Nobody cares about your tone....

[JimmyM]

I don't get on my soap box very often, and I love to bicker!

Well look, I think there's ample proof that you don't need the latest and greatest to go over with the crowd because we've all seen plenty of examples of it. I used a practice amp on my gig Sunday because stage room was at a premium, and I got nothing but compliments on my playing and tone. But it's quite a good sounding practice amp and my DI was the REDDI so it's all good And whether you're playing a budget combo or a wall of SVT/810's, you need to take it seriously enough to believe it matters, because if you don't think it matters, nobody else will, either. Plus don't you think it's more than a little sad to think that way about something that you should actually want to take some pride in?

 

[SteveCS]

You've got a false premise: You think serious bass players are playing for the audience. They're not. They're playing for sake of the music and playing bass well. Sure it has to be something the audience can hear and groove to, but that's not what it's really about.

Actually, its all about the audience - they have come to see you and you owe it to them to give of your best. Music is about communication - without the audience it is a monologue.

 

[JimmyM]

Actually, its all about the audience - they have come to see you and you owe it to them to give of your best. Music is about communication - without the audience it is a monologue.

And even worse, nobody will pay to see you!

 

[*ToNeS*]

My tone's important to me. It's just a further refinement of my instrument's speech. I could give two poos what anyone else thinks my voice sounds like.

That said, I don't really play live anymore and I obvs don't play in cover bands either. For the latter especially, I'd imagine some tailoring would be in order? Dunno. I'm not 40 with a mortgage yet. One day.

 

[Korladis]

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!

Even no one noticed except ourselves, isn't that reason enough?

Who are you doing all this for, if not yourself? Ultimately, if that's not why you're in music, you're in it for the wrong reasons.

 

[interp]

The premise wasn't you shouldn't care. It's, why spend 2500 instead of 1000 on a amp/guitar/cab etc if the audience won't notice.

You can send good tone with less expensive amps that would please the masses.

OK, if the premise is "why spend 2500 instead of 1000...if the audience won't notice?" it still implies that pleasing the audience is a higher priority than pleasing yourself. Which is OK for some, I suppose. Not for me.

 

[MegaSwing]

Loud enough is normally all the tone you need. The role of equipment is definitely oversold, because the audience knows little if anything about it. However, it IS more satisfying to play something you truly love than something you can merely chase a tolerable tone out of. And if your reason for loving it is personal and subjective, who is anyone else to judge? Feeling that you're a more or less worthy player because of the equipment you trot out is plain silly. In the end, the playing is what does the talking.

 

[MegaSwing]

There are three groups of people who track the equipment on any given stage:

1. Sales reps
2. The wonkiest of fans
3. Other musicians who play that instrument

Check, please.

 

[jasonmitsch]

I did not read every post in this thread. I don't want to either. If you care enough to care, then it will sound better to all parties involved. If you can't be bothered to care then your band, audience, and critics won't care, and it won't sound better to anyone.

 

[pauljude]

I agree in many ways...a good sound is a good sound, no matter what the rig. I have a few "tech" friends who talk about 400hz under 200 hz, and side ways hz etc etc....I dont care what your equation says...if it sounds deep in your gut then you've made it.

 

[Acoustic356]

Guitar players obsess over their tone. I know several that can't really play if their tone isn't right.

As a bass player, I actually had to train myself to listen to a flat tone from both the bass and the amp. Any tweaking to the amp is based upon removing boominess from the room or a slight mid tweak to stand out for solo.

It took a while to train my ear to like the flat tone... but it helped a lot with the obsession.

Most modern amps are pretty close at flat... operative word being "close."

 

[Chrisk-K]

Most audience don't care about the bass tone. They probably don't know what the bass is. How many fans of Lady Gaga do you think care about her bassist's tone?

 

[MegaSwing]

Most audience don't care about the bass tone. They probably don't know what the bass is. How many fans of Lady Gaga do you think care about her bassist's tone?

Yeah, but you can bet SHE knows who he is and how he sounds. The relationship between a bassist and a singer is usually a close one.

 

[brianrost]

I have come to the realization that people who come to your shows couldnt care less about your bass tone.

11 pages and counting

This is a sobering lesson we must all learn eventually.

Yeah, but you can bet SHE knows who he is and how he sounds.

Only if he's also the MD

 

[Slevage]

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

On 95% of the recording "gigs" I've been paid for, the engineer points to a DI and says plug in there. I've always gotten great tone, not sure what was being done at the board. When the next project came up, I've been rehired.

Why? I could play off the chord charts with minimal rehearsal. I could play the charts that had the bass parts written out.

 

[hsech]

I always strive for my best tone even if nobody else notices. Pride I guess.

 

[obimark]

Your tone is most important where the guitard actually cuts out- and people can hear just the drums and bass and vocals- on the verses of many songs. That's where it needs to be good. With the whole band playing- tough call. Because a lot of your frequencies are stepped on by the guitar- whether you like it or not.

 

[fclefgeoff]

I have pride as a musician and want to sound the best that I can. However, you are free to sound as crappy as you'd like.

 

[baxter_x]

I always get compliments of my tone. People come to me after show asking me what my rig is and telling me my tone is killer.
And not espacially bassists. So yes, people care about your tone.
Unfortunatly I would say the problem is actually many bassists don't care about their tone.

 

[Silvint]

If you're in a large band, tone won't matter, only having the right EQ to avoid the mud. If you're in a small band with some soloing space, it;s as important as any other instrument I suppose?