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Blues guitar tone for bass

L

lightninz

Nov 10, 2011
80
31
#1
Hi guys,

I have always dreamed of getting a blues guitar tone incorporated into my bass tones. When I say blues tones, I mean the guitae tone of ppl like John mayer and Richie kotzen. I have tried playing on higher register and high c with some drives and delay but only very little success. Perhaps you guys can share with me the logic of blues guitar tone, and maybe if u guys were successful with it or any brilliant suggestion?

My gratitude in advance. Thank you very much.
Jun
 
#2
I think the physics in the equation are working against you. The difference in the string guages (and the fact all standard bass strings are wound), combined with the note registers a bass plays in, precludes getting that sweet but searing and slightly overdriven sound blues guitarists take for granted. Which is why many blues bassists opt for the other end of the blues sonic spectrum and lay down a low deep throbbing bassline with minimal gymnastics in order to provide a pleasing contrast.

Maybe what you want is doable. But I'm at a loss at how to get a real guitar tone out of an electric bass.

You might try a baritone guitar or a bass with piccolo bass strings and see if the lighter strings get you any closer.

One other suggestion…

I used to go through fits and bouts of overplaying and 'technique operatics' every so often. So much so it made me reluctant to play my 5-string, which is where the problem was occurring.

image.jpeg


The solution, in retrospect, was simple: I bought a Telecaster.

Now, whenever I get the urge to sound and play more like a guitar - or just indulge in some guitar-like antics, or ditz around with a pile of effect pedals…I pick up my guitar. :thumbsup:

Worked the charm for me. YMMV. :cool:

Luck!

image.jpeg
 
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#3
I'm aware of one musician (and there are probably more) who performs on a very-extended-range instrument: at least 8 strings, maybe more. It has guitar pickups on the "guitar" strings, and bass pickups on the bass strings. And of course it is run through two different amp rigs, one for bass and the other for guitar. That'll get you what you want, but it's probably not the solution you were looking for. :)
 
#4
If you can find an Akai UniBass or Fishman Fission those have the most guitar like sound but a POG, Pitchfork, Whammy or other pitch shifter can work as well. Run that signal into an overdrive and if possible into a separate amp or mixed signal with something like a Boss LS2. Using additional effects like chorus, delay and reverb can help the sound be more realistic.

I very often take the octave up signal from the UniBass and run that thru a Zoom G1x into a guitar amp with really good results.
 
#8
HAHA, whiskey tango foxtrot. But the SR crossover seems interesting. From what i see from the specs, the main difference is that it is super light gauge and is a short scale bass, other than that, did i miss any other details? interesting. haha.

But true do agree with 40hz, i once played a richie kotzen tele with rk5, its the sound that i want but the playability of guitar compared to bass is just way too off for me. If it wasn't my lack of finance, i would definitely but that. But still, guitar and bass are just too different in playability. 40hz perhaps u have any advice for me when u play your tele to get your guitar blues tone?

Thanks guys
 
#9
I'm very happy with my mooer tender octaver. Got it for 60 bucks from ali express. Got a sterile, almost too clean octave up. Which is a plus, because it can by coloured quite easily by od and a preamp. I'm not a tone purist, but with my neck single coil I got a telecaster solo sound which sounded convincing to me, thru a small guitar amp.
 
#11
Yeah start with an octaver pedal and go from there. You gotta get up in the right range without having to play on the 45th fret before you can concentrate on what else in your chain needs to be tweeked.

It could be a fun project. I don't know that you'll nail the exact SRV or Mayer tone. But it'll be close enough for rock-n-roll....er.....blues. :thumbsup:

Just don't take the project too seriously. Have fun with it. Let the haters hate. :D
 
#14
Yeah, that's a tall order. Even guitar players with the same gear as their heroes have a hard time achieving those tones. To get it on a bass is unlikely. Many extend range basses (and I play a 6 often) just sound bad to my ears when trying to sound like a guitar. But, if you keep searching and trying you may come up with something you really like. It's all about the journey, right?
 
#15
lightninz said:
Hi guys,

I have always dreamed of getting a blues guitar tone incorporated into my bass tones. When I say blues tones, I mean the guitae tone of ppl like John mayer and Richie kotzen. I have tried playing on higher register and high c with some drives and delay but only very little success. Perhaps you guys can share with me the logic of blues guitar tone, and maybe if u guys were successful with it or any brilliant suggestion?

My gratitude in advance. Thank you very much.
Jun
Click to expand...

I get pretty close to the tones in this video using my mxr bass distortion into my digitech polara. In this video he's actually using a lexicon reverb unit but as you may or may not know the polara was made by digitech and lexicon which are both owned by the same company. So it's likely the polara has the same algorithms as the lexicon he's using.

 
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