Your bass tone ... you're equipment or your technique?

[88persuader]

I've commented on a few different threads that had to do with using a signature bass to try to capture someone elses tone. My feeling is although the bass plays a role in the tone there are so many other factors involved in trying to capture someone elses tone that simply buying one of their Signature basses doesn't mean you'll have success. So many other factors play into it. The bass amp used, the preamp used if any, the effects used if any, the EQ settings of the preamp, the amp and the bass. And IMO the most important part of a players tone is the players personal playing technique and the SOUND IN THEIR HEAD. Do they use a pick ... if so what kind and what thickness is the pick? Is it plastic or metal? Do they play near the neck or the bridge? Do they use their fingers? How about their finger nails ... do they use them like picks? Are they trimmed short or long? Do they slap or pop? What brand and thickness of strings do they use? Do they REALLY use what they endorse?

I must have owned 60 basses so far, everything from cheap Fenders to VERY expensive Alembics but I always sound like ME. My attack, my approach, my choice in strings, my TECHNIQUE. PLUS I'm always trying to find that SOUND IN MY HEAD and that sound in my head is always the goal regardless of the equipment I use to get it.

Case in point ... Mark King (from Level 42) has endorsed many different brands of basses From Fender to Status to Alembic and has recorded with all of them. Regardless what bass he uses he ALWAYS has THAT Mark king sound. Geddy Lee use to play Rics's now he plays a Fender Jazz bass but he always gets that Geddy Lee sound.

Soooooo I think made my point, I believe trying to get someone elses sound takes much more then using their signature bass and even takes more then using (If you could figure it out) their EXACT setup from start to finish, it also takes being able to COPY their technique and that's usually a lot harder then copying their equipment! ... What do you people think?

[Baird6869]

I think it is technique first then the instrument and the bass rig.

I know I sound better now through my Ampeg head, SansAmp RBI, BBE Sonic Maximizer, Ampeg cabs and Fender/EBMM/Lakland basses than I did when I had a Carvin combo and a Charvel Bass. But.... I'm sure Vic Wooten would make my old rig sound like the best ever made!

To really understand how much technique and pure skill can make an artist/recording timeless is to listen to Robert Johnson. Scratchy, poorly recorded 1920's solo acoustic 6 string delta blues that is just breathtaking to listen to.

This guy had brutal equipment and terrible recording gear but the results are incredible.

[Thunderwood]

Why can't it be both?

The strings and pickups in a bass can change the tone. (I won't get into the woods/bridge discussion)
But so can your touch.
So can your amplifier,
your gauge pick,
your fingers,
the position you move your fingers from bridge to neck

There is all sorts of things that can change the way you sound. If someone is going to cop someone else's tone or play the way they play. With hard work they will succeed for the most part, but they don't have said person's mind so they can't react the same way as a professional player like Mark King or Geddy would.

[Arthur U. Poon]

Originally Posted by Thunderwood

Why can't it be both?

The strings and pickups in a bass can change the tone. (I won't get into the woods/bridge discussion)
But so can your touch.
So can your amplifier,
your fingers,
the position you move your fingers from bridge to neck

+1.

[alfredpunkjazz]

I've found technique and a good palete of techniques to alter the tone much more than any gear you could have... Of course, having good gear, that support your desired tone, it's always something good.

[Webtroll]

stylistically i kind of always sound the same, but when i sold my SVT (too heavy) and went solid state my tone took a SERIOUS plunge.

[James Hart]

I sound mostly the same no matter what I play... or play through.

All the pieces flavor it slightly... but I'm always me.

[JimmyM]

90% technique. I've been a bit of a bass whore lately, trotting out my collection one at a time, and while my different basses all have different sounds, it still sounds like it's me playing them, and they all sound pretty similar because of it. That's not to say my Beatle bass sounds just like my Precision, but the technique of the player always comes through over the type of equipment.

[vroc38]

Originally Posted by James Hart

I sound mostly the same no matter what I play... or play through.

All the pieces flavor it slightly... but I'm always me.

Big +1.

[88persuader]

Originally Posted by James Hart

I sound mostly the same no matter what I play... or play through.

All the pieces flavor it slightly... but I'm always me.

I guess this is exactly my point James.

[James Hart]

Originally Posted by 88persuader

I guess this is exactly my point James.

I've read of a pro bassist that got to play a while though John Entwistle's rig... he commented on not sounding anything like the man.

Another had mentioned playing Tony Levin's main 5 string... and it was set up badly and not nice to play.


I would own a Tony Franklin or Duck Dunn sig. Not to sound like them, but because an unlined fretless PJ and/or block inlayed CAR P bass are basses I dig.

Besides, the Tony Franklin stuf I dig, he played Musicman or JayDee stuff

[nastyn8c]

I think it's about 50/50 until you get away from crappy gear. Once you get into gear that sounds at least pretty good, you'll find that your tone has more and more to do with your technique. IMO, the less it colors your sound, the better the gear. Therefore, once you're just comparing high end gear, it's all in the technique.

[IngerAlb]

Both count, but like others said, your personal touch makes all the difference.

[Thunderwood]

I have a technique I use that is rather uncomfortable with my current jazz bass. But a bass with a smooth humbucker or soapbar covering, gives my fingers some ease.

I can still use my technique it's just bit too uncomfortable with a number of basses.

[88persuader]

Originally Posted by nastyn8c

I think it's about 50/50 until you get away from crappy gear. Once you get into gear that sounds at least pretty good, you'll find that your tone has more and more to do with your technique. IMO, the less it colors your sound, the better the gear. Therefore, once you're just comparing high end gear, it's all in the technique.

Interesting point! I haven't had to play low end gear for 20 years so I don't really have a point of reference about this ... but it sounds like it makes sense.

[sully]

Another had mentioned playing Tony Levin's main 5 string... and it was set up badly and not nice to play.

For Tony it may have been set up fine

To answer the original question...equipment vs technique? Technique wins every time. If you take a great bass player and gave them inexpensive equipment they would still sound great.

[improvpwnd]

I have noticed the that the MY sound always comes through regardless of equipment. I came to this realization a while back and posted a similar thread. It is an inspiring realization!

[Warpticon]

All I know is that I'm not equipment.

[Dave Muscato]

My tone is a combination of a lot of things. My technique is a part of it; my EQ preferences are a part of it, too. The preamp also plays an important part (on the bass, I mean). I generally like the sound of my bass direct, and I avoid shaping the tone once it leaves the bass, except to adjust for the room or mix.

I think the biggest effect on my tone, though, is the action. I play with *very* low action, and a light touch (classical guitar technique a la Christopher Parkening method). I guess you could say that is technique.

I can sound like "me" on a Stingray, Modulus Quantum, MTD, Alembic... I have a harder time sounding like "me" on Fenders. That's just not my sound.

Why do we spend so much time talking about tone? Not that tone isn't important, but in the big picture, the only people that care about bass tone are bassists To paraphrase Marcus Miller, figure out your gear, but do it quickly, and then don't worry about it. The audience cares a lot more - and notices & remembers - passion, locking in, and connecting with the audience a lot more than they care about tone.

- Dave

[alfredpunkjazz]

Originally Posted by Dave Muscato

To paraphrase Marcus Miller, figure out your gear, but do it quickly, and then don't worry about it. The audience cares a lot more - and notices & remembers - passion, locking in, and connecting with the audience a lot more than they care about tone.

- Dave

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