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G&L Club Part 7

#14,261
RE: fret buzz; I do a lot of session work, and while I strive to play cleanly, I also learned a long time ago that the fret buzz you hear when soloing a bass track can actually work a bit like glue in the mix. It's an odd phenomenon, and definitely not true across the board. Depends on the musical style, etc. Sometimes just a little EQ is all you need to make it not dominate, but still work in the mix.

Years ago I was talking to a childhood bass hero who later went on to engineer and produce some big name records. He was the first to tell me that the "dirt" in a track could actually give the same bass part some life and character. The more rock and funk sessions I did, the more I found that to be true. It was as much attitude as anything. Playing all clean and proper can at times detract from the attitude you might want in a track.

I don't regret for one second learning how to play as cleanly as possible, but I also don't worry about it any more when I hear a little buzz because I know that it's going to most likely benefit the mix. That's my approach, FWIW. Certainly not for everyone.
 
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#14,262
lowfreqgeek said:
RE: fret buzz; I do a lot of session work, and while I strive to play cleanly, I also learned a long time ago that the fret buzz you hear when soloing a bass track can actually work a bit like glue in the mix. It's an odd phenomenon, and definitely not true across the board. Depends on the musical style, etc. Sometimes just a little EQ is all you need to make it not dominate, but still work in the mix.

Years ago I was talking to a childhood bass hero who later went on to engineer and produce some big name records. He was the first to tell me that the "dirt" in a track could actually give the same bass part some life and character. The more rock and funk sessions I did, the more I found that to be true. It was as much attitude as anything. Playing all clean and proper can at times detract from the attitude you might want in a track.

I don't regret for one second learning how to play as cleanly as possible, but I also don't worry about it any more when I hear a little buzz because I know that it's going to most likely benefit the mix. That's my approach, FWIW. Certainly not for everyone.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your point of view and experience.

I can understand that sometimes it is desirable and wanted.

Personally, I'd go nuts with all that clanging. But to each is own!

John
 
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#14,263
I remember the first time I heard my recorded bass track soloed at my first "session" 25 or so years ago. I was aghast! It was so out of time! It sounded so thin! So much noise!

Well, most of it was true; I was a snot nosed punk thinking I had all the answers.

These days, I just play and like @lowfreqgeek said, the noise and grit adds to the character and makes a bass sound so much more interesting to me.

However, if I'm as good as Steve (I'm not) and I'm trying to demo a product for people to hear, you bet I want the cleanest, truest sound I can get.
 
#14,264
lildrgn said:
I remember the first time I heard my recorded bass track soloed at my first "session" 25 or so years ago. I was aghast! It was so out of time! It sounded so thin! So much noise!

Well, most of it was true; I was a snot nosed punk thinking I had all the answers.

These days, I just play and like @lowfreqgeek said, the noise and grit adds to the character and makes a bass sound so much more interesting to me.

However, if I'm as good as Steve (I'm not) and I'm trying to demo a product for people to hear, you bet I want the cleanest, truest sound I can get.
Click to expand...
Some of the issue is the live mic equed for speaking picking up the noise of the dry instrument itself in the room.
Likely if the mic was entirely out of the final audio stream, or the bass was solo direct as the audio stream, the buzz and clank would be greatly diminished, if not entirely absent.
Even the miced cabinet being right at the elbow, and the low decibels the cabinet produces, it's likely again that this is room sound sensed by the Mic.
 
#14,269
I dont have a video clip to directly answer your question but I play both Music Man StingRay 5 and G&L L1505 basses.

I can tell you without hesitation that the L series can punch harder and has more inherited natural "grind" than the stingray. The G&L can be a versatile bass, I can go from organic woody tones --> old school thump --> aggressive & in your face punch - all without effects pedals or even touching the tone knobs on the amp.

The tone controls are "different" than other basses, it takes a little time to find out how you like it. The MFD pickups are naturally very hot, so even in passive mode, I often will use the -10 dB pad on the gain section of my amp (or just turn down your gain on the amp if you only run one bass). I dont dime out the volume knob on my G&L and the bass and treble knobs are more of a cut function; whereas most active basses you have boost/cut.

I like both basses, they are different and there is room for both in my stable.
 
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#14,271
I was ok until I saw the yellow. Damn you G&L!

(Just wish it had an ebony board)

upload_2019-11-5_22-47-30.png
 
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#14,275
jefff100 said:
I dont have a video clip to directly answer your question but I play both Music Man StingRay 5 and G&L L1505 basses.

I can tell you without hesitation that the L series can punch harder and has more inherited natural "grind" than the stingray. The G&L can be a versatile bass, I can go from organic woody tones --> old school thump --> aggressive & in your face punch - all without effects pedals or even touching the tone knobs on the amp.

The tone controls are "different" than other basses, it takes a little time to find out how you like it. The MFD pickups are naturally very hot, so even in passive mode, I often will use the -10 dB pad on the gain section of my amp (or just turn down your gain on the amp if you only run one bass). I dont dime out the volume knob on my G&L and the bass and treble knobs are more of a cut function; whereas most active basses you have boost/cut.

I like both basses, they are different and there is room for both in my stable.
Click to expand...

I've seen then for years and have never tried one. And well I may end up trading a higher end bass for one to just get my hands on a G&L2000
 
#14,277
jefff100 said:
I dont have a video clip to directly answer your question but I play both Music Man StingRay 5 and G&L L1505 basses.

I can tell you without hesitation that the L series can punch harder and has more inherited natural "grind" than the stingray. The G&L can be a versatile bass, I can go from organic woody tones --> old school thump --> aggressive & in your face punch - all without effects pedals or even touching the tone knobs on the amp.

The tone controls are "different" than other basses, it takes a little time to find out how you like it. The MFD pickups are naturally very hot, so even in passive mode, I often will use the -10 dB pad on the gain section of my amp (or just turn down your gain on the amp if you only run one bass). I dont dime out the volume knob on my G&L and the bass and treble knobs are more of a cut function; whereas most active basses you have boost/cut.

I like both basses, they are different and there is room for both in my stable.
Click to expand...
Years ago I went through a Musiciman Pierod (I had a bunch and did some modding as well), I cannot comment on the L1505 in particular BUT the MFDs have noticeably more grind and aggressive then Stingray pickups.

The only other pickup that had this kind of output is the Lull T Bird But it's softer sounding and more lower mid vintage-like then the MFD.
 
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