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THIS tone!

B

bassslater19876

May 30, 2010
85
0
30
#1

Dull, theres no pop, no growl, its empty.

How do I get a tone similar to the first two videos?? It's beautiful.
Is it overdriven tubes? Specific pickups? Does anyone's bass here sound this way or am I chasing a pipe dream?
Both of those bands have no equipment details, otherwise I would look there.:p

Really, I am killing for that tone and have been.
 
#5
bassslater19876 said:
I figured so, only problem I have is everything about my current bass is out of this world, minus the sound.
So, any soapbar sized, jazz sounding pickups you know about?
Click to expand...

What kind of bass do you play?

None of those recordings sound like Jazz pickups... they aren't bright enough. They sound like bright humbuckers.

Kind of like this:

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I make all kinds of soapbars, even with Jazz sounding pickups inside.

Or even brighter:

Link Removed
 
#6
bassslater19876 said:
I would kill to get my bass to sound this way! How do I get a tone similar to the first two videos?? It's beautiful. Is it overdriven tubes? Specific pickups? Does anyone's bass here sound this way or am I chasing a pipe dream? Both of those bands have no equipment details, otherwise I would look there.:p

Really, I am killing for that tone and have been.
Click to expand...

What are the details and specifics of YOUR gear?
 
#7
SGD, I was looking at your pickups awhile ago. They seemed pretty spot on, or atleast the closest I could come within the soapbar limits.
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I have this bookmarked for a reason!
As for what I play, it's a stock Laguna Ocean TB70, Bartolini MK1 pup's, and an unnamed preamp. It's more than likley a Bartolini MK1 aswell, but theres an on/off switch for the preamp, its unlisted on the website, and its strung with flats.
I run it through an Acoustic B20 practice amp, would you guys like sound clips?
 
#8
bassslater19876 said:
SGD, I was looking at your pickups awhile ago. They seemed pretty spot on, or atleast the closest I could come within the soapbar limits.
Link Removed
I have this bookmarked for a reason!
Click to expand...

Thanks!

...and its strung with flats.
Click to expand...

Well that's part of the problem. The tone you are looking for in those clips is from round wounds.

That's where the dullness and lack of pop and growl is coming from. I like flats, but they are mellow.

You can hear the same bass, same pickups, that I posted with the rounds, with TI flats:

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Here's the Sidewinders I posted above, with D'Addario halfrounds. Same bass, same pickups.

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So you can hear that it makes the bass and the pickups sound totally different.

So the first thing you should do is put some round wounds on the bass and see what you get.
 
#9
SGD Lutherie said:
What kind of bass do you play?

None of those recordings sound like Jazz pickups... they aren't bright enough. They sound like bright humbuckers.

Kind of like this:

Link Removed

I make all kinds of soapbars, even with Jazz sounding pickups inside.

Or even brighter:

Link Removed
Click to expand...

I agree sounds more like humbuckers(with roundwounds). I will say this, and don't take it the wrong way at all. Practicing a lot will get you a lot closer to the tone you hear in your head than buying gear. Good gear helps, but your hands are more important still.
 
#10
Thanks for the advice, but I went out and went from noon on all my setting, to throwing a whole lotta bass and mid range. That oomphed it up, and got it a good mix between the two tones I was going for. I did give the my rounds a try, defiantly brighter, but I'm sticking with my small investment.
I more or less find what I want in my EQ all the time, thanks for the help anyways though! And David, your if I ever decide I want need new pickups, your in the top of my list.
 
#13
Seems to me the lack of bass presence in the Motley Crue vid had a lot to do with the recording/mixing style (listening to this on studio monitors), and the coolness and fatness on the other videos had a lot to do with the kick/bass sync (beautiful looseness, actually). Just a thought. David, love the sound of the neo-soapbars!
 

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