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Muting Bass Strings

The Golden Boy

The Golden Boy

Jan 2, 2004
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#1
Not exactly sure if this goes here, but...


From the time I started playing to the present day, I've always appreciated a bass sound that was full from bottom end to top end, with a bright ring-y sound. Think of a cross between McCartney's White Album sound mixed with Geddy Lee's Moving Pictures with "Temples Of Syrinx." Thick, but still bright and punchy. My main basses for the past 10 years or so have been my Jazz Bass and my G&L L-2000, both very "present" basses.

A few months ago I started playing in a Rolling Stones "tribute" band. Although we're not really completely copping the sound- I want to get well into the neighborhood of Wyman's sound. (and the whole thing about REALLY listening and learning this Stones stuff is a great learning experience- there's so much space, it's anti-intuitive...). I figured a lot of what I was hearing in Wyman's sound is hollow body and/or short scale basses- exactly NOT the sound the G&L or Jazz will provide well... So I dug the Thunderbird out of Semi-Retirement and started using that. I've really never used the tone controls much on my basses- just to tame high end if necessary- but I found I was actually dialing back the tone to get more of what I wanted.

Although using the T-Bird and rolling back the tone got me close to how I wanted to sound, I also figured that what I wanted to do was mute the strings. A few of my old basses had factory installed mutes (that I never used), but there's not one on my Thunderbird. What I did is I took an old foam mousepad- and found that it would fit just forward of the saddles, and still rest on the bridge- I cut a strip and set it there. It seems to stay put without any tape or anything. And it sounds good. I might have to adjust the length of the foam on a couple of the strings, a little less muting on a few of them... The mute doesn't just kill the sustain, there's an extra 'thud' to it and it seems to change the tone. In any case- if anyone's been through this- it seems to be a great and easy solution...

normal_T-BirdMute2.jpg


normal_T-BirdMute3.jpg


normal_T-BirdMute1.jpg
 
#2
Wait, I'm confused. Why would one want to "mute" the strings like that? Doesn't muting mean that you stop the string from vibrating by putting your finger, thumb, palm or whatever on it? What exactly does the mouse pad change in sound being all the way down there?
 
#5
Cygnusx2112 said:
Wait, I'm confused. Why would one want to "mute" the strings like that? Doesn't muting mean that you stop the string from vibrating by putting your finger, thumb, palm or whatever on it? What exactly does the mouse pad change in sound being all the way down there?
Click to expand...

A lot of players will use a muting method like this mouse pad - it stops any type of long-term ringing, even from that spot at the bridge. Carol Kaye used to put a sponge in the same spot on her bass. It's just a nifty way to dampen the sound without really changing your playing technique.
 
#8
On old P-basses, the cover that went over the bridge has a piece of foam in it to mute the strings in a similar manner. Its part of how Jamerson got his P-bass tone on all those Motown albums.

Pretty cool idea, Golden Boy, way to think outside the box.
 
#9
Good idea for the T-Bird. We have to do what it takes to get the sound we need.

I started using a piece of foam under the strings of my P whenever I am playing blues...helps give me the tone I am looking for. I can thump away and still keep a good muted tone. I had seen some old guys doing it.

The Fender cover for my J bass came with a foam mute built in, but it doesn't add as much mute as the foam piece I cut for my P...I use a pretty heavy piece there.
 
#11
Double Agent said:
On old P-basses, the cover that went over the bridge has a piece of foam in it to mute the strings in a similar manner. Its part of how Jamerson got his P-bass tone on all those Motown albums.

Pretty cool idea, Golden Boy, way to think outside the box.
Click to expand...
That's what I do. I cut out a piece of foam rubber from a mic box and stuck it under the ash tray (bridge cover) with a set of flats its' got that motown sound.
 
#12
Cygnusx2112 said:
Wait, I'm confused. Why would one want to "mute" the strings like that? Doesn't muting mean that you stop the string from vibrating by putting your finger, thumb, palm or whatever on it? What exactly does the mouse pad change in sound being all the way down there?
Click to expand...

As double stop noted, it gives you a less ring-y percussive attack. As far as the change in tone- while it kills the ring, it dulls your tone as well.

While you're mentioning completely muting the string, instead of stopping the string vibration, you're just reducing it.

Are you familiar with the Beatles' "Lady Madonna?" That's the sound of the Rick 4001 with the mute engaged.

For the past 20 years I could not understand for the life of my why anyone would deliberately mute their strings to cause such a fast decay on the sustain. Then- just one day it made sense to me. While I don't think it's something for everyone and every situation- it's something to play with. A folded up rag, foam, whatever- check out what it does for your sound with your fingers, where you play, with a pick...

I also have an old wrist pad that I'm slowly starting to figure out how to cut as a mute. I was putzing around, and chopped up a strip of the wristpad for on my EB-0, as the Duck played it. I didn't like the way the mute handled being so far from the breaking point over the saddles- it has a G&L bridge on it. I cut the strip much thinner and shorter and tucked it onto the bridge similarly to the TBird. Tomorrow I'll probably cut another strip of wristpad to start working onto the Jazz Bass (with a Badass II on it) and possibly the G&L.
 
#13
Sorry folks but I have to interject: How do you mute a bass? I tell my students, practice, practice, practice. How do you get that Bill Wyman mute sound: it's not with a bit of foam. Hey, sure it helps, but do it with the soul of your picking hand! Yeah, it's a bit difficult to master when you start out but persevere and you'll get there!
 
#14
Thunderitter said:
Sorry folks but I have to interject: How do you mute a bass? I tell my students, practice, practice, practice. How do you get that Bill Wyman mute sound: it's not with a bit of foam. Hey, sure it helps, but do it with the soul of your picking hand! Yeah, it's a bit difficult to master when you start out but persevere and you'll get there!
Click to expand...

While I won't disagree that it's another technique to work on- Short scale, flatwounds and a chunk of foam- regardless of technique, are going to get you right into that neighborhood.

What's good enough for McCartney...

61hof.jpg


Check out the footage at 1:50 into the clip- you get a good shot of the size of the block of foam in front of the bridge.




While I'm not going to claim that McCartney used his 1st Hofner on this track- by this point in time, McCartney was using the mute on his Rick, and seemed to be looking for that sort of effect when he started using his 1st Hofner again- Listening to the song- you hear that percussive, fast decay.
 
#15
I tried some of the stuff Carol Kaye advocates and am sticking with the felt passing under and over strings near the bridge. It's only about 1/2 wide and 6" long. It just sits there and gives me the sound I like. I use a pick most of the time and flat wounds with a pick and felt gives me the nice deep tones one usually gets only with finger picking.
CK suggests a piece of foam rubber for finger playing and felt for a pick. It does make a difference. I didn't like the foam and the pick combination. It's a cheap experiemnt. Try it and maybe you will choose to play that way in specific situations.
 

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