my tone is so boring...

[wolfmaster19]

i have a Fender american standard P bass and when i first got it i was totally blown away by it

now when i play i just sound dull and boaring, maybe it's just my style or bad eqing.. or maybe it's because i'm playing on amplitube with the *****est audio interface there is out there.. a behringer UCG102 ..plus i can't raise the volume cause the clipping would be to much for my stupid earplugs..

i was thinking of using my Mesa walkabout's di with some other software than the yawn sounding amplitube.. and probably with some new over the ear headphones..

what do you guys think? would that do justice to my p bass?

i've also considered changing bass to something more versatile and modern sounding, like a modulus funk or stingray( which are sadly a bit hard to come by in Dublin.. ), since i recently got into some popin & slapin.. but it's hard since this is my first "real" bass and i sort of got attached to it.. also i wanna see if the real problem is the ****** gear that's pluged into..

i'm currently a bit limited financially so i can't buy a cab, well actually i can but just the cheap one's so i'm going to keep saving until i can afford something better

till then i wanna see if i can improve my virtual setup.. (so sad...)

[mcm]

Put some chromes on it. Now you got tone

[Nobody]

I'd say a new set of rounds. Chromes are great strings but not for slap(IMHO).

[SwagAttack]

Agreed, new strings will help. Also you said you are playing through headphones? They need to be really good to play bass through.

[Kwesi]

Yeah, you AT LEAST need some decent studio headphones or a studio monitor setup. Well, really anything that won't clip like crazy. Stick to roundwound strings. Pirate a copy of Guitar Rig or Waves audio and see how you like that?

[hdracer]

I don't understand.

You can not afford a good amp/cab setup but you think buying a modulus funk or stingray will cure your problem?????

Get a real cab and quit playing with computer toys and you might find that your P bass sounds real good.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by hdracer

Get a real cab and quit playing with computer toys and you might find that your P bass sounds real good.

Not exactly sure what you mean here but you can get any decent instrument to sound good if you've got the proper setup going into and out of your computer. They're not toys. They're tools.

[FrenchBassQC]

Originally Posted by hdracer

I don't understand.

You can not afford a good amp/cab setup but you think buying a modulus funk or stingray will cure your problem?????

Get a real cab and quit playing with computer toys and you might find that your P bass sounds real good.

+1 the bass is not the problem, change the amp to something the same value as a modulus and you might be surprised....

[wolfmaster19]

i am considering trading / selling my p bass and geting a modulus or stingray because the p bass isn't quite up to the task of slapping (imho) AND because maybe the tone that i now perceive as dull sounding is really just a sign that i might be fed up with the p sound.. since, let's face it, the p is not a modern sounding bass...

it's either that or i just have bad gear to complement the bass i currently own.. and i know it's probably the later.. money is not actually a big issue but i mostly practice at night so.. you get the idea

edit: i already have a decent amp, note i wrote it into the OP, and i also asked if it was possible to use it's DI for better sound quality

[Ian774]

You need new strings.

[TripleDouble]

Have you tried duplicating your bass track and using an amplitube amp sim on one track and just an eq on the other, then blending the two? You'll have to keep an eye on and possibly flip phase or manually adjust for latency issues, but you can get a pretty reasonable approximation of how most big studios track bass by doing this. Then it's just a matter of getting a good and appropriate sounding set of strings, and a good tone from your fingers. Really doesn't sound like a "gotta upgrade" issue to me yet, just some creative, resourceful problem solving.

[rainbownorth]

Sounds like you need new strings. But also, dont think that just changing the bass will magically cure everything. Remember it's just ONE link in your signal chain. If you run a lovely bass through a ****** setup it will still not live up to its potential. You could just be sick of the tone, but try changing strings and see what happens. It can make a big difference.

[Marty Forrer]

Originally Posted by hdracer

I don't understand.

You can not afford a good amp/cab setup but you think buying a modulus funk or stingray will cure your problem?????

Get a real cab and quit playing with computer toys and you might find that your P bass sounds real good.

This^^^^^^

[bassobrutto]

Two points:
1. You need to find out if it really is the the basic P-bass sound that you find boring, rather than just a problem with strings, amps, settings, etc. Listen on YouTube to some great, creative P-bass players to get a sense of the range of its musical possibilities. Some players to listen to, off the top of my head:

James Jamerson (Motown maestro)
Chuck Rainey (esp. Steely Dan's Aja)
John Deacon (Queen)
Ray Shulman (Gentle Giant--vastly underappreciated artist)
Dave Holland (early electric Miles Davis)
Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Attractions)

If you find that these guys do not make the kind of sounds that you would like to make, then trade your P-bass for a Jazz bass or something else with more sonic range.

2. What kind of music do you play? If you just play by yourself for your own amusement, a P-bass may well sound a bit uninspiring at times, since it cannot make a great range of different sounds. But if you play in a band, the sounds it can make fit in incredibly well with most kinds of music, as the bassists above all demonstrate.

[CnB77]

Originally Posted by bassobrutto

Two points:
1. You need to find out if it really is the the basic P-bass sound that you find boring, rather than just a problem with strings, amps, settings, etc. Listen on YouTube to some great, creative P-bass players to get a sense of the range of its musical possibilities. Some players to listen to, off the top of my head:

James Jamerson (Motown maestro)
Chuck Rainey (esp. Steely Dan's Aja)
John Deacon (Queen)
Ray Shulman (Gentle Giant--vastly underappreciated artist)
Dave Holland (early electric Miles Davis)
Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Attractions)

If you find that these guys do not make the kind of sounds that you would like to make, then trade your P-bass for a Jazz bass or something else with more sonic range.

2. What kind of music do you play? If you just play by yourself for your own amusement, a P-bass may well sound a bit uninspiring at times, since it cannot make a great range of different sounds. But if you play in a band, the sounds it can make fit in incredibly well with most kinds of music, as the bassists above all demonstrate.

Don't forget this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnaSRhMB_qo Duck Dunn did quite well with the P!

New strings for sure, play with the EQ obviously, but I'll say that I've never loved the sound I've gotten from playing into Guitar Rig or Amplitube. They just don't do well for me. Running your DI into a mini mixer into good studio headphones will be great, if you like the P sound. If money is a problem, try these headphones http://www.head-fi.org/products/superlux-hd-681

[portlandguy]

Do you think that Green Day sounds boring - that is a p bass
How about Pink Floyd - p bass

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by Kwesi

Not exactly sure what you mean here but you can get any decent instrument to sound good if you've got the proper setup going into and out of your computer. They're not toys. They're tools.

Do you bring your computer on stage with you?

Yeah, it is a tool for bedroom noodlers. Use a real amp and cab.

[bolophonic]

Something is not right, because Precisions sound awesome. I would recommend buying a real amp.

[wolfmaster19]

the thing is i don't want to have to go on stage to get a decent sound.. :\

[Epitaph04]

Isn't the walkabout a combo amp? Or is it just an amp? If so, can't you just buy a cab for the walkabout?