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hadrien feraud , janek gwizdala kind a tone ???

B

bassolp

Nov 27, 2008
167
1
QUÉBEC ca
Disclosures
bass player for Cavalia
#1
allright so just hearing this video and this just get me oout of mind how those guys can get this tone im just out of idea I've try everything to crazy EQ with any kind of pickup choice , i know its some thing around the bridge pickup but man please some one tell me the trick and it seem like it can get it whit any freaking bass he got a fodera in this clip and it sound like hes old smith ... anyway

 
#3
Well 2 major things are going to contribute to that tone. One certainly is the player, and the amount of time he has put into the instrument. Tone is developed through a lot of practice. And, of course the bass! I think you could get close with a Jazz Bass rolled towards the bridge, but ideally you would need a dual humbucker positioned closer to the bridge and a good active preamp.
 
#5
My recommendation would be to not overdue the bass boosting, focus on a low mids boost, 250k or so, and focus in on that bridge pup - I would want a 60's placement I think - there is a lot there attributed to the more modern design of that instrument. Cut treble for room. Most notably what I see/hear here is a very high gain/volume setting with a light touch, maybe low gage strings would help here too. These last items require you to really practice your control and nuances which is what he is doing very well. Just my .02 YMMV

Oh yes, and make sure you have a good setup on your bass.
 
#6
Yeah, from watching both of them, they use ramps under their strings and play pretty lightly. I've been working on playing lighter and lighter and it definitely seems to have improved my tone. Sounds my fuller and smoother to my ear.
 
#7
NicJimBass said:
Yeah, from watching both of them, they use ramps under their strings and play pretty lightly. I've been working on playing lighter and lighter and it definitely seems to have improved my tone. Sounds my fuller and smoother to my ear.
Click to expand...

You are right on the money. A light touch can really improve the tone for the type of mix this video showed. A heavy hand, to me, brings in so many more overtones or something the sort of ruins it - in this context. In heavy rock I still use a fairly heavy right hand as it can work there.
 
#8
bassolp said:
allright so just hearing this video and this just get me oout of mind how those guys can get this tone im just out of idea I've try everything to crazy EQ with any kind of pickup choice , i know its some thing around the bridge pickup but man please some one tell me the trick and it seem like it can get it whit any freaking bass he got a fodera in this clip and it sound like hes old smith ... anyway

Click to expand...


Forget about the fingers, you need one of those custom neck-through body coffee table basses with at least one double coil pickup in the bridge position (in wooden cover!) with a figured wood top (which is probably the most important thing of all!).

Like this one:

(sorry for the awful cell phone pics)

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:hiding:
 
#9
I think the light touch a few people have mentioned is on the right track. I'd like to add that slightly worn nickel plated strings (as opposed to stainless) and rolling the treble off a little may help too. I can get a Matthew Garrison-esque tone on my groove tools bass, it has two Barts in it and I bump the blend towards the neck pickup (not very much) and cut the treble a hair, the strings are worn pretty good too and I have (or can have) a pretty light touch. I think it will be different on every bass though and I agree with everyone else that their hands play a big part in it, so you can really only get very close. good luck, you'll find it though.
 
#12
bassolp said:
allright so just hearing this video and this just get me oout of mind how those guys can get this tone im just out of idea I've try everything to crazy EQ with any kind of pickup choice , i know its some thing around the bridge pickup but man please some one tell me the trick and it seem like it can get it whit any freaking bass he got a fodera in this clip and it sound like hes old smith ... anyway

Click to expand...


I'd have a look for posts on Matt Garrison's set up etc. since both, Gwizdala as well as Feraud seem to emulate him to some degree.
How he does it seems fairly well documented.
Apart from that, since Gwizdala seems quite happy to share info on how he does things, maybe PM him via TB?
 
#13
AMJBASS said:
Well 2 major things are going to contribute to that tone. One certainly is the player, and the amount of time he has put into the instrument. Tone is developed through a lot of practice. And, of course the bass! I think you could get close with a Jazz Bass rolled towards the bridge, but ideally you would need a dual humbucker positioned closer to the bridge and a good active preamp.
Click to expand...


That bass is a JJ setup....
 
#15
I support the hands comments and boost.

Plus, They both have a very light touch.
Try turning you're amp up a bit louder then what you would normally set it at and play light, It takes practice and control but it's very rewarding in both tone and economy of motion.
 
#16
Thats the exact tone I was searching for when I had my Brubaker made. I'd be willing to bet that a bass with the bridge pickup positioned properly could get you close enough to make you happy. I think the Beez Elite that Hadrien is playing in that vid is actually 60s spaced but 70s works great too with the 'right' bass.

After that, it's all about the fingers. I typically boost the low-mids a bit (around 250Hz), roll all the way back to the bridge, and cut treble as necessary. I know Janek uses the passive tone rolloff on his Fodera's quite a bit.
 
#17
It really is mostly about technique and where you attack the strings. The closest sound I've ever gotten to that "Fodera" sound is with passive jazz basses. I think as far as electronics go, the absolute best thing for that kind of sound is a passive tone control and high quality pickups. Doesn't have to be a humbucker. And I find boosting mids to be very detrimental. I would be very surprised if these guys were using their mid controls. I've got the same preamp they do, and I really don't think they're boosting mids. Moar bass!
 
#18
Snarf said:
It really is mostly about technique and where you attack the strings. The closest sound I've ever gotten to that "Fodera" sound is with passive jazz basses. I think as far as electronics go, the absolute best thing for that kind of sound is a passive tone control and high quality pickups. Doesn't have to be a humbucker. And I find boosting mids to be very detrimental. I would be very surprised if these guys were using their mid controls. I've got the same preamp they do, and I really don't think they're boosting mids. Moar bass!
Click to expand...

Almost positive Janek doesn't boost his mids because he runs his Foderas passive most of the time and every time I see his amp is just about flat. Every time I've seen Hadriens amp the mids were boosted to about 1-2oclock. Just what I've seen though.
 
#20
There are a few very good advice above;
- turn up the low mids, around 250 (200-350 will do)
- light touch, low set up, light strings help.

Everything else will depend on your bass though, for example what you do with the bass an treble, how much of which pickup to use, strings, etc.
 

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