How many eq's are you using?

[pappabass]

That would actually be two, the eq on the bass and amp...
I know you meant, nothing in between.
Sounds like you found your tone!

Yes!

 

[patrickj]

None. Passive bass, no dedicated EQ pedals and the preamp EQs are flat. Amp also flat.

od chorus comp change the tone plenty

 

[Michael Jewels]

I'm very pleased to read three people mentioning the Empress Para EQ!

It's the only EQ I use.
Bear in mind that I mostly play/practice by myself in my basement, but I finally get the tones I hear in my head with the Empress.

Probably the most important thing I learned the Empress can do is remove boominess from any bass.
It has a long learning curve in my opinion, but so worth it.
Mike

 

[SAlcott]

None.

 

[micguy]

The big thing is that I play flatwound strings so I cut low mids and boost high mids to compensate and get a little more edge.

I use similar eq, and don't go near flats. Bass guitar (especially from a neck pickup) is a low-mid heavy instrument - if you do simulations of what's going on on a bass guitar (I've done this stuff), it falls out of the Physics of pickup placements. I think what your'e doing eq wise makes perfect sense, regardless of string choice.

My eq of choice at this point is an Xotic Bass RC booster. If you push the bass and treble controls a bit, the net result is a low mid (mud) dip at around 300Hz - just what's needed, in line with both my Physics simulations and ears.

 

[Doner Designs]

I use similar eq, and don't go near flats. Bass guitar (especially from a neck pickup) is a low-mid heavy instrument - if you do simulations of what's going on on a bass guitar (I've done this stuff), it falls out of the Physics of pickup placements. I think what your'e doing eq wise makes perfect sense, regardless of string choice.

My eq of choice at this point is an Xotic Bass RC booster. If you push the bass and treble controls a bit, the net result is a low mid (mud) dip at around 300Hz - just what's needed, in line with both my Physics simulations and ears.

Interesting. I cut in the 250 to 500 range and boost in the 700 to 1000 range. I don't really need bass or treble controls but do need dual mid controls.

Most of the basses I have built have 3 pickups. I have discovered that wider spacing lowers the mid scoop frequency to more like what we like whereas a standard J bass tends to scoop some frequencies better left in.

 

[Alien8]

EQ is not only in the knob. It's in the circuit, in the speakers, in the cabinet.

Since this is a pedal related topic, in the effects forum, the best way I have found to EQ my bass, is by using the preamp on my bass and a cab sim pedal. In between that there are other circuits that have their own flavor.

Oh! Can't forget the magic tone fingers. EQ in them for days.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

As much as I love effects, I can't bring myself to use an EQ pedal with the exception being a preset that's totally different from my normal tone (like "Come Together"). I want my regular tone to be achievable when I can't bring my pedalboard. My current bass has an active boost but no EQ so I just use the amp's EQ and my tone knob.

 

[Low Down Brown]

The one I use most is the Barber Linden EQ.

+1. This is one of my favorites. Also been using a Lightning Boy Audio NuVision which is also a Bax style. Sometimes I use a Whirlwind Bass Ten. I switch between active/passive and my amp is a Quilter BB800.

 

[HolmeBass]

With a good amp, just that and the active EQ on the bass. With a passive bass I'll bring some pedal EQ: Tone Job or my new Qstrip. My OD and fuzz have built in EQ but those are only used when the pedal is on.

If I am playing through a lower quality amp or combo I will bring an EQ pedal even with my active bass.

 

[DanAdams]

I hate redundant EQ. I like none on the bass, a few knobs on the amp is good.
Any more than that and you're probably making the job harder for the live or studio engineer.
​

 

[SLO Surfer]

I don't use any eq.

I just use the tone knob(s) on my bass, the high, low, and mid knobs on my sansamp DI pedal, and the tone knobs on my amp head.

I don't need eq.

 

[elgranluis]

Just the b15n channel on my vintage SVT.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I keep my Duncan active 3 band EQ in my bass set flat and run that into one of if not the best amp EQs ever made (IMHO) with just some slight tweaks and that is it.

 

[AlexBassMP]

I play my passive basses through a Sansamp with a little low and high boost.. and a little of mids coming from the bass amp...so. I use two eq.

 

[BurtMacklinFBI]

I switch things up a lot, but for now it's just the 2 band passive eq on the classic channel of my Le Bass and the 2 band Baxandall on my Idiotbox Landphil. Treble is at noon and bass is dimed on the Le Bass; treble is turned all the way down and bass is at about 10 o'clock on the Landphil for a bit of a mid bump.

 

[cmcbass]

I use 3. Active eq on my bass, an hpf at the end of my pedalboard, and the eq on my amp. I used to have an mxr 10 band eq on my board, but then I came to realize I had been leaving it bypassed almost all of the time. Took it off for more fun effects!

 

[Biggbass]

just the one knob on the bass and the basic amp EQ has always worked for me.

 

[Frank77]

What are you doing for eq?

As little as possible.

This is what I use, and it has proven to be enough for me:

Depending on the room, I'll typically cut the "Depth" control a notch, and scoop the mids one notch if it's too nasal (I use a p-bass most of the time), otherwise it stays flat.

Now, If I'm playing upright it is slightly different. I'll use a fdeck hpf pre, followed by a Q\Strip into the same amp set flat. The piezo pickup needs good cuts around 200 Hz and 1.5 kHz to sound pleasant.

I tend to stay away from multiple EQ scenarios, it can be unnecessarily convoluted and potentially add some noise.

 

[iiipopes]

EMG active preamp. Then a direct box to my sound man. I don't know how many patches he uses on our digital board.