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Pedals for Punk Bass Sound?
- Thread starter pbass40
- Start date
Zoom Power Drive
There is nothing on this planet I've tried that does the punk tone better regardless of what people after me say.
There is nothing on this planet I've tried that does the punk tone better regardless of what people after me say.
I have used the VT bass live and liked it. I was using the Boss ODB before the VT came out. On some sort of natural overdrive setting, the Boss can get a usable gritty tone. Since I got the VT, that was it.
Depends on what you consider a 'Punk Bass' sound.
Overdriven? Clanky? Pick sound? Something like that?
If I recall correctly, Paul Simonon of The Clash used flatwounds and a pick lol.
If you look for the generic 'modern punk sound', yeah, go try the VT, use stainless steel rounds on a P-Bass and trash that thing with a pick.
Overdriven? Clanky? Pick sound? Something like that?
If I recall correctly, Paul Simonon of The Clash used flatwounds and a pick lol.
If you look for the generic 'modern punk sound', yeah, go try the VT, use stainless steel rounds on a P-Bass and trash that thing with a pick.
rratajski
Commercial User
- Jul 1, 2008
- 6,121
- 2,671
- Disclosures
- Builder for FUZZROCIOUS PEDALS
It depends on what "punk" you're talking about. If you're going for the Fat Wreck Chords sound, and old school, or the new school (aka middle school).
Pics for sure. Pay attention to where you're attacking the strings too. I like to move to just over the bridge if it's just me and the drums. It helps get that "bell" sound where the bass is ballsy but has a lot of presence. Presence is key. If your amp has a presence knob it shouldn't drop bellow half way. If I take mine off ten it's at about 7 or 8.
The Steel Leather pedal is a treble boost. Basically a presence pedal to my ear. There's lots of color to that boost to my ear, so try before you buy if you can.
Pics for sure. Pay attention to where you're attacking the strings too. I like to move to just over the bridge if it's just me and the drums. It helps get that "bell" sound where the bass is ballsy but has a lot of presence. Presence is key. If your amp has a presence knob it shouldn't drop bellow half way. If I take mine off ten it's at about 7 or 8.
The Steel Leather pedal is a treble boost. Basically a presence pedal to my ear. There's lots of color to that boost to my ear, so try before you buy if you can.
Personal experience:
I've played MANY types of punk. Pop, crust, street, garage, and power-pop.
The only time i've ever used pedals, was in the crusty band. I used a beat up old green russian muff. Everything else was bass->tuner->amp.
Crank the mids, mess with the tone on your bass, play closer to the neck or bridge to further modify your tone.
I've played MANY types of punk. Pop, crust, street, garage, and power-pop.
The only time i've ever used pedals, was in the crusty band. I used a beat up old green russian muff. Everything else was bass->tuner->amp.
Crank the mids, mess with the tone on your bass, play closer to the neck or bridge to further modify your tone.
RedLeg
Supporting Member
use stainless steel rounds on a P-Bass and trash that thing with a pick
I would also add a SWR interstellar overdrive, or some other tube amp that you can really push. You may not need a pedal, it usually was necessity to turn all the knobs on the amp to the right and hope you were loud enough to compete with the guitar player, who no doubt did the same thing.
I would also add a SWR interstellar overdrive, or some other tube amp that you can really push. You may not need a pedal, it usually was necessity to turn all the knobs on the amp to the right and hope you were loud enough to compete with the guitar player, who no doubt did the same thing.
rratajski
Commercial User
- Jul 1, 2008
- 6,121
- 2,671
- Disclosures
- Builder for FUZZROCIOUS PEDALS
And this is what style of punk, friend?
Please let us know what "that punk bass sound" you want is!I'm pretty much with Din of Win. A tube amps with mids mids mids and treble is probably the way to go. Your name is pbass, so a P Bass will work just fine.
Rickenbacker. Valve pre amp cranked up hard. E.Q set for a middly sound, beat hell out of the strings with a pick and you just can not go wrong. Well, thats got me through the past 13 years of playing.
My brother does use a boss ds-1 pedal from time to time which sounds pretty good but you do lose a lot of bottom end with it.
There is no "punk bass sound" ... You could probably list 50 punk bands and there would be at least a dozen distinctly different bass sounds between them. But I can get my favorite particular punk bass sound by playing a bass strung with muted flatwounds (my Hondo Ric copy is my fave for this) through my VT Bass pedal with the character knob most of the way up, the mids lowered accordingly (boosting the character setting tends to boost the mids), and the drive turned up only to the point where it noticably overdrives when I play harder. But this would be completely different from how to get other punk bass sounds. I dig the Medway punk sound. You might like a modern California pop punk sound. We need more info!
Not this question again.
Umm.. how about jazz bass w/graphite neck, Ampeg SVT. Play w/ pick or fingers, depending on song.
Umm.. how about jazz bass w/graphite neck, Ampeg SVT. Play w/ pick or fingers, depending on song.
