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It just depends on which specific bass I'm using and what specific tone I'm looking for. There is no absolute answer to this question for me; it's all about the needs of the song.
alternative question: "how long is a piece of string?"
my suggestion: play around with every knob within reach until you find something you like. go with that until you know better.
good luck finding something you like! 
Yep. Even when soloing the bridge pickup, I'll tweak the EQ knobs until it sounds the way I want it. It will be different depending on what's in my head at that moment.my suggestion: play around with every knob within reach until you find something you like. go with that until you know better.
EDIT: In fact, I was learning the intro to the Dixie Dregs' "The Great Spectacular" last night, and it was tough copping Andy's tone. I got close, though.
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my suggestion: play around with every knob within reach until you find something you like. go with that until you know better.
Well, I KNOW what my approach is. I have an EQ pedal that I engage when using the bridge PU to fatten it up a bit.
I'm wanting to hear what your approach is!
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,054
- 45,952
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
I only use the bridge pickup solo'ed for slide bass. For that I want lots of cutting ability, so I leave the EQ as-is for my fingerpicked settings, which mostly favor the neck pickup a little to a lot.
i start in 'neutral' and add/subtract 'color' until it sounds right in my listening environment. i do exactly what i advised you to do.
edit: but i'm sure that on some level you care about the whole thing/issue more than i currently do. once i figured out what the knobs were for = i was golden!
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In about 90% cases, I add more low end. But this is because I built my fretless to have an insanely articulate yet thin bridge pickup. If I had moved it closer to the neck, I wouldn't have to add so much bass back in.
These are sage-like words that apply to every musician that uses anEQ. No matter if I’m playing fretless, fretted, or DB; I always start with everything flat and make small adjustments until I arrive at my desired tone.
My band once played a few gigs in a row with a lazy sound guy. He would begin his sound check with all EQ devices set from where they were set from the last venue. Of course, he had awful sound. We stopped patronizing his services very quickly.
My fretless has a circuit I designed specifically for it. It runs the bridge pickup full range, and allows you to dial in just the very low end of the neck pickup so it doesn't sound thin.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,054
- 45,952
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Cool idea. I'm looking at doing something kind of the opposite for my slide bass thing.
I will usually add some mid in the 800 Hz range - increases the mwah factor. However, as many noted above, it's on a case by case basis and depends on what the song calls for.
I use the tone control as needed. On a two pickup instrument with the bridge pickup wide open, if the tone is too bright and has a serious lack of bottom, I'll dial in enough of the neck pickup to fill out the sound. Both pickups on full create a hollow out of phase sound on my basses (wired in series), so I try to avoid that tone, as I find it unpleasant. To answer the original question, depending on the gig and whether the bridge favoring fretless is the main instrument (default setting). If It's only used for a couple of songs, no.
A lot of variables here, but here goes: I do mostly fingerstyle on my fretless active (EMG-X) P/J bass; I keep the tone control on the bass set pretty consistently at the midpoint of its travel. I have the bridge J pickup almost wide-open, and dial in just enough neck P pickup to hear the fullness that I want. Once that's done, I'm happy with the P sound I get when I'm playing closer to the neck, and the brighter J sound when I play on top of the bridge pickup. That's about it for what I am sending to FOH. I do an independent EQ for my stage sound (dealing with boominess when I set up in a corner, for example, or adjusting for a live floor/walls) and that's pretty much set-and-forget.
I do tweak the bass's tone knob a little bit when I run through effects pedals. Typically I'm adding in a bit of low end when using a flanger and envelope filter, and dialing in a bit of high end when I run the octaver. That's about it. Good luck!
I do tweak the bass's tone knob a little bit when I run through effects pedals. Typically I'm adding in a bit of low end when using a flanger and envelope filter, and dialing in a bit of high end when I run the octaver. That's about it. Good luck!
On any multi-pickup bass I tend to treat the bridge pickup almost as a form of EQ or texture enhancement rather than a straight pup. I’ll roll in as much of the bridge as I want for a little more edge or definition.
I’m sure I soloed the bridge at one time or another for something. But I can’t for the life of me recall when, why, or for what.
My current main fretless just has a single mag pickup. Which isn't a problem because I realized, back when I had a fretless JB, that I really didn’t have much call for that bridge pickup with the music I play.
I’m sure I soloed the bridge at one time or another for something. But I can’t for the life of me recall when, why, or for what.
My current main fretless just has a single mag pickup. Which isn't a problem because I realized, back when I had a fretless JB, that I really didn’t have much call for that bridge pickup with the music I play.
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