Been chasing this type of tone:

[Soul Power]

Check out "Redemption Street" on the album Liminal by Adam Nitti.
That unique tone similar to Marcus Miller's----where it's crispy yet clear and bluesy----
I currently use a Spector Euro 4 with everything stock-----and I like the tones that it can get but it cannot achieve this with the stock electronics===
What do I need to do in order to achieve this type of tone, pickups or preamp (broken question mark key)
And yes, I know a much bigger part of the sound is technique- but there is more to it than dynamics, muting, and smoothness of plucking to achieving this classic tone.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Nitti plays a Warrior bass with Bart X55 pickups and a Bart preamp. They are very skinny pickups kind of like a Jazz bass.

Miller uses Jazz pickups, and a Bart preamp.

So there's two pieces of a puzzle.

Which pickups does your bass have?

 

[Soul Power]

EMG PJ---Should I Change the preamp (question mark)
According to John (my luthier and a poster around here) the EMG pickups are actually ceramic and shaped according to the neck---And to be honest I don't know much about electronics and all the science behind the bass so I'm just stuck in this belief because that basically sounds better than what's normal to my unknowledgeable mind so I'd like to keep the original pups on....
From what you told me I'm guessing that I should try out a Bart PReamp===

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Are they the active EMGs or the HZ? The actives should get you close to that tone with the right EQ setting on the amp.

What kind of amp are you using?

 

[Soul Power]

They're active and i use a hartke LH1000 with Hydrives------

 

[SGD Lutherie]

They're active and i use a hartke LH1000 with Hydrives------

That's a very nice amp. All I can say is put the bright switch on and mess with the EQ.

Here I am playing Larry's prototype aluminum neck bass into that rig.

 

[GMSweet]

Soul Power,

It's funny you bring this up. I just purchased "Liminal" yesterday and was listening to it at work thinking that Mr. Nitti's tone was pretty close to some of what I've been looking for.

Here's a few links from the "Ask Adam Nitti" forum here are TB.

About the Warrior Bass

Some recording notes on Liminal

His bass stable (link leaves TalkBass)

Notice that his particular Warrior doesn't have the Bartolini X-Series pickups, but a pair of Bartolini M series soapbars. It appears that Warrior put a few different models of the "Adam Nitti Signature" since there are posts here on TB showing it as such.

Perhaps Mr. Nitti would divulge a few more details under his portion of TB. I'd love to see more of the clinicians put together details on the signal chain and recording choices for their solo albums.

I hope this helps and happy hunting!

Matt

 

[Tmoney865]

Without changing pickups and electronics, the technique and age of strings are significant to tone.

EMG's are not Barts and never will be.

Keep working with the amp, see about lowering action to help perfect the technique. Perhaps change to his strings.

Adam's Warior is low low low, and I have followed suit. I still do not play anything like what he does, I do not really even try, but it brings tons of fun to what I do play.

Then check out the Bart Preamp or consider Pup Change if Adam's tone is what you want.