Is it the Amp, the eq, the room, or do I lack technique?

[Burnwood47]

Hi everyone!
Hope y’all doing great!

I’m a bit confused right now. I’ve been practicing bass for around 5 months now. I got myself a Squier PJ and a LaneyRB2, 30W.

I really dig the bass tone of R&B, but more than that, I really love the bass tone of Silk Sonic, sometimes the tone of the style like Amy Winehouse’s bassist had. (Sorry if I’m not that clear, I’m still learning about tones and music genres.)

I’ve been fiddling with EQ on the Amp, changed to flatwounds on my bass, fiddle with my tone knob on my bass but I can’t seem to be close to the tone that I love.

My setup is mostly in my bedroom, which is 6x6 meters.
Right now I have Bass at noon, mids at 9 and treble at noon.
Bass tone all the way down.

So my questions are:

Does the amp matters when I want to have a tone like R&B?
Do I need to have the amp at higher volume than 1 or 2? (My bedroom is small and I get a lot of muddy bass tone, even by cutting bass eq.)
Does my bass works with the genre I want?
Does the placement of the amp matters?
Do I suck?

Thanks everybody for reading

Take care!

 

[SJan3]

Pretty sure Amy Winehouse didn't play bass...but, as I recall, her bassist was using a hollow body bass (maybe a Hofner). Different vibe. I don't know your amp but I would not cut the mids at all and don't use the J pup on your bass. If anything, back off bass setting on your amp a notch or two. P pickup only and play close to the neck. No guarantees but it's worth a try.

 

[Burnwood47]

Pretty sure Amy Winehouse didn't play bass...but, as I recall, her bassist was using a hollow body bass. Different vibe. I don't know your amp but I would not cut the mids at all and don't use the J pup on your bass. If anything, back off bass setting on your amp a notch or two. P pickup only and play close to the neck. No guarantees but it's worth a try.

Yeah! That’s what I meant, lol the bassist. I also saw some videos where the bassist was playing a fender here

Helped a bit getting the bass a notch less, but upping the mids to noon gets me too much “nasal” sound

I’ve tried to put a foam at the bridge, but my strings rings like there are “two” and sounds weird when plucking near the bridge.

 

[SJan3]

Yeah! That’s what I meant, lol the bassist. I also saw some videos where the bassist was playing a fender here

Helped a bit getting the bass a notch less, but upping the mids to noon gets me too much “nasal” sound

I’ve tried to put a foam at the bridge, but my strings rings like there are “two” and sounds weird when plucking near the bridge.

Well, he's playing a Jazz Bass there. Your PJ is not going to get that tone. I can't see his amp but he is getting a dark tone. You might want to try a Jazz Bass (with flats).
Notice how he is plucking very close to the butt of the neck.

 

[Burnwood47]

Well, he's playing a Jazz Bass there. Your PJ is not going to get that tone. I can't see his amp but he is getting a dark tone. You might want to try a Jazz Bass (with flats).
Notice how he is plucking very close to the butt of the neck.

Thank you! I'm still catching some of that stuff. Still, I'm Mostly going for a tone like this which is why I went for a P bass.

Thank you for you kind directions

 

[Confunk]

"I’ve been practicing bass for around 5 months now. "

So as soon as I started reading your thread, this hit me. I totally understand both your concerns and frustration in getting THE tone you want. It's a compulsion, and without it, this Forum might not even exist!

Endless discussions about your signal chain- amp-bass-strings, pedals (or not) and so on have value.

But I would suggest after serious woodshedding, you just might find that the tone begins in your brain and ultimately winds up in your fingers, and after absorbing the necessary theory and fundamentals, and most of all PRACTICING 'til your fingers hurt, as well as playing with others and along with recordings... after a fair amount of time doing this, you might find that your tone improves greatly. 5 months is nuthin'!
Put in the work, and watch what happens- results won't take years, either- It'll be day by day so long as you work at it.

Now get off my lawn!

BTW_ Thundercat plays bass w/ SilkSonic, and he is scary good.

 

[Burnwood47]

Put in the work, and watch what happens- results won't take years, either- It'll be day by day so long as you work at it.

Thank you! I'm trying my best everyday!

 

[SJan3]

Yeah! That’s what I meant, lol the bassist. I also saw some videos where the bassist was playing a fender here

Helped a bit getting the bass a notch less, but upping the mids to noon gets me too much “nasal” sound

I’ve tried to put a foam at the bridge, but my strings rings like there are “two” and sounds weird when plucking near the bridge.

Placement of the foam will make a difference in response. Try moving it forward or backward a little..

 

[SJan3]

Thank you! I'm still catching some of that stuff. Still, I'm Mostly going for a tone like this which is why I went for a P bass.

