Starting tone with a Squier Jaguar SS, Fender amp?

[Maxra]

Hi: I'm a rookie bass player looking to get a decent starting tone from my setup, to play amplified acoustic folk with a band at lowish volume. I have a cheap setup with a Squier Jaguar SS (30" scale, P neck J bridge) strung with Low Tension Flats (driven by pick and/or fingers), custom pups and wiring designed to sound like a better balanced and less noisy version of the originals, and a Fender Rumble 25, that has a Contour button which I guess is a tone filter. This lot gives a decent basic sound like a PJ Fender - with all amp controls set to 12, both guitar pups on 3/4 and guitar tone on 1/2. It has lots of punch and fatness but I think I could improve on it by making it a little clearer - I suspect the short scale bass might be the culprit. I also have the following Behringer pedals (well, they're cheap):

BEQ 700 graphic - 50/120/400/500/800/4.5k/10k sliders.
BD121 v-tone bass driver DI
BLE 100 "bass limiter enhancer"

Is anyone familiar with any of that kit, if so what would you suggest to make thr sound a bit clearer, even if it's just a graphic tweak?

Thanks, Max

 

[abarson]

Welcome to TB!
The first thing to know is that Fender's tone stack is not "flat" when all controls are set to noon. Instead, start with setting the Bass to 1 or 2, Mids to 10, and Treble to 1 or 2. I'd start with that before looking to complicate your setup.
Speaking of setup, how your bass is setup (especially pickup height) can have a significant impact on your tone and clarity. There are guides in the Setup and Repair section of TB to do this yourself, or take your bass to a good tech.