how to get that wooten tone?

Vampyre · #1 07-06-2006, 01:14 AM

just wondering if anyone knows how he gets such s defined tone? I just cant seem to find something like that personally and its driving me nuts. I know that much of his tone is thanks to his gear and fingers but how would you set your treble/bass/pickup selection to achieve a tone along those lines?

thanks

bikeplate · #2 07-06-2006, 01:19 AM

HI

Its pretty easy. All u need is Wooten fingers and Wooten mind!!!

Rob

gkbass13 · #3 07-06-2006, 01:21 AM

fodera.

SnakeAnthony · #4 07-06-2006, 01:22 AM

He's right. But just to get a very clear tone similar to his: Steel roundwound strings (Elixers work awsome, IME), probably 3/4 bridge Pup, 1/4 neck Pup, Cut your bass some, and boost your treble up a bit. Thats all off the top of my head, but mess around with those, with more or less treble and bass. You'll find what your looking for.

SunneyBoy · #5 07-06-2006, 07:15 PM

dont know if this will help but i was messing around a bit the other day! ran my treble flat bass flat and completely rolled off my mids the sound was pretty close to his but what i played didnt sound anything like him! guess i better get practising!

iplaybassguitar · #6 07-07-2006, 08:51 AM

fodera basses, ampeg amps(probably with some rediculous rack-mount eq and stuff), probably elixer strings or something close, EMG pickups, and SICK technique...while the equipment is a big part of his tone, so is technique, so get practicing

**john turner** · #7 07-07-2006, 08:58 AM

i played on one of vic's basses about 10 years ago - he had super super low action. i was actually unable to do anything with it - i dig in pretty hard, and for me the strings all fretted out. low action is going to have a big impact on slap tone, especially with super light strings, which i remember his bass had too.

fretless Bob · #8 07-07-2006, 01:56 PM

he has low action and uses light strings, i think 35-95 or 40-100, that is a lot of his tone right there, also his sound is quite thin, so try cutting your bass a little, and scoping out some mid (but not to much) and quite a bit of treble

but a lot of what makes him sound like him is in his hands, the way he slurs his notes and hammers on has a lot to do wit his hands, what bass are you playing?

another part of his tone is the amount of headroom he has in his amp, thats why his tone is so clear, the fact that his amp can go louder than is necesary lets it be real clear at average volumes. and in his live tone you an hear that has both 4x10 and 1x15 cabinet that gives him that depth and punch.

ooh i forgot a really important one, Fodera

Dave

Dave Martin · #9 07-07-2006, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john turner

i played on one of vic's basses about 10 years ago - he had super super low action. i was actually unable to do anything with it - i dig in pretty hard, and for me the strings all fretted out. low action is going to have a big impact on slap tone, especially with super light strings, which i remember his bass had too.

Same experience I had - Vic's Fodera is unplayable for my touch. He, however, seems to have no problems...

.

fretless Bob · #10 07-07-2006, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Martin

Same experience I had - Vic's Fodera is unplayable for my touch. He, however, seems to have no problems...

.

i have been through times when ive had my bass set up stupid low, to be honest im not far off that now

so does Vic's Fodera have that really sharp "V" shape neck, i played a Victor Wooten classic and i couldnt stand the neck shape, i just found it real uncomfortable to play. sounded good though.

Dave

Dave Martin · #11 07-07-2006, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fretless Bob

i have been through times when ive had my bass set up stupid low, to be honest im not far off that now

so does Vic's Fodera have that really sharp "V" shape neck, i played a Victor Wooten classic and i couldnt stand the neck shape, i just found it real uncomfortable to play. sounded good though.

Dave

Honestly, I don't remember - it sounds like Mr. Turner and I were around Vic's basses about the same time. I know that he was just beginnning to work out the mechanics of that double thumb thingie; he was showing me how he was practicing scales using the technique, and handed me his bass so I could try it.

fretless Bob · #12 07-08-2006, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Martin

Honestly, I don't remember - it sounds like Mr. Turner and I were around Vic's basses about the same time. I know that he was just beginnning to work out the mechanics of that double thumb thingie; he was showing me how he was practicing scales using the technique, and handed me his bass so I could try it.

its cool man, maybe il be able to get a hand on his bass one day

, ive heard and read that he is like the nicest guy you will ever meet.

i would love to see a Wooten show.

Dave

Dave Martin · #13 07-08-2006, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fretless Bob

i would love to see a Wooten show.

Me, too - never seen one.

When I met Vic, he was playing with a Nashville singer named Jonell Mosser. And I used to go out and see him playing solo gigs at a local vegetarian restaurant (THAT was pretty frightening, but not really a 'show' - just Vic and sometimes his brother Reggie playing background music). ohm, and I was part of the All Bass Orchestra that Dave Pomeroy put together, so I'd hang him there (usually NAMM show appearances).

But I haven't seen him with the Flecktones, or one of his solo shows.

Nick Ioannucci · #14 07-08-2006, 02:37 PM

play a wooten cd through your amp...

bassist 4 life · #15 07-10-2006, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Martin

Honestly, I don't remember - it sounds like Mr. Turner and I were around Vic's basses about the same time. I know that he was just beginnning to work out the mechanics of that double thumb thingie; he was showing me how he was practicing scales using the technique, and handed me his bass so I could try it.

wooten used dt when he was a kid...

the_butters · #16 07-10-2006, 11:03 PM

He plays very light strings with really low action, and so every note is fretted lightly, on the edge of being a mute. He setup and machanics are optimized for speed. He sort of rocks his thumb back and forth striking with the tip and heel of the thumb to double up his slaps and uses a lot of pop-pop-slap triplets and sixlets. Of course he throws in the one- and two-handed tapping techniques and harmonics for good measure.

The best way to learn to play like this is to start by practicing the mechanics at a really slow tempo, no more than a quarter of the actually tempo. I bet vic spends a lot of time practicing slowly with a click track.

But no matter how hard you work at the mechanics, they key to vic's greatness is that his mind is like an encyclopedia of scales. He can throw down any pattern or runs and intervals on any scale with tens of different articulations for hundreds of rhythms at the drop of a hat. When I sleep, I snore. When vic sleeps, he two-hand-taps Cdim7 runs up and down the fretboard.

MikeD1687 · #17 07-10-2006, 11:16 PM

yeah...To get anywhere near his tone you need a PJ set up. I think he leans a little more towards the P pickup, and scoops some mids. The low action and the light strings also help. In addition, his Ampeg stuff is important too, since the ampeg sound is so discernable; his signature cabinets are really nice. I used to have both the 4x10 and the 1x15, but they were insanely heavy. Sounded great though, lots of compliments on my tone.

HELLonWheels187 · #18 07-10-2006, 11:29 PM

How does Vic play with a super low action and light strings and not get any fret buzz? I want to make my action lower but i can't its as low as it can go without a **** load of fret buzz.

steveb98 · #19 07-10-2006, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john turner

i played on one of vic's basses about 10 years ago - he had super super low action. i was actually unable to do anything with it - i dig in pretty hard, and for me the strings all fretted out. low action is going to have a big impact on slap tone, especially with super light strings, which i remember his bass had too.

I know what you mean. I got to play one of Clapton' Strat's in my guitar days. Same thing the action was way low, I don't know how he doesn't all the bends with actions that low. From what I understand low action on guitar is common with British players. American Blues player have high action so they can get more finger into the string to bend.

As for Wooten or any good player it's mainly their hands. The Wooten sound is also the EMG's. His Fodera's tend to have single coil PUP versus the typical dual coils on most Federa's.