Help me out? :D

[dgkblack]

Hi guys,

I played bass two years ago for about a period of a month but I had to stop due to college but im back into it for good

Anyway I love to watch youtube videos and watch the different styles in awe and I honestly can't get a good tone out of my bass.

I currently have a schecter bass I was given as a gift

http://www.drumcityguitarland.com/dr...P2690C438.aspx

and a line six amp also given to me (15 watt)

Everything is standard on the bass, what do I need to change to get that nice funk sound?

Also does my bass suck? xD

[MalcolmAmos]

Everything is standard on the bass, what do I need to change to get that nice funk sound?

That bass will play better than you can for a long time. When you can play better than it can go get another. Beyond that you need some time with it. You gotta know how to hold it, how to tune it, how to mute the strings, then you gotta decide if you are going to use a pick, your thumb or your fingers to make sound come from the beast. That nice funk sound will come with practice.

You need to sit knee to knee with someone that plays bass. Great if that can happen with a friend, if not find a teacher, problem is finding a good one.

If a teacher is not in the picture then: http://www.studybass.com and ask specific questions here. The biggest problem with teaching yourself how to play bass is your teacher does not know what he is doing........ so it'll take you twice as long.

Good luck.

[Chris K]

The bass itself is not the problem, I guess. The amp... well, I'm not a Line 6 fan, but it should work.

To find a tone you like, go about it systematically. Many beginners try all kinds of settings randomly.

Best is to do all of this in a pretty large room. If you can't find your tone in your bedroom, you are welcome to the club. This has to do with the physical aspects of low tones (read up on that, it helps).

For a funky effect, plucking pretty close to the bridge is a good option.

Start with neutralizing the settings on the amp.

1. switch the tone shaper to 'clean'
2. switch off all effects
3. set all tone controls to 12 o'clock

Now start with the bass. Try out the pickups seperately en check out tone settings for each pickup. Try to find out what you like most. Write down the settings.

After you've found your bass settings, start with the amp.

• play around with the tone settings; for a funky sound, go easy on the lows; try to get a nice punch
• after you've found your tone settings, write them down

After that, you may fool around a little with the tone shaper. See what it does.

Good luck

[pukeorama]

Good info here. I am going to go out a limb here tho. Bass tone is primarily derived from your fingers or how you pick. Chris K is definitley right. Figure out if you wanna pick or go finger. I personally recommend fingers because if they are trained properly they can give you more sounds than a pick ever will. You got a pretty good bass to start with so leave it at that. The bass players who have knocked me on my ass have used nothing but their bass and simple EQ. Please do experiment with your EQ and the extra toys its something everyone needs to learn. Just remember the best tone comes from you. If you can harness that... dear god watch out.

[hrodbert696]

Just to agree: no your bass doesn't suck. I had a Schecter briefly and I've been trying more out in stores and would certainly get one to keep if the money were handy - they're quite nice, imho. Your amp should be fine but it's a practice amp, so you're not going to get a big sound out of it. As Chris K said, you need to learn how the eq works, but most importantly it's just going to be a matter of developing your technique. That will take time and preferably a teacher. Learn the fundamentals of playing and the tone will come eventually.

[delta7fred]

Your strings may be dead and need replacing. There is nothing like a new set of strings, setting the intonation, and a good clean to bring a neglected bass back to life.

I've never owned or played a Schecter or a Line 6 so will leave that to the guys that do know about them.

It's been done to death on TB, but once you have got half decent equipment, and it sounds like you have, the rest is down to you. I know it's clichéd but the tone is in your fingers, don't expect to sound like your heroes in a few weeks or months. you may play the right notes at the right time but getting them to sound exactly like ....... is going to take years (and probably a lot of GAS along the way especially if you visit TB instead of practising).

[matje]

u have to practice a lot, dude... Everything else will come in time. The funky sound comes from your hands, not from your bass or from your amp. this is to encourage u not to weep for better equipment

generally, if it comes to genre, for funky sound try to set all nods in the middle, not too much low, middle, or high end Incorporate more 16th note rests, dead notes and offbeat 16th's in your playing. listen to the drumbeat.

goodluck!

[mambo4]

the fact is that any recorded bass tone is NOT going to replicate on a live rig.

Given the fact that you are just starting out, that Chris K's advice is good.
More useful than acquiring gear to nail your desired tone is developing your ear and and sense for what you can to to approximate your desired tone with what you already have.

I think I was playing for maybe 5 years before I really developed an ear and a sense for what to actually do with my bass and amp settings to get the tone I wanted -but I never really tried, it just 'sunk in'

But with deliberate experimentation and careful listening , you can hone your sense for what various settings can achieve.

And with a 15 watt amp, I'd favor the headhone out over the speaker itself when tone hunting. If live with others is your intent, 15 watts probably won't cut it.