can and audere improve my tone?

BrandonBass · #1 11-27-2010, 06:11 AM

my main bass is a mid 90s mij jazz. recently ive got a job so more cash = itch to pimp my bass.

ive upgraded my bridge to gotoh 201 and PUs to dimarzio model J since then. Im like the model Js, its a huge upgrade from the stocks. But it doesnt sound like a jazz now, sounds more like tbird/pbass hybrid. My bass has a rosewood board and alder body....

Some effects I use include a mxr80 and Boss geb7 equalizer. Dont get me wrong, I dig the current tone of the bass but it seems abit one dimensional....I play with the knobs wide open most of the time.

I wondering what the audere preamp could do for my sound. I have no experience w preamp prior to this... thanks

Duuuuuuuuuude · #2 11-27-2010, 06:17 AM

Yup! I have one in my jazz bass. The main advantage is that you'll have separate high, mid and low knobs. So, for example, you could boost the mid but not the highs to get more of a honk tone. Or you could boost the lows and highs but cut off all the mids to get something like a Music Man tone

JasonLamb · #3 11-27-2010, 06:22 AM

i had the model j's in a jazz bass, and one dimensional sums them up...like a tsunami, or wall of sound..i ended up taking them out and putting the stock usa jazz pickups back in with an aguilar obp 2 preamp..sounded way better...i just tried an audere, and while i thought it sounded ok, it was hissy when you used the z switch and i am sending it back and putting the aguilar back in.

jmac · #4 11-27-2010, 06:34 AM

I know a few players that have added a sadowsky pre to their jazz basses and have been happy with results.

BrandonBass · #5 11-27-2010, 06:40 AM

So.. basically all a preamp does is to let you have more EQ options at the flick of a knob, right?

Because like I said, I already hav a mxr80 preamp and bass Equalizer, is there anything Im missing out?

4StringTheorist · #6 11-27-2010, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

So.. basically all a preamp does is to let you have more EQ options at the flick of a knob, right?

Because like I said, I already hav a mxr80 preamp and bass Equalizer, is there anything Im missing out?

The consensus if you browse enough threads on this forum is that the Audere is one of the more "flat" preamps out there, and it won't change the tone very much from passive (in mid-Z mode and with all EQ knobs centered). I agree with the consensus, having A/Bed my bass passive and through the Audere when I was installing mine.

You can get a world of variation out of the Z-mode switch and EQ. I'm particularly impressed with the 4-band EQ that I've got on mine.

If you've got your EQ handled already, but feel that your tone is lackluster before any EQing you apply, I think you might be looking at a change of strings/pickups/bass (in increasing order of expense and difficulty)

BrandonBass · #7 11-27-2010, 07:45 AM

Im fine with the tone with the model Js, Im just wondering if i can make them sound more 'active' with the pre amp installed.

Because I used to own a stingray, but hav to sell it due to financial reasons....but I guess a preamp is not the solution"?

4StringTheorist · #8 11-27-2010, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

Im fine with the tone with the model Js, Im just wondering if i can make them sound more 'active' with the pre amp installed.

Because I used to own a stingray, but hav to sell it due to financial reasons....but I guess a preamp is not the solution"?

Oh, I can get a more 'active' tone with the Audere. I guess it depends on what different people mean by 'active' in this context.

With the Z-mode switch and a little tweak of a few EQ knobs, I can get my jazz to cop decent-enough versions of a P and a Stingray. The latter is more interesting to you in terms of 'active' tone.

Will the tone fool a bass player with good ears into thinking I have a 'Ray? No. Will it cop the right vibe for the audience? I think so.

BrandonBass · #9 11-27-2010, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4StringTheorist

Oh, I can get a more 'active' tone with the Audere. I guess it depends on what different people mean by 'active' in this context.

With the Z-mode switch and a little tweak of a few EQ knobs, I can get my jazz to cop decent-enough versions of a P and a Stingray. The latter is more interesting to you in terms of 'active' tone.

Will the tone fool a bass player with good ears into thinking I have a 'Ray? No. Will it cop the right vibe for the audience? I think so.

I mean, I dont expect my fender to sound exactly like a ray. But I dont know if you get what Im tryin to express.... you know, somehow a passive instrument will sound very different from an active one? To my ears, a passive sounds organic. And actives sound more 'powerful', for a lack of a better term.

Ric5 · #10 11-27-2010, 09:05 AM

I like the 4 band audere preamp with Seymour Duncan 1/4 pound pickups. The SD pickups give me more of an organic passive sound and the 4 band preamp gives me treble, bass, high mid, and low mid tone controls. For me this is better than the stock Jazz bass setup.

4-string · #11 11-27-2010, 09:28 AM

A J-Retro might be worth looking into as another option. I'm happy with mine.

4StringTheorist · #12 11-27-2010, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4-string

A J-Retro might be worth looking into as another option. I'm happy with mine.

+1

The J-Retro has a built in EQ curve that the OP will probably dig.

BrandonBass · #13 11-27-2010, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4StringTheorist

+1

The J-Retro has a built in EQ curve that the OP will probably dig.

i dont dig the price tag tho, only reason im contemplating the audere is cause of the good reviews ive read and how its pretty affordable.

Anyways, am I right to say that....with the audere in default mode, the sound will be the same as my bass in passive?

4StringTheorist · #14 11-27-2010, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

i dont dig the price tag tho, only reason im contemplating the audere is cause of the good reviews ive read and how its pretty affordable.

Anyways, am I right to say that....with the audere in default mode, the sound will be the same as my bass in passive?

Yes.

FretlessMainly · #15 11-27-2010, 01:03 PM

I have the Audere JZ3 in my '97 CIJ Jazz FL and I'm pretty happy with it. I also put in diMarzio UltraJazz replacements.

I will say that it's pretty hot; even when I pad my input, with the tone up all the way I can still "pop" the speakers. Once you get the settings optimized, it does its job though. I recently played a gig and two bass players in the crowd told me that they were impressed that a Jazz could get the tone I was getting.

yngwiewho1 · #16 11-27-2010, 03:05 PM

the john east j-retro preamps are great, you should check them out
http://www.east-uk.com/

quadrogong · #17 11-27-2010, 07:45 PM

Most good preamps will solve problems,
If u need more lows, or whatever..
John east gets great, great reviews from almost every bass tech and player I know, Sadowsky stuff is great, expensive, but I will probably like it.. Most do.

johnk_10 · #18 11-27-2010, 09:23 PM

i've recently become a big fan of the Dimarzio ultrajazz bass pickups. i have them in two of my basses now, a jazz bass and a CIJ jaguar bass.

in my jaguar bass, i can choose between active and passive and when running active, i'm using an EMG TBC and, IMO, the whole system sounds great.