Bright, punchy picked P Bass tone

[edthebass]

Some people already mentioned it but the defining characteristic I hear in that sample is compression. It’s pumping even with the playing and keeps the attack thick yet intense. If you’re playing around in a DAW, you may have some luck splitting the low frequencies from the high frequencies and compressing the lows separately from the highs.

 

[ROOTSnFIFTHS]

PBass and Rotosound roundwounds played with a pick.

True dat--I see red silks.

 

[Chrisk-K]

Sounds like a regular P bass strung with rounds and played with a pick. Nothing special is needed to get that tone.

 

[devnulljp]

Plectrum technique is the way to get that kind of note attack.

Yup! You gotta earn to play with a pick, same as you gotta learn to play with fingers.
I started out with a pick, and still play with a pick when it suits, only really going with fingers after I stared playing upright. It's all technique. Maybe use a compressor, but you gotta play right.

 

[metron]

Love my greens, though I was the only bass player that used them. Just something about that “snap” that hits it.

I agree, green triangles here. I have all sorts but I always come back to them.

That plus a little comp, hit it behind the pickup with some effort. Enough to get the pickup to ring but not choke. Thats how one obtains the tone is this vid.

 

[dave64o]

...Sounds a little like isolated bass tone of Dave Hope / Kansas.

Not as well recognized as some others, but a fantastic player with fantastic tone!

 

[bassfreakah]

Nice P bass sound with a pick, good technique.
Lots of talent too!!!!

 

[Bruiser Stone]

Steels for sure.
Sounds sweet.
But JJ Burnel implores you to bump the mids.

 

[lowendblues]

Take a precision, put on some round wound bass strings, plug into your amp, boost your mids, add a little pre gain, turn it up, adjust high end from your bass.
Done.

 

[Acoop]

Yes! ... And Rickenbacker does that better.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Plectrum technique is the way to get that kind of note attack.

And choice of plectrum; material, thickness, etc.

 

[Dan_reeves]

PBass and Rotosound roundwounds played with a pick.

Yep, that is what I thought when I saw it also. I would also maybe go a different way than what I have read here and go with a bit thinner pick, maybe a Tortex orange for the attack. Also, I think a nylon pick is not the way to go for this snappiness. Tortex or celluloid or something a little more “glassy” sounding. That’s probably what I’d try though I am sure others would go about this differently.

 

[Flying B]

Anyone else think it sounds totally lame when he starts using his fingers, after hearing it with the pick?

 

[nabilhuakbar]

Could be that some of it is in the technique of the player. Also, if you play with a pick and want a bright, punchy attack the bass needs to be set up with the action high enough to withstand an aggressive style.

Out of curiosity...about where would you recommend action height to be at? I'm a pretty aggressive pick player and I find that the standard-ish 2mm or so action is pretty damn buzzy for me.

...but also I like the playability.

 

[satjhmo]

Sounds like a regular P bass strung with rounds and played with a pick. Nothing special is needed to get that tone.

Pickers might like to note that he isn't plucking perpendicular to the string, but at an angle - the pick is actually scraping slightly along the string before being plucked. I don't pick like that but I can easily regenerate that sound on a '77 P with very solid original pickups and new, modern roundwound strings.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Nothing too crazy here, just losing my mind trying to recreate this tone on my precision bass.

It calls to mind the sound that's on a lot of 90s and 2000s rock/alt rock and I've never really been able to recreate it at home. Is it just a cranked valve amp? Normally, I've seen people recommend turning the bass knob to about 9 o'clock for this type of sound, but the video I've linked still sounds like it has a substantial amount of low end dialled in. I might just be stupid, since I doubt it's anything complicated, but I'd really appreciate some help!

It starts with your amp’s EQ. Assuming you have a new set of round wound string installed, set your tone controls to flat. Boost your EQ a bit at 150hz adjust your upper mids down to remove the honk, add a touch of bass for a little more low end. On the bass start with both pickup and tone controls full open. That should get you pretty close to what you are looking for.

 

[mark107]

It's just a P-bass, a little bit of saturation from the amp, and the player's solid technique. No magic recipe.

 

[thetragichero]

Could be that some of it is in the technique of the player. Also, if you play with a pick and want a bright, punchy attack the bass needs to be set up with the action high enough to withstand an aggressive style.

this is why my ibanez roadstar p is setup "wrong" by most conventional standards but oh so right for really digging in with a pick

 

[BAG]

For that sound you don't want a pick that is too thick. You'll want a bit of give in it so the recommendations for something around the .88mm would be in the ballpark. My usual 1.5mm picks would sound a lot more driving than that.

 

[mark roberts]

Excellent RW string tone with reverb and pick. Different players get different results with identical components due to how their personal style influences the sound. That seems to be pretty much the way things turn out with every different bass, etc.

Now, not because of anything other than being a Japan BRAT teen growing my musical garden in the mid-60’s to the early 70’s, that ELK amp to his left in the picture is a killer. My band mates in Japan used ELK amps...generally Fender knockoffs...I used Acetone Bass 6 and Bass 9 and an unbelievable backline Teisco rig at a Japanese club we played at.

I digress, play guitar? Get that ELK amp.