Rocco Prestia. Victor Wooten. Marcus Miller. Jaco Pastorius. No matter what song they are playing, every one of them can be identified by their sound. Discovering one’s own sound is one of the most important phases of development for any bass player. It usually, but not always, involves playing a series of different basses and experimenting with different strings, pickups, and amplifiers to hit the right combination.
The point is you might have to kiss a few frogs to find your prince (or princess.)
In four years, I’ve owned Fender, Ibanez, Fender, R-bass, Neuser, G&L, Fender, Ibanez, and now….another Fender. A hot pink Fender Lyte to be exact.
And during that same time I’ve used Eden, SWR, Ampeg, Fender Bassman, and Ashdown. I now play through an Ashdown EVO II Combo.
Discovering my sound had something to do with my growing ability as a player, but was mostly a result of educating my ear through playing through a lot of different gear and by listening to the sound of other great players, not with the intention of duplicating it, but rather to discover which players sound moved me emotionally and analyzing what qualities may have caused an emotional response in me.
Bassist Jauqo III-X knows all about creating original sound. In addition to being known for conceiving the low C# string, he’s also known for his unique voice and clean, precise playing. He says the key to his sound is individuality and clarity and he chooses his instruments and amplification accordingly.
“It's important to want to sound like yourself. That's the first challenge. The second is to find the gear that will deliver the sound you want. I like Adler basses for their clarity and versatility. Mike Adler takes a lot of care in the construction of the instrument, and the craftsmanship is excellent. He knows how to put the instrument together to get the best vibration, through the proper choice of woods, and density testing, etc. I have yet to play an Adler bass that didn't sound good."
As for amplification III-X says “Ashdown is clean and articulate, and the notes are keenly pronounced. Ashdown is one of the most versatile amps on the market. I can play anything from the thumpingest R&B to the grungiest rock and everything in between.”
But Jauqo III-X also has played basses from practically every maker and has played through practically every amp and cabinet there is. “There are so many choices now, many more than when I got started. Back then the choice was basically Fender, Musicman, G&L, or Gibson.” (That said, III-X still owns his first Fender, a jazz bass he had defretted in the late 70’s.)
I never expected to land back with Fender, but because I had an open mind (and a penchant for basses that are more girly and that wear more jewelry than me) I gave the Lyte a try, and it led me to discover – and realize – my sound: classic, definite & warm.
So if you’re not happy with your sound, hit the music stores and play every bass that piques your interest through every amp you're curious about --- and don’t give up until you find it. You'll be glad you did.
Sound Quest 
