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Power Trio... What do you do?

#61
DavC said:
i used to just 'dig in ' and play a little more ... hopefully the drummer is doing the same ...
hopefully the extra digging in would stir up a little more edge/dirt ...
every one needs to help fill the void rather equally ...
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Way too many examples of killer trios where the bass player doesn't do anything but knuckle down and do the job first...hold the most solid rhythm you can and take liberties not as a predetermined route but more as a spontaneous thing. Sometimes it may feel better to lay back and play less, sometimes you lock in and go to town with some killer fills and flurries, but I don't think an effect can make up for loss of sonic tightness. If anything is slightly off or not happening vibe wise it just makes that part of it all louder and more obvious. But all that is subjective to the player so just do that voodoo that you do.....
 
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#62
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#64
I couldn't say definitively because each of my trio's songs are very different from each other. Sometimes I back off because it's a more smooth solo, sometimes I play chords, sometimes I accentuate with fills, etc... Listen to the Aristocrats because they are a good example of a power trio.
 
#65
I'm a big fan of The Police (early to mid career) so I tend to think "WWSD?" :)

On my pedalboard I have used chorus and/or overdrive during guitar solos. Fills it out pretty well as long as I didn't go crazy on the settings.

I like the sparseness of a trio. Each instrument can shine and be heard and appreciated. Plus more room on stage for me to dance around! ;)
 
#69
Boss OC2 and medium overdrive work well!! As far as playing, I like to play "10th chords"(3rd an octave higher) and let them ring while keeping the groove in the lower notes, this often means *simplifying* my lines (example: Open strings)though to get those higher droned/sustained 10ths!!;)

Note: 10th chords (or any chords for that matter) *do not* track well with an Octaver pedal, both different but valid options ...
 
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#70
Scott Waldy said:
Opinions? What do you do?
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If it's a rock/modern country situation, I'll kick in the octave pedal and distortion, with only a hint of either one in the signal. Maybe even some chorus for more fatness. Just enough of each to make it thicker but not noticeably "hey, he just turned on a bunch of stuff on his bass!"

Unless, of course, the song calls for that.
 
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#73
I have not read all the comments, but usually i write my part so it could stand alone and still sound good without effects, and than I add what ever feels right.
As most of the comments I also think some dirt (OD-Fuzz-Dist) and octavers can fill a lot of space. Recenly I have started playing with a cheap flanger in the loop of my LS-2 and it is amazing! I get a huge sound from it and it's just awsome.
 
#75
Scott Waldy said:
When the guitarist breaks into a solo and the sound sounds weak...

Do you Play more notes?
Tap an effect? If so, which one?

I've been hitting my Octave and playing higher notes just to fill out the sound.
Opinions? What do you do?
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i was going to suggest octave, how about a chorus pedal. all i can say is it depends on the son/beat/solo, of course. i don't get why some players find that they need to fill out the sound during a solo. i'm in a trio and as long as i'm playing it right then it works. a.k.a. i like the "weak" sound. no one else, but the players here, seem to mind.
 
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#76
Scott Waldy said:
When the guitarist breaks into a solo and the sound sounds weak...

Do you Play more notes?
Tap an effect? If so, which one?

I've been hitting my Octave and playing higher notes just to fill out the sound.
Opinions? What do you do?
Click to expand...

I play in two trios-with-lead-vocalist. One's mostly hard rock, the other plays more pop (but also some rock). I tend to stay low and supportive, especially during solos.

I also tend to go for a somewhat scooped tone. Before the purists start shrieking, note the emphasis on "somewhat". My tone doesn't lack mids, in fact I love punch, and my favorite cab is the sealed/tweeterless Bergantino NV610 which is a mid monster. But careful scooping can wrap your bass tone around the guitar tone, so to speak. Yup, I love the Darkglass B7K... also the SansAmp RBI (with blend set around 2 o'clock). I have a bunch more pedals that I love. One is the Ashdown Hyperdrive, which has tunable overdrive (so to speak): you can voice the overdrive with the frequency knob.

On that note, I tend to use at least a little overdrive, even in my 11-piece classic R&B band. I go for gentle harmonic richness and warmth with the "big band", snarly punch and aggression with the hard rock trio, and somewhere in between with the power pop trio.

Another factor (beyond our control) is how the guitarist plays. A good guitarist can play solos that don't (or rarely) sound thin without rhythm guitar.
 
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#78
ERIC31 said:
I'm a big fan of The Police (early to mid career) so I tend to think "WWSD?" :)

On my pedalboard I have used chorus and/or overdrive during guitar solos. Fills it out pretty well as long as I didn't go crazy on the settings.

I like the sparseness of a trio. Each instrument can shine and be heard and appreciated. Plus more room on stage for me to dance around! ;)
Click to expand...

Since you mentioned the Police and this is an effects conversation, please enjoy this chill trio cover of "Message in a Bottle". We played in the studio with no overdubs and no studio effects; I triggered the effects on the bass manually with my feet:

 
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#79
It entirely depends on the song and style, but some OD, maybe add octave, or perhaps a big, wide, fairly slow swooshing flange (one of my favorites) will fill the air.
Maybe play more, maybe less, perhaps some chording is needed.
You have to figure it out on a case by case basis.
 
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#80
spz8 said:
IMO, if you think the sound is weak during solos, then you've likely been too low in the mix.
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I've had this exact thing proved with recordings.
On playback,the guitarist typically says "you need to turn up".
Nope,you're close......:bored:. Wonder what else would help the equation?

As far as playing under solo's,i just try to keep it strong. I'm a fairly busy player,so i might go to more of a chordal sound to try to fill up the sound. I really don't use effects much,but i do have an OD/fuzz if i want a boost at times.
 

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