Sterner/DERM Bassits Pert 41: Merxing sperkers iz gerd

[Ron Now]

Originally Posted by b-bottom

So my doomy stoner band regularly tunes to C# or B and I'm finding that my tone is super super muddy, which of course I somewhat expected.
However I'm thinking that if I add an EQ pedal it may help out a bit.
I have zero experience with that type of pedal so I'm wondering if any of you guys use one and if so, what are your recommendations on what type I should look at?

Perhaps it could help. But more info would help. What bass, amp, strings, effects are you using?

[Lazarus.Bird]

Yeah, what Ron said. Applying a band-aid to a 6 inch gash isn't going to stop the bleeding. We need to know what you're working with


Also, we just got invited to play with Pilgrim and Samothrace. That's going to be pretty killer.

[b-bottom]

Originally Posted by Ron Now

Perhaps it could help. But more info would help. What bass, amp, strings, effects are you using?

I'm playing an American Fender P bass through a 70's V4 and Ampeg 8x10.

As far as effects go, I use an OX bass fuzz, EP booster, Proton EV, Bassballs, Wounded Paw P90 Phaser

[thombo]

Originally Posted by b-bottom

I'm playing an American Fender P bass through a 70's V4 and Ampeg 8x10.

As far as effects go, I use an OX bass fuzz, EP booster, Proton EV, Bassballs, Wounded Paw P90 Phaser

1st, i'd try some higher tension strings, dial back your lows and bump hi-mids.

[Lazarus.Bird]

Hmm, that is some really nice gear. You really shouldn't need an EQ pedal to obtain some clarity. Does your tone sound good by itself, and just get lost in the mix with your band? Or are you having trouble obtaining any kind of defined sound that you think is good?

What are you doing with the tone knob on your P-bass, and what are your amp settings? You also need to be careful with all the gain and fuzz, as it is easy to accidentally send yourself down the bass fart spiral. I would exhaust all knob tweaking options first.

[b-bottom]

The main problem is that the bass is getting lost in the mix. I think that part of the problem is the guitar players tone is clashing with mine.
He's more of a metal guy and I'm slowly trying to break him of that.

I've messed with the settings on everything a lot. And I've found that a lot of the time it's really tough to hear some of the effects when they are engaged, especially the phaser.

I've moved my pedals around on my board this week and put the booster in front of the effects instead of at the end. so by practice time tomorrow, I should know whether or not it helps.

[b-bottom]

The other thing that I'm going back and forth about is to get my American Fender jazz set up in the low tuning because it may cut through more than the P.
Or I may sell it and get a Rick. Who knows....

[OldCrow]

Originally Posted by b-bottom

The other thing that I'm going back and forth about is to get my American Fender jazz set up in the low tuning because it may cut through more than the P.
Or I may sell it and get a Rick. Who knows....

100 tube watts at that tuning isn't going to be enough power to really have much umph in a mix. Maybe look at getting a second one? Or something a little more powerful

[thombo]

+1 on what oldcrow said.

another thing to consider is it sometimes sounds very different to the audience, especially w/ those lower frequencies.

i don't think the bass will do much. i don't have any problem being heard playing a 5-string passive precision, and my guitarist has a scooped-sounding mesa dual rec. though i rarely use it, i do cut better if i use my bridge pup w/ my neck pup, so maybe the jazz is the way to go for you.

[Lazarus.Bird]

Yeah, what's your guitarist running? Sounds like tone isn't really the issue, and that you're just getting killed in the mix. Sounds like your amp doesn't have enough balls. If you're not present in the mix, the phaser is just going to make it even harder to hear you.

[b-bottom]

I'm actually going to be picking up the Orange Ab200 in about a month and a half or so.

[b-bottom]

Originally Posted by Lazarus.Bird

Yeah, what's your guitarist running? Sounds like tone isn't really the issue, and that you're just getting killed in the mix. Sounds like your amp doesn't have enough balls. If you're not present in the mix, the phaser is just going to make it even harder to hear you.

He has some kind of Marshall hybrid head. To be honest I'm not a huge fan of it, way to metal sounding, but what are ya gonna do.

[Ron Now]

Yeah, you've got some good gear there. I personally love a Pbass way more than a Jazz and never feel like its hard to cut through with a P.

I have to agree with Old Crow, perhaps you could grab a second amp or even a power amp and then slave the V4 to that and run the V4 to half of the 810 and the power amp to the other half (if your 810 is divide-able of course). Bt yeah, more power will give you more clarity.

[Lazarus.Bird]

The Orange should make a huge difference. I don't like using my P with my 2 guitarist band, but I've used one in previous bands with 2 guitarists and it worked just fine. The P-bass shouldn't be "the" issue in a 1 guitar band, for sure.

You're going to have to work with your guitarist and find space for each other. Like you mentioned, this is sometimes a lot easier said than done. But for any band to be successful, the members need to be able to provide each other with constructive criticism. Have you talked to him about how you can't hear yourself in the mix? Maybe ask him if he is happy with his guitar tone, or if there are bands that he likes that he wishes his guitar sounded more like. A lot of times as a bassist, you need to find that sweet spot in the mids or hi-mids that makes your bass really stand out.

If the guitarist is using a lot of low end, you might want to mention to him that maybe he could take some low end out of his tone, allowing you more space for the bass and giving him a more musical sounding guitar tone that will help out a lot when playing things in the higher registers.

[DethByDoom]

Originally Posted by Lazarus.Bird

What do you guys think of this?

Craigslist: Ashdown Perfect Ten Bass mini stack. RARE and MINT http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/msg/3523052902.html

If it sound as good as ampeg a micro stack it'd be worth it. But. Ampeg a micro VR is 200 watts.

[b-bottom]

I'm going to mention the tone thing and what not to guitaro tomorrow. Like I said, he comes from a metal background so his tone is a bit much for the type of the stuff that we're doing. At least in my opinion

The last stoner band that I was in had a much more balanced sound to it. Even though the guitar player played an old Orange head and used fuzz and whatnot, it wasn't very overwhelming and his tone, while it wasn't totally clean, it also wasn't really saturated. Which allowed my fuzzy bass to carry the bulk of the dirt. Which was perfect.

[DethByDoom]

Originally Posted by b-bottom

I'm playing an American Fender P bass through a 70's V4 and Ampeg 8x10.

As far as effects go, I use an OX bass fuzz, EP booster, Proton EV, Bassballs, Wounded Paw P90 Phaser

A lot of true bypass pedals. I'd try a buffer at the start of your board's signal. Maybe try a bbe sonic stomp at the end?

Or

Maybe try and get your guitarist to cut some of his low-mids. Sounds like he's stepping on your frequencies. If that's one of those hybrid Marshalls, they sound pretty mediocre.

[b-bottom]

Originally Posted by DethByDoom

A lot of true bypass pedals. I'd try a buffer at the start of your board's signal. Maybe try a bbe sonic stomp at the end?

Or

Maybe try and get your guitarist to cut some of his low-mids. Sounds like he's stepping on your frequencies. If that's one of those hybrid Marshalls, they sound pretty mediocre.

what do you mean by buffer?

[CL400Peavey]

b-bottom, what gauge strings are you using? If you are using a 4 banger and have just down tuned a standard set of strings your tone will suffer a lot.

[hydrohydra]

is the G&L tribute SB-2 worth looking into?