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Is anyone else completely in love with their tone?

#41
bking0217 said:
I had a bit of a realization earlier today while I was practicing. I don't need to buy any more gear. The tone I'm getting from my Spector NS Ethos HP 4 through my Ampeg RB-110 is that "pure magic" I've been looking for for the last 30 years. Is anyone else fortunate enough to find their magic?
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I'm certainly happy with my tone, and I know how to manipulate my technique, amp controls, and instrument controls to get sounds I want. I think that happiness is ALSO having fair expectations of the gear. For instance, if I'm playing a Stingray, I know it's not going to sound like a Jazz Bass, even if I can adjust the active EQ to get the instrument in more of a Jazz Bass ballpark instead of leaving the EQ flat. I don't think "loving" my tone is important but being able to get the right tones for the right songs and moments and feeling continuing inspiration from that tone is among the most important things, no matter practicing at home and gigs.

But feeling you don't need to buy more gear is a great thing, surely.

I played a blues jam for the first time in ten years, this past weekend. I actually really disliked the tone of the bass amp as a player, but it worked well enough in the room as a listener to the amp owner with a passive Precision Bass (I had to really EQ the Stingray very differently to take the mud out of the sound). Despite the amp, there was magic onstage of sorts where everything flowed nicely with no train wrecks and people playing in a mostly complimentary way.
 
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#43
I'm definitely in love with my current tone with my band:

I play this:
1730820891667.png


Or this:
1730820971032.png


Strung with these strings:
1730821131889.png


Played with this pick:
1730821223670.png


Through this bass station:
1730821306486.png


😍 :bassist::cool:
 
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#44
Thunderthumbs73 said:
I'm certainly happy with my tone, and I know how to manipulate my technique, amp controls, and instrument controls to get sounds I want. I think that happiness is ALSO having fair expectations of the gear. For instance, if I'm playing a Stingray, I know it's not going to sound like a Jazz Bass, even if I can adjust the active EQ to get the instrument in more of a Jazz Bass ballpark instead of leaving the EQ flat. I don't think "loving" my tone is important but being able to get the right tones for the right songs and moments and feeling continuing inspiration from that tone is among the most important things, no matter practicing at home and gigs.

But feeling you don't need to buy more gear is a great thing, surely.

I played a blues jam for the first time in ten years, this past weekend. I actually really disliked the tone of the bass amp as a player, but it worked well enough in the room as a listener to the amp owner with a passive Precision Bass (I had to really EQ the Stingray very differently to take the mud out of the sound). Despite the amp, there was magic onstage of sorts where everything flowed nicely with no train wrecks and people playing in a mostly complimentary way.
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One aspect that I think is often overlooked is that the tone does affects your playing, different tones actually physically feels different in your fingers, so being comfortable with the tone you are having is actually quite crucial for being able to play optimally.
 
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#47
I'm easy. I mostly record, don't play live that much. My tonal objective is simply the classic sound of a nice DI'd Pbass (no amp track) through a quality front end, so if I can't get there after some 40 years of playing and decades of recording then I should find other work!
 
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#48
bking0217 said:
The tone I'm getting from my ... is that "pure magic" I've been looking for for the last 30 years. Is anyone else fortunate enough to find their magic?
Click to expand...
I found it in the past unfortunately don't have it now but will revisit in the close future. My all-round tone is a LAKLAND 55-94 ash/maple with the Lakland Hanson LH-3 pickups and preamp. When I found this combo I realized I wasn't playing my other basses, even LAKLAND's other models
 
#49
I would say yes. Lot has to do with the Earnie Ball Music Man Stingray Special. The other…….SPECTOR Euro 4LX baby!!

Took about 9 months of fiddling with pedals and amp settings and string brands for the passive Fender Jazz. But I feel I’m pretty good there as well.
 
#51
I’ve been putting a lot of focus on discovering how to bring out the unique tonal characteristics of each instrument more. In general, I’ve always sounded like me, but I’m trying to learn how to become more tonally flexible both at the amp, with the bass, and with my technique. It has been very rewarding, but I still have ways to go to really lock in consistency with the sound I’m producing for anything that is not “normal” me. The next step is really going to be learn how to do it in a band context as certain EQ consideration need to be put in place to really maximize the tone in a band context.
 
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#52
The best tone I ever had was going directly through the Mic input of the Technics living room organ I once owned, it wasn't that loud though, perfect for home practice, and it had like 5 speakers of different sizes build in.

Kind of regret getting rid of that organ.

Very clear and articulate, full, clean tone.

It sounded amazing, but it weighted like a ton.
 
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#55
I was (Empress Bass Compressor, Empress Para EQ Deluxe II into a REDDI tube DI, no effects, just great tone) and then I tried something more compact (Stomp for both bass and bass synth so I didn't have to haul a synth around) and I am not as happy. I find myself heading back to what I had before. I now run my Stomp into a Khan tube DI. I will probably get another Empress Bass Compressor as well. I'll keep the Stomp for now as I do use a couple effects, but any amp or cab modeling will not be used. I may use some EQ for high and low pass, and possibly a boost for a bass with a little weaker output than my others. I am back to a real synth for synth bass. It just sounds better.
 
#56
After 45 years of chasing that "perfect" tone, I took some time away from music. Over most of those last 40 years all that tone chasing was somewhat of a waste of time given that (like others have said) it mostly gets buried in the mix.

But in coming back to playing bass again, I am approaching things differently. While I can get almost any tone I desire out of this rig (below), I find the real key is playing with others who understand volume control on stage and choosing to no longer play in loud bands. I'm experimenting a lot with chordal work on my 6 string, so what works solo also works well with other like minded musicians who value and appreciate subtleties in music. "Cutting through the mix" is no longer an issue and have no desire to play music with anyone that would require me to do so.

There isn't any tone I can't get out of this little rig (Fender Rumble 100, Zoom B1FOUR pedal with my Ibanez SR206)...and of course my own hands. ;)

Bass-Central-Office-Space.jpg
 
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#58
Yes, I am getting absolutely perfect P bass and Stingray tone:

American Original P
PV63 pickup
LaBella LTF flats w/ foam mute
Apollo HiZ input: UAD B15 > UAD 1176 > UAD API 560

2006 Stingray 4 H
Chromes ECB80 w/ foam mute
Apollo HiZ input: UAD B15 > UAD 1176 > UAD API 560

Going for a "brighter" maple P bass tone next (chromes) and lastly a Jazz bass again (have never yet achieved a perfect one with a jazz, TIs are close)
 
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#59
Interesting that most tone comments are about gear rather than technique.

I've never understood that because good gear sounds bad in bad hands, and ok gear can sound great in the right hands. I think gear only matters if you have a tonal ideal in your head, but you probably find you are pulled towards that on whatever you play. Type of gear gives you a flavour but rest is up to you. A lot of tone comes from transients in your attack, the set up of the bass, and how your string choice complements that.

Don't flame me, I still like gear of course :)
 
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