How do I know if I'm not getting the tone I want

[EagleMoon]

It's very possible that you're just not a fan of the Musicman tone. I'm not a big fan of it myself, at least when I'm playing it. You might be happier with a different pickup configuration. +1 on taking at least your amp with you to a store and trying out gear. That's the best way to know. And try to go during a time when they're not as busy. Probably early in the day during the week. That way you won't have to compete as much with any guitarist-wannabe's and can actually hear what you're doing.

 

[Mrdak]

The fingers, my man.

I'm sure a lot of bassists would agree with me, i sound a lot like myself regardless of what bass i play.

+1000 indeed!
It's all in the fingers....
You need one bass with rounds, and another with flats.
Then let your fingers do the rest.

 

[THand]

... And try to go during a time when they're not as busy. Probably early in the day during the week. That way you won't have to compete as much with any guitarist-wannabe's and can actually hear what you're doing.

+1, a BIG +1!
It's almost pointless for me to go in a store on the weekend except to casually browse.

 

[SteveC]

I put new strings (DR Hi Beams) on my Sadowsky and I can't put it down. I am trying to really work with what I have to make it sound the way I want - or as many different ways as I can.

I am totally guilty of GAS and the gear merry-go-round. You may just not like the gear you have. If you've given it the old "college try" then maybe you need to try something else.

Try a jazz bass. Try a Genz Benz amp. Whatever. Although people get ribbed for GAS, sometimes it's what you need to do.

 

[Jazz Ad]

You know, while I appreciate your help and time to answer my thread, being condescending doesn't really do anyone any favors here. I'm sorry I don't remember the size of the speakers in my cab right now, although I'm 95% sure they're 10". I honestly don't see why that automatically means that I don't know how to EQ my equipment.

I will take new string recommendations if anyone can give any, but I have toyed with my EQ with that equipment for the last 3 years and have never gotten a tone I've liked out of it.

Answers may be a bit abrupt but not condescending.
I suggest a different approach. Set you EQ flat, sit in front of your amp and play until you hear a tone you like. Try different positions, techniques, move your right hand along the strings.
I will second the DR hi-beam recommendation for this tone. Setup is important too. If you don't know how to do it yourself, take the instrument to a pro.

 

[Rocky McD]

I have a good friend who I consider one of the finest bassist in the country. I love his "Tone". I wish I could somehow achieve that same tone. However, this wonderful tone was coming from my bass and amp in my music room. Now, why can't I sound like that?
I have been playing for 45 years, he has been playing for 48, that must be the difference.
Rocky

 

[Jehos]

It's funny that you pick Dirk Lance and Flea as artists you want to emulate, when they have *very* different rigs. Dirk plays Warwicks into Eden amps, Flea plays Modulus into GK. Both use very distinctive-sounding basses and distinctive-sounding amps.

I'd say that if you want to shop around at say Guitar Center, go find one with MusicMan SUB basses and Markbass amps (any store should have them). First, take the SUB like you've got and plug it into different amps. See if you can find something you like. Try GK amps, you might dig them. Then, grab different basses and plug them into a Markbass stack with the EQ set flat and the two other knobs (VLE and whatever the other is) turned all the way off. That should give you a very clean, accurate representation of what each bass sounds like. See if there are any basses you dig. Try the bass you liked into the amp you liked and see how that works for you.

 

[debassr]

It's very possible that you're just not a fan of the Musicman tone. I'm not a big fan of it myself, at least when I'm playing it.

+1

When I started playing I read up on TB and saw how much love MM basses were getting so I bought a SR4 as my first. I wound up hating everything about it - the tone, the neck profile, the weight, the string to string volume discrepancies, etc. IMHO, MM gets WAY TOO MUCH love on here.

Nowadays, if anyone asks me what bass a beginner should get, I tell them to start with a MIM P bass and to have a luthier dress the fret ends, set it up with a little bit of neck relief, medium low action, and a decent set of flats. To me, that's like the reference tone for electric bass that everything else is a variant of.

