I don't like too much "definition". Am I the only one?

[Camarillo]

In my taste, I like the bass to be "felt" than "heard". I don't mean it has to be low in volume in the mix. I would say it's a vintage style sound approach.
I prefer flats over roundwounds. When roundwounds I prefer (old) nickels.
I prefer fingers over pick.
Regarding cabinets I prefer 12" and 15", I'd like to try 18"....
I try to find the clipped (compressed) sound of valve heads or DI's form the past, with less dynamics (I don't own one unfortunately, I compensate with pedals and plugins in my daw).
I'm in the mood of swapping pickups on my '91 MIM Jazz Bass, and I ordered the Epic Custom Shop E1 because they sound fatter and with less attack.
In the same mood I was considering an high mass bridge but considering what I am listening here, I prefer the warmth of the vintage bridge.
When I mix my recordings I prefer the compressor set with an aggressive fast attack to smooth the transients and let the notes to "fade in" more gently. I don't play metal, or funky slap, but more soul, soft rock and I don't need "the other" type of sound.
Obviously the genre matters.
Am I the only one? What other "tricks" do you use to achieve "that" type of sound?

 

[mongo2]

I'm more interested in thump than twang. I use passive pickups, nylon tapewound strings and neck or middle position pickups. I also pluck near the neck and use upright style right hand fingering techniques to help get it.

 

[marchone]

It’s old school vs modern. It happened when Fender moved the bridge pup on the Jazz Bass. Then electronics went onboard. The rest was when tubes were replaced by circuit boards.

I play passive basses too. I was dismayed by the modern tones I got from SS amps. Then I learned I could get a B-15N palette through a pedal.

I’m happy now.

 

[bassdude51]

That's what the "tone control" is for! I don't like toooo much definition either!

 

[Killing Floor]

I have vintage passives with flats and some actives and EBMM with rounds so I cover the range that way. I keep my compressor as more of a high limit and as a bonus it rounds up any light harmonics when I’m trying to be all Jaco which I’m honestly not fooling anyone. And a tube preamp pedal for a little hair when it’s needed. I guess there are a lot of different preferences and surely it depends what you play.

 

[Camarillo]

Yeah...and of course I prefer passive over active, and tone know not over 50%

 

[Camarillo]

Then I learned I could get a B-15N palette through a pedal.

I’m happy now.

What pedal?

 

[marchone]

Broughton Fliptop.

What pedal?

 

[Camarillo]

Broughton Fliptop.

Didn't know it. Thanks!

 

[Killed_by_Death]

If you're playing arrangements with loads of chords, you'll want that higher-definition.
Most bass-players do not play chords & are the polar opposite to this:

 

[One_Dude]

I have the following bass cabinets; 2x10, 4x10, 1x12, 1x15, and 1x18. The sound I like best is the 1x18, but I almost never have the chance to use it for a gig. Not sure why that is, it just seems to work out that way.

Thump on,

One_Dude

 

[micguy]

I like a good solid low end, but most of the time, I need a good attack on the note, too. Any tune with a decent amount of energy, I need to be part of driving the beat, and that means I need attack/definition.

 

[kodiakblair]

Single coil in my P-bass is wound to 29.9k. Pair that with Flats , 0.1 cap and tone rolled back, pluck with thumb.

Nope @Camarillo , you are not alone my friend

 

[CryingBass]

Modern Tubes

Vintage Tubes

Pick any 2

 

[Lagado]

I think the 18"s would be your cup of tea, way back I used a Peavey 1820 which was an 18" with two 10"s. Big fundamental spread, you could feel it.

 

[CryingBass]

361

 

[bassliner50]

Alnico 5 pickups. Wound to 10.2K

 

[Element Zero]

I enjoy a really smooth top end. I’ll take out a few db around 2.7KHZ and boost some 60HZ. Works for me.

 

[jamro217]

I angle my bass in a more upright position than horizontal and pluck near the end of the board with the fleshy (side) part of my fingers. By lowering the tone and volumes (especially on the Ric) the tone mellows out nicely without any harshness. I run a compressor most of the time, too. Learning how to EQ your gear is crucial to getting a good sound.

 

[marchone]

Didn't know it. Thanks!

There’s a mega thread here in Effects. They are hard to get but I got lucky.