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lack of fatness

Phaidrus

Phaidrus

Oct 25, 2009
2,852
3,358
#1
No way I'm getting anywhere near such fat tones as Flabba Holt does playing the Ab, Bb and Gb of this bassline on the D string, although my Pbass is strung with a .070 D. Any suggestions?

My gear: Fender 2008 Am. Std. Pbass with PV63 pickup strung with 50-70-85-105 Dunlop flats. Flabba Holt is possibly playing his Steinberger on this track, don't know what strings he's using.

 
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#4
It's a Pbass that I've specifically set up for a fat and full reggae tone: PV63 pickup with appropriate capacitor, flatwound strings (currently Dunlop 50-70-85-105). But I never really achieved that and comparing its tone with that of any given reggae recording, for example the one above, shows this lack of fatness and fullness. I even strung it with a custom string set for thicker D and G strings - to no avail. Is perhaps the type of bass the issue? Does one get those thick tones only out of (active) Jbass type basses?
 
#5
Phaidrus said:
It's a Pbass that I've specifically set up for a fat and full reggae tone: PV63 pickup with appropriate capacitor, flatwound strings (currently Dunlop 50-70-85-105). But I never really achieved that and comparing its tone with that of any given reggae recording, for example the one above, shows this lack of fatness and fullness. I even strung it with a custom string set for thicker D and G strings - to no avail. Is perhaps the type of bass the issue? Does one get those thick tones only out of (active) Jbass type basses?
Click to expand...
Have you experimented with compression? On a produced track, I'd wager that compression is one of the tricks in the toolbox.
 
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#7


Donstrumental is more focused on the playing technique and note choice here, but I think it's a nice Flabba Holt tutorial which could aid you.

What helped me getting 'there' is compression and HPF.
I have my comp set to activate as soon as I play with anything but a soft touch. My bass is set LOUD in the mix.

Dubby tones for a P bass will have me set the EQ with a massive bass boost, leaving the mids flat and depending on the freshness of the flatwound strings, a cut in the highs, which I prefer to do by rolling them off on the bass and leaving them as they are everywhere else.
Also, the plucking hand will be sitting around the place where the 24th fret would be, to get that big sound out of the bass.

The HPF is essential in that scenario because it allows more boost in the bass frequencies.
I boost the bass until it's as fat as I like, but then it's also muddy. Then I simply raise the frequency of the HPF until the mud is gone, but the fatness still there.
 
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#10
Nighttrain1127 said:
If you a
change that cap out for a Higher value cap it will make a huge difference and cost very little.
Click to expand...

I have already installed a .82 cap on this Pbass. Has made a difference, I think, but still...
Stock cap and replacement in the pics below.

cap1.JPG
cap2.JPG
 
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#12
el murdoque said:


Donstrumental is more focused on the playing technique and note choice here, but I think it's a nice Flabba Holt tutorial which could aid you.

What helped me getting 'there' is compression and HPF.
I have my comp set to activate as soon as I play with anything but a soft touch. My bass is set LOUD in the mix.

Dubby tones for a P bass will have me set the EQ with a massive bass boost, leaving the mids flat and depending on the freshness of the flatwound strings, a cut in the highs, which I prefer to do by rolling them off on the bass and leaving them as they are everywhere else.
Also, the plucking hand will be sitting around the place where the 24th fret would be, to get that big sound out of the bass.

The HPF is essential in that scenario because it allows more boost in the bass frequencies.
I boost the bass until it's as fat as I like, but then it's also muddy. Then I simply raise the frequency of the HPF until the mud is gone, but the fatness still there.
Click to expand...


Thanks. Yes, I've watched this Donstrumental video but I'll watch it again. There's always something to learn there. By the way, Don has a massive fat tone but he's playing an active Elite Jbass.

Which HPF are you using? And which compressor?
 
#13
Phaidrus said:
No way I'm getting anywhere near such fat tones as Flabba Holt does playing the Ab, Bb and Gb of this bassline on the D string, although my Pbass is strung with a .070 D. Any suggestions?

My gear: Fender 2008 Am. Std. Pbass with PV63 pickup strung with 50-70-85-105 Dunlop flats. Flabba Holt is possibly playing his Steinberger on this track, don't know what strings he's using.

Click to expand...


Play those same notes on the A string up the neck and the tone will be very different

also try a bass EQ pedal and dial in low mids and bass
 
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#16
Ric5 said:
Play those same notes on the A string up the neck and the tone will be very different

also try a bass EQ pedal and dial in low mids and bass
Click to expand...

I could play these notes up the neck on the A string but it'll be on a relatively short length of string and they'll start to sound funky and not deep and monumental as befits a reggae dub track. He's playing them on the G string (as can be seen on video above) and I really wonder how he gets this super rich tone out of the A string.
 
#18
Phaidrus said:
I could play these notes up the neck on the A string but it'll be on a relatively short length of string and they'll start to sound funky and not deep and monumental as befits a reggae dub track. He's playing them on the G string (as can be seen on video above) and I really wonder how he gets this super rich tone out of the A string.
Click to expand...

that has to be an octave pedal ...

I recently got this one and I like it ... with this octave pedal I can rattle the whole house with notes an octave lower than a normal bass guitar, and that is playing thru a 2x10 amp at low volume. the lowest few notes on your e string go sub sonic and if you play a 5 then you have 7 subsonic notes.

R.png
 
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