Chainsaw Growl

[odie]

Yes he uses a Darkglass B3k and has for a few years.

To the OP find a bass isolation recording and post it. Then we are not guessing and speculating at what you are trying to achieve.

But my "guess" is you need a fuzz/distortion with a blend of whatever brand suits you (I think a Sansamp or VT) mixed with low action or aggressive playing so you are getting some fret buzz.

 

[Rev J]

I'd go one of 2 routes with this.

Starting with soloing the bridge pick up and plucking near the bridge ala Jaco. From there I'd go with either:

Option A: Ashdown Labs James LoMenzo Hyper Drive Bass Distortion which only distorts the mid range leaving the Highs and Lows clean. Here is a demonstration video:



Option B: Run through a Fuzz to a Graphic EQ set to look like a Frown As (Mids Boosted) opposed to the standard Smile (Mids Cut).

This setting works well if you are playing with guitarists who favor that scooped mid sound because it puts your tone in a range where theirs isn't. Personally even though I use a bit of a scooped sound playing Jazz and Funk I think the scooped mid thing is kind of dumb. 90% of human hearing is in the mid range and over the past 20 years we've been kind of brainwashed into believing that cutting out that 90% sounds good.

Stay Brown,
Rev J

 

[eukatheude]

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.

Then maybe he uses them now, but i remember him having a great tone much before he started using them, so i don't think they're so essential to his sound.

 

[Tupac]

This or this? One is pick grind, the other is digging fingerstyle. Those are really the two types of "mean" sounds simplified.