I had an unexpected gig a few weeks ago opening up a festival. I've never gotten compliments, or even comments, on my bass tone before. But I brought my Cort ABG to this gig - tone is killer! And funky as hell! Honest is sounds to me even reminiscent of Entwistle. Particularly by going against convention and not boosting the lows much, which muds up the whole tone. The response is quick like an acoustic guitar and with the lows in balance you can play all kinds of hoppity riffs. This is with phosphour bronze and a typical preamp. Kudos to the soundman!
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DOES THE AUDIENCE REALLY CARE ABOUT OUR TONE?
- Thread starter Bassamatic
- Start date
The golden rule of thumb for bass players (in my mind, anyways) is that you'll never be noticed unless you sound bad. So if good tone keeps you from sounding bad, and the audience walks away thinking the whole show sounded great without having a clue why... then so be it.
You can't be making every decision on the basis of what the audience can or cannot reasonably be expected to discern or appreciate. That's like just looking for an excuse to lower the bar, and it's a slippery slope that leads to nothing but slackness, laziness, apathy...and ultimately, ineffectiveness.
Turn the question around: What standard do we need to maintain in order to consistently produce the very best sound and the very best performance of which we're capable, given our finite resources - whether we think our audiences can appreciate it or not? Then look for ways to bolster that standard, not undermine it. Do it as a matter of professional pride. I guarantee that having this dynamic, proactive attitude will have a positive impact on virtually everything you do - whether you think your audience can sense it or not ...
You're the musicians. You're the ones who are qualified to determine an appropriate level and quality of professionalism for your own performance. Don't look to the audience for that guidance - they're depending on you...
MM
Turn the question around: What standard do we need to maintain in order to consistently produce the very best sound and the very best performance of which we're capable, given our finite resources - whether we think our audiences can appreciate it or not? Then look for ways to bolster that standard, not undermine it. Do it as a matter of professional pride. I guarantee that having this dynamic, proactive attitude will have a positive impact on virtually everything you do - whether you think your audience can sense it or not ...
You're the musicians. You're the ones who are qualified to determine an appropriate level and quality of professionalism for your own performance. Don't look to the audience for that guidance - they're depending on you...
MM
- May 30, 2000
- 4,707
- 257
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- Creator of: iGigBook Sheet Music Manager
I think there's a big difference between your performance i.e. what you play, notes, rhythm and how you articulate that as oppossed to the so called "perfect tone". The audience cares more about what you are transmitting musically to them, not if your sound is "plush" or "gooey" or whatever. 
A competent bassist can go in a store and pick any electric bass and any electric bass rig and still sound killer with everything set to the default i.e. everything at neutral if there is such a thing. A smoking bassist will still kill with a Squier bass and a Peavey 100 watt amp.
A competent bassist can go in a store and pick any electric bass and any electric bass rig and still sound killer with everything set to the default i.e. everything at neutral if there is such a thing. A smoking bassist will still kill with a Squier bass and a Peavey 100 watt amp.
I agree that the audience may notice bad tone, but many of us still have gear that we don't NEED to get a tone that's good enough. That's fine, I'm just saying that if you are trying to justify ridiculous expenses using this reason it doesn't really wash.
Nothing wrong with wanting great gear for yourself. If it make you play better, so be it.
Nothing wrong with wanting great gear for yourself. If it make you play better, so be it.
I've never heard a definition of "tone", but I've read so much agonizing about it that I'm thoroughly sick of it.
I think to most people it means "the way I sound", which is pretty meaningless. But you either like it or not, and you are the ONLY one who cares about it. So make yourself happy, but PLEASE don't spend months and years going through 100 stomp boxes, 20 heads and 40 cabs trying to find some elusive tone that nobody can hear but you. Good enough is good enough.
The audience just wants to hear the music, and you need to be loud enough and audible enough to carry your part. Period. The audience doesn't care about tone, nor whether you're playing an upright, an electric, or a washtub bass. Just make audible sounds that complement the music and they're happy.
I think to most people it means "the way I sound", which is pretty meaningless. But you either like it or not, and you are the ONLY one who cares about it. So make yourself happy, but PLEASE don't spend months and years going through 100 stomp boxes, 20 heads and 40 cabs trying to find some elusive tone that nobody can hear but you. Good enough is good enough.
The audience just wants to hear the music, and you need to be loud enough and audible enough to carry your part. Period. The audience doesn't care about tone, nor whether you're playing an upright, an electric, or a washtub bass. Just make audible sounds that complement the music and they're happy.
I once had an audience member come up to me after a gig and tell me "Dude, your tone is so awesome, how would you like to sleep with my wife"
Come on, most people don't even care or know whether there's bass player up there!
Come on, most people don't even care or know whether there's bass player up there!
the audience doesnt care about your tone as much as you do.
if your in a band that is supposed to get people dancing and your bass has no bass, people wont like you. if you overpower the rest of the band, they wont like you. if you muddy things all up, they might not notice, but then they might, and for that, they wont like you.
if your in a band that is supposed to get people dancing and your bass has no bass, people wont like you. if you overpower the rest of the band, they wont like you. if you muddy things all up, they might not notice, but then they might, and for that, they wont like you.
I think there's a big difference between your performance i.e. what you play, notes, rhythm and how you articulate that as oppossed to the so called "perfect tone". The audience cares more about what you are transmitting musically to them, not if your sound is "plush" or "gooey" or whatever.
A competent bassist can go in a store and pick any electric bass and any electric bass rig and still sound killer with everything set to the default i.e. everything at neutral if there is such a thing. A smoking bassist will still kill with a Squier bass and a Peavey 100 watt amp.
Why is tone not seen by some as something that is "transmitted musically"? It's every bit as essential as pitch, rhythm, timing, etc., otherwise we could just have kazoos, harmonicas, banjos, and bagpipes for the guitar and keyboard parts, and maybe trombone for the bass part, or tuba even or heck, why not just someone blowing on a big ol' jug, and hey, how about some nice plastic rain barrels for the drums with tin pans for the cymbals? That's *real* rock 'n' roll for ya.
Ah, screw it - cats in a bag from now on.
True but if we are arguing over definitions we at last have the words to use. I never heard a non bass player use the word growl to describe a bass tone. I'm just saying non musicians don't even know how to begin describing tone.
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