How does Vic Wooten get such a FULL sound with such THIN strings?

[Salem6127]

He's one of my favorite bass players to watch, yet this always baffles me.

I've picked up pairs of strings around his gauge (40-55-75-95) a few times with different brands on different basses and always find them very thin sounding. The taps lack volume and chords lack sustain.

This isn't me knocking thin strings by any means (I'm a huge fan of TI strings myself), I just wonder if there's something else that's bulking up his tone so much aside from Fodera's master woodworking.

 

[Relayer71]

Rick Beato made a Youtube video where he tried different string gauges and the findings were the set with smallest gauge had the fattest sound. This was for guitar, not bass, but I imagine it works the same way.

I use a very light set myself for rounds and flats and I don't find my sound suffers. I do it for comfort reasons. I use neckthrough basses with active pre, finger style, near neck pickup.

 

[Jazz Ad]

The answer is counter intuitive. Big tone comes from small strings.
Heavy strings are good for solid piano-like lows and super clarity.
Light strings have less tension, more harmonics and sound thicker.
Detune one of your strings by 1 or 2 tones to get the idea. Richer, fuller sounding tone.

Then again, don't knock yourself out if you don't sound like Wooten. It's not like anyone else could.

 

[Wood and Wire]

Rick Beato made a Youtube video where he tried different string gauges and the findings were the set with smallest gauge had the fattest sound. This was for guitar, not bass, but I imagine it works the same way.

I use a very light set myself for rounds and flats and I don't find my sound suffers. I do it for comfort reasons. I use neckthrough basses with active pre, finger style, near neck pickup.

Ditto.

Although I have to admit I feel the 45-105 sets have a little more heft to the sound; the 40-95 sets have a tighter, more defined low end, and the sense of heft can be returned by dialing back the treble a little, and raising the over all level to compensate.

 

[nostatic]

I just wonder if there's something else that's bulking up his tone so much aside from Fodera's master woodworking.

Technique is a big part of it. I was lucky enough to have Victor play one of my Foderas (actually tracked a bit with it). He sounded different on it than I do (beyond just his mad skills). Right hand technique has a lot to do with how fat you sound, all other things being equal. I tend to have a thinner sound since I play bass more like finger style guitar. The players that have fat tone are usually employing more of the meat of their finger, and coming across the string rather than plucking up/out.

fwiw I didn't like the 40-95, but do use 40-100 (don't like 105). Totally ymmv.

 

[Killing Floor]

It’s at least in part due to him being pretty good at bass.

 

[Michedelic]

I would think that the nature of the bridge(s) that he uses would have a contributing effect to a certain extent.

 

[80jazz]

Ditto.

Although I have to admit I feel the 45-105 sets have a little more heft to the sound; the 40-95 sets have a tighter, more defined low end, and the sense of heft can be returned by dialing back the treble a little, and raising the over all level to compensate.

Sometimes I wonder if some bassists think that the strings sound bigger since they feel bigger under their fingers.

Yes, I prefer light strings, 35-90 or 40-95 for me. 40-100 is heavy to me.

 

[JRA]

i've almost always played light-gauge string sets. never had an issue with "full," or fat, or lows. it's always there. applied 'fingership' helps.

 

[2saddleslab]

There was a time I played GHS 115-55 flats and the only difference was sore fingertips. The last 20 years have been TI flats and never suffer from lack of a solid bottom or sore fingers.

 

[bass12]

A few years back I switched from 45-125 to 40-120 and didn’t feel I lost any low end. What I gained was a bit more focus in the lows and upper mids - and my strings seem to stay zingy a bit longer (which for me means two gigs instead of one ).

 

[Jazzdogg]

What I hear in Wooten's sound is very bright and percussive, but not very deep.

 

[Salem6127]

Apparently Wooten said in an interview that he prefers the sound of 45-105 sets, and has a Fodera strung with that set for recording purposes. His extra-light set is only strung on his live instruments.

 

[J Wilson]

Aside from possibly your pickups not liking 'those' strings, on a properly set-up bass (paying attention to pickup heights) through a good amp, you really don't hear a big difference between lighter and heavier bass strings. For years I just KNEW bigger strings = bigger sound, but really, no.

Emphasis on properly set-up bass. I can't tell you how many times I've seen guys moan about a 'thin sound' only to look closely at their axe: High action and the pickups sunk right into the top. OK . . . . .

 

[Relayer71]

Sometimes I wonder if some bassists think that the strings sound bigger since they feel bigger under their fingers.

I think that's a part of it. I know with heavier gauge strings I tend to pluck harder because it requires more effort (whether real or imagined).

 

[40Hz]

27493713[/URL], member: 376118"]He's one of my favorite bass players to watch, yet this always baffles me.

I've picked up pairs of strings around his gauge (40-55-75-95) a few times with different brands on different basses and always find them very thin sounding. The taps lack volume and chords lack sustain.

It’s funny, but I’ve had the exact opposite experience with lighter string gauges although I’ve never gone thinner than .100 on the E. Guess it depends on the bass and the player.

This isn't me knocking thin strings by any means (I'm a huge fan of TI strings myself), I just wonder if there's something else that's bulking up his tone so much aside from Fodera's master woodworking.

Possibly the combination of a top notch instrument, amp and cab; tasteful EQing and some judicious use of compression. But more likely it’s due to a lifetime dedicated to the art and science playing bass.

FWIW, I attended a seminar once where he sat in for a few hours. Somebody asked him a question and he borrowed that person’s bass (a JB) to demonstrate a technique. And to nobody’s surprise, he still sounded like Victor Wooten. So I think that probably rules out gear as being that significant a factor in his sound.

 

[JonathanPDX]

Vic has a number of tools and tricks:

First, he has basses set up with different strings in the studio than he does on tour. So, you need to specify whether the live tone or record tone is what you're after, as they are different strings AND totally different instruments.

Second, Vic has access to every piece of equipment on the planet. One year, when he was deciding which cabinets to endorse, he toured with a literal trailer full of bass cabs and used a different pair every single night. Not many players have that kind of opportunity to A/B gear in a real-world setting. So you know the equipment he is using is dialed in for exactly what and how he plays.

Third, he has been living, breathing, eating, and sleeping bass for over 50 years. His knowledge goes far beyond how to slap the strings, so he's making adjustments and fine-tuning things using a lifetime of experience.

Fourth, he's really freaking good. He's played my basses multiple times at clinics and camps. He still sounds like Victor Wooten. I've played his basses, even on stage with his band, and I still sound like me.

Oh, I forgot to mention, he turns things up freaking LOUD! If you are using little strings and have your amp/bass turned down, it will sound small. You have to crank it way up and then compensate by playing lighter with your hands.

Also, a few years ago we taught together at a camp and I filled in running sound, which is not at all my area of expertise. Vic had me add a surprising amount of reverb whenever he'd perform solo, which also helps a lot in fattening up the sound.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I bet Victor Wooten has a light touch and he is mindful where plays in relation to the bridge too.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

World class players simply know how to do stuff. Earlier this year, I saw a video Jeff Berlin playing from his European tour and I thought he had turned on his neck pickup and said so in the comments. Jeff told me he was only using the bridge pickup, he just knows how to sound deep when he wants too.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Fingers? Victor himself said he prefers thicker strings for recording because they have bigger low end. He uses thinner strings live.