Tone is all in the fingers

[Munjibunga]

Didn't we just do this?

We have to have a weekly booster shot, because we forget.

 

[Arjank]

Stop arguing.
Conclusion: there's just no consensus about what is considered tone and what is considered playing style

 

[dincz]

That may have been your intention, but that's not what happened. You'll need to find someone else to argue with because you are going on ignore.

Didn't see that coming. After expressing the view that tone comes from both player and gear (not very controversial), I'm now on his ignore list. Maybe it's a reading comprehension problem.

 

[Munjibunga]

It seems to me that a lot of folks here would agree that:

(1) "Your fingers" and technique are a big part of your tone, moreso than the average player probably realizes; and

(2) Gear is still a noticeable part of your tone, although much less so than the above.

I think the collective wisdom that a lot of rational, thoughtful TB'ers want to impart is that bassists would be better served by focusing more on their own playing rather than trying to improve their tone and playing through buying new gear. That's all great stuff.

That being said, there are also folks here who constantly interrupt threads on every conceivable topic to suggest that the topic is meaningless because tone comes entirely or primarily from the fingers. Those types of posts have no effect other than to spread negativity and needlessly rain on the parade of posters who are trying to have a discussion of things they are interested in discussing.

If this thread is in reaction to a different thread, I have not seen that one and cannot comment on how the issue arose there... but I have seen plenty of threads here in which posters essentially try to shame an OP for daring to suggest that there is a meaningful distinction between using one type of gear and another.

My fingers have the greatest effect on tone when they're turning the blend knob.

 

[MCS4]

My fingers have the greatest effect on tone when they're turning the blend knob.

My fingers have the greatest effect on tone when they grab the Carvin jazz with fresh rounds, the Zon shorty with flats, or the fretless.

 

[Rib 13]

RE: Tone is all in the Fingers

This again?

 

[BassmanPaul]

Last evening I played a gig. The thing was a disaster from the start. (Be patient - i’m getting to the point) I had to go right across the city, in rush hour, in a snow storm and with an accident blocking the highway ahead all for a 5:30 sound check to go on at 9:45!!! My GPS had me going here and there, and round in circles. I passed the same damn restaurant four times! I eventually got to the gig way past 7 PM and stressed out of my mind.

In the meantime the venue had rescheduled us to second place instead of last. The other bands bass player allowed me to use his GK rig, thanks Bud, an MB200 into a 1x15, no tweeter. I switched the amp on to get a dull thump with no articulation at all. I played most of the set on the bridge pickup. It was most disconcerting and I just didn’t sound like “me.” I played really badly, even for me, but we got great reviews for the set. When Bud played through his amp he didn’t sound bad at all.

So the fingers were mine but my tone just wasn’t there. The amplification system has to be able to reproduce faithfully what is sent to it. My tube pre-amp, Carvin 2KW power amp into a pair of Acme B2 cabinets does all that in spades.

 

[beans-on-toast]

That lady in the GPS gets upset too easily. She can have a real irritating tone if you don't listen to her.

 

[Chef]

It does not mean that all gear sounds identical. It means that your style of playing is way more important to the overall sound than the gear you use.

I like this. Valid. Encapsulated (or whatever) in here is "finger placement and technique etc have big impact one tone."
Which is very, very true.

I'll also add this:
some of it is, in fact, in your hands. I can hand my bass to other players I know, and it can sound substantively different than me playing it.
and vice versa. Which maybe just points back to the first point. different people playing differently

 

[Downunderwonder]

Last evening I played a gig. The thing was a disaster from the start. (Be patient - i’m getting to the point) I had to go right across the city, in rush hour, in a snow storm and with an accident blocking the highway ahead all for a 5:30 sound check to go on at 9:45!!! My GPS had me going here and there, and round in circles. I passed the same damn restaurant four times! I eventually got to the gig way past 7 PM and stressed out of my mind.

