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Can you help me find this tone.

A

Andrew266

Jan 8, 2005
78
0
40
Lindenhurst NY
#1
Hello everyone,

Ive been playing bass for a lil while now and been looking for this tone its kind of growly/grindy. I think thats how you would describe it. I have the following gear.

Fender Marcus Miller Bass
Ampeg SVT-3Pro Head
Ampeg SVT-12HE Cab

I also have the following effects
Crybaby Wah
electro harmonix russian big muff
Boss Metal Zone (for a guitar I have)

Do I need some overdrive or just mess with my settings on my amp?


Ive seen both these bands play live and they use P and Jazz basses and get this tone with similar setups.

Here are some songs to get an idea.

http://www.last.fm/music/Brand+New/Daisy/Bought+A+Bride

http://www.last.fm/music/On+the+Mig...and+Where+You+Want+to+Be/And+the+Hat+Stays+On


I love my bass, plays like a dream and dont really want to swap it for something else.
 
#2
To my ears both of those tones should be fairly easy to get with a pick although the first was very much a P tone.

Getting those tones without a pick would be a real struggle regardless of the rig.

IMHO
 
#6
As for strings, I would switch to a stainless steel roundwound like DR highbeams (low tension) and you get some great growl out of the Marcus Miller. The other suggestion would be to get your action nice and low. The higher your strings are off the fretboard, the more difficult it is that aggressive tone. For me, I also raise my pickups as high as I can get them without the strings hitting them when I play. This give a good hot output signal.
 
#8
IMO, you don't need any kind of octaver. The ocatve boost is not what will give you that punch. If anything, I would get the SansAmp DI pedal and that will give you the ability to dial in some grit AND give you the punch you want. The Marcus combined with the SansAmp and the Ampeg will give you that exact tone. When dialed in correctly of course. :D

*edit* oh yeah, and some new strings.
 
#9
Don't forget that recorded tone and live tone are two very different things, there's a good deal of chance you'll never be 100% there.

As for effects, there aren't any on those tracks you posted so, save your money and just play with your setup until you get a good tone.

Practice and technique will get you a long way.
 
#10
Hey Andrew,

I myself have been searching for similar growly tone. I have the same russian big muff and although I love that thing, you lose low end, it can get muddy and is hard to control the dynamics. I'm thinking about doing the reutz mod for it, or testing out the bass big muff...

I don't have near the set-up you have, but I put a sansamp bass di after the muff to keep my sound cutting thru the mix live. It sounds really good that way, still hard to get punch, but I think it maybe my head and cab..

For recording, I recorded two tracks, one clean and one distorted and then mixed it according to my taste. It turned out really good that way...

Def. roundwound plus pick, playing at the bridge too, lot's of down strokes..

Good luck man, you seem like your one pedal away from getting that sound..proco rats with the keeley mod are supposedly good for low end too.
 

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