flatwounds to sound more acoustic

[flatwoundjohn]

so i have flats on my p-bass witch i got setup in June and i really have not played it all due to me phasing out of bass.But i'm back and my strings feel and sound new.I'm going for a good folk/acoustic bass warm tone and I've Tried Foam Mutes And I Due A Lot Of Palm muting.But is there anything else i can do to make them more deep and less bright.I use A GK bass Amp/cab and was wondering If There were some setting i can try or hand techniques?

 

[fearceol]

What flats are you using ?

 

[Nashrakh]

For one, the strings, if new, will mellow with time. Technique-wise, try playing closer to the neck (I favor in front of the pickup/ashtray on my P) or pluck with your thumb, that will make it sound soft and pillowy, if that's your thing.

 

[flatwoundjohn]

What flats are you using ?

YEP

 

[flatwoundjohn]

For one, the strings, if new, will mellow with time. Technique-wise, try playing closer to the neck (I favor in front of the pickup/ashtray on my P) or pluck with your thumb, that will make it sound soft and pillowy, if that's your thing.

I'll Try That Out.It's Mostly The D And G String That Sounds Very Metallic And Sharp.The E and A Sound Warm.I Also Have Felt Picks If That Would Help Some.

 

[fearceol]

YEP

"YEP" flats ? Never heard of them !!!

 

[flatwoundjohn]

"YEP" flats ? Never heard of them !!!

LOL It's The Old Breed Of Bass LOL

 

[fearceol]

LOL It's The Old Breed Of Bass LOL

Do you know the brand ?. Some flats are brighter sounding than others.

 

[flatwoundjohn]

Rotosound 77

 

[Lobster11]

I Also Have Felt Picks If That Would Help Some.

If you're going for an "acoustic" tone, I think the most obvious recommendation is to abandon the pick and play with your fingers. I'm guessing that nobody has suggested that yet because they just assumed you were already doing this. Sure, felt picks will work better than other picks, but IMO are still no substitute for fingers.

 

[flatwoundjohn]

If you're going for an "acoustic" tone, I think the most obvious recommendation is to abandon the pick and play with your fingers. I'm guessing that nobody has suggested that yet because they just assumed you were already doing this. Sure, felt picks will work better than other picks, but IMO are still no substitute for fingers.

I do both depends on the song

 

[Bander]

I do both depends on the song

Another thing to get more of an upright sound, is raise your action. The high action on an upright forces a certain attack, and a certain left hand technique that produces that sound - it will help a lot on a BG.

 

[Stevorebob]

Here’s what I do: Use old, gunkified flat wounds. Use a foam mute. Play with fingers. Pluck just over the neck. Fret on the frets, not behind. Ease back on the tone. Use a Beringer Slo Motion Set to swell ever so slightly. Add a little reverb.

I’m sure there are not enough caps in there for you, but you get the idea.

 

[flatwoundjohn]

Another thing to get more of an upright sound, is raise your action. The high action on an upright forces a certain attack, and a certain left hand technique that produces that sound - it will help a lot on a BG.

Here’s what I do: Use old, gunkified flat wounds. Use a foam mute. Play with fingers. Pluck just over the neck. Fret on the frets, not behind. Ease back on the tone. Use a Beringer Slo Motion Set to swell ever so slightly. Add a little reverb.

I’m sure there are not enough caps in there for you, but you get the idea.

i'm totally gonna try that steve

 

[Aqualung60]

You could try these.

 

[flatwoundjohn]

Question Will Nylon Tapewound Help More Then Regular Steel Flats

 

[Dana R Gregory]

Try using the muting technique that Rocco Prestia uses to mute with the left hand. I use it all the time in church and it can be very effective in producing a nice thumpy bass tone. I can literally eliminate all sustain if necessary. There is a tutorial on YouTube by Rocco on how he mutes with the left hand that can help. Even just using part of his technique can be effective. Good luck.

 

[getrhythm]

When I had a GK MB212, I found it was the amp itself that had the bright, growly, metallic tone.

 

[BigBear77]

You can try tapewounds.
Can also try lowering your pickup height.

 

[nerkoids]

I'll Try That Out.It's Mostly The D And G String That Sounds Very Metallic And Sharp.The E and A Sound Warm.I Also Have Felt Picks If That Would Help Some.

You can conversely use half of the length of your index finger to pluck or hook the string in a sweeping fashion, whilst using foam at the bridge. Also, play over the end of your neck versus in front of the pup. On your amp, dial down a little the upper mids and the treble if you can, and keep the tone up on your bass. The trick is to let the notes bloom out and you'll get that nice upright thump.