IMHO, I like CMB's tone. It's more processed than Cheese Whiz, but he's being expressive. I can dig the class D pure thing, but a Fodera through a GT-10B is kinda cool. maybe just me.
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- Jan 7, 2008
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- Endorsing Artist: Olinto, La Bella, JuleAmps, Epifani
That clicky-ness doesn't bother you? It almost sounds like he's got the treble knob on his amp maxed out or something....the first recording I realized this was his track on the first Jaco Big Band Revisited album. He did "Forgotten Love". His playing was absolutely gorgeous, but his solo sounded so ugly with that clickity sound his fingers make I just couldn't handle it. I don't know, maybe it's just me
Now that was hilarious!
- Jan 7, 2008
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- 224
- 39
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Olinto, La Bella, JuleAmps, Epifani
That clicky-ness doesn't bother you? It almost sounds like he's got the treble knob on his amp maxed out or something....the first recording I realized this was his track on the first Jaco Big Band Revisited album. He did "Forgotten Love". His playing was absolutely gorgeous, but his solo sounded so ugly with that clickity sound his fingers make I just couldn't handle it. I don't know, maybe it's just me
i think you're misunderstanding me. i'm not trying to be confrontational about why someone wouldn't like it. like i said, i have my own opinions about it. i'm just trying to understand what other people aren't into.
for one thing, i've heard very little cmb ever, not my thing, so i have no dog in this fight. in terms of the live anthem deal, i wonder how much of that stuff is due to a live wireless feed into an arena board with someone who does sound for basketball games. think on that.
personally, i don't like onboard preamps in general and on fretless even less.
that being said, i'm sure cmb doesn't really care about my opinion.
- Jan 7, 2008
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- Endorsing Artist: Olinto, La Bella, JuleAmps, Epifani
Oh, no, no confrontation here....? Just simply trying to explain what it actually is about his sound that I don't like, since you asked. Or at least it read like you did. Either way, I know tone is super subjective, I just thought maybe somebody agreed with me that his tone is really clanky and thin. I would agree with you that it's possible the dude doing sound in the stadium had little experience doing a solo bass, but if that's the case, I thought he nailed it cause that's pretty much what Christian always sounds like to me!
+1 though, haven't run into many onboard pres I like. Though I have played a couple of really high end fretless' with onboard pres that blew me away. Rare for sure.
i don't think it's thin per se. i think there's too much high end on the pre for my taste.
it's his aesthetic choice. i'm sure what i think passes for a bass sound would not pass muster for a lot of people . . .
it's his aesthetic choice. i'm sure what i think passes for a bass sound would not pass muster for a lot of people . . .
Thank you guys! Yes, it seems to be a great bass. But I think the scale is too long for me. I remember playing a 35" few years ago and been uncomfortable, so 36" is out of my range. I will keep searching for 33"-34".
Cheers!!
Cheers!!
- Aug 21, 2008
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- Endorsing Artist : Fodera Guitars , Harvest fine leather bags & straps
I have a friend who has two 36" Imperials, one fretted, one fretless... it IS ok to play on a 36" - playing with one finger per fret gets a little harder but I mostly do play the "Upright" way with only three fingers because I'm lazy
- and after playing 36" going back to a 34" feels like a toy 
Some of my main basses in the past were 35" fours and I never had a problem with the scale until I started playing a lot of pinky heavy Beatles songs. Songs like twist and shout just wore my left hand out halfway through the song. It was the main reason I sold my Quantum 4, although I do miss it fiercely.
Michael
Michael
The only 36" scale basses I could even remotely consider playing were Dingwalls (hate the Novax frets) and a buddy's 36" Carl Thompson. I personally see no reason for a 36", but YMMV.
I played 35" 5 string basses for years until I bought my 34" Fodera 5er.
My only remaining 35" is my Quantum 4 and that will be in the classifieds as soon as I get around to it. Actually, the proceeds from the sale will go directly to pay down my new bass build.... 34" Monarch 5er.
Damian Coccio
Supporting Member
In his electric stuff it seems like he pans the pickups near center, which scoops out a lot of mids, and he plays over the neck pickup. The fret less tone I am used to hearing is more jacoesque, with a lot of bridge and rolled off highs, played over the bridge pu. You can get that tone on $500 bass or a $10k bass. But I did think Christian's tone was ok, and helped to give it a speaking quality in his solo, which was what I thought was cool about it.
Maybe he is lazy like me. This is how I tend to play/EQ my basses. I don't tend to fiddle much with my PU blend (want to, just don't) and generally play over the neck PU. I have a pretty consistent and unique sound generally though due to my heavy attack.
