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Fender Jaguar Bass players

C

Changles

Aug 29, 2008
59
0
Harrogate, UK
www.myspace.com
#1
Hi, just got a fender jaguar bass and i love the neck, the body, the active eq etc but my problem with the bass is it's just not cutting through the mix like my last bass did (epiphone thunderbird)

I've altered pickup heights, changed strings and it's better but still not perfect

Just wondered what other tricks you jag bass players have tried or was there any issue at all for you or what?

Grateful for any advice you can give me cheers
 
#5
EQ it. You don't need a new bass, you can make any bass cut through with a bit of creative EQing. Next time you're playing with your band, start boosting stuff slowly. Start with mids, low mids, high mids, etc. Nothing extreme though. If you need to turn anything up past, say, 3:00, something's wrong.
 
#7
lug said:
I put it in series mode, active on, bass roller up about 1/3, treble roller off, tone knob all the way up. Cut great for me.
Click to expand...

Thats pretty good. I did that when It was not frettless. But now, I can put
it in passive mode, no series, move of the bridge pickup . and get a close upright sound. And be heard in a mix. But i also have an ampeg stack.
I love the jag tone. I get get a good growl out of it. But really it's all subjective. It may not be the tone for you.
I reeally want to put some joe barden p/ups in it.
 
#9
id be shocked to find anyone not being able to be heard/felt in a band situation with a jag, yeah i changed my pickups but that was due to single coil hum.

series mode (all switches up) will get you in most live situation mix's add in a touch of active eq and your shaking the foundations, as fool mentioned maybe the jag tone isnt the one you are after hence not sounding right.

if you use an effects unit try a little tube style dirt rather than compression but try and keep the lows even through the dirt

also remember not all bass outputs are the same, one bass may be alot louder than another and in my experience the jag is real quiet so input gain may need boosting
 
#10
I find the jag tone very scooped mids - especially on the active eq (probably b/c the eq has only bass and treble, and if you turn those up a little, you're effectively scooping the mids).

In order to cut through the mix, I usually slightly boost the mids on my active basses. This creates a problem with the jag. That said, with a little amp tweaking, and careful active eq'ing, I boost a little bass and treble on the bass, and then boost some mids on the amp to get some of that back - and the bass frequency on the jag is so deep, it shakes the room. Might not be the most transparent tone for melodic runs, but it will rumble deep! :D

That said - I usually leave it at home and play one of my active Jazz's instead - more for comfort though. My Jag has a little neck dive that I can't get used to. I put on a leather suede strap, and suddenly half the back of my shirt is over my shoulder! hahaha
 
#13
I just purchased a 3-tone sunburst and am completely in love with it. The neck dive takes a while to get used to. But I just had my first gig with it on thursday; fiddling around with the switches to find the best tone for the mix, I have to say, series, with both pickups on, about 90% treble and 20% bass on the active EQ rollers, and some console EQing. Cut right through.

Don't know if I'd switch out the neck to correct the neck dive... I can live with it.
 
#15
Howdy, thanks for all your advice, I turned the pre amp gain up on my amp and messed about with the EQ and now the bass is growling like it should. Did my first gig with it on the 22nd and although I couldn't hear if it was punching through properly because we had no monitors, my friends in the audience said the levels were perfect. Success!

Just need to get a Badass bridge on it now and I'll be sorted!
Possibly also a really nice pre-amp.. all in good time though

P.s. Yes! Believe it or not, I managed to get a reasonable sound out of my epi thnderbird, maybe I'd had it so long I knew just the right eq setting for it etc..
But I'm getting to know the Jag, I just needed to get to grips with it more really, it is a lovely bass and our relationship is now flourishing like a million petalled flower.

Ta.
 
#16
I've had a Jag (or at least, the Jag wiring and pickups) as my main bass for a couple years and the more I play it the better it is. Fender Japan was really onto something there. Active/Passive, a 2 band EQ (as well as master tone control), series/Parallel, on/off for both pickups - it could be the most flexible Fender ever.
 

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