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How to make an electric bass sound like an upright? (BASS NOOB ALERT!)

G

GG90

Jun 5, 2006
12
0
#1
Hey guys, this is a question about how i can try and make my electric bass sound as much like an upright as possible, without having to consider things like a new amp or bass, so things like adjusting eq settings, strings, using some kind of effects maybe?
I'm playing in a school jazz band where we play old-school twelve bar blues style songs with the walking upright bass sound, so this is the kind of thing I'm going for.
Also i wasn't too sure which part of the forum this should have been posted so i just went effects, apologies if I got it wrong!
And thanks for the help in advance:)
 
#3
hahah actually nothing special at all about what i use,
D'addario nickelwounds,
a samick cobra bass (aka worst instrument ever made) w/ stock pickups,
and the school amp i've forgotten what brand it was.
so i'm quite limited in my methods to change my sound :crying: also i wonder if theres any approach to picking the strings that can bring my sound closer to that of an upright?
 
#5
1. Turn up your bass knob.
2. Turn down your treble.
3. Rest the outside edge of your palm over the strings near the bridge
4. Pluck the string with your thumb.

You should get a nice thumpy round bottom without much sustain this way - when done with some practice it can really sound nice.

Lonnybass
 
#6
As far as strings go, you'd do well to put on some flatwounds. There are a number of brands that people like... LaBella, Thomastik-Infield... plenty of others.

String mutes are also commonly used by people looking to get a more upright-like sound. Just keep in mind that nothing really sounds like an upright aside from an upright, but some flatwounds and string mutes will get you close as you can get.
 
#8
Mutes are usually just pieces of foam that rest on the underside of the string. You could probably make do with a cutout sponge.

It does pretty much the same thing as:
Lonnybass said:
1. Turn up your bass knob.
2. Turn down your treble.
3. Rest the outside edge of your palm over the strings near the bridge
4. Pluck the string with your thumb.
Click to expand...

But frees up your right hand more.
 
#9
GG90 said:
and also I'm trying to stick to things like messing around with eq rather than buy myself any new gear, but thanks anyways!
Click to expand...

By dialing down the high mids and treble quite a bit, it'll help. The thumb-plucking suggestion may be a good idea, too, as is that foam idea.

To get closer to the upright tone, you really should get a set of flatwounds on your bass - it'll make the biggest tone and feel difference in areas that EQ can't touch. It's only about a $25 or less investment, and flatwounds will last you a LONG time, considering how you plan on using them.
 
#11
Flats. Without flats you will not sound like an upright. So I would get some flats. Your first step, honestly, in truth, to get right to the skinny of it, resides in flatwound strings.
 
#13
+1 on the flats, and equally important +1 on the change of technique. We've had a LOT of threads on this subject, in every subforum here, and the guys that play both BG and upright say that they get the most "upright-like" sound from their BG by playing it with upright-style technique, regardless of the pickups, strings, EQ settings, etc. Note: to learn upright technique, check over in the DB forums. ;)
 
#14
The flats are a very good idea, but you may want to try playing around with how you pluck the strings you have now too. Try plucking closer to the neck than bridge. Roll the treble back on your amp. Use different attacks and finger approaches. Be sure to try using your thumb with even downstrokes.

What upright players are you listening too/who do you want to sound like? I hate to say it, but that electric will never sound like a real upright, they're just too different sounds. However, with a little patience you can get something acceptable for your purposes. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
#15
FWIW - which probably isn't much in this case and I wouldn't bother posting except this is in the effects forum and I'm guessing someone must have created an upright effects box at some point so I'm curious about that? There is bound to an effect that would facilitate an upright tone. Maybe an acoustic pre.

The upright patchs on the Roland V bass using TI flats is as close as I've come. Passable in a mix not quite there solo, at least not using a fretted bass, fretless don't know about. At any rate, not cheap or particularly convenient cause you need the GK pup to access the COSM modeling which is needed for those patches cause it's not the same just ran through the bass pup.

Also mags pups that put out a woody tone are much more conduscive to an upright effect. Piezo's can help some too. About anything that will add a hollow, percussive tone with an airy treble side will assist - like a presence control.
 
#16
+1 on thumb, lo treble and mute.

Interesting - I just approached this problem myself last week. I don't have the luxury of flatwounds since I must cater to a bunch of styles, so my roundwounds stay.

But even with my modern, very bright bass (Dingwall ABII), I get a very passable DB tone by cranking the treble all the way off on the bass, palm muting and playing with the softest part of my thumb. And I REALLY mute, so the sustain is almost non-existant.

Some stiff foam stuffed under the strings at the bridge will make life easier. I don't have that luxury because of my varied live repertoire, but you should do it. Thank goodness I only need this sound on one song, it is difficult to play anything fancy with one thumb while palm muting.
 

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