Strings And Tone....

[ZenG]

First off tone is not in the fingers.

Whenever I put a new set of strings on any of my basses the first note I play is G,10th fret, on the A string.
Notes played around this area always have a different tone than open strings or notes played around the C on the A string, third fret.

I am always more concerned about what the bass sounds like on the aforementioned G note and notes in that area than I am any other notes on the bass.

If the tone sucks in that area.....off come the strings. All my string choices are based on what the notes sound like there. I find that I play (even though unintentionally) a lot up around those notes/frets.
A lot of songs just work out that way.

This tone difference described is more noticeable but not limited to shortscales.

And nothing you do with your fingers or the way you play will fix it.
Sometimes EQ tweaking will help. Sometimes not.

The tone is completely different than lower notes. Often tending on the "tubby" side.

Every bass I've ever owned does this to some extent. Some hardly at all, some much worse.

I've never ever put an E-string on, plucked it "open", and said 'oh yes..that's it!!'

All open E's tend to sound not too bad plucked open.

I do as I first described...and if the tone sucks there.....it's a no go.

 

[Gorn]

First off tone is not in the fingers.

Yes it is...Maybe not your fingers.

 

[Luckydog]

I need new fingers

 

[40Hz]

We all have our rituals I suppose.

I spend the bulk of my time between the 1st and 9th fret. And only occasionally go up above that since I'm not into "lead bass" all that much, even though I'm perfectly comfortable anyplace on the neck after all these years.

So at the end of the day, we all tend go with whatever works best for each of us. If a check at the 10th fret on the A string works for you, I'm good with that.

And yeah, maybe tone isn't entirely in the fingers. But there's a lot more of it to be found there than in a new set of strings based on my experience. If that weren't the case, every player who used the same set of strings would have the same tone. And reality doesn't bear that out. Truth is, most experienced players get an extremely similar sound - or their "signature sound" - out of whatever they're playing.

 

[FourBanger]

Flea, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, guys like that have a signature sound that they can achieve on any bass they play with minimal effort. They always sound like themselves, that's where the term 'tone is in the fingers' comes from. Mere mortals sound like their strings.

 

[ZenG]

Flea, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, guys like that have a signature sound that they can achieve on any bass they play with minimal effort. They always sound like themselves, that's where the term 'tone is in the fingers' comes from. Mere mortals sound like their strings.

All these people, including TwoFingers can come and play a couple of basses I have as I described.

And none of them will get a different tone out of the string at certain points on the neck. Because that's how the strings sounds no matter which way or how heavy or how light you pluck it.

It just is what it is...and their fingers ain't changin' nothing.

I also had one amp that did not sound like another amp.
And no matter what you do you will not get those amps to sound the same tone using the same bass and strings.

 

[FourBanger]

All these people, including TwoFingers can come and play a couple of basses I have as I described.

And none of them will get a different tone out of the string at certain points on the neck. Because that's how the strings sounds no matter which way or how heavy or how light you pluck it.

It just is what it is...and their fingers ain't changin' nothing.

I also had one amp that did not sound like another amp.
And no matter what you do you will not get those amps to sound the same tone using the same bass and strings.

You are taking the 'tone' part of that idiom too literally. Claypool sounds like Claypool no matter what he plays. Miller sounds like Miller no matter what he plays. In the guitar world Clapton sounds like Clapton no matter what he plays. Their touch and expression does contribute to the nuance onf the tome and that is where the signature sound, and the saying, come from.

 

[shawshank72]

Yes it is...Maybe not your fingers.

Agree that it is.
Told this story before, but one time I was in a store playing a bass I've never owned through an amp I've never owned on roundwound strings that I never play on.
Someone that used to know me musically pokes his head around the corner as I'm playing.
" Hey! I thought that sounded like you. "

 

[FourBanger]

Seriously though, anyone can play the same bass in the same spot on the same string and get different tones. Its called technique. Do you get the same sound if you play with your thumb (not slap) as you do with your index finger? No.

That's the point there. Extrapolated, the way certain guys play leads to a certain sound that they are known for.

