Your technique and tone..

[gai113]

Hi doug..

How hard do you pluck when you play? do you use a light touch and turn up the amp or play hard and dig in?

Do most pro's have a light touch? to be able to play fast fluent and use economy of motion..

Also how much do you consider your tone? Personally i think its a little too trebbly and mid for bass for my taste but of course everyone is different..

and your bass is soo tiny it looks like a guitar I'm sure you play it cause its easy to manuever and play faster?

thanks

 

[Jared Lash]

I'm not Doug but I think it's safe to say that he doesn't use a soft touch.

Here's a video showing his plucking technique and how he really digs into the strings and uses a very percussive style because of it.

YouTube - ‪Doug Johns/ Bass Technique/ Diggin' in‬‏

Many pros use a light touch (Gary Willis is a huge proponent of this) but guys who want that snap and aggressive tone (Doug, Geddy Lee, Flea) all really attack the strings to get the tone they want.

 

[Doug Johns]

Hello cire113, I do dig in quite a bit, sometimes to my demise.
As I get older, I realize the benefit of a light touch--less fatigue, etc. But, "diggin in" is part of my personality, and I'm ok with it
Dead on with your "Tone' comment. Everybody's got their own thing, and that's the way it should be.
As far as the size of my bass, it's a standard 34 inch scale.

 

[gai113]

you can still play really fast even when playing hard right?

Thanks doug!!!

Btw you are a huge inspiration for us