how hard or softly you pluck

[TyBo]

Have you been oiling your fretboard with testosterone infused mineral oil? Have you attached a set of novelty testicles to the strap button on your bass? Try these and you'll get a very masculine sound, I'm sure.

I've been feeding my bass that Nugenix Total T stuff. It wants to fight me now.

 

[TyBo]

Actually, I like my setup to be just low enough that I don't have to fight it too much, but high enough that it doesn't buzz and can "take a punch". I do like to slap it and snap it on occasion, needs to accommodate that. I haven't thought much about going super light on touch, not sure I'd like that ... but I don't know for sure.

 

[suraci]

27027040[/URL], member: 163166"]For some reason I can never get that masculine sound. Do you all think it might be my bass? I've never checked it. Do I need to take it to a luthier?

i choose to think of some music in terms that are out of fashion
for whatever reason when i played opposite Paul Jackson- i had previously found myself very impressed with his approach. the word "masculine" popped in my head. so later in time we met again and i saw the biggest fingers on his hands. I've seen these two players bands as well and Paul's were far bigger than Will Lee or Jaco. and it confirmed my feeling about Paul Jackson. it's not scientific it's just an impression. that popped in my head.- masculine sound !
i think of Ravel's Daphne and Chloe as feminine. NOT RAVEL. i have. no idea. just the music . i don't do this with most music but in a few cases those outmoded terms still come up for me.

 

[suraci]

You bassists are full of knowledge that i appreciate. i will have a few questions later on
later

 

[non]

it created an aggressive “masculine “ sound that i’m not convinced can be replicated with low action .

great topic that i think about all the time.
i think you are correct in this. i love low action but i never get the sound i want when playing light and turning the amp up. it just sounds to dull.
playing harder with higher action has that attack that i love. (i am a finger pluck person). i need that attach to get my overdrives to sound the way i want.

 

[2strings2frets]

At one time I played high action with almost a claw attack on the string. Over time I have lowered action and moved to a kind of brushing motion over the top of the string, almost like sweeping dust off a shelf. I don’t mind clank unless it gets into the amp then I will raise action slightly. I don’t slap, but will use an appropriate power chord now and then. Time goes on

 

[thewildest]

In a universe where the time dimension is enabled, different events could happen at different times. One could play one way and, right there, at that particular second, change completely.

In a black hole, for example, you couldn’t do that. Actually, nobody could really do anything, while everybody would be doing everything. Awesome

 

[suraci]

great topic that i think about all the time.
i think you are correct in this. i love low action but i never get the sound i want when playing light and turning the amp up. it just sounds to dull.
playing harder with higher action has that attack that i love. (i am a finger pluck person). i need that attach to get my overdrives to sound the way i want.

aha. a man who gets where i was coming from
but though super light touch seems too weird to me. i will definitely consider lighter touch esp since Jamerson apparently did

 

[tmvt]

aha. a man who gets where i was coming from
but though super light touch seems too weird to me. i will definitely consider lighter touch esp since Jamerson apparently did

It's more of what works for you. You can emulate everything Jamerson did and never get the same results and what worked for him in his scenario might not for you. Just do what works for you without it negatively affecting the resulting tone.

 

[suraci]

It's more of what works for you. You can emulate everything Jamerson did and never get the same results and what worked for him in his scenario might not for you. Just do what works for you without it negatively affecting the resulting tone.

re Jamerson
i Know no one will ever sound like James Jamerson

his playing is main reason
and the drummer
rhythmic section
the tunes
the board technology used
but mainly his playing

 

[suraci]

At one time I played high action with almost a claw attack on the string. Over time I have lowered action and moved to a kind of brushing motion over the top of the string, almost like sweeping dust off a shelf. I don’t mind clank unless it gets into the amp then I will raise action slightly. I don’t slap, but will use an appropriate power chord now and then. Time goes on

This is maybe unrelated but i’m new to a pic i’m trying to use a pic and your words highlighted above came to
mind . it’s like i’m not picking as much as brushing !!

 

[suraci]

27027620[/URL], member: 271392"]I've been feeding my bass that Nugenix Total T stuff. It wants to fight me now.

you , you . you’re good you . you’re very good cause you figured that out.
2 points. no , THREE points for you,
you’re very good. lol

 

[BlueRock]

It's more a matter of finesse than how hard or soft. Like sex.

 

[suraci]

There is a huge difference in the sound of an upright played like you mean it, and one played lightly through an amp. I play mine hard for the good thump sound, buyvthrougj an amp. I’ve always played my Fenders with fairly high action and a heavy hand. Either technique works, but the final tone is very different

thank you for confirming my old recollections. ( i haven’t played with an acoustic bass player very often ) on action , gain on amp , and resulting sound differences

if i might perhaps get off topic a tad

what do you know about this question of tone- volume of amp - close action and less close action

milt hinton one of the most recorded bassists in his time
ron carter
Richard Davis
Mraz
Ray Brown ( he plays elec with BB King at the Apollo )
Niels Pederson
Sam Jones

Jimmy Blanton was pre amp says yes?
i admire those old warriors

 

[suraci]

It's more a matter of finesse than how hard or soft. Like sex.

yeah yeah like sex. right lol

 

[suraci]

Have you been oiling your fretboard with testosterone infused mineral oil? Have you attached a set of novelty testicles to the strap button on your bass? Try these and you'll get a very masculine sound, I'm sure.

you’re not gonna believe this. but as the crow flyes i DID try the testosterone on frets thing - didn’t help. i tried listening to this.
but no matter what i do i’m not gettin it
here i am with billy cobham doing the best i could on this little ditty


but thank you for the fretboard massage idea

 

[TyBo]

thank you for confirming my old recollections. ( i haven’t played with an acoustic bass player very often ) on action , gain on amp , and resulting sound differences

if i might perhaps get off topic a tad

what do you know about this question of tone- volume of amp - close action and less close action

milt hinton one of the most recorded bassists in his time
ron carter
Richard Davis
Mraz
Ray Brown ( he plays elec with BB King at the Apollo )
Niels Pederson
Sam Jones

Jimmy Blanton was pre amp says yes?
i admire those old warriors

Ron Carter spoke in an interview with Rick Beato about how his playing changed when the electronics for recording and amplification improved. He felt that he could be heard, with the newer technology, and so was able to play more adventurous lines. His one of the greats, certainly.

Ray Brown ... perfection. Tone for days, articulation, taste,timing, the whole shebang.

Both their approaches work, clearly. All roads lead to Rome.

 

[suraci]

Ray Brown Ron Carter bass gods