Plucking close to the bridge-sound

kevin nowhow · #1 01-24-2012, 05:45 PM

Hey guys, new to the forum

I'm sure you have all noticed the sonic differences between picking close to the bridge as opposed to plucking closer to the fretboard(or anywhere for that matter).I find that picking closer to the bridge gives a fuller more bassy, meatier tone than further away.Using a pick really emphasizes the effect.

What i don't get is why it sounds meatier.Strings don't make as wide vibrations there as on other positions so it would make sense that the wavelength produced is not as wide as towards the fretboard, resulting in a thinner sound but the result is exactly the opposite.What am i missing here?

Thanx for your time!

keiththebassist · #2 01-24-2012, 06:09 PM

I think you may be confused, typically (if not always) playing closer to the bridge will give a more nasally, middy, trebley sound with a grittier and sharper attack. Playing closer to the Neck will give you a fuller, warmer tone with a somewhat softer attack. When you're talking about wavelength, you're talking also about pitch. I do not believe that the wave length of an open e for example will change at all no matter where you pick. Just pull out your tuner, it'll give you an E no matter where on the string you attack.

The changes that you're hearing are changes in timbre (pronounced "tamber") which is to say the character of the sound but not the pitch itself. A bass and a tuba can both play the same note but will sound waaaayyyy different, that's timbre.

I'm no expert on audio physics but I think the reason for this has to do with a few things. One is the location of your attack in relation to the pickup on your bass. Another (more important) factor is that close to the bridge, the string vibration reaches the bridge and turns around to go back much faster than if you play on the neck. Just try this with a pencil on the edge of a desk. Strike the desk very close to where your fingers are touching the pencil and then very far away and notice the difference in timbre.

Hope that helps clarify, and Welcome to Talkbass!!!

Jay2U · #3 01-24-2012, 06:13 PM

Closer to the bridge 'encourages' the string to produce higher harmonics. Try picking at fret 12 (halfway the neck) on an open string and compare this typical sound with the one produced at a quarter distance (fret 24).

Tupac · #4 01-24-2012, 07:18 PM

keith covered it to a T. I also find playing at the bridge is SO much more comfortable. I can't have the string waggling around everywhere when I'm playing. It stays put down at the bridge.

madmartyr17 · #5 01-24-2012, 09:45 PM

You got that backwards man, the closer to the bridge, the more articulate and clear the tone. It has to do with the tesion at the bridge be greater than just about anywhere else on the body. It's why you get better response on harmonics. Me personally, I can't play anywhere else. The response isn't defined enough for me to be comfortable.

kevin nowhow · #6 01-24-2012, 09:54 PM

Thank you all for the quick response.

I do know about timbre because my primary occupation is sound design.Playing closer to the bridge theoretically makes for a thinner sound too.This is why i get frustrated!I have 2 basses with J-style single-coils & while picking towards the fretboard will get me a jazzier sound, picking towards the bridge gives me a more solid low end(!) without overemphasizing highs-or making it thinner-when reason tells me that notes should naturally come out without any meat!Picking between the 24th fret & neck pickup emphasizes low-mid frequencies as opposed to picking between the 2 pickups(biased towards the bridge soapbar) sounds like a nicely compressed bottom end...Hmm...

kevin nowhow · #7 01-25-2012, 07:42 AM

It has to be a pickup thing, i reckon...

keiththebassist · #8 01-25-2012, 10:16 AM

You're writing is a little confusing. Try some spacing between sentences and use less run-on's and more complete sentences. Not trying to give you and English lesson here but the more seriously posts are written, the more serious responses you'll get.

Try playing fingerstyle, that might give you a little more "meat" while still retaining the things you like about playing closer to the bridge. Also, if your bass has a pick up pan pot you can slightly favor the neck p-up while playing closer to the bridge, this may balance it out the sound, also, try the reverse of that. There are so many tonal options once you hone in on which p-up to use in relation to where you strike the string.