Double Bass Sound on Bass Guitar

[Matthew_84]

Originally Posted by degroove

I liked the tone a lot Matthew_84. Sounded like a DB to me. I was going to suggest similar things. I have a fretted jazz, so I would turn bridge pickup volume off, turn my EQ all the way to give the bass boosted. I would play with your EQ on the amp too reduce all the high frequencies. I would try to keep a bit of mids and low mids especially. I would cut treble a lot. That should get you closer. Flats would really help too. Playing with your thumb would really help.

Good Luck...

Actually, I usually do cut the frequencies from 36Hz - 65Hz, boost the mids and then cut down from about 1kHz. I just set the EQ flat for the recordings... And that 60 cycle hum in the last two recordings is what I was talking about in regards to the electrical interference in my house.. Knob and tube wiring, no ground anywhere. In the palm muting one it was horrific because of how I was standing. This is house is simply awful for jazz basses.

[Chris K]

1. get a fretless 2. use steel roundwounds 3. scoop your EQ (cut the mids, lows and trebles all the way up) 4. for a real DB like effect, play out of tune a little

[Faijex]

Originally Posted by Matthew_84

K, I just recorded four versions. This was recorded with my fretless Squier Jazz with GHS black nylon tapewounds going into an MXR 10-band EQ, which was set flat, and a ART Tube MP, then directly into my laptop.

I hope you guys can forgive the horrendous playing, LOL. I have a USB interface but I just tried to install it for the first time this morning on my new laptop and the driver won't install on Windows 7. So I plugged right into the laptop, and wasn't able to play back the bass as I played, so I couldn't hear what I was doing. And I didn't really bother to listen and re-record if needed. Also, the timing seems to be way off, I don't know if I actually play poorly or if there's some latency thing with the laptop... Anyways, there are numerous mistakes and excuses... Plain and simple, my playing sucks, but at least you'll get a sense of what it could sound like in the right hands.

I played the same bassline on all four samples to try and make it better for comparisons.

The first sample is with both pick-ups and the tone fully open. I'm playing fingerstyle and right above the neck pick-up.
AB - 1 - tone full by MatthewJH on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

The next is how FretlessMainly described. Both pick-ups are full, tone is down about 10% and I'm playing over the 17th fret.
AB - 2 - FM by MatthewJH on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

The third is how I described. Neck is 100%, bridge and tone are about 50%. I'm also palm muting and playing with my thumb. I don't play like this often, obviously.
AB - 3 - pm by MatthewJH on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

And the fourth is how I usually play, Neck 100%, bridge and tone are about 50%, but I'm playing fingerstyle over the neck pick-up.
AB - 4 - me by MatthewJH on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free



Here are the files without the sample of Miles Davis's "All Blues".
AB - 1 - tone full - solo by MatthewJH on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

AB - 2 - FM - solo by MatthewJH on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

AB - 3 - pm - solo by MatthewJH on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

AB - 4 - me - solo by MatthewJH on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free


And yeah, there's a lot to be said about the advice to record yourself to hear your faults. Holy crap...

Thanks for doing this, I think this is what I'm looking for.

[Faijex]

Originally Posted by Chris K

1. get a fretless 2. use steel roundwounds 3. scoop your EQ (cut the mids, lows and trebles all the way up) 4. for a real DB like effect, play out of tune a little

For suggestion 4, how much out of tune, cause that actually sounds like it would be interesting.

[Faijex]

Originally Posted by Matthew_84

I found tapewounds to get a closer DB tone than flats, as well as palm muting and favouring the neck pick-up. Check out the tapes I have in my sig. I didn't have to adjust my nut slots for these, which is a common thing with tapes.

How do you feel the GHS differ from the Rotosounds? Is it fair of me to assume you've tried both? I've only used the Rotosounds

[Matthew_84]

Sorry, I haven't tried those strings.

I did check the strings at juststrings.com though, and if you are talking about the Rotosound Tru Bass 88's, then I'd be a bit worried about the gauge of them. The gauge listed on the site has a .065" G string and a .115" E string. I know the GHS's are thinner (.050 - .105). The GHS's JUST fit into my nut slots, actually I kind of had to force them in a bit. I don't think a set any larger would fit in mine, but your bass may be a bit different.

