Double Bass The Sheep Tone

[didj]

The Sheep Tone is a note or notes that refuse to play nicely on your bass. It's of course, the opposite of a Wolf Tone.

It is the note where all the nodes of your bass line up tenaciously to fight against it's playing, refusing to allow you to get the fundamental and leave only a note made of distasteful overtones.

I have Sheep Tones on my bass, around the G# and A area. I know it may be a setup problem, but am wondering if any others have encountered this wooly beast.

Of course, it may just be my bad playing.

 

[1st Bass]

Sounds like a wolf in sheep's clothing...

 

[robobass]

Sounds like a wolf in sheep's clothing...

 

[didj]

Clearly I will have to make a better study of this if I intend to convince anyone of it, but for now, I believe in the existence of The Sheep Tone.

This thinking started from my background in electronics where certain devices can both augment or diminish certain frequencies. These would be used for oscillating at or filtering out signals respectively.

A physical object like a bass, or any chunk of wood would exhibit those same characteristics.

Meaning, there are frequencies that are sympathetic on any given bass (the wolf tones) and then there are also frequencies that are resistant (the sheep tones).

As a start on this argument, see the image here. This is from this site: http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/violintro.html
which has some studies of violin acoustics.

The frequency around 300 hz is the "Wolf Tone" area and the frequency around 780 hz is the "Sheep Tone" area.

 

[nputtick]

I was going to comment on this woolly thinking as regards your baas, but managed to stop myself before I hit the "reply" mutton.

A. Shepherd

 

[FritzM]

Man, that's really lamb.

 

[1st Bass]

Ewe didn't have to go there...

 

[iiipopes]

This thread is getting baa-a-a-a-a-d.

 

[TPugh]

I cringe at the shear thought of sheep tones.

 

[Adam Booker]

I think I'm with the herd on this one.

 

[MytBrednec]

I think I'm with the herd on this one.

Shouldn't that be with the flock? LOL

 

[MytBrednec]

Sorry didj, this thread has gone to hell in a wool hat. But I think the point you are making is valid. Sound comes across the wood as a vibration in wave form. Certain woods vibrate better than others, i.e. thats why spruce is so prevalent in instrument making. It only makes sense that different notes have different wave forms and will be transmitted either better or worse depending on the wood reacts to those specific harmonics. Good luck in your quest!

 

[powerbass]

I have experienced this as well at Ab/G#, I ended up putting a Wolf tone eliminator on my bass. Funny thing is it works best on my A string after length.