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Basses known for growl

#41
slapmachine said:
Well, I currently have the American Fender FSR Hot Rod Jazz which came with the Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups. I think they're pretty darn good for a pickup. They are passive, but would a new set of pickups be advised? I can't be for sure if that's the route I'd be going. When I get my Markbass rig in the mail Monday, I'll have to see if I can't EQ it a bit differently or if I can pull that tight growl out of it. I'm just not quite sure why everyone drops so much money on new pickups! I know this is deviating a little bit from the OP, but if you guys could enlighten me, I'm all ears!


Best regards,

Brooks
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oh hell dude i'd say you're all set. i mean on paper, which is all we have to go by, your rig is gona do that sound just fine. that justin timberlake bass line? you'll be able to get pretty close i think. markbass amps have great low mids - super tight.

this whole issue is not as much about equipment as some people would have you think. but it sounds to me like you have the right tools for the job.
 
#43
slapmachine said:
Well, I currently have the American Fender FSR Hot Rod Jazz which came with the Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups. I think they're pretty darn good for a pickup. They are passive, but would a new set of pickups be advised? I can't be for sure if that's the route I'd be going. When I get my Markbass rig in the mail Monday, I'll have to see if I can't EQ it a bit differently or if I can pull that tight growl out of it. I'm just not quite sure why everyone drops so much money on new pickups! I know this is deviating a little bit from the OP, but if you guys could enlighten me, I'm all ears!


Best regards,

Brooks
Click to expand...

You know, the funny part about this thread is that I made one just like it maybe a few months to a year back looking for the exact same tone. I have a Fender American Deluxe FMT V (60s spaced with the SCN pups, very similar to your bass) that I modded constantly to try and get that same sound. I tried 4 sets of pickups and dropped a nice Bartolini NTMB preamp in it. It got MUCH closer but it didn't get close enough for me. It's an amazing bass (which is why I've had a hard time coming to grips with putting it up for sale) but it just couldn't do what I wanted it to. After getting my hands on a few 70s style jazzes, I was completely sold. That quarter of an inch does a whole lot for your tone. I ordered a Brubaker and a Tom Clement which are spec'd very differently but both can get close enough to that sound to make me a very happy bass player.

That said, you don't have to spend a load of cash to get the tone you're after. In your position, I'd probably dump the FSR and try to find a used Geddy Lee sig and, if need be, drop in new pups. I could recommend others but you'd have to let me know your budget first :)
 
#44
slapmachine said:
Ok, please don't hate on me for posting this song. This came through pandora for some reason, and THE BASS sound is SICK!

Invalid Link Removed


Again, don't listen to anything else. Although after listening to some other JT stuff, the bassist he has is pretty damn good. Gotta dig that growly tone though.


Best regards,


Brooks
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+1 for posting that, good stuff...forgot how much I liked that song =)
 
#46
Nathan East – Bass,Thaddeus T. Tribbett – Bass were both of the bass players on Justin's album "Justified". Maybe looking at what they play may help narrow it down! But, then you also have to deal with amp, processors and all that crap haha.


Best regards,

Brooks
 
#50
I did try to sell my FSR, but I started loving it too much. Something about the bass feels "broken in" and just very comfortable to play. I don't think I could bear getting rid of it. I'd much rather look at droppin new pickups in it. Than getting rid of it. It'd be a big decision though. If I were to drop humbuckers in it or a humbucker and a single-coil. It'd have to come with more modding and diggin into some wood to have the cavities built to the pickups. Think it'd be a good choice? I'd prob have to have an active / passive switch, and route a cavity for a battery. Or should I just save for a used Warwick or something along those lines in the future?


Best regards,

Brooks
 
#51
slapmachine said:
I did try to sell my FSR, but I started loving it too much. Something about the bass feels "broken in" and just very comfortable to play. I don't think I could bear getting rid of it. I'd much rather look at droppin new pickups in it. Than getting rid of it. It'd be a big decision though. If I were to drop humbuckers in it or a humbucker and a single-coil. It'd have to come with more modding and diggin into some wood to have the cavities built to the pickups. Think it'd be a good choice? I'd prob have to have an active / passive switch, and route a cavity for a battery. Or should I just save for a used Warwick or something along those lines in the future?


Best regards,

Brooks
Click to expand...

I recommend against modifications that can't be undone unless you are 100% sure that it will give you what you want for a few reasons. 1) If it doesn't get you the tone you're after, you're SOL 2) If you ever want to sell the bass you're SOL. If you really don't want to get rid of the FSR then just leave it alone and save up for a new bass. I know I've said it before, but I doubt dropping in new pickups will get you the tone you want.
 