Sure, amps, cabs, strings, pups, and effects make a difference but if you start from a solid reference point it makes it easier to understand where you want to take your tone from there.

And of course, over time you'll also learn that your fingers have a HUGE impact on your tone so +1 to all the people who mentioned that as well.

Good luck.

 

[Dark Horse]

In addition to what others have said, of which there is some great advice, learn to use "subtractive EQ" instead of "additive EQ".

The Ashdown has a nice EQ.

Set it "flat" (everything at 12 O'clock) WITHOUT the bass boost and hi boost buttons pushed in. Make sure the "subs" are off as well.

Once youve done that, take your "Middle" knob and crank it up all the way. Make sure that the amp isn't super loud in volume, as this will give a substantial boost. Once the "Middle" knob is up all the way, take the frequency knob to the right (has the 1.6khz marking) and turn it while playing. What you are looking to do is find the frequency that you HATE the most. Once you find the most annoying frequency, leave the frequency knob set there - and then roll back the "Middle" knob. You are going to take the Middle knob and use it to "subtract" that annoying frequency by turning it down. Sometimes (most, actually) a little is enough, and pulling the "Middle" knob back to about 11 O'clock usually takes away enough of the "bad" frequency.

Now, repeat this process with the "Low" knob and "Low Frequency" knobs. All this time, leave the "Treble" alone and try to be as consistent as you can in your playing.

Turn up the amp. Is it closer to a sound you like ? Does it need less of those frequencies that you are "subtracting" ? Now that you know the sounds of your amp that you DON'T like, you can eliminate those frequencies and start really dialing in the sounds that you DO like. You can bump the Treble a bit for some attack, or hit the Bass Boost, or whatever, but the key to REALLY dialing in an amp is knowing what frequencies to SUBTRACT.

I hope this helps, or at least gets you closer.

 

[topcat2069]

just a question... have you played your Bass through a bunch of the rigs that they have at your GC? (I just notced that others have suggested this)

Take your Bass to try out amps.
Take your amp setup to try out Basses.

They will allow you to do that (if they don't .... walk.... your Bass ISN'T like any of the Basses on the wall, It's yours, with your strings and your goo.
(the stuff you put into your Bass over time, your fingers sweat & grime on the strings... your heartbeat and soul into the woods, what the strings vibrations (when you play) do to the neck, etc.) (sounds like magic, and maybe it is....)

I was just in my GC for the 1st time and they had a wide variety of Bass rigs.. with a bunch of different cabs.... take a day, hang out, play through a bunch of different stuff (and if someone comes in who plays well, let them have a go with your Bass so you can see what it sounds like when you don't play it).

As far as strings go, there are just a couple of formulations (well.... maybe more than just a couple) but start there.... do you like the sound of nickel?, stainless steel, flat wound? at least you can narrow your search down to a specific type... that's a lot less daunting than "the whole wall of strings" .
(I like Nickel, D'Addrio XL170s to be exact, I like the overtone balance, they are bright but when I play them on my Basses they never sound ... um... like John Entwhistle bright, just clear and full)

Best of luck

p.s. a 2X10 Avatar cab has some kick ass lows, or at least the ones I've played through did........
A SUB String Ray sounds great (but great like a String Ray, as mentioned)
And I can't say anything about your Amp, cause I've never played through one. I hope you don't mind.....

 

[cedar]

This is a great thread. I've learned a lot. I have only been playing for 5 years and I am finally beginning to get the sound I think I want. I was playing a Fender American Jazz through a SWR Workingman's rig. It was good, but now I play a Lakland Darryl Jones through a GK 700 w/ two 12 Neo cab's. I have DR Hi-Beam's on one Lakland and Lakland strings on the other Jones bass. A lot does depend on your fingers, but it took a few years to begin to dial in the equipment. I have had the GK rig for 16 months and I am still learning about all of it's capabilities. Be patient, and be willing to experiment. It has been fun and at times frustrating. But worth it.