Cranking The Bass Knob

[beans-on-toast]

Agreed about the non linearity of hearing but have not wanted that much low end with an SVT and a decent cabinet.
OK, one time I wanted to make mud, but that's the only time.
My ancient Marantz in my shop is always at low volume WITH the loudness engaged!

Same here.

I run my Marantz at low volume into a 215 split top and bottom for each channel. I like a wall of sound. The Loudness really brings it to life.

 

[Blaze Barlow]

Prediction.

Next month.

Amp Forum: Lots of threads on blown speakers.
Basses Forum: Lots of threads on how my bass sounds great with the bass set to zero.
Band Management: Lots on I'm fighting with everyone in my band.
Live Sound: Lots on Sound man/woman's trying to tell me what to do.

,

I could go on and on...

I think we need to shake things up around here anyhow .

Can anyone post vids of the sound of their bass with their amp cranked to 10? I'm still a bit dumbfounded, especially now with all the people chiming in to agree. Not trying to be flip or snarky or argumentative either. I just honestly can't imagine this being a good thing. @Blaze Barlow , I can see the possibility of this working if going through a preamp, but don't really get the point (though I never tried it). Also, I hope you're playing stadiums and have roadies, otherwise I don't envy you .

Joe..I think the point mainly was to maximize the potential of the equipment and put all the action at the fingertips at the instrument (strings and knobs)..really..the sound chain begins at the musicians fingertips ..then the instrument..and so forth down the line..I was always surprised how much more there was to be heard with things turned up..and..it allowed for a quicker..easier flow of the fingers across the strings..different things work for different people and everyone will swear by their own technique..it never hurts to experiment..thats where innovation to new sounds originate..Hendrix was always reaching for something else..something different..he didnt like to play a song the same way twice..he was a master of deception..the first time bloomfield heard him play in england..he said.."damn..makes me want to put my instrument down..and dont know whether I would ever pick it up again"..gotta keep the fun going..it makes life interesting.....and yes Joe..roadies are always on hand..and we only play large venues..

 

[klejst]

I am actually a bit of a fan of having more bass then treble and have been known to crank the bass knob up and the treble either only a quarter, half or completely off. No one has said anything to be yet however I suppose if there is/was a need for treble I'd be ok with it too, just believe it's a bass so give it the bass!

 

[beans-on-toast]

What’s the best bass knob setting for metal?

Whatever the setting, use a big metal knob with a spikey grip.

 

[micguy]

90 percent of my gigs are in ears - I don't use an amp. As a result, someone else has control of my bass knob. While I don't crank my bass knob, I do like it when someone else cranks that knob.

My dream gig would include me hitting a note, and literally vibrating myself off stage. Maybe I should line the area around the stage with thick foam, just in case.

 

[Tommygun_ted]

In my old band I played with the bass and treble flat, mids cranked. Now the bass and mids are at 3:00 and the treble is still flat. Depends on the mix. Low end warmth is needed in my new group where more bite and aggression was needed in my old one. The amo I use is an ampeg V4B reissue, which has a frequency toggle on it. It's great for quickly adjusting to the room.

 

[Mr.Ace]

Go big or go home.

 

[StatesideRambler]

JimmyM's to do list:
1. Stir pot.

Check. (Nyuk-nyuk-nyuk-nyuk)

 

[Booty Shaman]

Me too - especially playing Reggae.
Especially though my Acoustic 270.

 

[klokker]

In my experience as a weekend warrior and at a church gig I have, cranking the bass knob pretty much ruins everything. It's never worked for me. I have plenty of low end without it.

I can imagine going to rehearsal. I could crank the bass knob all the way on my bass. Then crank the bass knob on the provided Mesa Big Block 750 all the way into a Powerhouse 1000 cab. Then I could crank the bass on my VT Deluxe all the way.

That would be just great. Well maybe it would be. It wouldn't matter, for example, what notes I played it would be so wonderful.

 

[Xandrell]

Just replace your 810 with a Heritage 410 HLF and be done with it.

 

[2F/2F]

My default bass setting on my B100R is 10. Low mids about 7.5, high mids 5, and treble 5. That's home base, and I adjust per room. I often take bass down one or two notches, and move high mids up. Treble rarely gets moved. I also generally find myself lowering the bass a bit when I really crank the amp.

 

[waveman]

Honestly, I used to be a bass knob cranker, usually held around 3:00, then add more mids, treble as needed. then I heard a recording and had a sound man tell me my sound was muddy.

Now, I start at 12:00 and dial it back when playing indoors. Outdoors, I crank it up more

 

[LoTone]

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.

Is it fair to think that you are doing it, in part, because you are using tube amps and, that by cranking the lows, you get some nice musical overdrive?

Or, would you crank the lows regardless even if you were using a solid-state amp?

 

[son_of_mogh]

I read in an interview in Guitar for The Practicing Musician ( waay back in the 80's ) that Jaco did this - bass at 10... nuff said,right

 

[electracoyote]

If you can pump that low freq and still get good definition and fit in the overall mix, pump it baby!

IME, it is dictated by the environment and dimensions.

 

[MonetBass]

Another bass bumper here. Not all the way, but always some bass boost, sometimes on the amp and the on-board EQ.

 

[bassestkkm]

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.

I like the way you explain it. Listen to the room but fill it with lows so you can warm the room to the bass. Sometimes you want a warm and full sound and that takes bass.

 

[RustyAxe]

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

I play a LOT of classic country, jazz, blues, and Americana of all sorts. I nearly dime the bass, leave the mids somewhat neutral, and attenuate the highs a bit. I'm all about that fundamental THUMP. That said, one of my basses and my GB STL-6.0 have bass boost circuits, but I never use them. There is such a thing as too much bottom end (at least in the genres I'm currently involved in).

 

[swarfrat]

Cranking the bass on your stereo is often an attempt at changing the mix with the only blunt rock you have.

I like the bass guitar full without being tubby, and sitting up in the mix. Low-Mid bump sure. I also like maybe 6db of shelving cut on the bass instead of a 24db/oct HPF set somewhere on up there. Especially compressed (a bit - more than just taming peaks), I think the bass EQ can be cut a little bit, and the level of the bass (guitar) can be pushed a bit further as a result.