Thank you for you kind directions

You should be able to approximate this tone with your P pickup. The introduction of the J pup tends to get nasally sounding. The PJ arrangement is loved by some and not by others. It has its merits. Just know that your amp is going to dramatically influence your tone. Again, I don't know Laney amps but amps like Aguilar, Ampeg and Mesa will get you in the ballpark.
Best of luck!

 

[sloppy_phil]

Hi everyone!
Hope y’all doing great!

I’m a bit confused right now. I’ve been practicing bass for around 5 months now. I got myself a Squier PJ and a LaneyRB2, 30W.

I really dig the bass tone of R&B, but more than that, I really love the bass tone of Silk Sonic, sometimes the tone of the style like Amy Winehouse’s bassist had. (Sorry if I’m not that clear, I’m still learning about tones and music genres.)

I’ve been fiddling with EQ on the Amp, changed to flatwounds on my bass, fiddle with my tone knob on my bass but I can’t seem to be close to the tone that I love.

My setup is mostly in my bedroom, which is 6x6 meters.
Right now I have Bass at noon, mids at 9 and treble at noon.
Bass tone all the way down.

So my questions are:

Does the amp matters when I want to have a tone like R&B?
Do I need to have the amp at higher volume than 1 or 2? (My bedroom is small and I get a lot of muddy bass tone, even by cutting bass eq.)
Does my bass works with the genre I want?
Does the placement of the amp matters?
Do I suck?

Thanks everybody for reading

Take care!

Give it time, you are on the right track. Flatwounds and a PJ should be fine of the stuff you are talking about, especially if you turn the J pickup off. The amp probably isn't ideal for your needs, but it should also be capable of doing a decent version of what you are after. Try turning the amp up a bit more, but backing off the bass frequencies even more. Although you are playing a bass, you don't necessarily need a ton of "bass" from the amp. Especially for these classic tones, which are warm and round, but not *super* heavy on the low end. AND in a reasonably small room, just by yourself. With a band, that sort of EQ probably wouldn't go as well!

@Confunk is spot on regarding practice; as you get better so will your tone! Let me ask, though; what are you hearing when you play, compared to what you are hoping to hear? If you can describe a little more specifically how your tone isn't working for you right now, perhaps that can guide the advice you are looking for.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hi everyone!
Hope y’all doing great!

I’m a bit confused right now. I’ve been practicing bass for around 5 months now. I got myself a Squier PJ and a LaneyRB2, 30W.

I really dig the bass tone of R&B, but more than that, I really love the bass tone of Silk Sonic, sometimes the tone of the style like Amy Winehouse’s bassist had. (Sorry if I’m not that clear, I’m still learning about tones and music genres.)

I’ve been fiddling with EQ on the Amp, changed to flatwounds on my bass, fiddle with my tone knob on my bass but I can’t seem to be close to the tone that I love.

My setup is mostly in my bedroom, which is 6x6 meters.
Right now I have Bass at noon, mids at 9 and treble at noon.
Bass tone all the way down.

So my questions are:

Does the amp matters when I want to have a tone like R&B?
Do I need to have the amp at higher volume than 1 or 2? (My bedroom is small and I get a lot of muddy bass tone, even by cutting bass eq.)
Does my bass works with the genre I want?
Does the placement of the amp matters?
Do I suck?

Thanks everybody for reading

Take care!

Amp flat. Then, raise mids a notch. Treble down a notch. Turn it up.

You deserve to be with someone as fly as me.

 

[Wasnex]

Thank you! I'm still catching some of that stuff. Still, I'm Mostly going for a tone like this which is why I went for a P bass.

Thank you for you kind directions

Perhaps the problem is you haven't realized that a live bass amp typically does not sound the same as great recorded bass tone. The tone in this recording is very easy to get in a studio. A P-bass with rounds and appropriate processing to include EQ and compression should easily get in the ballpark. IMHO, relatively fresh rounds are more important than the model of bass. Lot's of basses can get in the ballpark.

Part of the problem relates to the compromises needed to make a bass amp loud enough to do the job. To some degree, fidelity is traded for efficiency. In my experience bass amps tend to be way less focused and controlled than the tone you hear on many recordings.

Another big problem has to do with acoustics. Bass tends to bounce around the room rather than dying out immediately when you stop playing. So you typically have a lot of indirect energy bouncing around and competing with/masking your direct sound.

A concept you will frequently see discussed on TB is the difference between "bedroom" tone and a good live tone. Bedroom tone sounds great when you play by yourself, but tends to get lost in the mix when you are playing with others.

If you have aspirations of playing professionally, you should try to stop chasing tone so much. Tone is important, but you have to learn to do the best you can under the circumstances. In many circumstances it's difficult if not impossible to get anything approaching studio quality tone. Also, most people will not appreciate you fussing with your tone controls constantly during a gig. My advice is quickly dial your gear in as best as you can, and then you shift focus to playing/performing.

