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Im officially a "No" tweeter guy

#122
FFTT said:
Since when does BASS need to cover high frequencies?

Might as well switch to playing guitar or have your hearing checked for a high frequency loss.
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I don't think it "needs" to. The "need" argument is so far from how I approach things that it is foreign. I don't need a car that will do 125 mpg. I don't need a 4000 square foot house. I really want these things though.

If it were all based on need, the bass guitar would still look like the original Telecaster P bass. That is all we "need". I think it is great that people wanted more: round wound strings, 5 string basses, 6 string basses, fretless, on board preamps......so forth.

For my tone and my voice, I want as much "natural" clarity as I can get. I change strings around every 12th hour of play time. That, plus a tweeter makes it where I don't have to boost highs. Boostings highs makes things sound clanky to my ears and it hurts.
 
#123
To each their own.

I never cared for lead bass players or 6 string basses, but do understand why a lower register 5 string or 4 string running BEAD are used extensively today.

My favorite cab is still my original flat back SVT loaded with CTS AlNiCos, but I also have used 2X15's and would still like to pick up an EV/Mesa Road Ready 18"

To me and a whole lot of other seasoned bass players, the bass player's job is to hold the low end.
 
#124
I keep the tweeter control on my (Eden) cabs at 1/2 "labelled FLAT on the back of the cab". After reading this thread last night I tested with the tweeters mostly off. I was thinking the advantage would be reduction in string noise - but to my surprise, I didn't find that string noise was reduced. I found the sound to be "duller" not necessarily better. Maybe I'm just not used to it. I don't see much advantage to turning them completely off if string noise is not reduced and the sound is duller.
 
#125
I understand some bass styles require round wounds, but I stopped using them on my vintage basses after seeing how badly they caused fret wear.
Recording, using round wounds burned up a bunch of time on the clock fighting string noise and finger clack and a nasty whiny midrange tone.
We needed to bring in my SVT and that burned up even more time to set up and dial in usable tones.
 
#126
FFTT said:
I understand some bass styles require round wounds, but I stopped using them on my vintage basses after seeing how badly they caused fret wear.
Recording, using round wounds burned up a bunch of time on the clock fighting string noise and finger clack and a nasty whiny midrange tone.
We needed to bring in my SVT and that burned up even more time to set up and dial in usable tones.
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If i go into the studio im bringing my 76 Precision with Flatwounds
 
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#129
If you want a different sound for some songs and don't want the hi-fi of a tweeter in your rig, there are some pedals that can step in. For instance, take a bass wah and leave it at a fixed position to give you a boosted high frequency narrow band.
 
#133
FFTT said:
Since when does BASS need to cover high frequencies?
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stonewall said:
About 6 years ago i purchased a New Fender CS 64 Jazz Relic Closet Classic paid $2700.I love this Bass its by far the bass bass i have ever owned or played.When i purchased it my amp was a 90,s Yorkville 400B single 15 w/horn then later a Traynor Dyna Bass 800H/90,s Ampeg Cab single 15 w/horn .I rarely ever had a need to touch the tone controls set at flat are the tones i like.I play with both my pups wide open and the tone control at about half.About 4 months ago i purchased a Mark Bass Jeff Berlin bass amp "No Tweeter" i love the tones also set at flat on this amp the only difference is now i turn my tone control on my bass wide open.I really notice a different voice coming from my bass i have always loved her tones but now im hearing this unique sweet voice that adds so much charactor to my sound.Ive just recently bought a 76 Fender Precision same thing tone control wide open perfect tones to my ears.Every once in a while you here a P or J bass with that extra sweet unique voice im wondering if this is how players achieve this ?
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I've heard arguments like yours before, and frankly, you sound like a guy who really likes the old school of tone and nothing else. Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes I want that too. Notice the OP is mentioning that he is actually getting more enjoyment from his bass when he realizes the higher mids he gets back when his passive tone control isn't being used and by turning his tweeter off he was able to realize different options.
 
#135
One more additional comment, I think this thread is more about the higher midrange content the Op was "finding" when he tried a different approach. Not so much about tweeters, but the range of frequencies INBETWEEN the cross over region of the woofer and tweeter. (2khz - 3 kHz range ) perhaps this thread would be more accurately titled "I'm officially a no 4khz-10khz kind of guy" because whether it's a tweeter, horn, or dog whistle that your are using, it's still just doing a job of amplifying specific frequencies.
 
#136
Doug Parent said:
One more additional comment, I think this thread is more about the higher midrange content the Op was "finding" when he tried a different approach. Not so much about tweeters, but the range of frequencies INBETWEEN the cross over region of the woofer and tweeter. (2khz - 3 kHz range ) perhaps this thread would be more accurately titled "I'm officially a no 4khz-10khz kind of guy" because whether it's a tweeter, horn, or dog whistle that your are using, it's still just doing a job of amplifying specific frequencies.
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No ...im saying i do not like tweeters.
 
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#137
Maybe with a cheap, mass production amp, even cheaper speakers and a lousy cab design, you might need a tweeter,
but with a fine tube amp, great speakers and a well designed cab and a great instrument, there's no need for no dad gum tweeter.

If you like to tweet, hang out at Twitter! :-)
 
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#139
hasbeen said:
I don't think it "needs" to. The "need" argument is so far from how I approach things that it is foreign. I don't need a car that will do 125 mpg. I don't need a 4000 square foot house. I really want these things though.

If it were all based on need, the bass guitar would still look like the original Telecaster P bass. That is all we "need". I think it is great that people wanted more: round wound strings, 5 string basses, 6 string basses, fretless, on board preamps......so forth.

For my tone and my voice, I want as much "natural" clarity as I can get. I change strings around every 12th hour of play time. That, plus a tweeter makes it where I don't have to boost highs. Boostings highs makes things sound clanky to my ears and it hurts.
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with that. I'm for whatever anyone wants their sound to be. I quoted Beans' months-old post in my sig, but only because it's funny ;) Just wanted to make that clear to those who might think I'm goofing on their tastes with that sig. However, I'll probably pull it just because I don't want to insult my bass friends who like the highs. I guess as I get older, political correctness appeals more and more to me ;)

But re: the 4000 sq ft house, I thought I would like a big house like that too until we moved into a house that had 1000 more sq ft and I realized that just meant more cleaning and more vacuuming ;)
 

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