so i have 2 questions.........

yahtzee1280 · #1 03-21-2010, 12:38 AM

first and MAIN question is
i play in a church and it seems like every week i have to redo my settings on my amp and pedals
because i never like the sound i had the week before,
I cant seem to find a good sound i like,
plus i have never been shown or told how to change my sound to what i want,
like if the tone was flat or to bright i could change it to a good deep smooth tone.

so how could you tell me how to setup tones and
and setup so the sound fits the room so its not too loud
and it still fills the room......so any advice would be great

Ok question 2
is that i have been trying the teach myself to slap
........its going kinda good but i want to learn cause
someone told me a while back that
i wasn't good at playing the bass cause i couldn't slap.....
I know I know im still great at playing i just cant slap *Yet*

so if you guys know some good starting slap rifts i
could learn that would be awesome

you dont have to answer the 2nd question although
it would be nice
the first one is what i posted this about

thanks in advance

kb9wyz · #2 03-21-2010, 12:53 AM

Concerning Q1a) most churches don't seem to have pro's running the board, and so i think that it might depend on the board. I have issues sometimes with my sound getting my ire up, and it is related to who is running the board that day. If the wrong person is up there, I can't seem to find a tone I like; and if the right person is up there, I can't find a tone I don't like.

Q1b) I have found that pulling back the highs and kicking up the mids a little bit has helped. It seems to help me cut through the mix a little better and still keeps the bottom solid. I also use a BBE Sonic Stomp. It covers a multitude of sins, and has really helped me sound more even and clear, but keep all the fullness.

Q2) I am totally useless on this. All I can say is check out the Wooten video. He has a neat technique. And good. I don't know who else to suggest. There is a slap thread in the technique forums, so check that out too.

Sartori · #3 03-21-2010, 01:59 AM

Might be helpful to know what amp you have. They don't all sound the same, after all. Generally crank my mids up for a thick sound.

Also, you don't have to slap to be a good bassist.

yahtzee1280 · #4 03-21-2010, 08:15 AM

oh well duh ok im sorry
I got a LMII into a avatar 2/12 neo cab

as for the slapping thing

For what that guy said
it got me more interested in learning then anything

i know im good at playing,
ppl at me church say that to me every week
the other day at practice i
put together a nice little groove
and thought i would look more into it

Risen · #5 03-21-2010, 08:53 AM

He's right. Although slapping is a very nice skill to master, and shows that you are a good bassist, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are not a good bassist if you cant slap. Even bassists that slap can be bad bassists, what matters is how you make use of the sound you produce. Whether it be slapping picking popping or plucking. No one should say you're not a good bassist just because you can't slap.

When you practice slapping, try getting some drum beats, or just have your drummer practice with you.

Chris K · #6 03-22-2010, 02:38 AM

Churches can show pretty nasty acoustic features, especially when there are only few people attending. Very likely you hear your sound different from what the audience hears. The distance amp > ear is important; sound reflection by the walls comes on top of that.

If you have the chance, use this approach. You only have to do this once.
1. Find a fellow bass player to help you
2. Set up the amp pretty neutrally
3. Go to the back of the audience
4. Let the other guy play some runs just before service (when the audience is present)
5. Make some changes to your amp settings
6. Try again
7. Repeat step 4 & 5 if necessary
8. Write down the final result as standard settings for this situation