Help me get that bubbly tone!

[MustangMan78]

I’ve read a lot of posts/comments here and else where how to get that bubbly tone (think Joe Dart, Jaco). I’ve seen everything from compression, to boosting low mids, to use a bridge pickup with 50-80% neck blended in, to use flatwounds, to it’s all in the technique, to even using a mute. Everyone seems to have their own thoughts on this one.

I can get any tone I want out of my rig, except THIS ONE! I typically go for a deep thump Jamerson tone, but certain songs I feel like this would fit better. Given my gear below, any suggestions? I’ve already boosted low mids, rolled off the high mids a bit. Bass is cut a tad and treble is flat. I’ve tried plucking from the bridge to the neck. I’ve also tried tone from full on to full off. My compressor is setup for a quick attack (2ms) and a slow release. What’s the “secret sauce” I’m missing here? I’m feeling it’s a bridge pickup? I’m looking at picking up an American Performer Mustang soon. Is that going to solve my problem?

 

[AGCurry]

From my experience with having and playing a Mustang bass for a couple of years, I doubt that you're going to get the bubbly sound from one. Maybe if it had a bridge pickup, dunno. What I remember is that it was good at thuddy and boomy. I do think that sound is all about the midrange, and compression has very little to do with it.

 

[Lobster11]

I need to better understand what you mean by "bubbly tone." I'm kinda scratching my head trying to figure out what Joe Dart and Jaco Pastorius have in common....

 

[mambo4]

(think Joe Dart, Jaco).

AKA the upper mids farty tone

I’ve already boosted low mids, rolled off the high mids a bit.

Reverse that and you'll get closer
solo the bridge pickup, pluck near the bridge for more overtones (mids) and less fundamental
with EQ , prefer removing unwanted frequencies , vs boosting desired ones.

 

[MustangMan78]

AKA the upper mids farty tone

Reverse that and you'll get closer
solo the bridge pickup, pluck near the bridge for more overtones (mids) and less fundamental
with EQ , prefer removing unwanted frequencies , vs boosting desired ones.

So, I already cut the bass a bit and I can try cutting the treble a bit. I also currently use the HPF to cut more out of the extreme low frequencies and keep it tight. I'll swap the low and upper mids, as suggested. I don't have a bridge pup, so that's out. Any tips for compression? I'm thinking maybe a slower attack and faster release may help to get more of that initial "bubble pop"?

 

[generik]

I've never heard of "bubble" tone. Just to get an idea, is the following video an example?

 

[MustangMan78]

Yeah, close. Here’s is Jaco playing The Chicken. This is almost exactly the sound I’m trying to duplicate. FWIW, I have round wounds. Any chance, given I have only the Mustang split pickup?

 

[mambo4]

. I don't have a bridge pup, so that's out

Too bad, the pickup placement is a large part of that tone. The overtones from that portion of the string are where it comes from. Only plucking closer to the bridge can increase those overtones (decrease the others) on a Mustang

Any tips for compression

I'm with @AGCurry : I doubt compression has much to do with it, its an EQ spectrum thing. If you insist forcing compression into your solution, I suppose the Vulf Compressor might be a thing to look into.

String choice might also be a factor -probably more than compression.
I have no expertise about what strings tho, since I only ever use TI Jazz flats

 

[generik]

Man, idk how you're gonna get that sound from a split pickup especially its location on the Mustang. It's a different animal.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

I need to better understand what you mean by "bubbly tone." I'm kinda scratching my head trying to figure out what Joe Dart and Jaco Pastorius have in common....

Yet another attempt to describe a sound, using words. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
A good example is the word, grunt. Or for old Mad Magazine/Don Martin fans, my favorite is... GLUT.
Many words to describe audio have been commonly accepted over the years. Is bubbly one of those?

 

[5StringBlues]

bridge pickup

 

[pbass2]

I doubt compression has much to do with it, its an EQ spectrum thing. If you insist forcing compression into your solution, I suppose the Vulf Compressor might be a thing to look into.

