Finding my sound

[Bayonet]

Hey everyone

Currently i own an Ibanez Soundgear SR 500,i really like this bass,and it's sound,but i'm thinking that i could get it to sound more like 'me',i don't know if you get it hehe

What i'm looking for is a tone that would remind you of a Wal bass(similar to Justin Chancellor's),with a lot of Mid Range Punch to cut through distorted guitars and loud drummers,and a heavy low end so it would also support well the band.I play in a Prog Metal band,We make music that is somewhat similar to Dream Theater,Symphony X,Angra sometimes,but with a lot of tapped bass riffs and melodic lines that i would like to stand out more,while still retaining my ability to support the rest of the band.

I first thought about replacing the pickups,but after doing a lot of search here on TalkBass i'm inclined to believe getting a new OnBoard preamp would do much more for my sound,the problem is figuring out wich one would suit my needs for an aggressive punchy sound that would still be supportive with good lows.I also plan on buying some pickups next year,about 6 months for now.

So what do you guys think?i'm thinking about nordstrand because they're stock in ibanez higher end SR basses.

Sorry for my bad english :P i'm not a native speaker!

Also merry xmas for everyone

[bongostealth]

The majority of your sound will come from your pickups. Changing your preamp would help but not as much as you would think.

Nordstrand pickups are great but they are a bit on the darker side. If you don't mind that, Nordstrand Big Singles are high output pickups and will cut through any mix. Are you looking for a brighter sound?

An Aguilar preamp will give you excellent lows.

[Bayonet]

Oh,thanks for the fast reply man!
I thought that replacing the pre would be a smart choice because everywhere i read that the stock ones on these lower end SRs were quite bad...

Yeah the sound i'm thinking of is something bright and punchy,with a heavy low end,and it can't be scooped .. the guitarist that plays with me uses John Petrucci EQ settings lol

Not to mention i dislike very much the scooped sound

Could you elaborate on Aguilar PreAmps and Nordstrand big singles? I'm googling them right now,and theres an online store that delivers in my country/city thats trustworthy that sells aguilar preamps..

[bongostealth]

If you want punchy, then the Big Singles are for you but they are not that bright. What I would suggest is to use Seymour Duncan Basslines split-coil soapbar pickups (these are active pickups) and use the Aguilar 3-band preamp. This will not produce a scooped sound. You get a scooped sound when you use a 2-band preamp (bass and treble only). Having a preamp with mids increases the punchiness of your bass's sound. The Aguilar preamp has insane lows with very strong punchy mids. I use an Aguilar preamp in one of my basses. I love it.

[Bayonet]

I saw some videos of the big singles.Man they're awesome.I want them. haha
What kind of pre amp would go well with them?

Edit:Hmm after further research.. i don't know.. they actually seem like great pickups but not exactly my style,still considering them... i think i'm leaning towards humbucking pickups

[bongostealth]

Nordstrand preamps always go well with Nordstrand pickups. Bartolini preamps would also go well with whatever pickups you install and these preamps come pre-wired. Keep in mind however, that if you decide to use active pickups (EMG, Seymour Duncan), you have to change the volume and blend pots on your preamp to the correct impedance (100K or 50K).

[Hobobob]

My 6-string Ibanez has the same pups and pre as your bass. I found that plucking over the bridge pup helped bring the mids forward and made the bass cut through better. This probably won't help with tapping stuff tho. You could always try turning the blend knob towards the bridge pup just a bit to add some mids to your tone. It's not very glamorous, but it's free.