EDIT TO ADD: I re-read your initial post and read that you've used them before (I didn't realize that they were even tapewounds until a few minutes ago), so I guess that they do fit well on your bass. Hopefully someone chimes in who has used both.

As for settings, palm muting and playing with the thumb is good, but I'd like to edit my initial post. I think that helps a lot in regards to catching the tone, but I personally don't like how it feels, but that's me. The method that FretlessMainly suggested is really just about as good. It does create a bit of an "airy" sound playing up on the fingerboard. When I recorded it, I wasn't that used to it, but I've been playing like that for the rest of the day and I'm starting to like it... Thanks John!

[FretlessMainly]

My pleasure - on DB, most folks play pizzicato using the sides of their fingers about an inch or two from the end of the fingerboard. This puts you near the midpoint of the string (at least if you are fingering in the lower positions), but a bit closer to the bridge. The result is a nice round tone with some bite to it.

Conversely, on electric bass, you already have plenty of bite/attack, so you need to add that roundness by moving away from the bridge and onto the fingerboard. The added benefit (for me, anyway) is that your plucking fingers now are stopped by the fingerboard so even when playing aggressively, they remain close to where they need to be for the next note. The possible drawback is the dreaded clack and clank.

Lastly, Chris K has it right (except for #4). DB is largely a mix of lows and treble (and wood - it matters!). As I stated earlier, DB is a very treble-focused instrument. Cutting treble is not what you want. Cutting mids is closer and adding roundness by plucking near mid-string helps. If you have to play up the neck, you'll lose some of that roundness becuase the string gets very short. In that case, maximize the roundness by plucking at wherever the midpoint of the vibrating string has moved to (in other words, you'll be moving off the fingerboard and back to a more conventional position).

[Faijex]

Originally Posted by Matthew_84

Sorry, I haven't tried those strings.

I did check the strings at juststrings.com though, and if you are talking about the Rotosound Tru Bass 88's, then I'd be a bit worried about the gauge of them. The gauge listed on the site has a .065" G string and a .115" E string. I know the GHS's are thinner (.050 - .105). The GHS's JUST fit into my nut slots, actually I kind of had to force them in a bit. I don't think a set any larger would fit in mine, but your bass may be a bit different.

EDIT TO ADD: I re-read your initial post and read that you've used them before (I didn't realize that they were even tapewounds until a few minutes ago), so I guess that they do fit well on your bass. Hopefully someone chimes in who has used both.

As for settings, palm muting and playing with the thumb is good, but I'd like to edit my initial post. I think that helps a lot in regards to catching the tone, but I personally don't like how it feels, but that's me. The method that FretlessMainly suggested is really just about as good. It does create a bit of an "airy" sound playing up on the fingerboard. When I recorded it, I wasn't that used to it, but I've been playing like that for the rest of the day and I'm starting to like it... Thanks John!

Unfortunately, the bass I had them fitted to didn't move back with me, and is sitting on the other side of the ocean in my room. It had a plastic nut that I had the gentlemen at the local music store widen for me, but in regards to a brass nut, I feel like widening it would be more difficult? I might go talk to the guy in the music store here, see if he can widen it. Or I could go with the GHS, I'm assuming they are pretty comparable. Might be nice to not have to widen my nut.

[Faijex]

Can anyone comment on Tru Bass vs GHS Tapewounds?
Having a look online I guess the Tru Bass go for $40...I remember paying £22.50 for them.
Guess that's the price of importing.

I'll probably go with the GHS

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by Faijex

For suggestion 4, how much out of tune, cause that actually sounds like it would be interesting.

If you use a fretless, it will happen anyway, since perfect intonation is almost impossible. Even the best DB players (like good fretless players also) make quite some minimal corrections 'on the fly', which is part of their typical sound.

As for steel strings, I mentioned those because you need a very deep tone, but with a sharp edge.
So medium-heavy gauge steel strings will help (Galli Saturns f.e.).

I would also avoid tweeters or horns and use 15" speakers at least.