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steve harris sound and eq settings

B

bassuser35

Mar 25, 2004
55
0
#1
ok, since my last post left alot to be desired, let's try it this way...

what's the best way to achieve a Steve harris type of sound (without using his bass and rig)?

for instance, can you get it by having a low action, and then by cutting your lows and raising your highs on the eq? What does everybody think?

also, I'm really unclear about the treble and mid nobs on my amp. if you raise your highend does that mean to raise both the treb and the mid or just one?

any form of help would be awesome-
cheers
 
#2
I'm sorry but there's no way you will change your bass sound, if your bass don't already sound like steve harris there is no magic Eq setting that will get you his sound, Equalization doesn't change the tone of the bass it's for making minor adjustments to the sound.

For example if you cut all the treble on your amp it will still sound like your bass only without treble.

I know that I'm no help but this is just reality, If you want the sound you'll need a P-bass with quarter pounders, flatwounds and low action.
 
#3
no you helped. low action is a definite necessity. but that begs the question how low is low? I'm not looking to get my bass to sound just like harris. I just want that clicking/digging/crunch sound his gets. :bassist:
 
#6
Joe P said:
I've had this idea that virtually NOone used flatwounds anymore. Are they very common? Are any of you guys using them?

Joe
Click to expand...

I have two basses strung with Flatwounds. There's probably more basses out there with flatwounds than people think. Not everyone wants to give away their secrets to their tone.
 
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#9
As folks have already said, to sound exactly like Steve Harris you've got to play his gear in the way he does. I've seen an interview with him where he said people would take the bass from his hands with all the settings being the same and still didn't sound like him.
So in fact it's about faking his sound, not sounding the same.
To achieve something of that vibe, you could try a split-coil pickup with a moderate boost around 1kHZ on your amp or EQ. It'll give you high-mid metal tone.
 
#10
JustOpenYourMind said:
I'm sorry but there's no way you will change your bass sound, if your bass don't already sound like steve harris there is no magic Eq setting that will get you his sound, Equalization doesn't change the tone of the bass it's for making minor adjustments to the sound.

For example if you cut all the treble on your amp it will still sound like your bass only without treble.

I know that I'm no help but this is just reality, If you want the sound you'll need a P-bass with quarter pounders, flatwounds and low action.
Click to expand...
That is not true at all. I'm 21 years late, I know, but the EQ is made PRECISELY to change the tone, so you can have a darker and meatier tone or a bright and clear tone. It is a big big way to adjust tone.
 
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#11
Electroharmonics Steel Leather, seriously.

It’s an expander that adds a little or a huge amount of touch sensitive “clank”

This will do it. It’s sort of a one trick pony pedal.

I only wish you could adjust the frequency range expanded. This pedal is hard coded to “clank”.
 
#12
JustOpenYourMind said:
I'm sorry but there's no way you will change your bass sound, if your bass don't already sound like steve harris there is no magic Eq setting that will get you his sound, Equalization doesn't change the tone of the bass it's for making minor adjustments to the sound.

For example if you cut all the treble on your amp it will still sound like your bass only without treble.

I know that I'm no help but this is just reality, If you want the sound you'll need a P-bass with quarter pounders, flatwounds and low action.
Click to expand...
Or you can use a Steve Harris pickup if you can get one and find someone to install it
 

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