Hell, if some of these big stars don't even know (or care) what woods their basses are made of, what makes you think they are masters of EQing them properly? Noting wrong with that BTW... To each their own.
Maybe he is lazy like me. This is how I tend to play/EQ my basses. I don't tend to fiddle much with my PU blend (want to, just don't) and generally play over the neck PU. I have a pretty consistent and unique sound generally though due to my heavy attack.
Hell, if some of these big stars don't even know (or care) what woods their basses are made of, what makes you think they are masters of EQing them properly? Noting wrong with that BTW... To each their own.
This brings up an interesting point. How do you blend your Fodera pickups? And, do you change it during your gigs depending on the music? I tend to blend just a tad to the bridge pickup for most of the music I play. I also consistently play over the bridge pickup.
Here's how I usually blend (I don't have a Fodera but I designed my Warmoth to be as Fodera-ish as possible in terms of sound and feel).
Dead center - I always slap dead center and can do pretty much anything in this position, I feel being dead center is the most balanced and fits most situations regardless of style.
Panned more towards neck PU - Rock and straight ahead jazz, although both can be done dead center too. If I really need that old school P-bass sound or aiming for more of a Jamerson tone, I'm at the neck.
Panned more towards the bridge PU - Jazz fusion / chording stuff. Probably the most fun position because of how modern it sounds. When I'm practicing alone at home, I tend to pan more towards the bridge pick-up but with a band I'm only there if I'm playing really active / modern bass parts (mostly jazz fusion / modern finger funk).
Dead center - I always slap dead center and can do pretty much anything in this position, I feel being dead center is the most balanced and fits most situations regardless of style.
Panned more towards neck PU - Rock and straight ahead jazz, although both can be done dead center too. If I really need that old school P-bass sound or aiming for more of a Jamerson tone, I'm at the neck.
Panned more towards the bridge PU - Jazz fusion / chording stuff. Probably the most fun position because of how modern it sounds. When I'm practicing alone at home, I tend to pan more towards the bridge pick-up but with a band I'm only there if I'm playing really active / modern bass parts (mostly jazz fusion / modern finger funk).
I tend to keep my Fodera PU blend just barely off centre (favouring bridge PU). The only time I adjust that is when I slap or want a P sound (mostly neck) or solo/chording (generally 100% bridge).
I find myself rarely using the coil tap mode for single coil on my E5S and never use passive mode.
Interesting tidbit I read in a bass book (for Dummies or something like that).... if you centre the PU blend, hit an open note, then slowly blend towards the bridge PU, you will hear the tonal characteristics of the bass change noticeably. Kinda cool and works best on a Jazz bass (by slightly turning down the neck PU). Once I hear the change, I leave it. Sounds goofy, but try it.
yeah. i this is what i was wondering about. the live clip with the maple fb sounded more like this approach. the clip with the fodera sounded less like this to me.
i'm not a huge fan of the jaco-esque sound/approach, so i dug the anthem clip a little more.
it's tough trade-off with the fretless, imho.
With the YYD I'm on the neck pup (P) probably 85% of the time or more. For some tunes I'll roll to the bridge and add in some bass. Or I do that sometimes when taking a solo, then go back to the P afterwards. I don't use 50/50 blend very often at all. I prefer the sound of a P for slap.
With the dual coils I'm in a bit more variation. Probably 50% neck pup, 40% bridge pup, 10% 50/50 single coil mode. My plucking position changes depending on what I'm trying to do, but tends to be near the neck pup a fair amount of the time.
I have a 36" AJP six. It's not as tough to play as others might have you believe. It's a big bass for sure, but nothing else I've played/heard sounds like that bass -- it's just sublime.
With that said, it is by no means my main bass -- but that has nothing to do with scale length and everything to do with string count. I just don't need a six for the music I'm playing lately.
With that said, it is by no means my main bass -- but that has nothing to do with scale length and everything to do with string count. I just don't need a six for the music I'm playing lately.
That clicky-ness doesn't bother you? It almost sounds like he's got the treble knob on his amp maxed out or something....the first recording I realized this was his track on the first Jaco Big Band Revisited album. He did "Forgotten Love". His playing was absolutely gorgeous, but his solo sounded so ugly with that clickity sound his fingers make I just couldn't handle it. I don't know, maybe it's just me
i dig it. 70's pickup spacing and active is going to sound brighter. ill take that over another fusion weenie rolling their tone all the way off and sounding like every other guy with any other bass.
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