Obsessed with trying to find the perfect tone?

[John Deacon]

Tonite at practice, I had my P bass with me and I just kept messing with the graphic EQ on my amp. And I would find a good tone, but think there may be a better one so I keep messing with it. I must've spent over an hour tonite messing with it. I just couldn't get COMPLETELY satisfied. At the last song of practice I think I found a good mix. I had bumped the lows a bit, and lower the mids just a tiny tiny bit. But even in my head, I'm thinking..."What do I need to do to get the tone that satisfies me?"

First off, Im upgrading my amp. So I think that'll help a bit. Something I also noticed tonite is that my P bass is verrrrry woody. It has a good smooth sound, but I think I just might get a Jaguar to get some hardcore growl.

Anybody else get that obsessed? Although I do have OCD...haha

 

[tbwilson]

I fall into this obsession with tone and its horrible. im getting a markbass head soon and i will be happy with that for a while but im not going to be totally satisfied i already know. i dont even know if its really possible to have the perfec tone, i swear somedays i like my tone better than others. so maybe its all in my head cause people tell me i have nice tone.

 

[allexcosta]

Something I also noticed tonite is that my P bass is verrrrry woody. It has a good smooth sound, but I think I just might get a Jaguar to get some hardcore growl.

Yeah, some of us aren't PBass people...

 

[aigman]

I had a Trace rig and an Ampeg rig and they sounded identical. I sold the Trace...
My point is I still kept messing with the EQ. The singer finally said, "Would you quit dickin' with your knobs?" I did, and it was hard to resist going over there and sliding those sliders around. Hearing the tape later, I couldn't tell a bit of difference!

 

[tbwilson]

aha ya samething happens to me my bandmates finally get me running through our set and i wonder why i was even screwin with it.

 

[carlos840]

the best way to get it is to stop fooling around with eq's!
I used to do the same, had active basses, eq on, now i dont get close to a graphic eq they annoy me, i just plug a G&L SB2 straight into any amp set the eq flat and play!
The SB2 saved my confused mind...

 

[dreadheadbass]

its tradgic when a tone junkie cant get his fix they try everything EQ, compression, fx pedals and still they cant get the buzz of finding the sweet spot in the mix
some have been known to spend 1000's on gear to satisfiy their craving some even sell treasured bass's to buy more elaborate and complicated amps and cabs in the hope of achieving the "ultimate tone"

for just £1 per month you can help people like john deacon achieve his goal... give generously its xmas and time is running out

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I think most folks go through this problem. I believe it's a phase. Let me suggest you stop futzing with your EQ and start messing with where you pluck the string - where you pluck really does change the character of the notes on any bass - And focus more on the song, not your tone. If all else fails, turn up the mids so you can hear yourself!

 

[dave64o]

Easy. Resolve to devote the time you used to spend obsessing about tone to practicing instead. After a month you'll be *so* freaking good you'll forget all about chasing tone because you'll be able to make ANYTHING you play sound good.

















Sounds good on paper, anyway.

 

[John Deacon]

I did have it flat for a while, but my brother suggested that my tone would be better if i messed with the EQ, so ive been messing with it.

 

[spade2you]

Are you worried enough about your tone to ditch the Behringer? It seems that you're worried about the basses sounding good and ditching certain basses because they don't sound good through this amp.

 

[John Deacon]

Im actually getting a Hartke very soon. I know im upgrading the amp.

 

[MtManiac]

It's kind of like picking at scabs, and it won't stop bleeding until you leave it alone and do something more productive, like practice. Maybe your brother is messing with your head, just because he knows how.

 

[carlos840]

Rule number one: never listen to your brother!
Rule number two: NEVER listen to your brother!!!!

Just play the bass, stop equing and focus on where you play and how you play it!
I used to do the same thing now i play an SB2 with 2 volume controls, no tone and EQ set flat!
Im in tone heaven...

 

[savit260]

Tonite at practice, I had my P bass with me

"What do I need to do to get the tone that satisfies me?"

SVT

Turn up volume.


Problem solved.

Seriously though, I've always found "less is more" when it comes to P basses and amps. A naturally good sounding tube amp like and SVT or a Sunn with very few knobs to screw up the eq works wonders with Precisions. (required IMO)

 

[John Deacon]

Hm...you do have a point guys. I did our first show with my EQ flat and it sounds good on the youtube vids....

 

[Surly]

SVT

Turn up volume.


Problem solved.

Seriously though, I've always found "less is more" when it comes to P basses and amps. A naturally good sounding tube amp like and SVT or a Sunn with very few knobs to screw up the eq works wonders with Precisions. (required IMO)

That's what I like about the SVT + P-bass. Simplicity.
EQ's in the middle, turn on the ultra low and ultra hi. Adjust tone pot on bass...works for me. I don't even want to try a jazz because there are more tone knobs.

 

[Baryonyx]

I used to be an obsessive tone hunter. Then I settled on Status Graphite, because that is the tone I'm after! Thank you Jonas Hellborg for pointing me in the right direction!

 

[David Jayne]

Been there. Got rid of all my 'parametric this', 'graphic that', compressors etc. I found that if I have them I will fiddle endlessly with them. Got a Mesa M6 instead. 6 knobs, sounds great, no fiddling. Now, I don't mean to imply that complex EQ is by definition bad, but I just can't handle it, I think. I've got enough in the bass anyway, with the ACG.

 

[carlos840]

"Behringer"!!! this explains a lot!