Cranking The Bass Knob

[juancaminos]

I used to turn the bass to about 7 or 8 (3 O'Clock) but now I'm at around 5 with the active controls on the bass turned to where I think it sounds good. Have no idea clocking just where it sounds good. But as I've posted before my sound has changed from ultra bass to bright round wound with a bass feel.

 

[SactoBass]

HAD as in past tense? Why? Your only defenses are fire, flood or theft

LOL!!! Yeah.....somewhere along the way I lost touch with my Marantz stereo. It was a good friend!

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

I accidentally had the bass knob cranked once and it made my friend’s wife vomit.

 

[pudgychef]

I’m sure that HPF you’ve got helps contain the boom though!

HPF + typically small stage amp set-up + PA is pretty different then 1000W into two 410s/ no PA in terms of impact of cranking the bass has on stage and room sound, imho.

 

[2tonic]

I have spares and can afford to burn anything I own.

Yeah.......we all saw how you flame hardened your Elf on a Shelf!!!!!

 

[scuzzy]

I NEVER boost bass on my amp.....that's just crazy...

I do boost it on my active basses, sansamp, and amp simulator pedals though, as well as my booster pedal when I play passive basses.......but NOT one the amp. That's just crazy.

 

[Ric5]

I am going to admit something that may get me raked over the coals...I love cranking the bass knob! Didn't always...took me a long time to warm up to the idea. But now I'll turn the bass up all the way if I need to. Gotta be judicious about it sometimes...don't want to overcrank the lows in a dark sounding room with a lot of natural reverb or anything dumb like that. And mids are still important if you want some note definition as well. But over the past years, I've gotten less shy about warming up the room real good, and I think it's working out great, and I don't get why so many people on here tell bass players not to do it. The lows are what people mostly hear out of your bass in a mix. Might as well let them have it.

There. I said it. I do something considered wrong by conventional TB wisdom, and I do so unapologetically. Take that.

Does your bass knob boost 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 ,or 100hz ... or something else?

And where does bass stop and low mids start?

 

[BadExample]

Yeah.......we all saw how you flame hardened your Elf on a Shelf!!!!!

Hey, why are you bringing my sex life into this? Besides, a PM, Private Message is a PRIVATE MESSAGE! I ani't tellin' you nothin' anymore..

 

[GBassNorth]

I accidentally had the bass knob cranked once and it made my friend’s wife vomit.

My playing makes a lot of people vomit.

 

[JimmyM]

Does your bass knob boost 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 ,or 100hz ... or something else?

And where does bass stop and low mids start?

First question is usually 40 hz but I don't know how large the sweep is. All I know is I like it. Second question is a good one, though. Wish I had an answer. Maybe 100?

 

[GBassNorth]

Seriously @JimmyM you need to start a thread with "post a pic of your favorite Ampeg settings". I'd love to see where others set their knobs and what kind of cab and axe they're playing.

I find that if I'm playing my Thunderbird VP (very aggressive pups with a huge low mid focus) I can roll that amp bass knob way up and it just takes your breath away. If I do that with my Jazz 5 it gets too boomy and I have to back off. I suspect the difference is in the nature of the bass, with P basses and humbuckers driving a deep thick low mid with less natural scoop than a Jazz bass.

 

[XrisThaBassman]

LOL! I had a Marantz stereo in the early 70's that had the "loudness" button. And you are correct......at low volumes, that loudness button made the stereo sound much better!

My amp has a "loudness" button, it's marked "Power"...

 

[StatesideRambler]

That is true. Like I said...you have to be smart about it.

You've reminded me of something Moms Mabley often said. "Do what you want to do. But know what you're doing."

 

[Wisebass]

I accidentally had the bass knob cranked once and it made my friend’s wife vomit.

Hi Manti

"Cranking" on your SVT can be fatal!

Just max the master volume and use the gain.
Somewhere between 9 and 11 o' clock (depending on the size of the room)
the floor will be clean!

greetings

Wise

 

[RobTheRiot]

I’m glad you brought this up.... when I think of it, in all my years of playing I’ve always found sounds I’m happy with, but have always been very “conservative” (a little chicken, maybe?!) with my settings... never have any of my eq’s turned up past 2, maybe 3 O’clock on the amp.
I love my GK’s, and only recently thanks to info on this thread have I started pushing the boost and gains up beyond 11 o’clock and set the volume lower (generally) to control...., well, to control the volume.

I know the amps are designed to function within the parameters they give you to work within, but for some reason I have this illogical fear of pushing anything too hard. I’ve been doing this long enough, so I know I’ll recognize if something is sounding outside it’s comfort zone, and not push it, but why not try hitting the more extreme reaches of the dials?

Why have I limited my possible sounds by using such a narrow swath of the available possibilities... hmm.

I’m going to turn everything up to 11 and rock the $&@$ out!! Screw this...Haha!!!

 

[ktedrow]

Alright. I have a gig this saturday at a dive bar. Gonna crank that bass knob and see what happens.

Aguilar TH500 into a Berg CN212.

Thanks for enabling me Jimmy!

 

[njones89]

Doesn't that suck all the power out of your amp, though?

 

[Wisebass]

I'll turn the bass up all the way if I need to

Hi JimmyM

I do that, if I need it too

St. Patrick' s day, I played with two acoustic guitars in a small bar.
Flat EQ or mid boost is a "No, nay, never"
I don 't want to be the only one to be heared!

Basses up and volume down
that 's what I do for
"Dirty old town"

using your EQ shows your IQ


may the (deep) bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[Downunderwonder]

Alright. I have a gig this saturday at a dive bar. Gonna crank that bass knob and see what happens.

Aguilar TH500 into a Berg CN212.

Thanks for enabling me Jimmy!

Don't come back crying.

 

[Roxbororob]

LOL! I had a Marantz stereo in the early 70's that had the "loudness" button. And you are correct......at low volumes, that loudness button made the stereo sound much better!

I still have and use mine!