Gigging with Tone at Zero - You?

[MrWolf14]

Song by song. Every gig has a song or 2 where I'll want that tone, most of the time it's full up though. I don't play zingy strings tho.

Same for me: most of the times is all-on but there are some songs which call for a different tone.
Sometimes it's the whole package: tone-off, neck-pu only, fingering on the fretboard (between 15th and 17th fret)

....and I forgot how to change strings on my bass, so their zing is looooong gone

 

[Deleted member 271037]

In my 30+ years as bass player I can only remember ONE occasion where I played a gig with the tone control at 0%. This was with an EB, and I was specifically going for "THAT" tone. I just love the sound of an EB with the tone at 0% going into a sizzling hot, overdriven tube amp. It's not a type of tone I use regularly though. This particular gig was with a special "one-off" band.

Normally I use a P-bass with the tone at around 70% for gigging.

In the studio it's a different matter. I've certainly recorded some stuff with the tone control all the way down.

 

[Shenron]

With guitars I also have been playing at 100% volume and 100% tone, only using the pickup switch to change the general tone (and even that basically almost always either all towards neck or all towards bridge). I use the volume knob very rarely for volume swells or in particular songs sections such as in Hot for Teacher. Instead I would rather manipulate my sound through effects pedals.

On bass however, my default is 100% volume on neck pickup, 0% volume on bridge pickup, 50% tone and 0% phat eq (I play an active Ibanez).

I change tone often depending on the song, when I hear that I am not cutting well through the mix, also by turning up the bridge pickup (without affecting volume which seems to be set by the highest pickup) but I practically never turn the tone down to 0% however. I do turn it up to 100% sometimes, particularly for Iron Maiden songs.

I also turn the volume down from 100% if I feel too loud, or turn the phat eq up from 0% if I am not loud enough, usually not more than 10-20% from my default.

 

[Gervais Cote]

My main live bass doesn’t have a tone knob.

Problem solved !

 

[Jeff Hughes]

I used to be all off all of the time except when I got a passive mid-range boost which makes it so the tone rolled off is a slight mid bump. That was always on...never to the bright side.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I always heard that was a component of the faux "Jaco / fretless" vibe. Bridge pickup solo'd, tone rolled-off, and some de-tuned chorus on the tail-end.

Riis

 

[Savage_Dreams]

0 as in treble rolled all the way off? absolutely not ever.

 

[2saddleslab]

Back in my early single coil days I played the tone knob on zero all the time. When I had a chance to record w/ the legendary Bill Halverson, who diplomatically expressed his dislike of my muddy tone, I decided to change things up. Much to his & my delight.

I have used the tone knob on zero when going for a deadly over the top OD tone in the studio to great effect.

 

[Passinwind]

The existence of a passive tone control is at zero on both my basses, does that count?

 

[fishdreams]

To me, big difference if I’m playing passive or active bass. Passive, never rolled back, because I lose too much definition rolling back, regardless if it’s tone or volume.

my main bass has an active pre, and no tone knob at all. I like set-and-forget on the bass and control volume with a volume pedal at the end of effects chain.

 

[Kael]

Tone full on on my jazz most of the time. Tone rolled down to 2/3 on the P most of the time with occasional forays into rolling all the way off.

 

[JazznFunk]

I assume this refers to the passive tone control on a Jazz or Precision. I also assume 'at zero' means 'fully off', which equals 'very muddy'. If all those criteria are correct, the answer is never. Having the tone control fully 'at zero' is like having a blanket on the bass. Muffled, indistinct. I generally run it at about 50% or less, depending on what's happening in the room around me, and the amp situation and its settings.

 

[Larryfales]

I've always been a 100% player. You know instrument volume and tone at 100%. But this weekend I broke my record. I actually played a song with just the neck pickup on my 4 string J bass and the tone control at zero.

From what I heard in my ears and on the livestream playback, the bass tone was more focused and more present. There was less frequency masking and competition with other instruments and voices in the mix. I think the only thing that would have been better is to play it with my P bass instead.

I'll be adding this method to my standard bag of tricks moving forward.

It really depends on the instrument, the string type and age of the strings to me. I really prefer a nice warm mellow tone. If I'm playing with newer round wounds I'll definitely roll the tone back. Flats are generally warmer sounding so I can usually bring the tone up. Some might call them dead but I prefer a well worn old set of rounds.

 

[JenderBazzFass]

On my Precision Bass, the tone at 0 is not a good sound, but the tone at 20% is fine. It drops off a cliff after that. Usually I have it at about 50%, but sometimes up to 80%.

On my Jazz Bass, I've usually got the tone between 50% and 90% depending on the sound. If I'm using distortion and don't have any treble in there it sounds bad.

 

[pepj]

Big fan of VVT. Its a wonder to me why more makers don't do it.
Hum not an issue, imv. I'm always using pickup bias these days and I use the tone to cut through. I have the active option but I hardly touch it..and if I do, its to roll off bass which is never more than 30% anyway.

Never have tone 100% off.

 

[SMG]

Playing blues most of the time, to me it largely depends upon both the bass I am playing and the room. Using a Markbass combo set pretty much flat, there are times that (to my ears) the bass sounds much brighter than other times, so I adjust the tone control a lot. It also depends upon the pickups in the bass, as EMG DC's just run through volume and tone are super clean even with the tone control turned all the way back. Guitarist (my brother) doesn't like it (as he has a hard time hearing it) but the drummer does and I often get compliments from the audience when I play this way...so if am playing my PBC with two EMG DC's, this is the way I often go. I have a Michael Kelly "J" that I use if I don't want to take a better (more expensive) bass to the venue (Ann Arbor Hash Bash at a hotel, for example) that is so bright, that even with the tone backed off, it is bright to my ears.

For one that left that part of my life behind ages ago, the AA Hast Bash was an interesting, but not necessarily fun, gig.

 

[GrapeBass]

Depends on the bass and the situation.

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

Well, for one song out of 50 in my cover band, Crossroads by Cream, I roll the tone completely off and solo the neck pickup on my Jazz Bass and throw on some overdrive. But for every other song the tone is dimed.

 

[Monkey]

I play passive fretless with TI flats (usually 5-string, sometimes a medium-scale 4). I usually play with volume and tone at 100%, but often roll of some or all of the tone depending on the song.

I play a lot of reggae, so I roll of more treble there, again depending on the song. I'm currently playing in an original Americana, folk-rock setting and vary the tone control a lot. We're covering a Beatles tune (Dig a Pony) and it sounds great with tone rolled all the way off. I often roll it all the way off, then back it off just a tad (maybe 90% rolled off), which sounds great and doesn't cut perceived volume as much.

 

[johnh89]

Favourite tone is Burns Bison , neck pickup only , tone on zero . It worked for 4 hours last sunday . I have a few other basses but the Burns like that is just heavenly .