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I need all the help =(

I

ilovemysr505

Sep 30, 2009
61
1
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#1
Hi I'm sort of a new bassist. I've been playing bass for a few years now. I practice at random times in a week and i don't record my practice. My influences are Dream Theater, Metallica, Pantera, Gordian Knot, Jelly Jam and Symphony X.

I've done a few of their songs, As I Am, In The Name of God,Overture 1928 (Dream Theater) and some other songs like Inferno, In the Dragons Den, Domination and Sea of Lies(Symphony X).

I've always wondered why everytime before we start rehearsing or practicing, I'm always the first one who finishes setting up my sounds and stuff. While my guitarist and drummer are still tweaking some stuff of theirs. I am not using any effects, the only things I tweak are my Bass,Mid and Treble knobs on my bass and some more of it on the amps.

What effects should I use? I've heard of limiters and chorus effects but I'm not sure what they do. Is there a bass effect that every bass player should have? Should I buy a pedal? What is a recommended one that would help me get that clear bassy metal sounds that doesn't BOOM your ears away? Like that fat tone Thomas Miller of Symphony X uses. Or the tone John Myung uses in Dream Theater?

I'm kindof a closet bassist. I am confident with my skills and I will hopefully venture out the clubs soon enough. But with it, it's just plain skills. I want the people to hear my skills properly the way I want them to hear it. But I have no idea how...

I am using an Ibanez SR-505 with the built-in 2 Bartolini MK1 as the neck and bridge pick-up.

Please criticize and share your helpful opinions.
 
#2
Do you know what my friend. I did the rounds of rack gear, pedals etc to get different sounds, and yeah I got sounds I liked, but my favourite sounds I get these days are the ones straight from my bass and amp.
Point is other peoples opinions dont matter as much as your own - go and experiment! It's all part of the fun.
 
#4
No probs - and to expand on my answer a bit, I'm not sure about limiters so much but a compressor can be a bassists best friend - gives a more even tone I think. Distortion and overdrive pedals can get some nice nasty tones but I am yet to find one that doesn't suck out all the bottom end in your amplified sound. I find the best way to get a good gritty sound is to get an amp with master volume (or an input volume) with also a gain control and just use that to overdrive your sound a little. Use the input volume to control 'loudness' and the gain control for the amount of grit.
I'm not a big fan of chorus but an album where it was used well I think is 'The Persistence of Time' by Anthrax. I really like Frank Bello's sound there too!
 
#5
Sounds to me like someone might have a case of gadget envy. :) There is nothing wrong with NOT using effects. Whether or not you're the first to be done setting up doesn't matter. If you are happy with your sound and it fits the music, then why mess with what's working?

By the way, I also have an Ibanez SR505. Nice bass. With it, I only use a hint of compression when playing clean, and I sometimes dirty it up with fuzz. Those are really the only effects I seriously use.
 
#7
I always finish setting up first. Ricky bass into 2xAshly SC40 preamps, then into my Marshall VBA 400.
I usually help the drummer, setting up stands etc... Or I help out the guitarist.... saying "Too loud", or "more middle" etc. I expect the same help from them.
I've been playing 30 years too!!!
That's the whole point of being in a band. With our band, all egos are left outside of the gig, that way we're on the same page.
 

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