thin sound from 1st & 2nd strings

[CosmicRay]

I don't know if I'm in the correct forum area, but has anyone experienced an issue with lower volume and/or thinner sound from their G & D strings?
Is this an amp /speaker/ setting /pick-up problem?
Curious....

 

[JPaulGeddy]

Almost always in the bass itself, pickup/string height, problem with the wood (or pickup/electronics)...

IME, that's been the biggest difference in low-end (so to speak) and high-end basses. As I've gone up the quality chain, that thinness gets less and less. But it's still a QC issue, expensive factory basses can still die there at times.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I don't know if I'm in the correct forum area, but has anyone experienced an issue with lower volume and/or thinner sound from their G & D strings?
Is this an amp /speaker/ setting /pick-up problem?
Curious....

Answer is "E"....any of the above.

Here's one possible cause that is too frequently overlooked: extensive EQing, particularly mid-attenuation / "mid-scoop", will suck the life out of the higher registers. Mea culpa....I've done it myself several times. I performed a little experiment with my rack pre's parametric EQ where I attenuated the mids by 3-4 dB then scrolled upward from 40 hz to 1.6 khz. The "body" behind the D & G strings didn't begin to reappear until I was well beyond the 500 hz point. As always, YMMV.

Of course, rule out the simple stuff first (fresh strings, properly positioned pickups, etc.).

Riis

 

[CosmicRay]

Thanks for your responses. I'm currently playing my '74 or '76 (jury is still out on the year - s/n is not too accurate)
J bass, it had some mods....Bassline pups (vintage style) and badass II bridge.
Set up is as close to perfect as my luthier can get it. Only use D'Addario strings, since we get them gratis.
I run my Eden 800 WT(C) as flat as possible. The issue may lie with the EQ settings on the Alembic SF-2...?
So you say not to EQ the mids, or give it more? I never grasped that freq lingo.
What about the Epi 410 (4 ohm) horn setting? Anything there?
I'm just trying to get an overall even, deep Phil Lesh vibe going.
I also play a Modulus Q4 every so often, but never got use to the wider neck. I like the J bass feel.
I appreciate any comments or advice.
Thanks!
-Ray

 

[staindbass]

if you can plug your bass into a tape deck, put it on record/pause and watch the meter while you pluck the open strings. they should read about the same. if not adjust the pickup height. if the pickups are close already on the g and d, lower other side of the pickup so it evens up. what the other guy said about the smiley eq is true too, the fundemental (bass note) of the d and g string is near 150-250 hz. lots of bassists turn down this region because it makes the e and a string seem to have more low end, but then you lose the other strings. johnny a.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Thanks for your responses. I'm currently playing my '74 or '76 (jury is still out on the year - s/n is not too accurate)
J bass, it had some mods....Bassline pups (vintage style) and badass II bridge.
Set up is as close to perfect as my luthier can get it. Only use D'Addario strings, since we get them gratis.
I run my Eden 800 WT(C) as flat as possible. The issue may lie with the EQ settings on the Alembic SF-2...?
So you say not to EQ the mids, or give it more? I never grasped that freq lingo.
What about the Epi 410 (4 ohm) horn setting? Anything there?
I'm just trying to get an overall even, deep Phil Lesh vibe going.
I also play a Modulus Q4 every so often, but never got use to the wider neck. I like the J bass feel.
I appreciate any comments or advice.
Thanks!
-Ray

Learning the EQ lingo will come with time, research, experimentation, and real-life experience.

I would try the following:

*Run your J bass blend @ 50/50. I find that if I roll off to the bridge pup I gain some articulation but sacrifice some low / low-mid girth.

*Drop the Alembic out of the signal chain...for now.

*Run the Eden EQ flat....no contours, no nuthin'.

Its been my experience that a top-shelf rig like your's requires little or no EQing. It is possible to over-process which is why I'm kinda scratching my head over the addition of the Alembic SF-2. IME, the Eden offers more than enough in terms of tone control.

Riis

 

[CosmicRay]

Ok, thanks. I will try that on my next gig. It's just that the SF-2
adds that deep, low end that you can feel. It makes your pants legs flap.
And I do already run the Eden flat, but with some of the enhance control up. You say no to enhance? What about the freq controls?
Where is flat on those?
-Ray

 

[Zooberwerx]

Ok, thanks. I will try that on my next gig. It's just that the SF-2
adds that deep, low end that you can feel. It makes your pants legs flap.
And I do already run the Eden flat, but with some of the enhance control up. You say no to enhance? What about the freq controls?
Where is flat on those?
-Ray

In all fairness, "flat" can be a rather ambiguous term. Every brand / model has some tonal coloration. I'm not suggesting you remove the SF-2 as a solution but rather as part of the process....remove the extraneous BS and re-install as the project progresses.

I had a CXC 4 X 10 combo so I'm fairly familar with the layout. Bass, treble, and each of the 3 parametric EQ level controls (bottom row) should be set at -0-. Enhance should also be off as, per description, it will attenuate the low mids which might be a bad thing. Noodle around on your J bass...is there any improvement in the D & G strings? If yes, great...we're on the right track. If no, we'll re-think the approach.

Riis

 

[walterw]

The issue may lie with the EQ settings on the Alembic SF-2...?

I never grasped that freq lingo.

then that alembic thing sounds like it would be a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands

+1 to zoob's point that heavy EQ can put big holes in the tone, and if those holes just happen to be in the frequency range of a string, that string will sound weak.

my impression from reading about that alembic is that it's made to do weird things to the tone, with big cuts and boosts to the spectrum. if you're using it for a big low end boost, that will exaggerate your low notes and make your higher ones disappear by comparison.

trying to add a bunch of low end for the phil lesh rumble will also strain your bass cab and make the soundman's job harder. keep your tone even, and let the soundguy add the big sub frequencies if it works with the overall band mix.

 

[reniwren]

Happened me on a P-bass had to change the pickups

 

[CosmicRay]

then that alembic thing sounds like it would be a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands

+1 to zoob's point that heavy EQ can put big holes in the tone, and if those holes just happen to be in the frequency range of a string, that string will sound weak.

my impression from reading about that alembic is that it's made to do weird things to the tone, with big cuts and boosts to the spectrum. if you're using it for a big low end boost, that will exaggerate your low notes and make your higher ones disappear by comparison.

trying to add a bunch of low end for the phil lesh rumble will also strain your bass cab and make the soundman's job harder. keep your tone even, and let the soundguy add the big sub frequencies if it works with the overall band mix.

That's good advice, except our gigs are more often without a soundman. Mostly clubs where we supply our own PA...

 

[unlined4string]

As a test I suggest playing the bass through headphones. If the strings are equal in volume when played through headphones you'll know it's not the bass.

If the string volume is out of balance in the headphone test, try installing a fresh set of strings. It's possible 2 out of 4 strings are duds.

I also suggest you check the pickup height adjustment. Having the pickups too close to the string can cause various weird effects.