Where does punch come from?

[leftybass77]

I just came back from trying two MarkBass heads through a MarkBass 212 and a 412 with a Geddy Lee bass. I tried many, many settings and no punch. I came home and my Fender Jazz with a Badass bridge through my Carvin PB150 combo (crackly pots & all) had punch.
I like that hit you in the chest type. Is it the the bass bridge, technique, thickness of string, amp type, speaker type, all the above? Something else?

 

[alexclaber]

Some pondering on punch here: Link Removed

In this case I think it's very much about the increased compression and distortion of your combo thickening the sound.

 

[leftybass77]

Thanks for the article & feedback. I'll research your theory though.
Here I am trying all these amps and it could be that an old Carvin is the way to go for me.

Some pondering on punch here: Link Removed

In this case I think it's very much about the increased compression and distortion of your combo thickening the sound.

 

[interstatejoe]

Everyone knows punch comes from Hawaii!!!

 

[will33]

Speaker response and amp voicing. "Punch", or what I think of it comes from lowmids. Anywhere from 100 up to 400-600hz. It doesn't take some uber expensive or highly engineered cab to have good response in those areas although some may be producing lower bass that kind of masks it. A lot of cabs have it tuned into them, the midbass hump that's typical of stuffing a bunch of speakers in a box that's too small. Technically an error but can sound good sometimes. On a markbass head try turning down the bass knob a little bit and turning up the lowmid knob some. That's dropping at 40 and boosting at 250.

That's on the reproducing the sound end of things. The sound source (the bass) can vary greatly as far as "tone" (which harmonics are more dominant than others). Things like pickup type, winding and placement and string type can affect that alot.

 

[Gaolee]

I have found a whole lot of speaker area to be helpful rather than a whole lot of wattage.

 

[will33]

I should add that mid response has a lot to do with it too. You'll hear that more if you're in front of the cab, not so much if your ears are above or beside it.

 

[Honk'n_down-low]

Usually in a Big Bowl in the center of the room on a table, where a lot of people are gathered around. Also known as Liquid Panty Remover.... Rock on! !

 

[totallyfrozen]

Where does punch come from?

Uh...I think the stork brings it. Go ask your mother.

 

[sedan_dad]

................... with a Geddy Lee bass. ................................my Fender Jazz with a Badass bridge ................................?

This caught my eye. Whats the difference?

 

[capnsandwich]

This caught my eye. Whats the difference?

Could be the voicing or the location of the pickups. I'm not sure the pickup spacing on the Geddy Lee or what it's equipped with but if it's different than the other Jazz Bass then that may be the difference. Also, different strings could bring out different qualities of the bass, and maybe even the wood combinations.

 

[leftybass77]

That's why I used the Geddy Lee at the store...because it was somewhat similar to my bass with it's Badass bridge. But it had thin strings and some other differences.

I did roll off the bass and turn up the mids (and tried other settings) and sat in front of the 410 and no pucnhyness.

This caught my eye. Whats the difference?

 

[leftybass77]

Good point! I should tryout the MarkBass with my bass. Tomorrow.
Tanx. And, ideally, try a stock Geddy Lee with the thin strings on my Carvin.

Could be the voicing or the location of the pickups. I'm not sure the pickup spacing on the Geddy Lee or what it's equipped with but if it's different than the other Jazz Bass then that may be the difference. Also, different strings could bring out different qualities of the bass, and maybe even the wood combinations.

 

[joeydavidson]

I think a lot of punch comes from the speakers and cab. I have noticed big changes in response through different cabs.

 

[esa372]

...with a Geddy Lee bass.

I've never been able to coax any punch out of my Geddy.
I get plenty from my '62- and '75-RIs, though. All 3 have the BadAss-II bridge.

 

[KJung]

I just came back from trying two MarkBass heads through a MarkBass 212 and a 412 with a Geddy Lee bass. I tried many, many settings and no punch. I came home and my Fender Jazz with a Badass bridge through my Carvin PB150 combo (crackly pots & all) had punch.
I like that hit you in the chest type. Is it the the bass bridge, technique, thickness of string, amp type, speaker type, all the above? Something else?

Punch is, to me, upper bass and low mid girth (100hz-200hz). Unfortunately, depending on which Markbass head you are using (i.e., one with a fixed low mid center point at 380hz), it is hard to dial in some forceful low mids if your cabs or bass don't provide that.

A Jazz bass is also a bit widely voiced, so that combination is not inherently punchy. One thing that VERY much helps is to dig in a bit relatively close to the bridge, which naturally reduces deep bass and bumps up low mids and mids. Rolling of just a touch of the neck pickup can help also.

With the LM heads, stay away from the VTC, and don't boost the bass, dig in a bit over the bridge pickup, and you should have most of the punch you need. If you have an MB head with semi-parametric mids, dial in a bit of boost at around 200hz (9 o'clock or so) with the low mid control, and possibly roll back the bass control just a smidge.


Mid voiced roundwounds (like some nickel strings or the DR Lo Rider SS as examples) can also help.
IMO and IME!

 

[KJung]

This caught my eye. Whats the difference?

I believe the Geddy is an alder body, maple board but 70's pickup position. That is not the optimal J bass spec for 'punch' (as I define it) if I remember that spec correctly.

 

[zon6c-f]

In my experience with mainly using a 1971 Kustom 200-B or a 1974 Acoustic 370 with a Sunn 1-18"vh cab, I only get punch from the Acoustic, by either boosting the midrange control or for max punch, I can boost the middle 3 graphic eq sliders all the way, leaving the lowest and highest sliders flat.

As for the Kustom, punch is not an option. Conclusion: Punch comes from midrange tone from an amp only. Even with the mid control boosted on my Zon Sonus 6, I get more "growl", but not punch. Punch come from an amp in my opinion.

I agree that with 15's or 18's, you get greater punch.

Thanks,,zon6c-f.

 

[lomo]

To me, punch is the component of the bass that I feel vibrating my sternum and it's about 150 hz. My bandmates love it when I'm driving from that position, which I do unless the tune really calls for the vague, pillowy support (think Pink Floyd). IMO the burpy bridge pup sound of a jazz is a bit higher in the midrange, around 350-500Hz. I don't dig that nearly as much.

 

[Mushroo]

"Punch" as I define it comes from having a powerful amp/speaker setup. I love the sound of big speakers and an that amp moves a lot of air without straining too hard, with plenty of power in reserve ("headroom"). I'd rather play a 1,000 watt Peavey than an 100 watt boutique amp.

This is in the context of playing live with a full band, not in my living room or the music store.