What a bass sounds like.

[Trabeen]

Woofy, farty, burpy, and growly are a few of adjectives commonly used to describe the sound of a bass guitar and it’s associated mechanism of amplification. I have played the bass for well over forty years and consider myself reasonably accomplished at it; I know exactly what a woof, a fart, a burp, and a growl sound like but must be doing something wrong as I have never once in all that time been able to even remotely make my instrument sound like any of them.

 

[lug]

Buy a Gibson EBO.

 

[TNCreature]

Those are the sounds of your speakers blowing.

 

[Warpeg]

I rely mainly on technique to achieve those characteristics in my tone, but gear can help a bit. It took me the better part of 30 years to get the right nuances of my playing, gear, and settings right; but I can get most of those sounds now.

 

[bassdude51]

To some extent, I always think of a (electric) bass as trying to sound like a stand-up bass. For me, it's a sound of low frequency. I want my bass to sound like a bass and not like a "bass guitar".

Now, I'm not talking about "dud and thud" or "mud slinging" but I want bass to have have clear, defined low frequency so that when played in a band scenario, the low end spectrum is covered.

It's just about impossible to verbally describe sound, isn't it?

 

[bholder]

To some extent, I always think of a (electric) bass as trying to sound like a stand-up bass. For me, it's a sound of low frequency. I want my bass to sound like a bass and not like a "bass guitar".

Now, I'm not talking about "dud and thud" or "mud slinging" but I want bass to have have clear, defined low frequency so that when played in a band scenario, the low end spectrum is covered.

It's just about impossible to verbally describe sound, isn't it?

Sometimes I want my bass to sound like an upright bass, but more often, I want it to sound like plucked low piano strings. Quite a difference, tonally. But both are fundamental-heavy.

 

[chris_b]

. . . . I have played the bass for well over forty years and consider myself reasonably accomplished at it; I know exactly what a woof, a fart, a burp, and a growl sound like but must be doing something wrong as I have never once in all that time been able to even remotely make my instrument sound like any of them.

Me neither. Happily, since the 60's my sound has been warm, full, fat, clean and well defined.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Woofy, farty, burpy, and growly are a few of adjectives commonly used to describe the sound of a bass guitar and it’s associated mechanism of amplification. I have played the bass for well over forty years and consider myself reasonably accomplished at it; I know exactly what a woof, a fart, a burp, and a growl sound like but must be doing something wrong as I have never once in all that time been able to even remotely make my instrument sound like any of them.

Move your fingers?

 

[JW56789]

'Woofy, farty, burpy, and growly . . . . .'

OH! You mean the BASS, not ME . . . . . .

 

[sonojono]

Those are the sounds of your typical Charlie Brown teacher.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

I like the sound a bass guitar makes, and I don't have any problems w/ the word "guitar" in "bass guitar". Even though I like upright basses, I don't want my electric bass sound like an upright (I'd play the upright if I did). Of course it depends on the music, but I generally like some definition in my tone, and am not a big flats person.

 

[insomehonkytonk]

Sometimes I want my bass to sound like an upright bass, but more often, I want it to sound like plucked low piano strings. Quite a difference, tonally. But both are fundamental-heavy.

Love this. Maybe I love GHS Precision flats because they’re big on the fundamental.

 

[Beej]

I prefer a globose yet pugnacious tone; irascible yet unctuous with conspicuous medial foci.

 

[Cowboy in Latvia]

You know what they say. The fart is in the fingers.

 

[Obese Chess]

To some extent, I always think of a (electric) bass as trying to sound like a stand-up bass. For me, it's a sound of low frequency. I want my bass to sound like a bass and not like a "bass guitar".

Now, I'm not talking about "dud and thud" or "mud slinging" but I want bass to have have clear, defined low frequency so that when played in a band scenario, the low end spectrum is covered.

It's just about impossible to verbally describe sound, isn't it?

Sometimes I want my bass to sound like an upright bass, but more often, I want it to sound like plucked low piano strings. Quite a difference, tonally. But both are fundamental-heavy.

and I want mine to sound like being kicked in the head by a truck. Different strokes for different folks!

 

[JimmyM]

Woofy, farty, burpy, and growly are a few of adjectives commonly used to describe the sound of a bass guitar and it’s associated mechanism of amplification. I have played the bass for well over forty years and consider myself reasonably accomplished at it; I know exactly what a woof, a fart, a burp, and a growl sound like but must be doing something wrong as I have never once in all that time been able to even remotely make my instrument sound like any of them.

Don't worry...go to the effects forum and they'll hook you up. They got pedals for every adjective you can think of.

 

[Johnny Fingers]

Whoopee Cushion Pedal?

 

[JimmyM]

Whoopee Cushion Pedal?

I'm interested.

 

[spatters]

Woofy, farty, burpy, and growly are a few of adjectives commonly used to describe the sound of a bass guitar and it’s associated mechanism of amplification. I have played the bass for well over forty years and consider myself reasonably accomplished at it; I know exactly what a woof, a fart, a burp, and a growl sound like but must be doing something wrong as I have never once in all that time been able to even remotely make my instrument sound like any of them.

Farty = transistor amp with no output protection is clipping, or speaker is hitting its excursion limit
Woofy = too much uncontrolled resonance in the high bass region, usually because of room/stage resonance or a badly designed bass cab
Growly = lots of articulate low mids. Think 70s position J bridge pickup, played hard
Burpy = growly carried to an extreme with EQ, giving it a peaky resonance, like your mouth produces when you're trying to burp out loud instead of stifle it

 

[RattleSnack]

Farty = transistor amp with no output protection is clipping, or speaker is hitting its excursion limit
Woofy = too much uncontrolled resonance in the high bass region, usually because of room/stage resonance or a badly designed bass cab
Growly = lots of articulate low mids. Think 70s position J bridge pickup, played hard
Burpy = growly carried to an extreme with EQ, giving it a peaky resonance, like your mouth produces when you're trying to burp out loud instead of stifle it

I like your definitions, except for burpy.
Burpy = when you thumb-slap E string on your active jazz and you get get beautifull focused bouncy burp. Paired with tight index-finger snap equals perfect slap sound.