Any tips on how to get this sound?

ariff · #1 10-12-2010, 09:03 PM

I was watching Late night with Jimmy Fallon last night and an old band called Brad played on his show. They were a old Seattle grunge band back in the day. Their bass player Mike Berg has a great sound or so I think.. This is like the sound I have been trying to get for a long time but can't seem to pin it down. Most likely because I don't have a SVT rig like he does. It does look like he has some sort of FX, but I am not all that good at picking out what they are. Anyone have any tips I am using a Sans amp DI, Carvin B1500 head and 4x10\1x15. Soon to hopefully be a 4x12 before to long. Here is the link.. Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DBo_rLT8-Q

brekfustuvluzer · #2 10-12-2010, 09:34 PM

thats pretty much what a p bass with a pick with the tone knob full on through an svt with a good fuzz thrown in sounds like. im sure that isnt much help. sorry.

BillJarrett · #3 10-12-2010, 09:38 PM

He does have some sort of pedal sitting on top of the SVT, but I cant make out what it is.

EDIT: Scratch that, at the end of the video you get a pretty good shot of it, and it seems its just a DI sitting up top.

waleross · #4 10-12-2010, 10:31 PM

That's a nice buzz-saw set up.....+1 on how to do it...I'm tempted to turn my rig on and copy that sound before the cops come......All in honor of the Chilean Miners being freed....
Nice link...........................

jpTron · #5 10-13-2010, 07:49 AM

Boost mids a bit and get an OD

P-oddz · #6 10-13-2010, 09:05 AM

Usually I hate the posts that recommend a VT Bass blindly - but in this instance I'm going to have to buckle.

I know I have achieved almost that exact tone with the Tech21 VT Bass, and my P Bass with D'Addario Chrome flats on it.

Played with a pick, and some time futzing with controls, I could probably guarantee you that tone.

P-oddz · #7 10-13-2010, 09:11 AM

****ALSO - thought of just now, if you haven't looked into the Aguilar Agro, I would suggest that.

I have both at home. If you haven't pulled the trigger just yet - I can record some clips with both as a comparison, and then you can see what you might be looking at better.

jpTron · #8 10-13-2010, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-oddz

Usually I hate the posts that recommend a VT Bass blindly - but in this instance I'm going to have to buckle.

I know I have achieved almost that exact tone with the Tech21 VT Bass, and my P Bass with D'Addario Chrome flats on it.

Played with a pick, and some time futzing with controls, I could probably guarantee you that tone.

I agree. I was gonna say "I get a similar tone with the mids boosted on my VT Bass and the drive and character around 2", but people don't like hearing about the VT anymore. So I made it more generic. Mid boost, OD, done

P-oddz · #9 10-13-2010, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpTron

I agree. I was gonna say "I get a similar tone with the mids boosted on my VT Bass and the drive and character around 2", but people don't like hearing about the VT anymore. So I made it more generic. Mid boost, OD, done

I appreciate anyone who knows NOT to recommend the VT Bass for every tone/ OD solution these days

Southpaw5 · #10 10-13-2010, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-oddz

****ALSO - thought of just now, if you haven't looked into the Aguilar Agro, I would suggest that.

I have both at home. If you haven't pulled the trigger just yet - I can record some clips with both as a comparison, and then you can see what you might be looking at better.

I'm on the fence between the 2 pedals, so I'd like to hear the results as well.

ariff · #11 10-13-2010, 10:09 AM

Cool I checked out the AGRO Bass Overdrive Pedal sounds good from the youtube videos I watched. If you have time to record some clips that would be great..
Thanks.

P-oddz · #12 10-13-2010, 10:50 AM

I actually did already have a couple of clips recorded previously to show the comparison of the VT Bass vs. the Agro as an overdrive on my '62 RI Jazz. The clips go from a mild to heavily saturated OD. Maybe that will help you guys for a comparison.

I realize they are long, but what I did was record the straight Jazz signal, then VT, then Agro (both on somewhat similar OD stages). In between each though, I re-recorded the flat Jazz signal so you can remember where the tone started out. This was shortly after I got my Agro, so I wasn't too in touch with it as of yet. A thing to keep in mind as well, is that on the VT, I could tame down some more of that high end, and the Agro, I can dial some more back in. I just did the VT on some of the out-of-the box recommended settings.

So the breakdown is:
1. Jazz (flat)
2. VT
3. Agro

And then repeated with heavier gain dialed in. I don't have anything available with my Precision, but I've got a pick clip and a fingerstlye clip of the Jazz.

Pick:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=9562702

Fingerstyle:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=9580298

If you wanted anything different specifically addressed with either pedal, let me know and I can record some different things. Another thing to note, is that I think the VT sounds much better with a Precision than a Jazz, but YMMV.

ariff · #13 10-13-2010, 12:46 PM

Thanks a bunch for sharing those clips.. I do really like the Agro. Another thing to add to my wish list ;>)

JumboJack · #14 10-13-2010, 01:12 PM

Cool band....I like Stone Gossard.

P-oddz · #15 10-15-2010, 08:07 AM

I did a cheap cop of that tone.
I totally achieved it with my VT Bass after about a minute of futzing. Probably could have been a very close as well with my Agro too (I didn't spend as much time futzing, and realize after listening to it this morning that my Saturation might have been too high, and I probably could've toned down the presence, but meh). Regardless, here is the clip:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=9758781

First is the VT, second the AGRO. Both played with my Highway One Precision. Strung with D'Addario Chrome flats. Played with Dunlop Tortex .73mm pick (yellow). Keep in mind that these are the pedals direct in - they do act differently pushing an amp. If you have any other questions, let me know.

Laurent · #16 10-15-2010, 09:17 AM

I think that boosting the mids and using a somewhat aggressive distortion pedal will get there.
Pedal suggestions: Fulltone Bass Drive (mid oriented pedal and some setting can be aggressive), MXR Blow Torch, perhpas Bad (Badder) Monkey. Also plain old Tech 21 Bass Driver DI should not land too far off.

ariff · #17 10-15-2010, 09:24 AM

P-oddz.. Thanks for taking the time to record those clips. I think the VT comes pretty close. The Agro seemed a bit too much.. I spent a little time with my Sansamp BDI and I got pretty close to the sound I was wanting. I'll have to see what it sounds like through my amp now.. As all the testing I was doing was direct. Thanks guys!

P-oddz · #18 10-15-2010, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurent

I think that boosting the mids and using a somewhat aggressive distortion pedal will get there.
Pedal suggestions: Fulltone Bass Drive (mid oriented pedal and some setting can be aggressive), MXR Blow Torch, perhpas Bad (Badder) Monkey. Also plain old Tech 21 Bass Driver DI should not land too far off.

Dude -

SORRY Laurent, but I'm going to have to ABSOLUTELY DISAGREE with you on that.

I mean, I literally found that exact tone, with clip proof right above your post. AND, furthermore (again all apologies) but I would absolutely have to FIRMLY DISAGREE with your MXR Blow Torch suggestion. First of all it's a fuzz pedal, and second it sounds like turd.

kevteop · #19 10-15-2010, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariff

I was watching Late night with Jimmy Fallon last night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DBo_rLT8-Q

Off-topic but is that what humans look like on american TV now?

Jesus... That is awful. Honestly I just want to scar him or something, make him look realistic.

TV shouldn't be allowed.

smeet · #20 10-15-2010, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevteop

Off-topic but is that what humans look like on american TV now?

Jesus... That is awful. Honestly I just want to scar him or something, make him look realistic.

TV shouldn't be allowed.

???