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Finding the right sound

I've always have problems finding the right sound for me, its killing me! What I really really want is a deep bass sound that truly marks my presence, but without muffling out my high notes. I've noticed I'll find a beautiful deep bass sound but when I start using the D string in the A area, I can't even hear myself until I go back to lower notes. My amp head has a 5 band EQ (Bass, low mid, middle, high mid, treble) and my bass has an on board pre amp (bass, mid, treble, and a pick up balancer.) The only way I thought I could fix this was by boosting the high mids or the treble, but when I'd do so, I'd lose that nice bass sound I had found. Any advice? Thanks.
 
Try setting your amp and bass flat, if you're boosting bass or cutting mids, it can make your low notes louder than your high notes. If you still have this problem with your amp and bass flat, then try cutting some bass and rolling down your tone knob. If you still have a problem, then you might have a setup issue with your bass.
 
Sorry guys, I use a 450 watt Behringer ultra bass amp head and a 1200 watt Behringer cab. My main bass is a 5-string Ibanez SR605 that I recently ordered online last week and it has round wound Elixir strings.
 
You can not EQ in every nuance to your ideal bass sound. Your bass is one that does not necessarily have a ton of low end, nor is your rig the best choice for that sound.

Try soloin the neck pickup and playing with a lighter touch. Keep the Gain or Drive on your amp as low as possible, distortion always saps your low end out.

If your bass can bypass the eq I would try that as well. The more electronics your sound goes through the more of it you lose.
 
CORBS said:
You can not EQ in every nuance to your ideal bass sound. Your bass is one that does not necessarily have a ton of low end, nor is your rig the best choice for that sound.

Try soloin the neck pickup and playing with a lighter touch. Keep the Gain or Drive on your amp as low as possible, distortion always saps your low end out.

If your bass can bypass the eq I would try that as well. The more electronics your sound goes through the more of it you lose.

Lol yea I know Behringer is not the best out there, but for my budget it seemed like the right choice and I've had no problem with its quality (I don't consider this thread as a negative towards my rig because I'm aware it is I who is failing on finding the right sound) I'll try out your tips thanks. I usually boost the neck pick up more than the bridge pick up anyways because I don't like the bridge pick up's sound lol
 
I have a BTB that also came with Elixirs. They sound "muted" to me. That may be part of the tone you are hearing from your setup.

I have a set of Fodera SS on there now and the highs are crisp and the lows still boom. The BTB has a "piano-like" quality to the tone which is different from the SR tone (from what I am told--never owned an SR).
 
I've always have problems finding the right sound for me, its killing me! What I really really want is a deep bass sound that truly marks my presence, but without muffling out my high notes. I've noticed I'll find a beautiful deep bass sound but when I start using the D string in the A area, I can't even hear myself until I go back to lower notes. My amp head has a 5 band EQ (Bass, low mid, middle, high mid, treble) and my bass has an on board pre amp (bass, mid, treble, and a pick up balancer.) The only way I thought I could fix this was by boosting the high mids or the treble, but when I'd do so, I'd lose that nice bass sound I had found. Any advice? Thanks.

I don't know much about Bass guitars, I normally play guitar. On a regular guitar, regardless make or model, I can adjust the pick-ups, bringing them closer or farther away from the strings. If I'm experiencing a problem like what you're suggesting, I would consider lowering the high side of the pickup, the bottom. Or raising the low side.. the side on top.
 
What's in your cab ?
I have gone thru alot of backline in the many decades i've been playin and in all different scenarios.
Tri-amped, multi f/x to simple ss head with a 2 x 15 cab.
You really do have to experiment and not keep yourself to one particular set up if your not liking it. Bass included.