What is "growl"

[walknbluez]

What is "growl" or "growly" tone? Any examples of what a growly tone is so I can take a listen?

[Jazzman]

The first growly tone that comes to mind is Tim Commerford. A jazz bass through an SVT. That is growl to me.

Edit: It is very prevalent on Bulls on Parade.

[joeydavidson]

its when the mids start to gurgle and break up a little, imo

[whodom]

Listen to Eric Clapton's fairly recent recording of "Revolution". When Nathan East hits the lowest notes, THAT is some serious growl.

[BassBus]

Try these for some growl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwsJfAXOI8Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3r6GAqHu4E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97ULm6_Y-fU

That's GROWL!!!

[A9X]

The sound the Rottweiler makes just after your feet land on the ground inside someone else's fence when you're up for a bit of late night asset redistribution.

[BassBus]

Originally Posted by A9X

The sound the Rottweiler makes just after your feet land on the ground inside someone else's fence when you're up for a bit of late night asset redistribution.

I stand corrected!!!

[chadds]

Very funny!

[addylewis]

"Growl"...hmmm...

It varies from person to person, but MY idea of growl is that ...POINT...between "overdrive" and "clean" - no fuzz, but you can tell its GOING to drive if you hit a string hard or touch the gain knob any more...you get me? (you will if you try it...just ride the gain till you hit the biting point, you'll never go back!)

[phat daddy]

Well said. To me it's also about letting the low mids grind with the just right amount of lows. High mids and highs are to taste, but the low mids have to be prevalent. My favorite growl is when I use my 55-94 favoring the bridge pickup just a little set flat with the low mids on my Markbass CMD 102P at 2 o'clock.

[tigercasual]

Originally Posted by addylewis

"Growl"...hmmm...

It varies from person to person, but MY idea of growl is that ...POINT...between "overdrive" and "clean" - no fuzz, but you can tell its GOING to drive if you hit a string hard or touch the gain knob any more...you get me? (you will if you try it...just ride the gain till you hit the biting point, you'll never go back!)

Yes! That sounds like exactly the bass tone that I've been looking for. What amp do you use?

Cheers,
TC

[chadds]

Also:
For me it's about digging in with meaning and attitude even in a slow ballad. It starts at the fingers. If you can do it on your bass unplugged or on an ABG then you've got it.

[prattguy]

GROWL? hmm....lemme think......the bass sound that Eddie Jackson from Queensryche nailed with his Spectors on OPERATION:LIVECRIME?

[Hemispheres85]

Originally Posted by addylewis

"Growl"...hmmm...

It varies from person to person, but MY idea of growl is that ...POINT...between "overdrive" and "clean" - no fuzz, but you can tell its GOING to drive if you hit a string hard or touch the gain knob any more...you get me? (you will if you try it...just ride the gain till you hit the biting point, you'll never go back!)

I agree with this definition.

BassBus's examples are a bit too clean for me to consider them really growly.
Here's what I'm thinking- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuMLIHatC9E Geddy Lee solo- agressive playing w/ subtle distortion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHwMGsTftsA
Rush's Signal's album has the ultimate growly tone for me.

I see growl as also being the line between clean and dirty. I find "the" growly tone is one where you have a punchy low end, biting mids and a slightly distorted top end with a subtle amount of compression going on so it's not over the top.
This is why I love hybrid tube/solid state amps so much, because you get that clean bottom end from the SS side and the grunt from the tubes.

[skaliwag66]

Sunn (O)))