Tight round sound

[pindab0ter]

I've no doubt these questions get asked all the time, so if there's a thread where my question is already being discussed, please link me!

I'm looking for a tight, round sound. The kind you find with funk/gospel players. The opposite of warm and fuzzy, but not very hard, just tight. I prefer playing on a 5 string bass and often the B-string and E-string sound isn't very defined.

Now what can I do to improve my tone? I'm already working on my technique, but should I look into EQing more? And what am I looking for in a bass? What does wood choice matter and which pickups should I avoid and why?

 

[Ewo]

A few things come to mind regarding fingerstyle.

1. Practice playing staccato instead of legato. Work on picking hand muting for your fingerstyle. A combination of floating thumb and letting the ring and pinky fingers damp strings is working pretty well for me; I'm still developing it, but I'm liking the progress I'm making. Cutting off notes instead of letting them ring increases perceived punch in a mix.

2. Pluck back toward the bridge. The tone is affected greatly by where you pluck. Experiment, and it might surprise you how much difference a small change will make.

3. Roll off the deep bass EQ--yes, even on a 5er! Just keep enough down there so the lowest notes are clearly distinguished from their octaves in the 4 string range.

4. Use cabs that aren't overly scooped. Mids give you definition. And don't scoop on your amp. Watch out for low mids, though. Too much can make your tone "washy."

Hope that helps! And IME the tone quest is a lifetime venture. Part of the fun of playing music, I think...

 

[pindab0ter]

Thanks man. I've tried around with a few of those things and they already really help to get me more out of the basses I already have. When you say low mids, do you mean around the 220Hz mark? Because they seem to be nice and punchy to me.

If I were to look for a new bass, what kind of woods am I looking for? Is there a good guide about this somewhere?

 

[Downunderwonder]

Wood is way way down the list of concerns. Read that post again, apply in full, and return.

 

[Ewo]

Thanks man. I've tried around with a few of those things and they already really help to get me more out of the basses I already have. When you say low mids, do you mean around the 220Hz mark? Because they seem to be nice and punchy to me.

If I were to look for a new bass, what kind of woods am I looking for? Is there a good guide about this somewhere?

Yeah, take care with the region around 200 Hz or so. To my ear, that seems to push the bass forward when you play by yourself, but in a mix it crowds keys and guitars and doesn't do much for definition.

IMHO, IME, YMMV, as always.

 

[Ewo]

Regarding the clarity of the E and B, you might experiment with strings. Lately I've gotten onto Sadowsky Blue Label stainless in standard gauge. Gonna try them in nickel, too, the next time I restring.

The tricky thing, to me, is that tone is the product of the bass as a system of parts, so it's hard to predict exactly what effect a particular component will have, in isolation. I've had basses that just seemed to have better or poorer B strings in general.

But a set of strings is a fairly cheap experiment.

 

[cnltb]

Yeah, take care with the region around 200 Hz or so. To my ear, that seems to push the bass forward when you play by yourself, but in a mix it crowds keys and guitars and doesn't do much for definition.

IMHO, IME, YMMV, as always.

I remember that being 125 hz...but maybe both...?

 

[Downunderwonder]

That's guitars crowding bass!

 

[will33]

What speakers you using?

That'll have a huge impact on your low B (and E to some extent).

Compared to that, wood means next to nothing.

+1 for varying technique and strings making big differences.

 

[pindab0ter]

I've gotten myself an EQ, going to fiddle around with that some, soon. Of course, already practicing the techniques, already hearing a massive improvement, this is awesome!

I'll definitely try a new set of strings. It's been a while anyway.

I can't do much about the speakers because I generally play on backline. I do own a Peavey TKO 65 with a 15" Black Widow speaker, but I rarely get to use it for practical reasons.

What should I look out for in a speaker/combo?

 

[Gearhead17]

""Of course, already practicing the techniques, already hearing a massive improvement, this is awesome!""

Excellent! As my signature says, good tone starts with the hands. With the EQ pedal, try adjusting one band at a time and just play your bass. You will start to hear what each frequency range actually sounds like.

 

[KJAXE]

all the above plus if your bass has 2 pickups, favorite the bridge pickup.
10" speakers will give you a tighter more defined tone.