tone question

[DLM]

I have a question about tone when playing thru an amp/cabinet and please assume pickup-to-string height remains constant and string attack remains constant...

How is amplified tone affected by lower action with slight fret buzz vs. higher action with no fret buzz, all else remaining equal?

 

[DLM]

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Chasarms]

If the string is buzzing on the FB, it's being robbed of energy. You'll loose sustain.

Also, depending on where it's happening and the extent of the buzzing, there is a potential for the creation of subtle false harmonics and/or the muting of certain harmonic overtones.

 

[DLM]

Which set-up would be conducive to more growl or sound more aggressive?

 

[Chasarms]

Some equate fret clatter with sounding "aggressive." I guess if that is the case, you'd want the strings low enough to clang on the frets when you dig in hard. Others equate it with the tone shaping the in preamp. I don't know that I fully understand "aggressive." I kind of see it as more of what you're playing and how you're playing it than the tone.


Growl, IME, is not much of a condition of setup either. It's somewhat about your tone shaping in the preamp section of your amp, (you can't really create growl in the pre, but you can kill it with a "scooped" tone) and more so about your overall approach to playing and technique.

To a lesser extent, the bass itself will contribute to growl. Softer woods like alder tend to be more midtone heavy and thus have more growl than harder woods like ash.

Nickel strings tend to be a little more growly than steel.

Singlecoils moreso than 'buckers.

 

[DLM]

Some equate fret clatter with sounding "aggressive." I guess if that is the case, you'd want the strings low enough to clang on the frets when you dig in hard. Others equate it with the tone shaping the in preamp. I don't know that I fully understand "aggressive." I kind of see it as more of what you're playing and how you're playing it than the tone.


Growl, IME, is not much of a condition of setup either. It's somewhat about your tone shaping in the preamp section of your amp, (you can't really create growl in the pre, but you can kill it with a "scooped" tone) and more so about your overall approach to playing and technique.

To a lesser extent, the bass itself will contribute to growl. Softer woods like alder tend to be more midtone heavy and thus have more growl than harder woods like ash.

Nickel strings tend to be a little more growly than steel.

Singlecoils moreso than 'buckers.

You confirmed what I've been thinking. Thanks for the response!