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do you have some different sample settings to submit to us ? ( like for fingerstyle for example, and the pick up configuration associated) since Georges F. Doesn't give any sample settings, I find interesting to exchange our settings.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,950
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- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
Not really, as I find that different settings work best with different basses. I have not really found any one given set of settings that I would recommend. I will say this, though. I normally try to avoid using EQ if I don't have. IME/IMHO, it's easier to screw things up with EQ than it is to fix them. Now, there are certain times when you just need to use EQ to fix a problem, but whenever possible, I normally try to adjust pickup volumes, right hand placement, etc. before resorting to EQ.
The F Bass preamp is the exception to this rule, though. It really sounds natural, and more often than not, I find myself preferring a little bit of boost from all three bands of the EQ (which, again, I would not do at all with most preamps).
Tom.
+1
these definitely arent basses that sound best with just a click or so of bass boost like a sad. you gotta start crankin' stuff. imo
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,950
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
+1 to that. Technically, I was talking about using the Big F Boost pedal with other basses, but yes, with regard to F Basses in particular, with the exception of my BN4 (which I prefer to run with the EQ set "flat"), I do find that I get my best tones with a healthy dose of EQ. The same goes for my Nordstrand SC5, which has the onboard F Bass pre, FWIW.
Yeah, I'm finding that already. I'm just so used to the A-C just KILLING passive or with the preamp 'flat', and then just using a touch of bass boost to fatten for some things. I've never touched the treble boost on either my Sadowsky or A-C's since I've owned them. This bass is NOT meant to be played passive nor 'flat'... very thin sounding to me in that mode.
However, when I crank the bass and mid of the pre a bit, it barks very nicely when digging in at the bridge (much more than my BN did), and also does the J grind when you 'overplay/dig in' up toward the neck and fret it out ala Marcus. Still can't come to terms with the slap tone yet, but I'll work on it! Interesting instrument.
EDIT: I erased my initial comment posts, since I was treating that preamp more like what I'm used to with my other basses... a flavoring thing meant to enhance the passive tone of the bass. I am seeing this is quite a bit different, and is really meant to be played 'active and boosted'. I have a new set of Lo Riders on it now, and will spend some time with the dialing in over the next could of days. It does 'bark' when the pre is goosed a bit, as Tom and Narud suggest. Cool.
Do you find this true on both the ash/maple as well as the alder/rw one? I ask because at least on my alder/rw one, it might lack a bit of overall gain compared to a lot of my other basses, but if I crank the amp a tad, it sounds fine. The reason I haven't looked at raising the gain of the preamp is because I like the fact that active (at least non-boosted) mode is closer to passive mode in overall output.
Interestingly tho, I do agree that, unlike a lot of my other stuff, I really like the tone of this bass with an overall eq boost, where on a lot of my other stuff, that would tend to be a bit much. I think the main diff here, is I actually do like the sound of mine "flat".
Then again, maybe I just suck that much as a bass player... could be...
haha...its all good. you dont have to delete ****. im not gonna go back on all my posts in the a/c club saying the lms dont sound like a late 70s jazz.
we all have different opinions and i had a feeling this wasnt going to be a bass you'd be into.back to the f though. its different. im boosting the hell out of this pre to get the tone i want. i dont do that on other basses because it gets out of hand, but not with this one. the pickups in the coppolo are wound hotter than these which is one of the reasons i think youre not digging the flat sound. i like that though. ive put a coppolo pre in a fender with pickups that werent wound hot and it sounded super thin and modern. i think you really like his pickups because if you put an ac pre in this bass it would have the same issue.
haha...its all good. you dont have to delete ****. im not gonna go back on all my posts in the a/c club saying the lms dont sound like a late 70s jazz.
back to the f though. its different. im boosting the hell out of this pre to get the tone i want. i dont do that on other basses because it gets out of hand, but not with this one. the pickups in the coppolo are wound hotter than these which is one of the reasons i think youre not digging the flat sound. i like that though. ive put a coppolo pre in a fender with pickups that werent wound hot and it sounded super thin and modern. i think you really like his pickups because if you put an ac pre in this bass it would have the same issue.
+1 I'm going to sign off and play it. There is a LOT of sound in that preamp.. again, very different than the vibe of a 'good passive bass that happens to have a pre'.