 

[Aloe]

1. the amp really doesn't matter as much, but don't be afraid to turn off horn and cut the treble on the amp
2. well, on the other hand, a 110 and a non-defeatable horn is not that a perfect match, I'd try a 115 without a horn instead
3. room placement will affect you very much (and likely contribute to muddyness), since your amp is rear-ported
4. if you want to determine, whether it's your room acoustics or your bass, try headphones. there's also a chance, your pickup height is wrong and that contributes

 

[Nebadon2000]

Wasnex tells the truth and if you absorb his info it can save you lot's of time, Money and frustration
I know from where I Speak

 

[Jeff Hughes]

Find a tone that makes you happy. Find a tone that makes you feel one with the vibrations.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Yeah! That’s what I meant, lol the bassist. I also saw some videos where the bassist was playing a fender here

Helped a bit getting the bass a notch less, but upping the mids to noon gets me too much “nasal” sound

I’ve tried to put a foam at the bridge, but my strings rings like there are “two” and sounds weird when plucking near the bridge.

Don't pluck too close to the bridge! That may work when emulating Jaco, but is very unlikely to provide the sound you want.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Of course the amp matters. A small combo like that won't give you the fat, deep lows of bigger, more expensive amps/cabs. A bigger amp won't be realistic for bedroom use though.

But the RB2 has a headphone out, right? Have you tested it? I've never tested the RB2 so I have no idea if the headphone output is any good but a decent pair of headphones will probably give you a fatter, tigher tone than the amp in the room. Practising on headphones can actually be a lot more fun than using the speaker in a small combo IMO. Just be careful with the volume. It's easy to underestimate how loud the volume is with headphones. You don't want to end up with tinnitus and end your career as a bass player permanently. Any sign of listening fatigue and/or ringing in your ears = lower the volume and KEEP it that way. Especially for longer practise sessions.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Perhaps the problem is you haven't realized that a live bass amp typically does not sound the same as great recorded bass tone. The tone in this recording is very easy to get in a studio. A P-bass with rounds and appropriate processing to include EQ and compression should easily get in the ballpark. IMHO, relatively fresh rounds are more important than the model of bass. Lot's of basses can get in the ballpark.

Part of the problem relates to the compromises needed to make a bass amp loud enough to do the job. To some degree, fidelity is traded for efficiency. In my experience bass amps tend to be way less focused and controlled than the tone you hear on many recordings.

Another big problem has to do with acoustics. Bass tends to bounce around the room rather than dying out immediately when you stop playing. So you typically have a lot of indirect energy bouncing around and competing with/masking your direct sound.

A concept you will frequently see discussed on TB is the difference between "bedroom" tone and a good live tone. Bedroom tone sounds great when you play by yourself, but tends to get lost in the mix when you are playing with others.

If you have aspirations of playing professionally, you should try to stop chasing tone so much. Tone is important, but you have to learn to do the best you can under the circumstances. In many circumstances it's difficult if not impossible to get anything approaching studio quality tone. Also, most people will not appreciate you fussing with your tone controls constantly during a gig. My advice is quickly dial your gear in as best as you can, and then you shift focus to playing/performing.

Great post.

When I set up for a gig, I first position my speakers and adjust the LPF and EQ to suit the venue; if the venue is acoustically friendly, I tweak my bass, and then my amp, to create the sound that serves the music best in the context of the others on stage with me.
Chasing the tone in my head on gigs can be very counterproductive; play the music, not the instrument.

 

[Yogi Bear]

Chasing a specific tone can be a rabbit hole from which many never escape. If you can approximate the tone you’re looking for you’re already ahead of the game. Even those who say they “nail” their favorites player’s tone rarely get it exactly the same… simply because they’re not that player. There are a lot of other intangibles that go into their mix. Also the best thing about playing music is exploring what tones work best for you. Take a little from the Jameson bucket, a little from Squire, a dash of Sir Paul, etc. Self expression and bass is a glorious thing!

Honestly, as others have already mentioned, getting to know your instrument is going to be your biggest advantage. IMO, time spent chasing tones often detracts from time that can be spent practicing or just having fun playing along with your favorite tunes.

 

[jlo95]

"I’ve been practicing bass for around 5 months now. "

But I would suggest after serious woodshedding, you just might find that the tone begins in your brain and ultimately winds up in your fingers, and after absorbing the necessary theory and fundamentals, and most of all PRACTICING 'til your fingers hurt, as well as playing with others and along with recordings... after a fair amount of time doing this, you might find that your tone improves greatly. 5 months is nuthin'!
Put in the work, and watch what happens- results won't take years, either- It'll be day by day so long as you work at it.

This right here. It's in the hands. OP, set your amp EQ at noon and forget about it. With EQ set flat (flat being bass, mid, treble at noon) the tone you're hearing is hands first and amp second.

Good bass tone, IMO, comes from strong fingers. Strong fingers come from years of practice and performance.

Keep up the good work. Love the process. You'll get there. You're already well on your way.

John