• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Upright bass sound for electric?

#21
guitardefector said:
Hello all, I'm new to the site. Can anyone tell me what are the best strings or amps/effects needed to get that nice, warm upright "thud" sound on a Fender Jazz bass?? Thanks a bunch.
Click to expand...

If you are looking for that upright bass thud ala Willie Dixon or other blues/country roots players, here are a few suggestions:
1.) Try Labella or Pyramid flatwound strings
2.) A simple mod install a series/parallel pickup switch for a "pseudo" P bass sound, definitely a thicker tone.
3.) Foam mute optional to really kill the sustain
4.) Your playing technique will certainly influence the sound...listen to a lot of records to cope the feel/sound.
5.) Obviously the type of amp you use will effect sound, I found 15'' speaker cabinets contribute to that sound.

Hope this helps :)
 
#22
A J is never going to have URB tone - no matter what. The single most important thing is to learn how to emulate URB phrasing and note duration. Yes - flat's help. I perfer TI's but really any flat not too 'steely' will work fine. Tapewounds will porbably work fine. The TI's have a kind of woody quality to them that I like though.

Mechanical muting I'm not high on, at least when it comes to trying to cop the URB vibe on a J. Problem for me is that it mutes both side of the note, the rise and the decay so it isn't real representative of the URB bloom. What a foam mute does do, is to turn your bass into a tunable kick drum. If you're playing Motown covers - fine. Covering Paul Chambers ? not so much...

If you really want a bass guitar that get's into URB territory, the older LR Baggs equipped Godin Acoustibass is as close as it get's IMO. I use one (it's a 94) in my newgrass acoustic trio and it's way closer than most of EUB's I've heard. Mine is fretted by the way. It seems to have a lot more fundamental available and that is a big part of it's vibe. It doesn't do the URB thing completely by any stretch - it is as close as I've ever heard with a bass guitar though.
 
#23
I found this on the Music Player Forums:

"Well, you can't sound EXACTLY like an upright; a fretless will get you closer. Here's what I do to get a similar sound on my fretless Fender Jazz:
Solo the bridge pickup
Roll off the treble, sometimes completely
Pluck up near the neck (sometimes over the neck)
And I use half-round or ground wound strings; flats will get you close, too.
Not perfect; but I like it and that's what counts, right?"

You can see the whole thread here:
Invalid Link Removed
 
#24
the low one said:
I found this on the Music Player Forums:

"Well, you can't sound EXACTLY like an upright; a fretless will get you closer. Here's what I do to get a similar sound on my fretless Fender Jazz:
Solo the bridge pickup
Roll off the treble, sometimes completely
Pluck up near the neck (sometimes over the neck)
And I use half-round or ground wound strings; flats will get you close, too.
Not perfect; but I like it and that's what counts, right?"

You can see the whole thread here:
Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

Something about the J bridge pickup is the antithesis of upright sounding in my experience.
 
#25
Such great stuff here that I hesitate to jump in. The OP deals with a tone that I seek on my Warmoth fretless when playing jazz.
The closest thing to my ears has been achieved by using:
1)FRETLESS; 2) LaBella DTB flats; 3) fingerstyle as far from the bridge as reasonable; 4) gentle, almost brushing fingerstyle technique; 5) Villex pups; 6) playing through a 3-way powered PA speaker (Carvin LS1503a). Any typical bass amp is voiced in a way that colors the sound. I believe that that coloration interferes with the sound I want. If I had to start over, I'd build a Fearful 15/6 inch and drive it with a power amp fed by a tube pre like my GT Ditto.
Removing any one of the things I listed radically changes the sound. IMO.

Good luck and have fun.
 
#27
:cool:

You have the wrong bass.
I use a fretless P-bass. TI-flats.
Or, a Lakland Hollowbody Bass. (Rob Allen is great to)
For amps, I use a Ampeg B100R.
Or an old Ampeg B25-Head, with a matching 2x15 cab.
String also make a big difference.
Flats, or nylon coated, get the best "old school" tone.
For effects, a compressor, or say, a good tube sounding overdrive will help?
 
#31
For an uprighteous tone on a J I like Bart 9J pickups with only the neck on, Labella nylon tapewound strings, maybe a mute, and some judicious EQ tweaking at the amp to emphasize the lower/mid portion of the spectrum (raise them a bit or lower the highs or a combination of whatever works). I also use a single 15 cab.

I play with my right hand over the dusty part of the neck and try to think like an upright player.
 
#32
If I really want to sound like I'm playing double bass...I pick up my double bass!

As for "approximating" the sound on electric bass (and that I think is the best term to use), while my usual right hand technique on bass guitar is to play at the end of the neck with thumb braced on the fingerboard, I think the sound is closer if you play with your thumb, which leaves the edge of your right hand free to mute. Muting with the hand takes practice but ultimately IMHO gives more control and works better than using a foam mute under the bridge.

Adrian
 
#35
Personally, I like the "in-between" sound I get from my Twiggy (fretless, 34" scale, single bridge humbucker, with mute made from an old fleece jacket). I select a contour that has a slight scoop in the mids, then use EQ to cut the highs, which I know runs against conventional wisdom, but without the processing the raw tone of my bass has a lot of midrange and very little bass or highs. I pluck the low strings near the bridge and the high strings near the neck. Gets that thump followed by the twank, rubberband type sound. I add a little reverb, too. It gives me most of the DB sound I want and it's vertically mounted on a stand so it lets me pretend :D
 
#36
The Soloist said:
GET A FRETLESS CONVERSION

fretless basses sounds INCREDIBLY close to upright.
Click to expand...

WAY too much of a generalization.

As has been said, if you want an upright sound get an upright. It is the acoustic properties that give it that characteristic and inimitable sound. An electric bass, even an ABG, has too much sustain.

The advice for flats, a mute, NECK pickup only, light, careful plucking at the bottom of the neck, and appropriate EQ'ing is best.

yes, I know the OP is only looking for something close.
 
#38
I saw Stanley Banks bassist from the George Benson hits playing an MIA jazz with rw strings (held it in my hands) play jazz standards using the palm muting method. He played with his thumb and index finger with the "karate chop" part of his hand at the intonation screws. It really sounded as close to an upright as I've ever heard!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back