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What makes a bass sound punchy?

#21
The problem with using words to describe sound is that it isn't an exact science. There are some agreed upon terms that are fairly universal, but everyone's ears are a little different, so what makes "punchy" is a little relative.
All that aside, I tend to believe that "punch" is something with firm definition, and tends to be in the mids somewhere. It can mean low mids that hit you like a punch or that is more high mids focused so it can punch through the mix.

Examples:
Paul McCartney and James Jamerson - No punch
Geddy Lee, early Geezer Butler, and Steve Harris - Punchy

A pick or fingers can be punchy. Either requires a little digging in.
Definitely round wound strings. Flats have been used but require specific set ups and particular techniques.
Active or passive doesn't matter. Just don't roll off the tone or the high EQ.
Setup matters a little. If you lower your action it will get punchy because the strings are bouncing off the frets more and the pickups are "hearing" more if the string. If there is too much relief in the neck it makes the response sound rubbery.
Caps and Pots? Not really. Woods? Not really. The overall build means more that these small particulars.
 
#24
eric_B said:
After some experimenting and drawing my own conclusions I was wondering what the experienced people of TB think of the question: what makes a bass sound punchy? As in powerful and clear defined (not excluding deep) low notes and no whooly 'ooooom-y' sound.

BTW: talking about the bass, not the amplification.

Is it the type (P, J, P/J or others), active or passive, the brand of bass, the (brand / type of) strings, the (brand / type of) pickup(s), tuners, pots, caps, the setup, or whatever matters to you?
Click to expand...



Having bass
 
#25
I have yet to hear a "punchy" sounding bass that was NOT amplified.

That being said, I've often noticed that the punchiness often happens farther out in front of the speakers than we usually stand.

IOWs, you might not think it is as punchy as it sounds to the audience.
 
#26
Low mids all the way. Recently I have been keeping both my P&J pickups volume at 75-80% then just turning up my amp a bit more which allows me to focus the eq better it seems as the amp does more work. A boost + od or 2 really helps as well, I pretty much always have 1 or 2 valvecasters and a boost on when I play bass now as it just thickens up the tone so nicely. Clearly playing style is important too but your not going to get much if any punch from a poopy rig set up...

:bored: Sh!tty gets turned to poopy on this forum apparently... Watch out for poopy rig set ups guys...
 
#27
P bass. On amp turn up mids somewhat and highs. Finger style hard a bit towards bridge side of pickup.

It'll punch your lights out.

Single pickup (precision or single ray or single jazz or bridge of Rick) punches harder than double (jazz or Gibson or Rick) unless you turn off one of the pickups all the way since double pickups cancel out some mid frequencies.
 
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#28
Good clean roundwounds, and playing closer to the bridge, and using at least the bridge pickup, are what I would say is about the instrument only. I can get a punchy sound digging in or playing light.

Anything after that, I would say having healthy mids in the EQ, and using 10" speakers helps too IMO.
 
#33
I talk about punchy tone a lot and it is what I try to achieve with "my sound". It's probably best for me to define how I interpret "punchy". From my perspective (and we're all going to be a bit different), this means achieving a sound that is big and full and hits hard without being boomy or lost in overring. For me, it also means avoiding anything that is twangy or causes ambient sound.

In this context, I agree with previous posts staying it is about finding the right settings with mids. I also agree that it is about finding a quality amp that allows some good tonal selections using mids in higher settings than the boosts for bass and treble settings. The arguments about different amps, tubes -vs- classD, cabinet construction, and the like become fodder for different conversations. Suffice it to say, however, I believe that the amp is as much an instrument as the bass guitar itself, so quality is important.

Some of those posting suggest that part of what creates punch is the need to use round wound strings. This just shows the variety of opinion on a subject such as this one. ...because my ears tell me the best way for me to get the punch is with flats.

So, here is what I do on the bass:
  • I use flats, usually D'Addario Chromes.
  • I blend a two pup set up with the neck pup hotter than the bridge pup.
  • I dial the bass tone up between 1/4 and 1/2 of the way up.
  • I dial the treble tone up about 3/4 of the way up.
  • If I have a mid boost, I run it full on.
  • I play with my fingers, usually just above the neck pup (old bad habit ). The further toward the sweet spot....between the pups I play....the more punch I can achieve.
On the amp:
  • Gain at 11:00
  • Bass at 12:00 - 1:00
  • Low mids at 1:00
  • High mids at 1:00, maybe slightly higher, but not to 2:00
  • Treble at 11:00
  • Master Volume does just that....controls volume.
Adjustments may need to be made to accomplish what you're looking for,depending on the room and even the size of the audience. It is always important for me to remember that tone differences and degree of punch can be accomplished with just slight adjustments on both the bass and the amp. So, I'm thinking that those that are looking for punch as I have defined it here, can find it using my notes as a guideline, or starting place, and find "your tone" with slight variations as your ears tell you.

Works for me. And, for what it is worth, I get a lot of positive feedback from musicians about my punchy tones, regardless if I'm playing my $600 Frankenstein P bass or a $5,000 custom.

And my last comment is technique, technique, technique. Find the best expression you can with the lightest touch you can master.

Hope this is helpful.

Koog
 
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#35
this..............
20160821_115928_resized.jpg
 
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#36
Mids and attack.

Which band of mids will depend on your personnal taste.
Avoid lots of bass.
There is a balancing act between feeling solid and getting muddy.

A pick is likely to help, but that doesn't mean you have to use one.
Fingers can do just fine, if you know what you are doing.
Picking nearer to the bridge makes it more controlled and less muddy.
 
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#38
What makes a bass sound punchy? The shape, or ADSR envelope, of the note. Nothing else to it. If you can control the shape of the note, you can control the "punch".

The shape is affected by the physical characteristics of the finger, the specific way the fingers pluck the string, the location of the pluck, the tension and compliance of the string, the material the string is made of, the placement of the pickups relative to the speaking length of the string for any given note, the wood, the mechanical configuration of the instrument, the magnet/coil structure of the pickups, the circuit topology, the cable to the amp, compression or limiting, etc.

All of those variables will have an effect on the shape of each note, and therefore, will affect the "punch", or lack thereof. Some variables will be a few tenths or even hundredths of a percent of the total, while others will be much larger, but all play some role.
 
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