Nobody cares about your tone....

[JSandbloom]

except for you!

So now that I have your attention, I have come to the realization that people who come to your shows couldnt care less about your bass tone. I have found that if they can hear you, it sounds good. If they can't, they still think it sounds good! Musicians that see your shows are exempt of course.

So why do we spend our lives buying expensive gear that will give you a 400hz notch instead of a 800hz notch on the amp you just sold at a $500 loss to get the amp with the 800hz notch. The people we are playing to realistically have no changes in the experience in the show.

So is it we are doing this to amuse ourselfs? Is this another form of playing with our peckers? Do we try to get better tone then other bass players, Just so you can say "so, how about those new pickups I installed....I bet your jealous, it gives me a crystal clear terrible boost at 6.5khz"?

Really? Give me feedback and hate comments!

 

[mellowinman]

You just try and sound your best for the point of sounding your best. Play and sound your best, and the audience will "know" it.

 

[M.R. Ogle]

Yeah.... welll... uhhh.....

 

[jd56hawk]

Bassists care.
Nothing more need be said.

 

[Axtman]

Norm Stockton once told the audience at a workshop that you will be hired, on a recording gig, because of your tone.

 

[red_rhino]

except for you!

As long as I care, who else matters?

 

[callofcthulhu]

This topic gets posted a lot and I post the same thing every time.

I have audience members comment on my tone quite frequently, both positive and negative.

Yes, more often than not those comments come from other musicians, but not all the time.

 

[jmverdugo]

People that know will care.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

except for you!

So now that I have your attention, I have come to the realization that people who come to your shows couldnt care less about your bass tone. I have found that if they can hear you, it sounds good. If they can't, they still think it sounds good! Musicians that see your shows are exempt of course.

So why do we spend our lives buying expensive gear that will give you a 400hz notch instead of a 800hz notch on the amp you just sold at a $500 loss to get the amp with the 800hz notch. The people we are playing to realistically have no changes in the experience in the show.

So is it we are doing this to amuse ourselfs? Is this another form of playing with our peckers? Do we try to get better tone then other bass players, Just so you can say "so, how about those new pickups I installed....I bet your jealous, it gives me a crystal clear terrible boost at 6.5khz"?

Really? Give me feedback and hate comments!

I have seen shows where the bass sounded *great* and other shows where it sounded AWFUL. I saw a clinic by *BASSIST TO BE UNNAMED BECAUSE HE'S WILDLY TOUCHY* where his playing, skilled though it was, sounded like caca. Amps/instrument - whatever, it was mud-fart city. Not good.

So yeah - tone *can* matter... though probably not as much as most folks think.

 

[lfmn16]

I play for me, whether I'm playing with my regular band to a packed house or backing up some Stevie Ray Wannabe at a blues jam. I hear me and I always want to get the best possible tone. I don't let other people set my standards.

 

[warrplayer]

Norm Stockton once told the audience at a workshop that you will be hired, on a recording gig, because of your tone.

Recording. Gigs, mainly how shiny your teeth and hair are.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in my band that cares, let alone the crowd... good to have a hobby, though, isn't it?

Of course, you say it sounds good to the audience as long as they can hear you - a lot of our gear purchases are either for our comfort when playing (obviously important), or to sit in the mix properly, to give you good control over your EQ, to give you enough power to be heard, the right effects to make a cover song sound "right" etc. So in that way they do care about your tone, because they'd notice if it wasn't right.

 

[Baird6869]

If I played a Hofner with old flats on a Prog metal or slap heavy funk gig, I bet many people would agree that my tone wasn't too hot.

 

[Anachronism]

Trolling trolling trolling

 

[JimmyM]

If that's the way you feel, I have to question why you would even show up to your gigs.

 

[JimmyM]

I have seen shows where the bass sounded *great* and other shows where it sounded AWFUL. I saw a clinic by *BASSIST TO BE UNNAMED BECAUSE HE'S WILDLY TOUCHY* where his playing, skilled though it was, sounded like caca. Amps/instrument - whatever, it was mud-fart city. Not good.

Hadrien Feraud, right? I actually like his sound, but yeah, he's touchy! I've gotten an occasional PM from him.

 

[Osztertag2112]

As musicains and artists I think we should all just try and please ourselves first. Who cares what the auidence likes. As long as I'm happy. If people like what I'm doing thats great...if not oh well. As long as I satisfy my artistic needs. Otherwise its just entertainment, and I want to make art. It has to be a reflection of me.

 

[Turnaround]

You can fuss all you want over your tone. Then you get to a gig and the sound guy plops down a DI and you lose everything.

I did a gig a couple of years ago where I got a lot of compliments on the sound of my bass. Thing is, I wasn't plugged in. The sound was terrible and rumbly without the bass. Anything I could do as the bassist would only add to the problem. So I just made like I was playing. Had a great time playing random notes, but looking kool. Apparently the audience liked the tone of the kick drum.

I took the compliments with a warm "thank you". Nice to be appreciated for your kool.

 

[Humbled]

I understand the OPs question.

The good news for me is that I quit being P.O'd at my gear a long time ago.

 

[Jeff Scott]

except for you!

So now that I have your attention, I have come to the realization that people who come to your shows couldnt care less about your bass tone. I have found that if they can hear you, it sounds good. If they can't, they still think it sounds good! Musicians that see your shows are exempt of course.

So why do we spend our lives buying expensive gear that will give you a 400hz notch instead of a 800hz notch on the amp you just sold at a $500 loss to get the amp with the 800hz notch. The people we are playing to realistically have no changes in the experience in the show.

So is it we are doing this to amuse ourselfs? Is this another form of playing with our peckers? Do we try to get better tone then other bass players, Just so you can say "so, how about those new pickups I installed....I bet your jealous, it gives me a crystal clear terrible boost at 6.5khz"?

Really? Give me feedback and hate comments!

Not the people who come see me.