#53
Kwesi said:
I recommend against modifications that can't be undone unless you are 100% sure that it will give you what you want for a few reasons. 1) If it doesn't get you the tone you're after, you're SOL 2) If you ever want to sell the bass you're SOL. If you really don't want to get rid of the FSR then just leave it alone and save up for a new bass. I know I've said it before, but I doubt dropping in new pickups will get you the tone you want.
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I'll go ahead and thank you in advance for anything that could've happened being prevented!! :D


Best regards,

Brooks


P.S. When all you guys say Warwick for the growl, is there a specific model, or would you say that the growl is just characteristic of Warwick basses?
 
#54
slapmachine said:
Ok, please don't hate on me for posting this song. This came through pandora for some reason, and THE BASS sound is SICK!

Invalid Link Removed


Again, don't listen to anything else. Although after listening to some other JT stuff, the bassist he has is pretty damn good. Gotta dig that growly tone though.


Best regards,


Brooks
Click to expand...

Upon inspection on a less-than-reputable site (WikiPedia), the bassist on that track is either Nathan East or Thaddeus Tribbett. Both of these talented gentlemen are truly bass gods.
 
#56
For me the key to getting the growl I wanted out of a Jazz was simply not overdoing it on the low end of the EQ. Mids are your friends. Barts are awesome pickups, but spend some time with your new amp first. New pickups likely won't be needed, a lot of it is the pickups and the spacing, and what you already have should work fine. Also try adjusting where your putting your plucking hand, there's a great deal of tonal variation in doing just that. Gear is fun, but I don't think it sounds like you need anything you don't already have.
 
#57
slapmachine said:
I'll go ahead and thank you in advance for anything that could've happened being prevented!! :D


Best regards,

Brooks


P.S. When all you guys say Warwick for the growl, is there a specific model, or would you say that the growl is just characteristic of Warwick basses?
Click to expand...

People like to shout Warwicks from high heaven when someone mentions growl but don't fall for it. Not to say that they don't growl but it's not as if every one you pick up will be able to pull it off. In fact the only one that I've ever played that did was a Streamer Stage II. Personally, I've owned a Thumb BO6 BN and a Streamer Jazzman 5 LTD, neither could do it. There are plenty of basses that could pull it off at a lower price point. A Fender Geddy Lee sig (mentioned before), Brubaker Brute, Ken Smith Burner, a Spector Euro 4LX, maybe a Spector ReBop, a Yamaha BBG5, a KSD604 or KSD704, a Ibanez SR506 (it hurts me to recommend that to anyone :P), the list goes on. All of those can be had for around or under $1000.
 
#58
Fendr1320 said:
For me the key to getting the growl I wanted out of a Jazz was simply not overdoing it on the low end of the EQ. Mids are your friends. Barts are awesome pickups, but spend some time with your new amp first. New pickups likely won't be needed, a lot of it is the pickups and the spacing, and what you already have should work fine. Also try adjusting where your putting your plucking hand, there's a great deal of tonal variation in doing just that. Gear is fun, but I don't think it sounds like you need anything you don't already have.
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Thanks, I'll see what happens. Thanks to everyone for their advice on the subject too. I'll try to remember to post back some feedback when I test my bass through my Markbass Little Mark II and my 102 Traveler cab coming in the mail either monday or tuesday from some great TB'rs!!!


Best regards,

Brooks:D
 
#59
Kwesi said:
People like to shout Warwicks from high heaven when someone mentions growl but don't fall for it. Not to say that they don't growl but it's not as if every one you pick up will be able to pull it off. In fact the only one that I've ever played that did was a Streamer Stage II. Personally, I've owned a Thumb BO6 BN and a Streamer Jazzman 5 LTD, neither could do it. There are plenty of basses that could pull it off at a lower price point. A Fender Geddy Lee sig (mentioned before), Brubaker Brute, Ken Smith Burner, a Spector Euro 4LX, maybe a Spector ReBop, a Yamaha BBG5, a KSD604 or KSD704, a Ibanez SR506 (it hurts me to recommend that to anyone :P), the list goes on. All of those can be had for around or under $1000.
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In consideration for the future bass I may be GAS'n for, I'll take all of those brands into consideration. There definitely is something about having a new bass to yourself, but some used basses definitely carry some "mojo" with them that can't be replicated. Also, I'm much more happy to save some $$ and still get a GREAT bass used rather than be half as happy shellin a ton of $$ out.

Best regards,

Brooks
 
#60
slapmachine said:
In consideration for the future bass I may be GAS'n for, I'll take all of those brands into consideration. There definitely is something about having a new bass to yourself, but some used basses definitely carry some "mojo" with them that can't be replicated. Also, I'm much more happy to save some $$ and still get a GREAT bass used rather than be half as happy shellin a ton of $$ out.

Best regards,

Brooks
Click to expand...

Haha, when I say a new bass I don't mean actually "new", I just mean new to you. In fact, unless you were going custom I would never recommend a new bass but that's my personal philosophy. Quite a few of those can be found used very easily, particularly the Ibanez (actually meant to type SR504 originally) and Geddy Lee Sig.
 

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