Dull Finger Tone?

[DJJazzV]

I have gone through so much gear, many years of playing, and I'm finally realizing that my natural finger tone is somewhat dull. If anyone else plays any of my gear, they sound "better". They hear it as well. I'm very "bassy" in tone. Anyone else have that happen? If so, how was it fixed? The proper gear that matches the tone in your fingers better? I've got a Ric, a Jazz, and a P right now. I sound somewhat dull using all 3 through 3 different amps, direct recording and mixing, and whatever else I try.
Is there a certain bass that sounds best for certain people? Are there basses that sound great for most, but sound bad for some? I can't call it technique, so I'll call it finger tone.

 

[Tupac]

It's not like your fingers are freaks of nature, it's just your plucking technique. Sounds like you're plucking too softly with a fatty part of your fingers.

 

[KsPiNeSh]

Moving closer to the bridge should help.

 

[smeet]

There are (some of the) variables to mess with in picking.
1) where your finger hits the string. Near the neck is darker than near the bridge. But hitting hard near the neck gives you a clank that can help cut through.
2) How hard you pick. Harder is usually brighter and more punchy, but you will have less dynamic range for accents.
3) Which part of your finger you pick with. The very tip will be brighter than the pad or the side of the finger.
4) The picking angle (into the bass vs parallel to the surface of the bass). Subtle but effective.
5) Pulling the string vs. hitting the string. Pulling is a nice fat sound, hitting gives you a clank that cuts through guitars.

Play one note repeatedly and slowly. Change one of these variables at a time and listen to the result. Eventually you will start to be able to change your tone at will without having to think about it.

 

[DJJazzV]

Thank you all for your time and information. It turns out, my middle finger is much duller then the pointer finger. Huge difference when isolated. I even played both with the visual aid of the spectrum analyzer. Playing an open "A", the middle finder has absolutely no frequencies from the 1k to 2k range. It is the dullest one. I am hitting with the fatty part of the fingertip, but even moving to just the tip was barely noticeable. The pointer finger is certainly a little brighter, and just makes the slightest sound in the 1k to 2k range. Certainly better then the middle finger.

I had another bass player try today. He proved my point. He played my bass, directly into the M-Box, no EQ, cleanest signal possible, played an open "A", and he easily lit up the 1k to 2k range. He handed me the bass, and I had nothing in that range. That rules out all gear after the basses completely. He played almost exactly the same way, but sounded great. I sounded dull.

I boosted the EQ a few db at 1k, 1.2k, 1.6k and 2k. That may make up for a little of what my fingers are lacking in that tone area, but I don't want to have to artificially add what's not really there. My next step is to try Steel strings. Maybe they will have the upper-mid frequencies I'm missing with the Nickel plated strings.
I have to experiment some more. Hopefully the Steel strings will help, but I may end up trying to change the way I play the strings. Thanks again.

 

[Depth_Charge]

A set of D'Addario Chrome XL's ought to brighten up your tone some

 

[smeet]

I think you need to fix your technique. Pull the string and let it "pop" off the very tip of your finger. Don't let your finger be too loose, I find a strong but not tense finger makes a more defined attack with more overtones.

 

[okcrum]

Calluses will give you some pop. My fingerstyle would be dull and lifeless without them.

 

[Buxtehude]

Also DR hi-beams

 

[chaosMK]

I'd practice speed exercises. That should slim your "fat" finger down.

 

[Russell L]

Grow your nails out just a tad and it will change your tone forever. Believe me. I've always played with a little nail, being a guitar player also.

Even so, I was having a hard time with my tone being a bit dark all the time through my old Trace Elliot, then I bought my Markbass rig. Wow, I can hear myself in the mix now.

 

[PaulWarning]

use a pick

 

[GreggBummer]

I even played both with the visual aid of the spectrum analyzer. .

Good idea.

I have a similar issue I have been dealing with for the past twenty or so years. I love to play fingerstyle, but feel that it doesn't always "cut" the way I would like sometimes. I utilize a pick on occasion, but that tone isn't "organic" enough for me. (As an aside two of my favorite player are pickers... Allen Woody and Carol Kaye. They sound plenty organic.)

