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Best mid freq to my jazz ?!?

Discussion in 'Pickups & Electronics [BG]' started by BoogieNight, Nov 19, 2001.

  1. Nov 19, 2001 #1
    BoogieNight

    BoogieNight

    Jun 15, 2001
    Brazil
    Hi Talkbassists!

    I own a MIM jazz with barts single coil.

    There's a guy in my town who makes active onboard preamps, so I have the chance of choosing the frequencies that the pre will boost/cut.

    My question is: what is the best MIDRANGE "center" frequency for my instrument? I mean wich one will allow me to take the best advantage of my instrument´s natural tone, especially to give me that "jaco" or "victor bailey" bridge sound?

    I'm thinking about 800hz. I know bart preamps give you the choice of 800. I think SDs work at 650hz. Unfortunatelly I can´t afford a J-retro with vari-mids right now...

    So, what's YOUR opinion?!?
     
  2. Nov 19, 2001 #2
    Gallient Knight

    Gallient Knight

    Jul 31, 2001
    Milford CT
    I like 650 myself. But the first questions I would be asking myself are..

    1) Am I looking to boost or cut this frequency?

    2) Are either of these frequecys available in the eq stage of your amp or your desired amp?

    3) Fretted or Fretless?


    I would bet most people around here would vote 800.

    An easy way to play with it is to get a hold of a 31 band eq and put it in between your guitar and your amp. The mess with both of those bands until you know which one you want. If cash is an issue check out Ebay for something cheap and sell it when you are done with it. Or try to borrow one if you know any studio people or live sound engineers
     
  3. Nov 19, 2001 #3
    BoogieNight

    BoogieNight

    Jun 15, 2001
    Brazil
    In fact i already have that preamp in my bass but it came with a stupid "high-mid" set at 1200Hz, that just makes me sound like I'm in a MW radio station!

    About your questions:
    1) I'd boost it for a defined funky fingerstyle AND cut for smooth/warm jazz tone
    2) No, I have a Hartke1410 combo, with a 4-band eq that covers just 33, 80, 250 and 2500Hz
    3) Fretted

    Hum, I'll take your suggestion and take my bass to a friend who has a recording studio ;)
     
  4. Nov 20, 2001 #4
    BoogieNight

    BoogieNight

    Jun 15, 2001
    Brazil
    anyone else?...
     
  5. Nov 20, 2001 #5
    Christopher

    Christopher

    Apr 28, 2000
    New York, NY
    650 Hz IMO is too high; sounds nasal. Better to boost between 200-450 Hz if you want beefy tone.
     
  6. Nov 20, 2001 #6
    BoogieNight

    BoogieNight

    Jun 15, 2001
    Brazil
    "Nasal"? Cool... :D
     
  7. Nov 23, 2001 #7
    BoogieNight

    BoogieNight

    Jun 15, 2001
    Brazil
    I've seen people here saying they boost around 800Hz in their amps to make the bass "cut-through".

    Does the same apply to the onboard preamp? So 800 would "cut", 650 would be "nasal" and 450 would be "beefy"??? :confused:

    Thanks in advance.
     
  8. Nov 23, 2001 #8
    Christopher

    Christopher

    Apr 28, 2000
    New York, NY
    Depends on what situation you're in. If you've ever played around with a bass with a parametric mid control, you can actually hear the difference in tone as you move the knob towards higher frequencies. The lower freqs provide "punch", the middle frequencies (650 and therabouts) start to get nasal and the higher frequencies actually start to sound harsh, like a low-tuned guitar. IMO, the nasal thing is a cool sound if you're soloing, but I wouldn't want to hear it all the time. The higher frequencies, while unpleasant-sounding, can get you heard in a dense or less-than-stellar mix, viz. Geddy Lee in various live recordings.