Muddy Bass Sound - Please HELP

[HardNHeavy]

a 1 x 12 Bass Combo with a loud drummer Something that small i'd only use for practicing at home by myself.

 

[mrperkolator]

Get a HPF (high pass filter) - it cuts everything below the frequency you set. Makes your amp sound much louder and less muddy since you won't be using most of the amp's power pushing muddy frequencies below 50hz for example. Tightens up your tone too.

This one's great and also has a LPF:
https://www.broughtonaudio.com/product-page/low-high-pass-filter

@Shippy0808 there's lots of good advice here, including numerous people that have said the above. I saw this advice here a lot. It didn't make sense till I watched this video. Now I look for excuses to post this video.... and I need to buy one.

Make sure to use a good set of headphones/ earbuds for this video. The more you can hear, the more impressive it is.

 

[drpepper]

Sorry mate, I have to say you'll not find a solution with low budget Fenders - if I not misunderstood what you use.

I've written to another thread earlier, that if you have a cheap bass (I had some in my career), you cannot find any tool (amp, cabinet, PU, EQ, Multieffect, pedals, filters, compressors... etc) to got solution for crap sound. The wood is main thing, a litl bit may help a good PU/pre.

You will surprised REALLY when you 'll plug in to the same configuration a good bass vs. your bass...

Holy hell! I almost want to beat my head against a wall so that unconsciousness will prevent me from seeing any more of this

 

[drpepper]

I think we scared off the OP…come back, we’re not (too) crazy!

It was a a bot...targeted algorithms that can create a flurry of fervent activity

 

[21DaHoagie12]

First mistake = bridge and neck pickup half way on and tone only a 3rd of a turn on.. put both pickups at max and max your tone knob as well.. then you can worry about your amp settings etc etc etc, all this other stuff is pointless if you simply wont turn your actual instrument volume all the way up. Stop maxing your gain and volume and mids on the amp while leaving your instrument at 50%, thats the recipe for muddiness.

 

[truand85]

Boosts, HPFs, even a guy saying the Mexican Fender is garbage and you need to buy a higher end bass LOL

Pots on full, bass mid treble at noon, gain past 75% and dial in mids as necessary.

 

[rafitoprtx]

Aguilar Agro in low settings will solve your problems. Also a compressor in a high setting. The Agro kinda by default create that LPF effect also make your bass tone brighter.

 

[bikeplate]

Should have your master volume up all the way. If you have 2 volumes, one up and roll the other back a bit if youd like to get a certain tone.

 

[DwaynieAD]

Turn your knobs all the way up. Then bump up the mids on your Amp. Then report back

 

[Fynn]

Ok hopefully this is the right area to post. My first time posting.

Little bit of a backstory - Been in a band (Pop Punk/Pop Rock trio) for the last 4 years and love the music the guitarist is writing. However, the drummer plays so loud. This leads me on to my post.

I use a 4 string Fender Player Jazz bass (Rotosound 105-45 gauge) and a Mark Bass CMD 121H 400W 1 x 12 Bass Combo. I also do own a Fender Vintera 50s P bass and still have the same issue. Both basses are passive.

I have the neck and bridge pick up up about half way and the tone put up about a 3rd.

Due to the drummer being so loud I have to pretty much crank up the gain and volume pots on my amp to 90% (5 on a clock). I've had to turn bass pot all the way down because if I turn that up it sound even worse, I have turn turning volume and gain down when turn the bass up pot up ( to about 8/9 on a clock) it still sounds so muddy. I've explained that we are playing way to loud because if turn down the gain (10 on a clock) and volume (10 on a clock) and put the bass pot on to 8 on a clock it sounds so much better and clearer. I have the Low mid, high mid and high pot set no more than 11.

I really can't afford to buy a more powerful amp so I don't have to push it so hard. Is there any suggestions/advice for me to try with my equipment. Any pedals that might help with my EQ more.

I know the more I turn up the volume on my bass I am pushing the signal more to it threshold, the same with the amp. I have tried turning my pickups to about 75% and turned down the gain and volumeto about 3/4 on a clock. Still get the same issue.

My understanding of gain is that it not a volume control. It controls how much of the input signal can pass through, and the volume control will determine how much to amplifi that signal depending on what you have it set as.

I generally don't like the idea of turning a bass amp up to 90% unless it's some sort of distorted tube amp situation. Feels to me like you're stuck with this until you get a bigger amp. You can just try to make your tone more punchy by cutting off some bottom end with an eq pedal or something like that and boosting certain mid frequencies. But it honestly just sounds like a problem that won't be fixed until someone in your band buys some other equipment to accomodate. Either the drummer plays an electric set (that's not a nice solution) or maybe you guys collectively invest in a PA with some nice bass boxes... Markbass always sounded to me pretty bass heavy and with a single 12 I feel like you're gonna have a hard time in those genres anyway.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

Can anyone win the volume arms race? Just wear earplugs so that you can hear yourself. They will filter out a lot of background noise and high end to let you focus on the bass. Then just be happy. Save up for a 410 and new head.

 

[gmarcus]

Add a fuzz pedal with a clean blend. Its amazing how well that helps you to compete in a situation like that. Definitely get some ear plugs too!!!!

 

[ok-djmiller]

400 watts is plenty of headroom, despite what anyone else here says. The real issue here is the signal coming from your guitar - start by turning your pickup volume to 100%. Also consider getting a preamp and/or compressor to help your sound cut through the mix.

 

[Shippy0808]

400 watts is plenty of headroom, despite what anyone else here says. The real issue here is the signal coming from your guitar - start by turning your pickup volume to 100%. Also consider getting a preamp and/or compressor to help your sound cut through the mix.

I am looking at some HPF but not knowing really want brands to look and what to look at. The same with compressors. I used to have built in compressor on an Ashdown EB Evo II but that being only 180 watt amp was not keeping up with my needs (Heavy handed drummer)

 

[Shippy0808]

I am looking at some HPF but not knowing really want brands to look and what not to look at. The same with compressors. I used to have built in compressor on an Ashdown EB Evo II but that being only 180 watt amp was not keeping up with my needs (Heavy handed drummer)

 

[darkwasthenight]

I am looking at some HPF but not knowing really want brands to look and what to look at. The same with compressors. I used to have built in compressor on an Ashdown EB Evo II but that being only 180 watt amp was not keeping up with my needs (Heavy handed drummer)

Ignore the HPF crowd and sort out your gain-staging. Absolutely nothing wrong with the HPF advice for players who already have a solid rig, but right now there are bigger issues that are impeding you more - namely your bass volumes being down and the small amp and enclosure. A HPF or compressor will not magically fix these issues.

 

[BOOG]

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