In the meantime the venue had rescheduled us to second place instead of last. The other bands bass player allowed me to use his GK rig, thanks Bud, an MB200 into a 1x15, no tweeter. I switched the amp on to get a dull thump with no articulation at all. I played most of the set on the bridge pickup. It was most disconcerting and I just didn’t sound like “me.” I played really badly, even for me, but we got great reviews for the set. When Bud played through his amp he didn’t sound bad at all.

So the fingers were mine but my tone just wasn’t there. The amplification system has to be able to reproduce faithfully what is sent to it. My tube pre-amp, Carvin 2KW power amp into a pair of Acme B2 cabinets does all that in spades.

sounds like you got contoured. That little switch looks so innocent but it's a tone assassin.

 

[BassmanPaul]

Quite possibly. I didn’t want to mess with the guy’s amp so I just plugged in. I know next to nothing about using GK amps. Now that you have mentioned it I have heard about that switch but it didn’t come to mind last evening.

 

[okcrum]

I like this. Valid. Encapsulated (or whatever) in here is "finger placement and technique etc have big impact one tone."
Which is very, very true.

I'll also add this:
some of it is, in fact, in your hands. I can hand my bass to other players I know, and it can sound substantively different than me playing it.
and vice versa. Which maybe just points back to the first point. different people playing differently

Uncallused fingers do not sound like callused ones. Calluses make part of the tone literally in your hands if you play fingerstyle. That's a pretty direct effect of fingers on tone regardless of gear or talent.

What pedal can I use to sound like I have calluses?

 

[ThisBass]

Didn't see that coming. After expressing the view that tone comes from both player and gear (not very controversial), I'm now on his ignore list. Maybe it's a reading comprehension problem.

Don't worry about the "ignore". I can't see you did anything wrong except you are living in Europe where a more direct speaking is common (approved).

 

[Jeff Scott]

That lady in the GPS gets upset too easily. She can have a real irritating tone if you don't listen to her.

She should be a GOF member!

 

[ThisBass]

sounds like you got contoured. That little switch looks so innocent but it's a tone assassin.

Absolutely,
and most to often the bass guitar itself decides if the "contour" feature is a good feature or it's not.
In my case (some time ago) the bass guitar wasn't pleased by that "contouring" stuff.

 

[ThisBass]

Quite possibly. I didn’t want to mess with the guy’s amp so I just plugged in. I know next to nothing about using GK amps. Now that you have mentioned it I have heard about that switch but it didn’t come to mind last evening.

Sometimes it works well but long-term experience told me it's always a crapshot with mainly bad luck on your side. Most of generic players prefere extraordinary EQ settings that can't be EQ'd with on board electronics to come close to the "personal" tone.

 

[Omega Monkey]

Any actual bass player should be able to put his settings back. I wouldn't have worried about changing anything.

 

[ThisBass]

Any actual bass player should be able to put his settings back. I wouldn't have worried about changing anything.

If someone likes to to have a different EQ setting of my svt, so what. No problem nothing at all as long as a fellow is happy playing music.

At the other hand sound check for bass guitar is as often a joke, and most of time is reserved for guitars and vocals (which is comprenensible). That's why I tried to set up my bass guitars as most effective as possible soundwise cause I know I have to deal with very adverse conditions every time.

 

[SteveCS]

Try an experiment. Instead of using your normal plucking fingers, try using different ones and see how the tone is. Mix up your 1st, 2nd and 3rd RH fingers. See you it sounds. Once upon a time you sounded as bad with your usual fingers as you do with your unused ones. Then you learned how to pluck. Now deny that tone is in the hands.

 

[BassmanPaul]

Try an experiment. Instead of using your normal plucking fingers, try using different ones and see how the tone is. Mix up your 1st, 2nd and 3rd RH fingers. See you it sounds. Once upon a time you sounded as bad with your usual fingers as you do with your unused ones. Then you learned how to pluck. Now deny that tone is in the hands.

Steve, I’m not sure if this was aimed at me but I already do use all four fingers on my right hand to pluck my strings.