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Mods that make no discernable difference in your sound.
- Thread starter Harper
- Start date
Mods I'll do sometimes that make no diff to sound are things like changing hardware for color preference. Diff knobs if able to fit the ole numbered speed dial knobs. And fretboard marker add. Sometimes a bridge gets replaced for top load option if I got a spare one laying around.
I do hear a small and liked difference between frender thin bent metal style bridges and high mass bridges. Perhaps the way I process the sound or more hifi type rig for hearing it makes the difference. To me baddass bridges add a treble zingyness I dont like though. But for the bridges that come on basses I get. The only reason for change is cosmetic,or for top load, or to replace the baddass bridge the bass had on it when I got it. Lol. Other then baddass bridges, all high mass bridges to me create a small but liked sound difference over those thin bent metal fender bridges. Other hardware changes to me are purely cosmetic or for better function.
But really the only way anyone gets any proof that something improves their sound is by trying it themself personally. Anyone who wont go out there and try better cables or bridges and then says they dont change the sound at all cause some science test says so. Is being foolish imo. Human science for decades proved the world was flat. According to western world science, theres no validity to the main things chinese medicine orients to. Like energy flows. Yet lots of folks have recieved tons of help from chinese medicine that doesnt must exist and seldom if ever gets coverage under medical insurance plans in western world. If a person wont use their own ears to hear and listen, they might as well regard ears as having no purpose other then as decoration on the sides of ones head. Most midage adults have poor hearing ability for details that all healthy young children can hear. Obviously I doubt any of the pure hard science peeps here have the money to cover hearing tests for all participants in any of the "sound clip" tests etc that have been done on the forum. And to pay to provide all participants with the same headphones etc for the music gear test. Some sound systems do a much better job then many others for details in either the bass, midrange, or treble portion of sound spectrum. Of course itd be best for the music gear tester to fly everyone to their local to not only listen in person to test bass and to get their hearing test to see what results then show.
Id geauss that it would be reasonably true to say those who hear no difference when listening in person or thru exact same high end hifi sound playback system would also score more poorly on a comprehensive hearing test. Compared to those who hear a little bit of difference. But yeah some peeps hearing for details etc is bad enough that they cant hear any difference between radio shacks cheapest speaker cable and speaker cable that sells for $2 a foot or more. When tried on a $700 or more expensive stereo system. (Consisting of 2 speakers for stereo pair, a receiver, and a cd player plus good qaulity interconnect cable for cd to reciever. (not the type of absurd poor cable you buy for $5)
Heres real simple question for you. Which is more likely to let you hear difference between a bass guitar with a thin fender bridge and that same bass guitar with a babzik or other high end bridge?
#1. The new $100 bass combo with 12 inch speaker.
or:
#2. The new $850 Markbass combo with 12" speaker.
Or if you prefer instead of bass combo, the $40 headphones or the $200 headphones?
I do hear a small and liked difference between frender thin bent metal style bridges and high mass bridges. Perhaps the way I process the sound or more hifi type rig for hearing it makes the difference. To me baddass bridges add a treble zingyness I dont like though. But for the bridges that come on basses I get. The only reason for change is cosmetic,or for top load, or to replace the baddass bridge the bass had on it when I got it. Lol. Other then baddass bridges, all high mass bridges to me create a small but liked sound difference over those thin bent metal fender bridges. Other hardware changes to me are purely cosmetic or for better function.
But really the only way anyone gets any proof that something improves their sound is by trying it themself personally. Anyone who wont go out there and try better cables or bridges and then says they dont change the sound at all cause some science test says so. Is being foolish imo. Human science for decades proved the world was flat. According to western world science, theres no validity to the main things chinese medicine orients to. Like energy flows. Yet lots of folks have recieved tons of help from chinese medicine that doesnt must exist and seldom if ever gets coverage under medical insurance plans in western world. If a person wont use their own ears to hear and listen, they might as well regard ears as having no purpose other then as decoration on the sides of ones head. Most midage adults have poor hearing ability for details that all healthy young children can hear. Obviously I doubt any of the pure hard science peeps here have the money to cover hearing tests for all participants in any of the "sound clip" tests etc that have been done on the forum. And to pay to provide all participants with the same headphones etc for the music gear test. Some sound systems do a much better job then many others for details in either the bass, midrange, or treble portion of sound spectrum. Of course itd be best for the music gear tester to fly everyone to their local to not only listen in person to test bass and to get their hearing test to see what results then show.
Id geauss that it would be reasonably true to say those who hear no difference when listening in person or thru exact same high end hifi sound playback system would also score more poorly on a comprehensive hearing test. Compared to those who hear a little bit of difference. But yeah some peeps hearing for details etc is bad enough that they cant hear any difference between radio shacks cheapest speaker cable and speaker cable that sells for $2 a foot or more. When tried on a $700 or more expensive stereo system. (Consisting of 2 speakers for stereo pair, a receiver, and a cd player plus good qaulity interconnect cable for cd to reciever. (not the type of absurd poor cable you buy for $5)
Heres real simple question for you. Which is more likely to let you hear difference between a bass guitar with a thin fender bridge and that same bass guitar with a babzik or other high end bridge?