 

[ZenG]

I have a bass (2 actually) that if you play the note I mentioned on it, no matter how you play it you will not change the initial sonic tone of the string at that note.

So the aforementioned argument is that there are certain bass players who can walk into a well-stocked GC, pick any bass with any strings and play it through any amp there and
miraculously they will get their signature tone.

No they won't. They'll get whatever the combo of bass,pickups, strings and amp delivers sonicly.

That's like saying that there are certain piano players who can sit down at any size/type piano ever made and they will get their signature sound.

No they won't.

They'll get the inherent sound of the instrument itself. Which could be markedly different from other instruments...and Mr. Miracle Fingers isn't going to change that.

"Tone is all in the fingers" is another TB "bro' myth" ( amongst other TB 'bro' myths') that is parroted on this site but in fact is not even close to being true.

 

[FourBanger]

The piano analogy is bad because the hands and fingers of the musician do not directly touch the strings, the strings are sounded mechanically.

 

[Dogbertday]

That's like saying that there are certain piano players who can sit down at any size/type piano ever made and they will get their signature sound.

No they won't.

Monk, basie, evans cant NOT sound like themselves. Im talking about playing music not sacientificaly plucking inatrumenty. You cant remove a variable, then say that variable wont make a difference.

 

[DavC]

i think it's just the nature of stringed instruments ... you just need your bass to sound , ' good to you ' , in a given/favorite range .. !? i see no problem with that ... and i didn't really see a specific question . ?

Fingers/Tone ... i think much more so for gtr ... = SRV ..!!

 

[jazzyvee]

I think a lot of what we recognise as a players tone is more about their note choices and their style and so even when they use different gear or basses we recognise them even though the tone will be different. They sound the same but their tone is not the same.

 

[Papersen]

I remember years ago I used to own a MIJ Fernandes PJ. Although I liked the bass certain parts of the fretboard sounded "bad" to my ears. Swapped pickup, tried different strings and could never make it work like I wanted.

Was my main gigging and recording bass so I knew it pretty well. One day my bass teacher came to lay down some tracks just for fun.

The tone he got was incredible!
Bass sounded terrific.

Where was the difference?
His fingers and technique.

 

[aprod]

You must be new to the game. I can play any bass and its going to be my tone. Because yes it is in your technique which are your fingers. One day you will come to that realization grasshopper.

 

[FirewalZ]

IMO its both...
There are many factors involved here, many may seem small or insignificant by themselves, however the accumulated effect have a noticeable impact.
Looking at it holistically, pickups, strings, bridge, weight/density, neck, hands, technique, etc, all add up together to produce the end result.

 

[scrubjay]

I don't always sound the same even if I haven't changed strings, etc on my basses.

 

[DiMarco]

Weird thread. What is the point?

 

[Ric5]

HERE'S WHERE MY TONE COMES FROM

1 - First I run into an equalizer

2 - Then I split the signal into 4 parallel signals with a rolls mixer.

3 - I run one of the parallel lines into the Line6 bass pod where I model an acoustic 360 with a rat or big muff distortion pedal. I use this to get a retro growlly distorted sound. Or I also model an Ampeg fliptop with the Rat Distortion pedal. And I also Model an old Marshall amp. With the bass pod I can get a wide range of clean or dirty sounds and various effects and model different amps and speaker cabinets.

4 - The second parallel signal goes into a MXR bass di+. I use this pedal to get a clean modern sound. It also has a distortion button that can give a moderate to extreme amount of modern distortion.

5 - The third parallel signal goes into a Marshall Guv'nor. This gives me an old 60s marshall stack sound. This can go from a small amount of distortion to an over the top marshall sound. This effect can give you a the classic Jack Bruce Cream tone.

6 - The fourth parallel signal goes into a Tech21 VT Bass pedal. With this effect I get a slightly dirty Ampeg SVT bass amp sound with a tube like growl.

7 - Then I remix the 4 signals back together and run it into a bass amp, or pa, or studio mixer. Because the signals are parallel I can mix clean and overdriven sounds together and still get effect and a sound that punches through the mix.

Schematic diagram of my effects.