Compression is not going to help you if you can't get the tone from the bass and your hands. In fact, I bet it might hurt in this case. I wouldn't even use much compression at all typically for a burpy sound like that in my bass' signal chain - I'd want to really control the dynamics and envelope with my hands (sure if in the mixing stage it needed some then have at it).
But I think w EQ (mids, mids and more mids) and your plucking technique you can get something that has the vibe. I do it on a pbass sometimes, sorta/kinda mind you. But I have a jazz too so that's what I would normally grab.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I’ve read a lot of posts/comments here and else where how to get that bubbly tone (think Joe Dart, Jaco). I’ve seen everything from compression, to boosting low mids, to use a bridge pickup with 50-80% neck blended in, to use flatwounds, to it’s all in the technique, to even using a mute. Everyone seems to have their own thoughts on this one.

I can get any tone I want out of my rig, except THIS ONE! I typically go for a deep thump Jamerson tone, but certain songs I feel like this would fit better. Given my gear below, any suggestions? I’ve already boosted low mids, rolled off the high mids a bit. Bass is cut a tad and treble is flat. I’ve tried plucking from the bridge to the neck. I’ve also tried tone from full on to full off. My compressor is setup for a quick attack (2ms) and a slow release. What’s the “secret sauce” I’m missing here? I’m feeling it’s a bridge pickup? I’m looking at picking up an American Performer Mustang soon. Is that going to solve my problem?

Bridge pickup, tone off, bass boosted, pluck hard. Dart uses a lot of compression to catch his attack, and punch the bubble out.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I need to better understand what you mean by "bubbly tone." I'm kinda scratching my head trying to figure out what Joe Dart and Jaco Pastorius have in common....

They both play a jazz bass with the tone off

 

[J Wilson]

I found that tone on BB Yamahas back in the day. I'd pick right over the aft pickup with the 100hz slider in the amp bumped. The rest of it was in my hands. Since then I can find it on about any two pickup axe. You can approach it somewhat on a single pickup bass, but it's not the same thing without a pickup sampling the string nearer the bridge. I'd use just enough tone control for just a bit of air/edge, would not have been conjured by me with all the tone rolled off.

 

[MustangMan78]

So yeah, it sounds like I should just keep my Mustang for the deep and thumpy sounds, which it does quite well. If I get the American Performer, I’ll have my J pup in the bridge. Then, just maybe, I can get this elusive tone. I’ve heard at least one demo of it online that nailed it.

 

[Rib 13]

A couple of 7-11 Burritos always gives my stomach a bubbly tone......

I should add a suggestion that it may not be a hardware issue but that it's possible you aren't playing staccato enough: part of Darts tone is in well bitten down note values that they are practically stubs

 

[ahc]

Anything with a Jazz bridge pickup plucked over that pickup with the tone knob turned down to taste will get you close. And so will Dean Martin.

 

[6-3-2]

As others have said, the problem is your bass. I also wonder if having a short-scale bass is holding you back. Your standard 34" scale bass will typically have a tighter tone, which helps. Now a bridge pick-up is the MAIN thing to you get towards that tight, funky tone, but if you want to be obsessive (which many of us are), scale-length might be part of the equation you're missing.

 

[Carl Hillman]

I’ve read a lot of posts/comments here and else where how to get that bubbly tone (think Joe Dart, Jaco). I’ve seen everything from compression, to boosting low mids, to use a bridge pickup with 50-80% neck blended in, to use flatwounds, to it’s all in the technique, to even using a mute. Everyone seems to have their own thoughts on this one.

I can get any tone I want out of my rig, except THIS ONE! I typically go for a deep thump Jamerson tone, but certain songs I feel like this would fit better. Given my gear below, any suggestions? I’ve already boosted low mids, rolled off the high mids a bit. Bass is cut a tad and treble is flat. I’ve tried plucking from the bridge to the neck. I’ve also tried tone from full on to full off. My compressor is setup for a quick attack (2ms) and a slow release. What’s the “secret sauce” I’m missing here? I’m feeling it’s a bridge pickup? I’m looking at picking up an American Performer Mustang soon. Is that going to solve my problem?

Ditch the compressor and work on getting a wide dynamic range, and control over different note lengths, and ghost notes.