more money if you can avoid it - - at this point, you should focus on getting better, not getting more/new gear. Also, a bit of wisdom I have learned is that the "tone" of you bass tends to get lost in the mix of a band - so that sound we all love when playing alone becomes a bit meaningless with drums/guitars/keys/etc. Another thing I learned is that the tone my ear likes when playing alone does NOT sit well in the mix - I personally hate the way a P-bass sounds by itself, but that it sits in the mix like few other basses can not be denied... So think about where your sound sits in the mix, rather than how your sound pleases you when playing alone...

good luck

[excane]

This may sound stupid but it's something I found by accident one time when I was gluing something with crazy glue then went to play bass.....put a dab (TINY dab) on your playing fingertips.

[daneatsfood]

I'd also suggest raising the bridge pickup. (I think that was already said, I'd just like to emphasize it.) Thatll make it a lot easier to get that punchy tone without having to play too hard.