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How do you get this tone?

Thumpin6string

Thumpin6string

Supporting Member
Apr 25, 2013
7,030
12,430
Shoals Indiana
#1
There was a local band here that were doing original fusion/jazz about 10+ years ago. The bass player was using a 6 string, what else. When he played slap bass, his tone was not harsh or the typical slap tone, but was very smooth and percussive. I saw him play live several times, but never noticed what effects, if any, he was using. For awhile he played a Yamaha John Patitucci bass and then switched to a custom made bass. I believe he was using an Eden combo. His tone was always the same. Also the higher notes were not twangy, but very sweet sounding. I have not found a way to duplicate it. Is it heavy compression or something else? How about it my fellow TBers, any ideas? Here is a link to a windows media player file. Hope it works.
https://www.talkbass.com/attachment...3/?temp_hash=f5d8f3886baad2a89487d5d0c0f20386
 

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#3
Rumbledore said:
Flatwounds [FTW] + eden has a compressor-like enhancement control knob which might have colored toward sweet
Click to expand...
He used roundwounds not flats. I wonder if there is something that will duplicate the Eden enhance control? I have gone through about 20 different amps and never could get close. If it is the amp, I may have to get some GAS for an Eden.:D
 
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#7
ddnidd1 said:
Also if he was using an Eden Combo back then it would have been a Metro.

Those cabinets, which were essentially D210XLT's, had their own distinctive tone.

I wouldn't attribute the tone to the enhance control myself.
Click to expand...
So far it seems as if the amp is the key factor. I figured it was some type of pedal or rack unit. So how is his tone the same in the studio? Mike the amp? Most seem to go direct.
 
#10
Thumpin6string said:
There was a local band here that were doing original fusion/jazz about 10+ years ago. The bass player was using a 6 string, what else. When he played slap bass, his tone was not harsh or the typical slap tone, but was very smooth and percussive. I saw him play live several times, but never noticed what effects, if any, he was using. For awhile he played a Yamaha John Patitucci bass and then switched to a custom made bass. I believe he was using an Eden combo. His tone was always the same. Also the higher notes were not twangy, but very sweet sounding. I have not found a way to duplicate it. Is it heavy compression or something else? How about it my fellow TBers, any ideas? Here is a link to a windows media player file. Hope it works.
https://www.talkbass.com/attachment...3/?temp_hash=f5d8f3886baad2a89487d5d0c0f20386
Click to expand...

Yes, that bass track has some heavy compression on it.

He's also not boosting the top end a ton, if at all, as some (many) slap players frequently do.

Fresh strings, high ratio compression with a good amount of gain reduction, and consistent right hand attack should get you there.
 
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#11
I guess I just suck, because I've tried every possible technique, EQ settings and multiple amps and have not been able to get close. The only things I haven't tried are pedals or an Eden. To my ears, I was thinking maybe heavy compression, but that doesn't seem to be the consensus so far.
 
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#12
MDBass said:
Yes, that bass track has some heavy compression on it.

He's also not boosting the top end a ton, if at all, as some (many) slap players frequently do.

Fresh strings, high ratio compression with a good amount of gain reduction, and consistent right hand attack should get you there.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that. You posted at the same time I was posting about compression. Having never been a pedal user, do you have any compressor suggestions?
 
#15
fourstringburn said:
That's usually what it boils down to.

If any of us played thru his rig just after he just got done playing, we wouldn't sound exactly like him either.
Click to expand...
Yes he is/was a killer player. I actually took theory lessons from him. I wish I had asked him about this back then. I know that his technique played a factor in his tone, but there was definitely something taming the harshness from his slapping without killing his ability to cut through the mix.
 

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