How to cut through the band?

[Joe Nerve]

I play a Fender Jazz but don't like the tone knob up. Just sounds crappy to me.

You will never get a different tone, unless you're open to, and willing to get a different tone. I see the above statement as your only problem. There is a tone control on your bass that you don't want to use, a tone control that holds your solution . That might sound flippant, but I believe it to be true. If you want to cut through more you will most likely have to surrender your idea of what sounds good, and what sounds like crap. Or experiment with different playing technique. What sounds great by itself doesn't always sound great in a band mix.

 

[Dan_reeves]

I went the other way string wise when is your position - I chose the most aggressive stainless strings I could find. Dunlop Super Bright Stainless Steel. Had no problem being heard with my MIM Jazz.

 

[Deadsound]

I do have an Aguilar TLC compressor. You think that would add something?

Yes, definitely Make it punchy

But I also agree that rolling up the tone knob is key and what sounds good alone is different from what sounds good in a mix.

 

[Emanuel Apascaritei]

Did you try doing it the way arround? By going neck pickup full...and go underneeth the band if you don´t have enough sonic space to cut trough. This is what I do when it´s impossible to cut trough. Try not to fight with others for the same frequency spectrum.

 

[vin*tone]

Maybe you could try and borrow a P for a jam and see how it goes. I actually had love/hate relationships with Precisions for about 5 years. Now it's pretty much the only bass I need.

 

[Dragan]

Too much mids wont help. Good compressor pedal/rack unit is great help assuming your playing is also firm and articulate. On jazz bass I roll both pick ups full on, sometime I even go front pick up 100% and bridge 70% giving that nice punchy P bass like - but fuller - sound - which sits in the mix nicely.

 

[mdogs]

You will never get a different tone, unless you're open to, and willing to get a different tone. I see the above statement as your only problem. There is a tone control on your bass that you don't want to use, a tone control that holds your solution . That might sound flippant, but I believe it to be true. If you want to cut through more you will most likely have to surrender your idea of what sounds good, and what sounds like crap. Or experiment with different playing technique. What sounds great by itself doesn't always sound great in a band mix.

This is spot on. I would add that I think the pickups they put in MIM J's sound dark compared to the better custom shop pickups in the American Standards. But having said that, any J pickups are going to sound muddy if you demand to turn the tone control all the way down. You said it sounds like crap if you turn it up, why? Having that tone control all the way down will hide things like string noise and sloppy fingering, of course there is only one solution for these issues.

 

[Ric5]

How to cut through the band?

TURN UP!

or get them to turn down

 

[Cat-A-Tonic]

I seem to remember an anecdote about one of the members of Mayhem cutting through the band with an axe...

 

[Spirit of Ox]

Try a Precision bass. They have a stronger midrange presence and a fuller sound than a Jazz bass. You don't really want to "cut" through the band. What you want to do is sit in the mix and have your own sonic space.

 

[DinoRock]

I started playing classic rock when it was just rock My main bass for live play was always a '74 Fender Jazz. I found the following generally worked for me: Rotosound Roundwound RS 66, neck (as it were) pup at 10, bridge pup at 6, tone at 7. I suspect that many here are right about the amp contributing. My stage gear, like me, is old (lots of Sunn cabs coupled with carvin and ampeg heads). I had no problem being heard and fitting in the mix. When doing smaller shows, I would make sure I had some 12s in the cabs. Today, most of my work is in the studio. I still have the J set up as above and probably find a spot for it on a couple of tunes per album. I also have a J similarly set up but with Lindy Fralins that give a slightly edgier tone..

 

[strictlybass_ic]

I think more surface area (or more efficiency) might be the ticket, especially if his problem is a distorting speaker.

I agree, but the "canned" response to this question is "more mids". Don't get me wrong, that totally works... but it also typically changes your tone. Just trying to throw out that there are other options, hopefully without getting flamed.

 

[micahwc]

Please excuse me if I read your post wrong, but you say you want to cut through the mix more and that your sound is too muddy; but you are playing with your neck pickup at 10 and your bridge pickup at 5 and the tone set to 1.

I think before you do anything too drastic you should try using more bridge pickup with a bit more tone.

If that doesn't do it right for you I would suggest a string change before anything else. Stainless steel strings for brighter sounds, flatwound chromes for darker sounds.

As far as the recommendation to try a P bass, a push/pull pot costs like $10 and can get you a really good approximation set up as a series/parallel switch.

I've been playing a MIM Jazz V since '99 and I found when I started playing it live that, even though I personally think it sounds better with low tone and the neck pickup hotter than the bridge; if I want anyone to hear me I have to go the other way. More bridge (or both all on) and the tone set high.

I also usually use Chrome flatwound strings and my right hand is over the fretboard, so I can get it to sound a little darker.

 

[darwin-bass]

I am surprised no one has asked how your recording was made. The recording may not reflect the true sound of your band.

THIS

90 percent chance the recording is misleading.

 

[Mr_Martin]

What is your amp and cab?

 

[gregmon79]

Well, for me, the first rule I have when it comes to tonal mix in the band and how you want to stand out, it starts with realizing what sounds great in your room will not mean it will sound great with the band.

For me, high mids is the secret. I had the same problems you are having a while back. Asked questions. Got a lot of answers and suggestions. Tried some, most didnt work. My point is, exhaust every possibility with what you have right now before you go buy an EQ pedal or preamp. That may be what you need. A Fender rumble 15 isnt the most ideal amp to be pronounced with in the mix. A Jazz, def is IMO. So you do have some pieces of the puzzle.

What is your EQ like on that amp??? A preamp MAY help you a bit...

 

[Mr_Martin]

 

[Bullitt5135]

+1 D'Addario Chromes, which will give you some room to turn up the tone knob without things getting to zingy.
+1 On a compressor pedal. I picked up a relatively inexpensive DOD Milkbox compressor. At my last gig, the singer said "Did you change something? You were really cutting through tonight -- in a good way."

Maybe consider an Auralex Gramma pad if you think the stage itself is adding to the boomy-muddiness.

 

[JYBass]

Hedge trimmer.
Jeremy

 

[lfmn16]

Well, for me, the first rule I have when it comes to tonal mix in the band and how you want to stand out, it starts with realizing what sounds great in your room will not mean it will sound great with the band.

+1

Until you learn this you will never fix the problem. I'm not crazy about the way my Tobias sounds on it's own, but boy does it sound GREAT in the mix.