I got a yorkville xm 800 bassmaster head, yorkville 8x8 cab and a peavy grind bass. Looking for any suggestions on amp settings. Got a band we do all originals influenced by rancid,nofx,misfits,greenday,blink 182 kinda stuff. Just not getting that quite in your face sound i am looking for. Any suggestions.
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looking for some advice on good punk settings
- Thread starter joelmesz
- Start date
Everything on 10? If it's punk, you shouldn't really give a ****
I agree with both of u guys lol and ya thats the problem just not getting that great deffinition in the mids and hi ends that rancid and nofx get. I will give it a try and try lowering the bass some and i play with the built in od on to give it that dirty grind
IMHO a big part of the "Punk" sound is striking the string very hard with a pick. If you can master this hard hitting, percussive style of picking you will sound Punk no matter what you are playing through. The other answers are spot on but i think its mostly technique.
Ya i dont use a pick but hit the strings hard. May have to learn how to use a pick lol have been playing bass for 15 years never used a pick
Being able to use a pick is a worthwhile skill. You can never have to many tools in the belt
Pick for sure. Round wound strings (DR Hi-Beams are a favorite of mine along with Labella Hard Rockin' Steels). Don't boost frequencies above 5khz - most punk players are focusing their grindy and clear tones between 800hz and 4khz. If you have a tweeter control on your cabinet, turn it way down so the distortion tones are not going into the tweeter. It will save your tweeter and sound better to your ears. Keep in mind what Mark Hoppus and many other punk players used on stage - Ampeg 810's (no tweeters and a 4khz roll off on their cabs). You can also try focusing more tone on your bridge pickup and using a pick. That should get you in the ball park right away.
I'd put some padding around those horns. Because sooner or later, you or someone else is going to get run through. Get strap locks or duct tape that strap on. I've seen dozens of instruments yanked out of performers hands over the years. Keep your head on a swivel and watch out for gobbing. If you don't know what gobbing is, look it up.
If your amp's onboard EQ isn't doing it for you try an EQ pedal. They're easily had for under $100 and can help you figure out how to get the tone you want by boosting or cutting certain frequencies.
I'd roll my bass knob all the way down and bring it up until you can hear all the low bass first. Then I'd focus on mids and treble to get the definition and note attack you want.
Also use more neck pickup for a P-ish sound. The 8x8 is not the problem, trust me.
I'd roll my bass knob all the way down and bring it up until you can hear all the low bass first. Then I'd focus on mids and treble to get the definition and note attack you want.
Also use more neck pickup for a P-ish sound. The 8x8 is not the problem, trust me.
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Good advice regarding picking vs. fingers. Big tone difference. Also the type of pick you use will alter your tone a lot. Thicker picks more meaty thud. Thinner picks more twang. Pick materials will also alter sound. If you have a music store near you where you can buy picks a la carte (vs. 5 or 10 packs), buy a bunch of different thicknesses and materials. You will be amazed at how different they sound.
I do a lot of punk rock covers, but I play them finger style with the tone carefully dialed in. I like a rich and full tone. I use some compression, some overdrive and some fuzz. The bottom line is, experiment! Dial in the tone you (and your band members) like.
Here's an example of my punk rock interpretation.
Here's an example of my punk rock interpretation.
Dominick C.
Guest
This. I leave my mids flat though and use a P bass.
Rancid, Green Day, and Blink all use a pick (not 100% on the others you've listed). The attack from a pick is something special as far as punk is concerned.
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+1 a proper pick technique will also give you consistency of attack; volume, and tone.
There's a quick cover of key things here.
Pick vs finger: a pick will give you a bitier more aggressive sound, but using your fingers is ok too.
Attack: most punk is played aggressively, and if you use fingers or a pick, be heavy handed. Hot responsive picks don't hurt.
Clank: a lot of punk bassist sound uses clank, aka strings hitting the fretboard. If gives you that percussive sound you hear sometimes. Just lower the action...
EQ: mid heavy, you want it to sound aggressive and mean. Mids do that well
Overdrive/distortion: a lot of punk bass tons are distorted or overdriven. This does two things actually. Number one is the obvious, it sounds overdriven. You can have a light overdrive or a nasty distortion, but find what you like and fits with the band. The second thing this does is compression. Since you're hammering the strings, a some compression can be a good thing. Of course if you have a tube amp you don't need to bother with these mostly, but for an SS amp a good overdrive pedal can help a lot.
Strings: round wounds are almost needed. Personally I love prosteels. They're rich, clear and have kick to them.
Final thing... Do what ever you want, these are just suggestions for the "standard" punk bass tone. If you wanna rock out with flats, fingers and a clean tone, do it.
Pick vs finger: a pick will give you a bitier more aggressive sound, but using your fingers is ok too.
Attack: most punk is played aggressively, and if you use fingers or a pick, be heavy handed. Hot responsive picks don't hurt.
Clank: a lot of punk bassist sound uses clank, aka strings hitting the fretboard. If gives you that percussive sound you hear sometimes. Just lower the action...
EQ: mid heavy, you want it to sound aggressive and mean. Mids do that well
Overdrive/distortion: a lot of punk bass tons are distorted or overdriven. This does two things actually. Number one is the obvious, it sounds overdriven. You can have a light overdrive or a nasty distortion, but find what you like and fits with the band. The second thing this does is compression. Since you're hammering the strings, a some compression can be a good thing. Of course if you have a tube amp you don't need to bother with these mostly, but for an SS amp a good overdrive pedal can help a lot.
Strings: round wounds are almost needed. Personally I love prosteels. They're rich, clear and have kick to them.
Final thing... Do what ever you want, these are just suggestions for the "standard" punk bass tone. If you wanna rock out with flats, fingers and a clean tone, do it.
