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Amp,strings or pickups?

ZenG

ZenG

Guest
Dec 13, 2013
6,465
13,121
You can't get there from here
#1
I like my Gk Mb112 with extra 112 powered cab.

Right now I'm running rounds on my basses.

I get some good tones out of it all. I've EQ'd 'til there was nothing left to EQ...either on bass or amp.
Tried Boss EQ pedal. Tried Eden WTD. Tried B1on Zoom.

But I was looking for a little deeper low end. By that I mean the tones I get now are good...but...I was looking for something a little deeper and richer.

Tried all kinds of string:- Flats, tapes, half-rounds, rounds...the list goes on.

Flats and tapes give different tone than rounds but not any "deeper" tone than rounds.

In a couple of instances rounds outperformed flats by a significant margin.

They all sound good mostly but not as "deep" as I'd like. Hard to describe.

Right now I'm using:-

Squier Jag SS...stock pickups with rounds.
Squier Bronco..P/J Red Lace sensors with rounds.
Ibanex Mikro 4-string...stock pickups with rounds.

So amp is 2 x 12.

Go bigger amp? Different speaker size? New different pickups?
 
#2
de-coupling the cabs from the floor helps

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#4
ZenG said:
I like my Gk Mb112 with extra 112 powered cab.

Right now I'm running rounds on my basses.

I get some good tones out of it all. I've EQ'd 'til there was nothing left to EQ...either on bass or amp.
Tried Boss EQ pedal. Tried Eden WTD. Tried B1on Zoom.

But I was looking for a little deeper low end. By that I mean the tones I get now are good...but...I was looking for something a little deeper and richer.

Tried all kinds of string:- Flats, tapes, half-rounds, rounds...the list goes on.

Flats and tapes give different tone than rounds but not any "deeper" tone than rounds.

In a couple of instances rounds outperformed flats by a significant margin.

They all sound good mostly but not as "deep" as I'd like. Hard to describe.

Right now I'm using:-

Squier Jag SS...stock pickups with rounds.
Squier Bronco..P/J Red Lace sensors with rounds.
Ibanex Mikro 4-string...stock pickups with rounds.

So amp is 2 x 12.

Go bigger amp? Different speaker size? New different pickups?
Click to expand...
That's a tough question to answer. I would say your best bet increasing your overall deep rich bass response to get yourself some different cabs or a different head and cab all together. There's a million different configurations out there right now that will give you deep tight rich sounding bass tone. I guess it just depends on your budget.
 
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#10
ZenG said:
I like my Gk Mb112 with extra 112 powered cab.

Right now I'm running rounds on my basses.

I get some good tones out of it all. I've EQ'd 'til there was nothing left to EQ...either on bass or amp.
Tried Boss EQ pedal. Tried Eden WTD. Tried B1on Zoom.

But I was looking for a little deeper low end. By that I mean the tones I get now are good...but...I was looking for something a little deeper and richer.

Tried all kinds of string:- Flats, tapes, half-rounds, rounds...the list goes on.

Flats and tapes give different tone than rounds but not any "deeper" tone than rounds.

In a couple of instances rounds outperformed flats by a significant margin.

They all sound good mostly but not as "deep" as I'd like. Hard to describe.

Right now I'm using:-

Squier Jag SS...stock pickups with rounds.
Squier Bronco..P/J Red Lace sensors with rounds.
Ibanex Mikro 4-string...stock pickups with rounds.

So amp is 2 x 12.

Go bigger amp? Different speaker size? New different pickups?
Click to expand...
Although I once did put a set of Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders in a Pbass for a particular band to give me some more meat with my potatoes, and it did do the trick.
 
#12
Pbassmanca said:
Although I once did put a set of Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders in a Pbass for a particular band to give me some more meat with my potatoes, and it did do the trick.
Click to expand...

That might be a good description ..... " a little more meat with the potatoes".

I don't dislike the tone I get now. I'd just like a little more meat on it at times.

Maybe I'll post some sound clips of what I have now..
 
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#14
FirewalZ said:
By deep....maybe you mean round,warm, thicker? That may not be within that GK's tonal footprint...dont get me wrong, great amps...just harder to get a fat, warm tone out of it.
Click to expand...

Something sort of akin to this :cool::- anyway, I'll trot on down to my bass store and try out the aforementioned Fender 500 head and some cabs...

 
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#16
The dude I know with the fattest sound (Tommy from the 6L6's and a little voodoo, look them up) uses black tape wounds and rolls off his tone and treble completely. He also uses an alembic FX1 preamp and killer P basses with P or MM pickup. He also uses an octaver. Dusty Hill also uses an octave down and a fat distorted tone and gets a heck of a fat tone.

So my vote is try tru bass tape wounds and roll back your treble and upper mids to remove bite so you can turn up the gain. Don't know your specific cabs but I play an Eden 212XLT and love the sound of the 12's. Maybe try an octaver too (though I haven't). The strings and that pedal is less of an investment and something you can always use.
 
#19
Try plucking closer to the neck, and/or using the "palm mute" technique. A couple of tips to get a "deeper sound" without spending money on new gear.

Also, are you playing with your band when you conduct these tonal experiments, or all by your self? Sometimes, the tone that sounds best in the bedroom is not the best sound in the mix. GK's are designed to sound good playing in a band. Amps that go too deep into the low bass can sometimes compete with the frequency slot of the kick drum.
 
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