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Tone is all in the fingers

#81
dincz said:
Maybe not in this thread but I've read countless posts suggesting (or at least implying) that paying attention to the gear you use is pointless
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Obviously a bassist's tone isn't all in the gear or their fingers, but in a combination of the two. The best technique and style will be hamstrung by inferior gear, and great gear won't make up for a lack of technique or style.
Generally you can identify a player by their technique and style far easier than by their tone. I guess what it boils down to, is that while you can buy gear, you can't buy talent.
 
#82
beans-on-toast said:
Your iPod based recording is giving you a master class in technique. A good way to learn and improve. You are not alone though. Listen to soloed tracks on some well liked songs and you hear a lot of sins that get buried in the mix.
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This is so true. Pretty much every solo'd bass track I've ever heard, even from legends like Paul McCartney and John Entwistle, has had some pretty obvious mistakes. But the genius of the Beatles is that they even made their mistakes sound like vital parts of the song.
 
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#84
After you get a good bass and amp the rest comes from your hands a good studied stong handed player sounds noticeably different than average players ,just listen to Jaco or Jack Bruce or Stanley Clark. I also believe it comes from your experiences in your life and what you listen to and study.
 
#85
Wai said:
Not surprising. Technique doesn't completely equal tone. They're different. Attack is the only thing that overlaps, that I can think of at least. The way in which we slide and bend is also technique and gives our playing an unique character, but that is not tone. But because people think of it as tone we start getting this "tone is all in the fingers" overstatement.
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Totally agree! Tone is different than style and playing nuances.
Someone earlier mentioned that Chris Squire always sounds like Chris Squire. True, his style is unmistakable. BUT listen to his TONE on "The Yes Album" or "Fragile". WAY different than say "Union".
 
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#86
You aren't going to get an autowah tone because of your right hand, but it's true - you can go from wide, fat dub tones to middy-focused Jaco tone entirely using right hand placement and plucking approach.
 
#88
Tone is in the fingers!!! SHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeez!! If my wife finds that out, what am I going to tell her about the next 20 guitars on my GAS list! She's already starting to complain that my guitar fund is starting to eat into our 6 month old child's education budget!

You guys need to shut up for good!!!! Besides, without us buying instruments, the industry is going to die. Show some support for chrisssake!!!!!
 
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#89
My instructor would always tell me that 80% of your tone is in your hands. I didn't believe him until he took my bass from my hands and started playing. It sounded better than I had been able to get it, just a sweet, thick tone through the exact same practice amp we had in the room. After that, I started working more on my technique fundementals; left hand finger placement, pads vs. tips, pressure, strengthening the pinky, right hand flow, dynamics, etc. It completely changed the way I play. The other 20% (I know, really "scientific" number) is part tone, part polish. You can drop $2k on a bass, another $2k on a rig, but if you don't have the technique you might as well have an Affinity Series Squier and Roland kick-back.
 
#95
Murdoc_420 said:
I don't think WHERE you pluck the string can be considered fingers effecting tone.

I feel that is an easy cop out to prove the point.

Sure, plucking in different places DOES effect the tone but it's not because of your fingers. It's more about playstyle but not even that really.

It's simply deciding what tone you want out of the bass and plucking accordingly.

A bass guitar sounds deeper and softer plucked by the neck. That's the instrument, not your fingers.
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This is so completly true.
 
#96
Maybe there's some confusion between playing style and tone.

When I hear Stanley Clarke play a solo and in the middle of it he thinks, well, I want a bit more Oomp and girth, so he turns down the bridge PU and turns up the neck PU. His tone changes but his playing style makes sure you still hear and identify Stanley.
Or course you can alter the "tone" (snappy, smooth, round, thin) by the way you let your fingers attack the strings but for me that's all part of the players style. This is how I define it.
 
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#98
I think many of us just like to talk up it's effect because it makes it seem we are all more unique playing bass than we actually are.
I really think you nail something hére. And you have the courage to say it. I Also think most part of the " its all in the hands" comes from our ego trying to state we aré that unique. I have always thought this overrated statement comes sometimes from the smartass ones with superiority syndrome. I do Believe fingers rule a crucial part of the tone/sound but so do gear And more so the properties inherent to specific gear. But really dispise the overrated statement when it comes from súper ego Bass players
 
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#99
mantaraya said:
I think many of us just like to talk up it's effect because it makes it seem we are all more unique playing bass than we actually are.
I really think you nail something hére. And you have the courage to say it. I Also think most part of the " its all in the hands" comes from our ego trying to state we aré that unique. I have always thought this overrated statement comes sometimes from the smartass ones with superiority syndrome. I do Believe fingers rule a crucial part of the tone/sound but so do gear And more so the properties inherent to specific gear. But really dispise the overrated statement when it comes from súper ego Bass players
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No, smart guy, it comes from using tons of different gear with my band over the years and us ending up sounding basically the same everywhere we go no matter what we use. It also comes from me letting others use my gear and them sounding almost exactly like they always do.
 
#100
JimmyM said:
No, smart guy, it comes from using tons of different gear with my band over the years and us ending up sounding basically the same everywhere we go no matter what we use. It also comes from me letting others use my gear and them sounding almost exactly like they always do.
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+1

When I played guitar, I had a friend that had a tone I really liked. I bought the same guitar, then the same amp, then finally played through his rig, but I always sounded like me.

Yes you will sound different on a Ric with round wounds than a P bass with flats, but you still sound like you. In my experience anyway.
 

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