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Tight Focused Sound?

G

gregoire1

Oct 19, 2008
743
84
Nashville
#1
Whats the best way to get a more focused sound? I play an Epi Thunderbird thru a GK 400rb (no contour all EQ knobs at noon). I like some dirt (mostly from the amp).
Is a HPF (low-cut) filter my best option? (The Rolls cross-overs are cheap on eBay), or is there more science involved.

Thanks (I know this is covered somewhere (involving HPFs but I can't find it)
 
#3
I am surprised you are getting any dirt at all from a GK 400rb. They are a very very clean amp (IMHO). You must be giving it a huge input signal.

I also find the GK rb series very bright at the settings you are using. Again IMHO, a HPF will make no difference to your sound.
 
#4
Yes WayneP maybe "non-boomy" is what I'm looking for. And room acoustics may be my biggest culprit (forgot to mention in using a GK212 cab, which should be very clear), and I'm using an AKG wireless with the output level dimed.
I'm not playing out right now, so I'm always in the same rehearsal space. Maybe it's time to rearrange
 
#6
A tight sound comes from the amp and mostly speakers. Some amps are known to have a more loose or tight sound than others. But, in my experience, speaker selection and cabinet design make the biggest difference. Generally, 10's sound tighter than larger speakers but that is not an absolute. Different speaker brands and models sound tighter. I only know the ones I like so Im not the best to name the brands or models. But, armed with this knowledge you should be able to get some recommendations.
 
#7
The variables are huge. HPFs, sealed cabs, more mids and vertical stacking can all help but if the room is bad then it's damage limitation. Often finding the offending frequency/ies and cutting can help. Also cleaning up other instruments and making sure there is no mud in the mix even before adding any bass guitar.
 
#8
You want a tight & focused sound for every room you play in? #1. You have to make sure your playing techniques and the rig you have can create the sounds you desire. If you are playing near the neck all the time, it might serve you better to pluck in the middle and/or towards the bridge more. Your boomy tone will automatically get less boomy. If your speaker cab is not delivering the tone you want, you can get CLOSER to it with EQ, but you will probably always fight the cab in the end.

If your rig and playing techniques achieve the sounds you want, but you don’t know how to get the tone you want in different venues, invest in a separate EQ pedal. The Empress ParaEQ is a great choice. I have a GK 1001RB and the EQ on there is great for bass tones, but not correcting a tone at a show. The Empress pedal allows me to pinpoint a strong frequency and reduce it. The pedal allows me to roll some lows between 30hz and 150hz while simultaneously removing some of that muddy range between 200hz and 400hz. Each venue will present a new version of your tone. The key is to REMOVE the frequencies that are too strong to allow the other parts of your tone to come through. Don’t purely boost frequencies until you get what you want, it’s likely to not blend in well with other instruments and will result in you despising your bass tone throughout the show.

There is a bit more to this, but I wanted to give a somewhat view on it. These principles have been working for me in every venue I play and I believe they can help you too.
 

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