Achieving tone from technique

[Tim Skaggs]

I recently revisited the task of working on my tone by focusing on technique. I realize I can’t get distortion, chorus, etc. by technique alone, but in the weeks after the death of EVH, I heard and read several stories of artists who got the opportunity to play through Eddie’s rig on Eddie’s guitar but found they still sound like themselves. Several other stories said Eddie picked up another artists guitar and played through their rig, but still sounded like EVH. I’m sure the same thing would apply to Geddy Lee or <insert other well known bassists here>

This phenomenon is probably best described as being caused by “style” rather than “technique”, but it got me to thinking that if I want to play cover songs and nail the sound, I should probably work harder on my playing style / technique and be a little less concerned about cranking on tone &/or effects knobs.

But now a question; does a player’s style coming through as their defining “sound” apply less to bass than it does to guitar or other instruments? I say style and technique still define the “sound” of bassists like John Pattitucci or Victor Wooten, but I’m not sure it defines the sound of bassists like Duck Dunn, Bob Babbitt, Carol Kaye, or maybe they are just masters of sounding like whatever the song needed....

 

[misterCRUSH]

Setting heavily effected tones aside (metal, alt.)...a clean tone can be affected a lot by the hands. Where you place the right hand, the plucking style and intensity, and the cadence of the plucking are all important. Obviously, strings, pickups, type of bass, etc...are all influences on tone, but the hands still have a dramatic impact. For a long time I chased Jaco's tone, but then decided I wanted to sound like myself. It was only recently that I finally started hearing the sound I have always heard in my head. I play with a solid but light attack, close to the neck, and my cadence is steady but with lead in notes and triplets thrown in (I play jazz). I am confident I could play through another rig with a different bass, and still sound like myself.

 

[Groove Doctor]

does a player’s style coming through as their defining “sound” apply less to bass than it does to guitar or other instruments?

If you have a versatile bass that responds well to variation in one players technique plus them having those skills to play/sound differently.... then YES.

At a bass Get-Together we had 5-6 people play the same bass/rig and each person sounded noticeably different & very obviously sounded like themselves. Some with light touch and lyrical-almost-Fretless expression, others ham-fisted and boomy. So again YES, a bass responds to how it’s being played.

I play a vintage passive P bass and have learned to change my sound by altering my technique. It’s surprising just how many sounds a one-pickup bass can produce.