• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Chainsaw Growl

U

Unspoken511

Guest
Jan 22, 2012
52
1
#1
Hey, I'm posting today trying to see if anyone can give me some advice towards a tone I'm looking for. I'm trying to get the growly, aggressive, chainsaw tone. Really in your face, kick you a** sound. I have an Ibanez GIO 5 string, passive, and an Ampeg B-108 with low, mid and high eq knobs. I also have a dan electro overdrive, and a line 6 crunchtone, if that helps at all. Thanks for the advice1
 
#4
Darkglass B3k.... is how Alex Webster and many others do it.

I don't see you getting the tone your after with that setup, I haven't used those specific pedals but Dan electro and Line 6 pedals always left a lot to be desired in my experience with the couple I've used.
 
#5
Webster's been doing it since before the B3K if Im correct. While it definitely helps, all you need to do is lower your action, add some weight to your right hand technique, and boost the treble on your amp. Some OD on top of that and you've got it.
 
#6
Oh yeah, it can be done without the B3k certainly, I believe he used the Boss ODB-3 before hand but I could be wrong there, they listed his gear in BP mag a few months back, I re-hashed it somewhere on tb for a guy.

I just don't see the dan or the line 6 offering enough dirt to actually get you a grinding chainsaw tone.
 
#7
Unspoken511 said:
Hey, I'm posting today trying to see if anyone can give me some advice towards a tone I'm looking for. I'm trying to get the growly, aggressive, chainsaw tone. Really in your face, kick you a** sound. I have an Ibanez GIO 5 string, passive, and an Ampeg B-108 with low, mid and high eq knobs. I also have a dan electro overdrive, and a line 6 crunchtone, if that helps at all. Thanks for the advice1
Click to expand...

FUZZ Pedal
 
#8
Epitaph04 said:
...all you need to do is lower your action, add some weight to your right hand technique...
Click to expand...
+1, a lot of the chainsaw grind and growl is actually fret buzz resulting from heavy/aggressive playing technique. Sometimes fret buzz is a good thing! And yes, adding some dirt on top helps. Another pedal to consider is the GK Diesel Dawg--it's discontinued, but can be found used for much cheaper than the Darkglass, and gives a very similar aggro grind.
gavinspoon said:
FUZZ Pedal
Click to expand...
There's such a wide variety of fuzz pedal tones out there, that just saying "fuzz" is kinda meaningless. Plus IMO a lot of fuzzes are too mushy or creamy to really give that chainsaw sound.
 
#9
bongomania said:
There's such a wide variety of fuzz pedal tones out there, that just saying "fuzz" is kinda meaningless. Plus IMO a lot of fuzzes are too mushy or creamy to really give that chainsaw sound.
Click to expand...

Yes, there are a lot. Far too many for me to give any specific recommendations with nothing other than "chainsaw" to go on.

I was hoping to prompt him into typing "fuzz pedal" into google, but I probably should have been more specific about that.

Edit to add: OP, can you give an example of the sound you're after. Like the bass on a particular track that is close to the sound you want?
 
#16
eukatheude said:
That depends on the bass and on what kind of growl he's trying to achieve, sometimes i get better results on the neck pup
Click to expand...

I was trying to steer the OP towards Jaco's sound as he'd referenced Jaco when I asked him to namecheck someone with the tone he was going for.

I use the neck pickup 100% of the time, it's my preferred sound. If the OP wanted to sound like me it would be 100% neck pickup into a bad monkey.
 
#17
eukatheude said:
Didn't he say he doesn't use any effects? Anyhow, lower your action, crank up the tone knob, dig heavily with your right hand and boost 100-300hz and 3000-5000hz (YMMV).
Click to expand...

No, I can assure with %100 certainty Alex Webster currently uses the Darkglass B3k, before that it was Boss ODB-3 I believe, but I am not %100 on that one. He most definitely has always relied on a pedal to get that tone.
 
#18
DiabolusInMusic said:
No, I can assure with %100 certainty Alex Webster currently uses the Darkglass B3k, before that it was Boss ODB-3 I believe, but I am not %100 on that one. He most definitely has always relied on a pedal to get that tone.
Click to expand...

I remember watching a video interview where he clearly said he doesn't use any effects, since in his opinion they sound better when playing with a pick. The only effect he used, i believe, was a line 6 pod when recording the Blotted Science album. I've got a spector and his sound isn't that hard to achieve on a good amp.

EDIT: 11.17
 
#19
He says "I don't use any effects or anything like that... except once in a while I use a Sansamp to dirty up the signal a little." However he then goes on to talk about the high output of his Spector, which of course overdrives the SVT, so he's using distortion all the time--from his amp, not a pedal. Though that video was recorded in 2003.

Worth noting though that the OP here specifies Jaco, not Alex Webster, as his tone reference.
 
#20
Well maybe you should go pickup May 2012 of bass player magazine. They go over his rig rundown for the last two records and tour.

He uses the Darkglass B3k currently and used the Boss ODB-3 previously.

He uses effects...

As far as Jaco's "chainsaw" sound... well I am miffed. Of all the terms I have heard for his tone, chainsaw was never one of them. If you want Jaco's tone it is all in the bridge pickup as well as plucking close to the bridge.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back