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Getting my Geddy to sit well in a mix

chump stain

chump stain

Oct 15, 2001
1,447
7
Ferndale, Michigan USA
www.tinscribble.com
#1
I just picked up my Geddy Lee Jazz Bass about a month ago, and so far I love this bass. What I'm running into is, that I seem to get lost in the mix some how. I'm usually playing active basses, so this is my first passive bass that I'm using regularly. So, I don't think it's a volume issue though, I still have plenty of volume to use. I'm either too loud, or getting over powered in the mix. I spent a lot of time at rehersal last night tweaking the EQ on my amp.

So far what has worked pretty good is; the upside down smiley face on my amp, and the bass and mid cranked on my Sansamp RBI running through the effects loop, with a blend of the RBI and the amp's EQ. But I'm still not too happy with the tone. It doesn't feel like there is enough bottom. I didn't feel this way with my Dean, which had an active EQ.

I love the sound of the Geddy by itself, I just can't seem to get a good mix in a band. Can I have bottom, and still hear my high notes? Has anybody else had this trouble, and what did you do to fix it? I'm running through a SWR Workingmans 4004, with a Sansamp RBI though the effects loop, powering an Avatar b410.

Thanks
 
#3
Hi,

You might try taking the RBI out of the equation at first. I know they sound great, but don't they add a bit of mid-scoop to the tone?

Other possibilities -- turn off the Aural Enhancer on your SWR (if it's on), and try favoring the bridge pickup on the Geddy (as opposed to both pickups or the neck pickup). It just seems that you might be "over-eq'ing" with all that signal processing. My Geddy cuts through nicely with both the stock pickups, and the Bart's I have in it now.
 
#4
My experience with passive jazz basses, and the Geddy Lee in particular, is that they cut through with a lot of high mids and treble but are lacking in the lows/low mids. You might be trying to hard to correct a problem that is unfixable with your current situation. I've given up on trying to get a great low end output out of my Gl.
 
#5
Hmmm, I've never had any problems with my Geddy not cutting through - sometimes it cuts too well LOL. What kinda strings are you using? I found when I had flatwounds, it didn't cut but added more bottom end to the band, but I recently strung her with Roto 66 stainless strings (love em or hate em) and I have a really bright tone now.
 
#8
I'd say if you're not cutting thru with a bass that's known for being midrangey and trebly, it's because those are the sonic spectrums where other instruments reside. Geddy can get away with it as it's just him and 1 guitar, or keys if he's on them. IMO, you need to "own" the lower frequencies, where you have more sonic space.

Think of it like this.... would you be more noticed as a yellow carnation in a field of yellow dandelions, or if you were a red rose? Yep, there has to be some sonic contrast. Most, if not all, of the notion of "turn up your mids to be heard" is nonsense if we're talking about a band mix, especially when vocals and guitars are involved.

My .02....

MLM
 
#9
This isn't the bass. It is not.

it is your amp and how you EQ it. Most folks will agree that, by itself, basses sound best with the mid all scooped out... but they do not sit well in the mix like that.

Bump your mids and you'll be good to go.
 
#12
FWIW, A good jazz bass should sit *very* well in a mix with little to no tweaking. That's one of the reasons why the J and P are so popular.

Assuming your strings aren't really dead... I'd examine the rest of your signal chain.

Take the RBI out of the chain and set your amp completely flat. No enhancer/EQ/compression/etc...
How does it sound?

If it still sounds bad, take your Geddy to a music store and audition it thru a good amp set flat.
How does it sound?

If the tone isn't reasonably close to being in the ballpark, I'd
have a good local luthier checkout the bass to make sure it's in good working order.
 
#13
coolrunner989 said:
I've given up on trying to get a great low end output out of my Gl.
Click to expand...
This is why I removed the BadassII from my GL bass! Installed stamped Fender bridge and low end response has returned! GL bass on right.
DSC05228.jpg
 
#14
I have a hipshot A style bridge on my GL, mostly for how easy it is to change strings. As long as my bridge is going to be more than a bent piece of metal, it might as well be useful to me. :p

I think the OP is wanting both a cutting trebly tone as well as something that sits well under most of the mix. This shouldnt be hard to do with a jazz and a proper EQ section. I dont think I'll ever get my GL to sound like a P, or get a nice dub tone out of it, a pillowy kind of low end if you will. But with my Shuttle Max 12.0 I get a decent amount of low end push with the low low mids and bass boosted. Maybe a graphic or parametric EQ could help you out.
 
#15
coolrunner989 said:
I have a hipshot A style bridge on my GL, mostly for how easy it is to change strings. As long as my bridge is going to be more than a bent piece of metal, it might as well be useful to me. :p

I think the OP is wanting both a cutting trebly tone as well as something that sits well under most of the mix. This shouldnt be hard to do with a jazz and a proper EQ section. I dont think I'll ever get my GL to sound like a P, or get a nice dub tone out of it, a pillowy kind of low end if you will. But with my Shuttle Max 12.0 I get a decent amount of low end push with the low low mids and bass boosted. Maybe a graphic or parametric EQ could help you out.
Click to expand...
Removing the BadassII did just that for me, gave me that pillowy kind of low end! As a matter of fact it has the most pillowy low end of all my passive jazz basses! Now if only the output was the same as all my other passive jazzes. :hmm:
 
#16
pyrohr said:
Removing the BadassII did just that for me, gave me that pillowy kind of low end! As a matter of fact it has the most pillowy low end of all my passive jazz basses! Now if only the output was the same as all my other passive jazzes. :hmm:
Click to expand...

The output is low? I hadn't heard that about GL fenders....

Well, new P'ups are an option; Most folks don't buy the GL for the p'ups anyway - they buy them for the cool neck and the body route.
 
#17
Yeah, the output of the stock pickups is on the lower side. I replaced mine with Quarter Ponders to get a more punchy sound. I am happy with the BadAss bridge that's on it, and there is nothing bogus about bumping the mids to help cut through a mix. It certainly helps me with all my basses. And the RBI does scoop a bit, so there are a lot of things you need to look at doing. But basically, try without the RBI, and maybe get an EQ and just bump the mids a bit.
 
#18
BigOldHarry said:
The output is low? I hadn't heard that about GL fenders....

Well, new P'ups are an option; Most folks don't buy the GL for the p'ups anyway - they buy them for the cool neck and the body route.
Click to expand...
GL basses come with original equipment 62 jazz bass pups. Actually they're a very good pup just lower output. GL basses also come with CTS pots so thats not the reason for the lower output. I bought my GL bass not because of Geddy (no nothing about him, never heard his stuff) but because it was an alder bodied maple black blocked and bound neck with "vintage 64" pups for $600 bucks!!! :D
 
#19
Nothing wrong with your Geddy. Some basses and amps don't always match as well as others. I agree that you need to boost the (low) mids. On my Geddy I use Fender stainless and I have a inexpensive series/parallel switch for the pickups to give a "pseudo" P bass sound when needed. It makes the Geddy more versatile. I use a GK 1001RB and an Epifani 310 and I have no trouble competing in the mix with 2 loud guitards.
 
#20
Mr. Ray said:
Nothing wrong with your Geddy. Some basses and amps don't always match as well as others. I agree that you need to boost the (low) mids. On my Geddy I use Fender stainless and I have a inexpensive series/parallel switch for the pickups to give a "pseudo" P bass sound when needed. It makes the Geddy more versatile. I use a GK 1001RB and an Epifani 310 and I have no trouble competing in the mix with 2 loud guitards.
Click to expand...
I also use a GK head bit I use the 1001RBII so the lower output doesn't bother me, I just turn it up a little louder!!! :)
 

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