• 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.

Where do you get your tone from?

#2
Set everything - bass and amp - flat. That'll give you an idea of what to tweak and where. Then, set your amp. Then use the bass controls to find your range once the amp is set. It's not very desirable to have to tweak your amp between songs IMO.
 
#3
A. What sound are you trying to get?
B. What don't you like about the sound you are getting?
C. Are you trying to get one "sound" or have flexibility?

I set my bass's EQ at 10 and roll of either highs or lows depending on the situation, I usually set my amp controls Bass: 8, Mid: 6, Highs: 4, and if there is a deep switch it is on.
 
#4
i also play a schecter studio which i'm finding has a bit too many mids for my liking. i run my bass flast - pickup knobs all the way on and tone knobs in the center then i let me amp control the tone depending on the room. normally just a touch of lows added, dial out a few mids either around 250-300 or 2k, and sometimes cut the highs a db or two depending on how i'm feeling. that works for me but every bass/amp/cab is going to be very different
 
#6
Safari Safari is online now
Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Atlanta
Set everything - bass and amp - flat. That'll give you an idea of what to tweak and where. Then, set your amp. Then use the bass controls to find your range once the amp is set. It's not very desirable to have to tweak your amp between songs IMO.
Click to expand...

that is good advice. i would try it with your band so you can make you to EQ yourself in the mix properly also check you this link:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=144312

should help you add an subtract what you are missing to make it sound "right."
 
#7
Its kind of confusing, I don't even think I understand it fully, but I'll give it my best to explain what I do. Through reading through threads around these forums, I've set my amp (Peavey 300 combo) up for maximum sound output, since I'm comparing against 2 metal guitarists with massive amps. I slightly cut the lows, boost low mids, flat high mids and slightly cut highs. The Peavey has an 8 band so theres little tweaks around the different knobs. It also has a "treble boost" or "bass boost" function, I keep the bass boost in most of the time.

I havent touched my amp settings in months. I use the 3-band EQ on my active basses to shape tone between my metal tone, slapping, Beatles-ish thumpy tone, or RHCP funkin out.
 
#8
I'll back up a slight bit.

I start with strings and right hand attack on a properly set up bass. (active, passive, strings, hollow, acoustic etc).... for metal I'd be playing a through the body neck bass with active pickups and bright round wound strings.

When I go out, I consider the material and match the bass first...

No matter what the kids here say, there's nothing wrong with your amp choice it's to be judged in a band mix by a non-musician

to get "louder" you may be looking for additional cabinet OR (preferably) have your band mates turn down.

T.
 
#10
Safari said:
Set everything - bass and amp - flat. That'll give you an idea of what to tweak and where. Then, set your amp. Then use the bass controls to find your range once the amp is set. It's not very desirable to have to tweak your amp between songs IMO.
Click to expand...

+1, that is the best way to do it. I hated my tone for the longest time, until one day I asked for my band to humor me at practice, and just play a song over and over for about half an hour, while I continually played along while tweaking first my bass tone controls, then my amp. Half an hour. That was literally all it took to get exactly where I wanted.

My main problem is that my bass (carvin b5), even when set "flat", tends to have a kinda scooped sound to my ears. And I'm a mids guy. So I leave my bass knob just under flat, my mids knob maxed, and my treble knob flat. Even that was not quite enough mids for my tastes, so that's when I turned to my amp. It has a 10-band eq, so I just bumped up the 400 and 800 Hz sliders a bit.
 
#18
Keep in mind, cranking any of hte EQ knobs all the way to 10 is usually asking for both volume and tone problems. That's sure to introduce hiss, and all kinds of other problems. There's NO way I could run the Aguilar EQ on any of my basses wide open. Especially the Bass knob... that would completely slam the front end of my amp into needless submission.

As stated by others... set the bass EQ flat (on the center detent spots when you twist the knobs) and get your core tone you like on the amp, then use the EQ on the bass to tailor that sound different directions live.


.
 
#20
Tone is a complex thing, but like several others said set everything to flat and adjust from there. Flat gives you a starting point at least. Get to know the interactions of your controls and how adjusting one knob effects the overall sound.

IME, I find that on some amps the tone/eq controls interact with each other while on other amps the controls are more independent. My Sunn Beta has tone controls that are very independent so adjusting my Bass or Treble did not effect my Mids, while the Carvin I had had a lot more interaction and drove me freaking nuts because adjusting highs meant making at least a tweek to my mids.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back