#1. The new $100 bass combo with 12 inch speaker.
or:
#2. The new $850 Markbass combo with 12" speaker.
Or if you prefer instead of bass combo, the $40 headphones or the $200 headphones?
How am I on "thin ice"? If I'm trying to make a statement, it would be that people maybe sometimes throw money at things that are ultimately pointless. And I'm all for people spending their money on whatever makes them happy, but have you ever listened to a song and thought "gee, I wonder what bridge that bass player is using?" It's like contemplating your navel.
People will hear what they want to hear in tone. Regardless of if it actually does change something, I bet you 80% of the people who buy things like brass nuts and badass bridges will hear a difference in tone, simply because their mind tells them that there is one, regardless of if it's actually a difference or not.
And hey, let people buy what they want.
You don't have to if you don't want to.
And hey, let people buy what they want.
You don't have to if you don't want to.
Have you actually TRIED a FatFinger to kill or move a deadspot? Have you actually changed out a lo-mass bridge for a hi-mass one, and discarded it as "no different"?
There are many on here who HAVE, done these things and know by first-hand experience what the differences were.
You're just parroting "TB Contemporary Wisdom." Maybe ask and learn something?
There are many on here who HAVE, done these things and know by first-hand experience what the differences were.
You're just parroting "TB Contemporary Wisdom." Maybe ask and learn something?
To answer all your questions, yes I have. I will backtrack a bit on the Fatfinger; there is some science there, and people have used vice grips (which admittedly wouldn't look as cool) to do the same thing.
I parrot no one, but I also refuse to drink the Flavor Aid.
I parrot no one, but I also refuse to drink the Flavor Aid.
Glad you backtracked on the Fat Finger. It really works on bass. I saw one on a guitar and I still don't understand that.
That example is more in the spirit of what I was getting at. I'll bet more people have used one because Billy Sheehan (or whoever) endorsed it than to move a legitimate dead spot.
But as I already pointed out one of the things you mentioned, the Fatfinger, isn't pointless at all. If you have a dead spot it will make a difference in sound.
I've done both, and I've heard a difference with both. I already talked about the Fatfinger so I'll talk about Badass bridges. Back in the day I put one on an '83 MIJ Jazz and it really improved the tone. So I decided to put one on a cheap Yamaha and it sounded worse, the Badass seemed to accentuate some unpleasant harmonics. In both cases it changed the tone. Just not in the same way.
If I was just hearing what I wanted to hear I would have liked the Yamaha with the Badass since I was expecting it to improve the sound.
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,233
- 45,117
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
Most of the mods here don't have a noticeable impact on my tone.
PacMan sometimes adds some growl, but Major Metal, Thor, bassybill, and the rest - I sound pretty much the same whether they're here or not.
PacMan sometimes adds some growl, but Major Metal, Thor, bassybill, and the rest - I sound pretty much the same whether they're here or not.
And as I explained, while it has it's uses, I'll bet just as many people put them on perfectly fine basses just because (insert famous player) uses one.
Think about that
Some of the intonation comes from the nut. That does make a difference everywhere.
And I did a b cables. There is a difference in sound.
Some of the intonation comes from the nut. That does make a difference everywhere.
And I did a b cables. There is a difference in sound.
BawanaRik said:
But the nut is the same size. Meaning the intonation is the same. There's a poster on here that swapped out an eraser as a jut and it made no difference to the bass with fretted notes.
Not trying to stir the pot, but are we talking about Opinions on whether these mode make a difference, or whether they Actually make a difference?
Not gonna beat the dead horse, but changing to a high mass bridge or even a brass nut Does make a Tonality Difference. Many people don't notice it in a live setting, but some do. But, try doing a bridge switch or a switch to a brass nut from stock plastic, or even graphite, while Recording. A decent engineer will slap you into next week when you start tracking. I have seen And Heard it myself.
I swear! 
Not gonna beat the dead horse, but changing to a high mass bridge or even a brass nut Does make a Tonality Difference. Many people don't notice it in a live setting, but some do. But, try doing a bridge switch or a switch to a brass nut from stock plastic, or even graphite, while Recording. A decent engineer will slap you into next week when you start tracking. I have seen And Heard it myself.
I swear! 
The only two things that will have a noticeable audible effect on a good quality bass are the pickups and the strings. The rest you do because you like the look or the "feel" it you believe it's been improved.
Just to be clear. There are badly built, bad sounding basses constructed from crappy parts and I suppose there you could replace far more and effect tonality but those are not the basses I'm referring to.
Just to be clear. There are badly built, bad sounding basses constructed from crappy parts and I suppose there you could replace far more and effect tonality but those are not the basses I'm referring to.
Ahhh I love the old "If I don't hear it, it doesn't exist" argument, hope I'm not too late...<grabs popcorn> :-D
Ernie Ball uses a compensated nut that corrects intonation problems.
Note the contact point is different for every string.
Showdown said:
But dies it improve the tone of the bass or does it just do the job of the bridge?
