I'm clueless. I just saw that pic on Google Images and grabbed it.
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enhance my clean tone
- Thread starter sonic boom
- Start date
The only amp I've ever used in a studio is an old Fender Bassman head. 99% of the time when I'm in the studio I run direct.
empress compressor and a vintage deluxe with the drive turned all the way down.
awesome. i love it.
awesome. i love it.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
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If you don't want to bring your own amp you might want to learn about the voicing of the amps you are plugging into most of the time. In some cases "flat" is not even close to being at noon on the EQ controls (usually the mids are scooped). You may be using a lot of EQ and not realizing or wanting it.
Check into getting a Diamond Bcp-1 bass compressor. They're cheaper than I've ever seen them in the classifieds. Not a super tweakable since the compression setting is fixed at. 3 to 1 but it does wonders to your clean tone. It is definitely my favorite sound enhancing compressor.
in this case, i meant the op's practice space. i should have been more clear!
Enhancing clean tone, to me, means a preamp. I would start there. You could also think about an exciter or other toneshaper like a DOD FX10 or something along those lines. A boost could also do this. I use the FIfth Gear by Southampton and man, that thing adds some serious umpff to my signal. Not only does it boost, it adds body, warmth, girth, a little dirt, just more low end presence. Its awesome.
EQ may do it too. I know I had the Source Audio Programmable EQ for a while and that pedal can do some enhancing itself. There are many ways to go about doing what you want, but IMO, a nice preamp would be where I would start. A newer Ampeg DI, a Sansamp like the VT or BDDI, the Rusty Box maybe. There are so many. For me, I use the Darkglass B7K, rusty box, FX10 and a Submarine
EQ may do it too. I know I had the Source Audio Programmable EQ for a while and that pedal can do some enhancing itself. There are many ways to go about doing what you want, but IMO, a nice preamp would be where I would start. A newer Ampeg DI, a Sansamp like the VT or BDDI, the Rusty Box maybe. There are so many. For me, I use the Darkglass B7K, rusty box, FX10 and a Submarine
i think if you get a decent amp, (which is the only major variable here), you may find that you don't need anything else. i know that is a major faux paux for someone who is in the effects forum and a major effects junkie, but i think that might be the best step here.
there are a lot of options now that are both inexpensive and portable.
there are a lot of options now that are both inexpensive and portable.
I would not recommend adding pedals into the mix to enhance your sound unless you are using a specific, dedicated amp to shape your tone. If you cannot achieve a desired sound by switching between a bunch of random amplifiers, I can't imagine that throwing another clump of knobs into the mix is going to improve the situation.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
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- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
In my mind the things impacting clean tone the most are roughly in the order shown below. This is why I have commented about the rig you are playing through:
- Amp voicing and EQ settings
- Cab voicing and driver size
- String type
- String quality (assuming sucky strings are not used)
- Pickup type
- Pickup quality (assuming sucky pickups are not used)
- Neck wood
- Body wood
Hmm...I have always thought of my 'dirty" sound as a variation of my clean sound. Like, I try to make sure that I am adding "dirt" to a killer clean sound. This is for when I play guitar. I do not ever use a dirty/overdriven/fuzzed sound for bass.
I figure if my clean sound is solid, I have a good foundation to build the dirty sound on. I don't think of the 2 as "separate". You might want to rethink the whole "build" of your sound if you have the time and energy. It totally helped me figure out a lot of things for my guitar sound, and made the set up and signal/effects chain more simple and "streamlined".
I figure if my clean sound is solid, I have a good foundation to build the dirty sound on. I don't think of the 2 as "separate". You might want to rethink the whole "build" of your sound if you have the time and energy. It totally helped me figure out a lot of things for my guitar sound, and made the set up and signal/effects chain more simple and "streamlined".
Lets go down the line....
A really awesome preamp can bring fuzz pedals to life, I found that with the Darkglass B7K more than any other(though I'm waiting on the VMTD)...a high quality compressor will help too here, this might be the answer since you don't seem to know what amp you'll play through next...
Anything I ran into the B7K sounded better in fact, can't say the same about other preamp pedals made for bass!! Of course like most others said the preamp in your head should be able to get you there too, I prefer a GK 800RB for clean headroom and volume(I believe it shares a few EQ points with the B7K, probably why I love it), though there are great tube amps as well like Jimmy said that have great headroom *and* warmth, my 2 faves are the Fender PS300 and the Ampeg SVTII non-pro!
If your still not digging your tone it might be your bass!! It could be strings or the pickups? I think any bass can have a useable sound if it has 2 pickups (Pbass purists cringe... yeah, I went there
), I find any jazz bass or p/j configuration to sound much cleaner as you get better treble/high midrange than a single P will get! Though not all pickups are equal IME...So OP, you have to troubleshoot to find where your problem lies, though in your situation of not knowing which amp you'll run through I think having a good bass and a quality preamp/DI combined with a quality compressor would make you happy!!
Good luck
Also, maybe try cutting some low midrange around 250hz(not completely out, just enough)... I find that range gets muddy real quick!
Also, if you do get a preamp pedal that you *combine* with a amp you'll have to do a balancing act with the tone of both to prevent mud, I tend to run my amp more flat in this case and get more tone out of the preamp pedal..
Also, if you do get a preamp pedal that you *combine* with a amp you'll have to do a balancing act with the tone of both to prevent mud, I tend to run my amp more flat in this case and get more tone out of the preamp pedal..
Gold Lion KT88s maybe? Looks more like a treble clef than a G though. Either way, @JimmyM is on the right track. Tubes make everything better!
EDIT: Derp. Zoomed in - Electro Harmonix KT88EH.
- Jun 6, 2012
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I also think that if @sonic boom is saying that he wants to "enhance" his sound, I would assume that he has tried with the amp itself and its not quite what hes after. That is why I suggested what I did. Enhancing, to me, is building off of an existing base.
Also, if he did get a preamp and or a pedal or two setup to help with enhancement, he could plug the same one or two pedals into most amps and get the same type of flavored enhancement. Its like @hintz said, preamps like the B7K will impart their flavor all over everything that is plugged into it and anything you plug it into. I use one so I know no matter what amp I plug my board into, most times, I shouldnt have too much of an issue dialing in "MY" tone.
Also, if he did get a preamp and or a pedal or two setup to help with enhancement, he could plug the same one or two pedals into most amps and get the same type of flavored enhancement. Its like @hintz said, preamps like the B7K will impart their flavor all over everything that is plugged into it and anything you plug it into. I use one so I know no matter what amp I plug my board into, most times, I shouldnt have too much of an issue dialing in "MY" tone.
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