I think that your analysis is the first big step. You should try some more "creative" EQ'ing. One thing I have found is, the EQ settings you have when playing by yourself at home may not be appropriate for your band. I usually make significant tweaks to my EQ when playing with the band. My "at home" setting don't have enough edge to them and I sound a bit dull. I make some changes and when I get home, I find that my bass sounds harsh and too midrangy. This is a function of the acoustics of the room as well.

Good luck.

 

[PaulWarning]

Good idea.

I have a similar issue I have been dealing with for the past twenty or so years. I love to play fingerstyle, but feel that it doesn't always "cut" the way I would like sometimes. I utilize a pick on occasion, but that tone isn't "organic" enough for me. (As an aside two of my favorite player are pickers... Allen Woody and Carol Kaye. They sound plenty organic.)

I think that your analysis is the first big step. You should try some more "creative" EQ'ing. One thing I have found is, the EQ settings you have when playing by yourself at home may not be appropriate for your band. I usually make significant tweaks to my EQ when playing with the band. My "at home" setting don't have enough edge to them and I sound a bit dull. I make some changes and when I get home, I find that my bass sounds harsh and too midrangy. This is a function of the acoustics of the room as well.

Good luck.

Yep, there's a world of difference between playing at home on your own than in a band situation, so much so I don't bother about my tone at home when I'm practising, it's pointless

 

[maxiegrant]

I use a '73 Rickenbacker 4001, and a Squier VMJ. Fingerstyle. I was many years ago briefly trained on classical guitar, and one thing he taught me was how to cut your nails for plucking. Assuming you are plucking with your right hand (I do even though I'm a lefty) holding your RH in front of you nails facing you you would cut the left side of the nail (the side that attacks the string) down to where the "white" stuff ends. You should leave about 1/2 to 1 mm of "white" nail on the right side, and make a nice curve between them. Use sandpaper.

If you've got it just so, you can with some practice get used to putting more nail in the sound or less, depending on what you want to hear. This can bring out those bright attacks and make your bass a little more cutting.

Also +1 on the playing closer to the bridge, and using different strings. Some close bridge plucking will sound totally different.

I do spend time refining my sound at home. I usually keep my Trace Elliot rig at the drummer's house and I leave my concert rig (currently a Behringer 450 with a 4x10 cab) at my house, where I can mess with the sound to my heart's desire. It makes a big difference to turn up your amp to something like performance levels. The first few gradations on my volume knob sound flat, weak, and uninspiring, and then suddenly the bass gets all hard, and agressive, and especially on the Rickenbacker there's this "carmelization" of the tone that just sounds all tasty and sweet.

Your mileage may vary. Also, I have a callus on my middle finger that reaches halfway down to the first knuckle. I try to keep those calluses nice and firm, even if I do nothing but sit and pluck da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da with the bass unplugged in front of my TV.

 

[Tenma4]

Dull/dark tone is something I've had a love/hate relationship with. My fingers are quite meaty, though the middle finger quite a bit more than the index, and therefore I have a dark sound no matter what I do. There seems to be a nice top end on there, but it's quite high pitched...not in the 1-2k range. I also have very little output there. I will boost it some for certain bands/gigs, depending on the rig I'm using.

I've done 2 things that have helped me greatly. 1: I started using a pick because I was so frustrated. My dark tone issue is coupled with the fact that my right hand is a bit restricted in mobility compared to my left (I'm a righty). It has been all my life. The pick allowed me to chill out and stop beating up myself. I've become quite proficient with it, and now love it for certain things.

2nd, and probably most important, I've grown to love my tone. I use it to my advantage. I know I will always have a huge deep bass sound that stands out just as long as the PA system or my rig can reproduce it. I try to always make sure I know the PA can handle my somewhat extreme low frequency output (even sans EQ). If not, then I take along my homebrew bass cab I designed for good low end extension. It's not the loudest, but it's usually the lowest, so again, I can get really below the band. I've made my natural fingerstyle sound work for me. Usually it works great.

If whoever has hired me doesn't get my tone, they either didn't know who they hired, or they simply have a different expectation. It's then I break out the pick, but usually I can rely upon my strange fingerstyle technique.

Keep it low!

 

[ShredderMaximus]

+1 for everyone saying adjust your technique, much more effective and much cheaper (as a matter of fact, its free!)