I'll be back in a few days with an update. I'm also going to raise the neck pickup, which I think is the issue I'm having with the slap tone... lot's of bridge pickup 'bark', even with both pickups dimed. That's an easy thing to rectify.
Cool. Lot's of flavors of '70 type' J tone.. I agree.
Do you find this true on both the ash/maple as well as the alder/rw one? I ask because at least on my alder/rw one, it might lack a bit of overall gain compared to a lot of my other basses, but if I crank the amp a tad, it sounds fine. The reason I haven't looked at raising the gain of the preamp is because I like the fact that active (at least non-boosted) mode is closer to passive mode in overall output.
Interestingly tho, I do agree that, unlike a lot of my other stuff, I really like the tone of this bass with an overall eq boost, where on a lot of my other stuff, that would tend to be a bit much. I think the main diff here, is I actually do like the sound of mine "flat".
Then again, maybe I just suck that much as a bass player... could be...
im boosting everything everywhere baby
man, i think the ac's sound better with some serious boost too. jimmy said he designed that pre so you could dime it and sound good. makes sense, because as you boost bass, it seriously cuts treble.im boosting everything everywhere baby
OK, I'm fessing up... YOU sir, are a J bass genius. I raised the neck pickup significantly (what a difference... strange that they sounded relatively balanced solo'd, but when dimed, the bridge totally took over), and got over my 'keep the pre relatively flat' phobia.
Raised neck pickup (I raised it a LOT), about halfway on the bass boost and about a 1/4 on the mids, and it is thumpin' and grinding.
Whew... I was kind of freaked out a bit at the tone right out of the bag, but raising that neck pickup really balanced it out and smoothed out the slap tone beautifully.
Thanks a lot!
K
Ok, WHO was it that told you to talk to Joe first? HHHMMMMM?????
So what do you guys now have your neck pickup set to height-wise? Just gimme a distance to the bottom of the string when the string is fretted at the last fret.
Ok, WHO was it that told you to talk to Joe first? HHHMMMMM?????
So what do you guys now have your neck pickup set to height-wise? Just gimme a distance to the bottom of the string when the string is fretted at the last fret.
ill try to report something when i get home tonight. i never measure anything and just mess with stuff till the sound clicks with me, but ill see what my ruler can do
Ok, WHO was it that told you to talk to Joe first? HHHMMMMM?????
So what do you guys now have your neck pickup set to height-wise? Just gimme a distance to the bottom of the string when the string is fretted at the last fret.
+1 I have no idea of the exact height, but the bridge and neck are pretty close to the same distance from the strings now, and I didn't touch George's 'default' bridge pickup height. The pole pieces in my neck pickup are sunk in quite a bit below the plastic cover, so that means the neck pickup is still a touch lower than the bridge pickup, even though the plastic cases are close to the same distance, if that makes sense.
Interestingly, the neck pickups on my A-C's are quite a bit lower than the bridge, but I don't get that nasal honk thing that I was getting on the F right out of the box. I guess it all has to do with winding, etc.
I'm now a happy VF owner.
It does, but it's a minor problem. The covers on these pickups aren't attached, and, the shell is longer than the pickup, so what this means is, the foam is pushing on the cover, but not the pickup inside. For best results, you should pack a bit more foam under that pickup inside the shell on the bottom to get those pole pieces up to where they should be. It's not a huge issue, and you could certainly live with it if you can get the pickups where you want despite it, but that would drive me nuts.
It does, but it's a minor problem. The covers on these pickups aren't attached, and, the shell is longer than the pickup, so what this means is, the foam is pushing on the cover, but not the pickup inside. For best results, you should pack a bit more foam under that pickup inside the shell on the bottom to get those pole pieces up to where they should be. It's not a huge issue, and you could certainly live with it if you can get the pickups where you want despite it, but that would drive me nuts.
I thought it looked kind of weird. Man, I don't usually have to deal with all this stuff in a high end bass
I thought it looked kind of weird. Man, I don't usually have to deal with all this stuff in a high end bass
are all the poles below the cover? the poles are radiused (unnecessary imo considering the board flattens out to 14") on my two basses which puts the b and g string poles slightly under the cover.
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