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Eq

am i losing a lot of thing if i choose 2 band over 3 band eq?

  • yes

    Votes: 12 30.0%

  • no

    Votes: 28 70.0%
  • Total voters
    40
#22
Two band active cut and boost are usually pretty flexible IME. OTOH the three band cut and boost on my MM Sterling H is very nice and quite powerful. I can easily make do with either, but sometimes having less knobs to turn actually makes things faster and simpler in terms of getting the tone I want.
 
#24
I was a 3-band guy for years and still have one in the arsenal, but over time came to agree with Roger Sadowsky - that a good bass really only needs 2 bands. All of my high-end axes are 2-band. Case in point, I almost always leave them flat because the instrument doesn't really need the help.
 
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#25
FWIW: i went through a phase of wanting a 'tedious' EQ system so i could have every possible option. now i just use what i have (GK 210 combo + vvtt,pj's). i'm glad i'm not picking over the graphic EQ's and parametric EQ's anymore as i have plenty of options and still tend to set things flat and just control from the bass.

so i've gone from 'picky' to glad!
 
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#27
wishforbass said:
2band eq vs 3band eq.


If I choose 2 ,am I loose anything ?

How much mid uses over others ?
Because bass and treble is available for both ,here there is a mid that make the change and choose the winner ?
Is 2 band feel lacking or it's just can controls the lack by bass and treble.
Click to expand...

You are obviously going to miss some tonal options with 2-band EQ on the bass instead of 3-band, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker. I have a Fender Jazz with two volumes and one tone and it has exactly the sound I want. I usually run both volumes wide open (humbucking is the result of that) and the tone all the way up, which with the Fender Jazz allows all the frequencies from the pickups to come through. As you turn the tone down on the Fender set-up, it cuts part of the upper range of the pickups. So it doesn't have the most versatile EQ on the bass but it gets the sound I love, so that's fine with me. Plus I have an Eden amp with bass, treble and 3 semi-parametric controls in between them so I can get whatever I need from the amp.

Now I also have a 5 string with 2 pickups and it has a volume control, a bass and treble EQ, and a pickup mix control. It can be run active or passive and with the knobs centered it is running flat. So EQ can boost or cut with that bass. It has a lot more EQ options than my Jazz but I only play my 5-string when I need to be using that B string because it just doesn't sound as good as my Jazz Bass. So EQ options are only part of the equation.

You need to play the various basses you are considering through your own amp if you can and then play around with the EQ on the bass to see what you like best and what the bass can do. I wouldn't automatically count a bass out because it only has two EQ options while another has 3. It may very well be the one with 2 EQ options is the better sounding bass.
 
#28
JRA said:
FWIW: i went through a phase of wanting a 'tedious' EQ system so i could have every possible option. now i just use what i have (GK 210 combo + vvtt,pj's). i'm glad i'm not picking over the graphic EQ's and parametric EQ's anymore as i have plenty of options and still tend to set things flat and just control from the bass.

so i've gone from 'picky' to glad!
Click to expand...

I've found with my amp that I normally drop the bass EQ by 2-clicks, boost the 250Hz range on one of my semi-parametrics by 2 to 3 clicks, and run everything else flat, depending upon the sound of the room. I'm running a passive Fender Jazz and run all the controls on the bass wide open. About the only time I vary from that is if I really need more of a P-bass sound and then I turn the volume on the bridge pickup off.

I have found the semi-parametrics on my amp very useful for dialing in a room that has some inherent frequency boosts or cuts. I can find them with those semi-parametrics and boost or cut as needed. But once I've dialed in the room and added a slight low-mid boost, I really leave everything alone. I certainly don't try to mess with the semi-parametrics on a song-by-song basis.

I may turn off the bridge pickup as I mentioned above, but mostly I change the sound I'm getting by where and how I'm plucking the strings. Need a deeper sound, I play closer to the neck - need a brighter sound, play closer to or over the bridge pickup. Once I'm set, I rarely mess with the EQ on either bass or amp.
 
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#30
Your mids will be affected with the two band, but in a less controlled way.

If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.
Sorry, couldn't resist that...

I have a bass with an east 4-knob 3-band and am really glad for the mid adjust. About 80% of the time the bass and treble are flat and all I do is adjust the mid sweep and the boost/cut on the mid knob.

Hope that helps!
 

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