Trying to find "That Sound"

edski · Post by **edski** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 7:57 am

It's OK to be into effects...I used to have a floor full, including a full rack mount digital delay. Although I loved the sounds, I was unhappy with the noise. Of course this was a LONG time ago, so I'm sure that aspect is better.

A compressor, eq, chorus...yeah, they are useful. But if one gets a good enough sound just going through an amp, I prefer the simplicity. When I was recently playing guitar I just relied on the amp. Now that I'm on bass, the remaining guitarist is experimenting with all sorts of gadgets. They sound good, don't get me wrong, but instead of obsessing about the notes he's playing, now he's obsessing about the "tone".

As for strings, I'm going to give rounds a try again on my new 4004. Partially I'm just wanting to keep the same things on the bass as stock, and partially I am pleased with the sound. But I never was unhappy with my 4001 with flats, and feel it gets enough high end when I want it. I usually play with my tone pot closed anyway...

It takes all types. Hell, I even own some Fenders and Gibsons!

Doesn't mean I don't "belong" on this board!

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 7:57 am

SVT w/8x10's...

edski · Post by **edski** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 8:14 am

Jared...that's a good solution to any "tone" problems!

scanman17 · Post by **scanman17** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 8:17 am

im not a big effects fan either. i'm just looking for ideas on how to hone my sound. i've used cheap basses for the entire 12 years of my playing career and this is a big switch for me. i didn't mean to call my 3000 series cheap, it's just beat up. if i could make my bass sound like entwistle's on substitute with slightly less overdrive, i'd be pleased as punch. or maybe i'd find something wrong with that too. this new ric has turned me into a neurotic freak. oh god help me

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 8:38 am

Joseph ... I use the 1st bass pod ... I have not tried the bass pod xt ... I hear that it is good ... I use and ampeg b2r and various cabinets with 10's 15's and 18's ... these days I am into 10's ...

there is nothing wrong with cheap basses if the cheap bass sounds and plays good ... I just sold one of my 4003 basses becauses it was too clean and pretty ... to me a bass is a tool ... I take care of my tools but they get used and are not in mint condition ...

and I like some stuff from the 60's and 70's and 80's and 90's and current ... I even like Gershwin and Henery Mancini and old blues artists ... but all of my instruments are 1986 and later ... I use modern amps ... I use modern effects and I play modern music ... I use a low B ... and when I do play old stuff I give it a modern sensibility ... however I draw the line at active electronics in a bass ... they get boomy, or dinky and they don't growl ...

So I am part retro ... but mostly modern ... I love old Rush and Yes and King Crimson ... But I don't play much of that stuff ...

So if you really want to control your sound I really recommend the bass pod ... then you can control gain, and volume, and tone and distortion ... you can pick one up cheap on ebay ...

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:21 am

Yes I third the Ampeg SVT with 8 X 10's, mine's in my car right now, used it last night, will use it tonight and Sunday.
Joseph, are you talking live Substitute or the studio version?

“On Substitute I played a two pickup medum scale Gibson bass and I managed to find a decent set of Gibson wirewound strings that vibrated properly. The session was going well and I felt that we were ready for the master take, so when it got to the solo in the middle, I turned the bass up and there was nothing the engineer could do about it. They’d previously balanced everything and it was all going through the mixer at the same time.”

scanman17 · Post by **scanman17** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:27 am

the studio version

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:30 am

I think that would have been his EB-2 as EB-0, EB-1's and Eb-3's are short scale.

morrow · Post by **morrow** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:40 am

Another flatwound fan here.I put a set of TI flats on my 4001 as soon as I got her home.They are a low tension string and the action is set fairly low.I play electric with a light touch.I am more agressive with an upright.

I did the cap bypass and was very happy with the thump when I had her out for a gig last week.I do mostly blues, R&B, and roots music.The Ric displayed a rich mix of useable tone....from an old school whump to a bright bridge sound.I had a lot of fun with her and ran through a nice tonal range.

At first the leader on the gig was surprised when I took out the Ric and expressed some dismay with it's presence but had a big smile when he heard it. After the gig I asked him about it and was told that despite the Ric sounding gorgeous he would prefer the look of an older Pbass for the gig.

.....go figure

I will get her out again tomorrow night.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:44 am

I think people are conditioned to think Rics are clank machines and when they hear the nice clear round sound you get with flatwounds they are pleasantly surprised. I used to get looks of doubt when I brought them to blues jams, but not anymore.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 12:13 pm

flats have not been mainstream since the 60's ... go into any music store and see how many basses have flats ... sometimes that count will be zero ... like mechanical mutes and ric-o-sound ... they are all anachronisms ...

edski · Post by **edski** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 1:00 pm

***they are all anachronisms ...***

perhaps, but styles shift and often cycle. I'll agree that it can be tough to even buy flats at some stores, and a vast majority of new basses use rounds. But doesn't mean that you can't get a great sound out of them.

bear · Post by **bear** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 1:14 pm

Gee, nice to know that I'm not a mainstream Lemming. (o;}

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 2:00 pm

Watch out Jeff, they will be before you know it, haha! I see a lot of people using them actually and it is the consumer who seems to drive the music industry. They may have been anachronistic (new word) 5 years ago, but not anymore. I don't know what their share of the bass string market is but I guarantee it has grown a lot since the year 2000.

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 2:46 pm

"despite the Ric sounding gorgeous he would prefer the look of an older Pbass for the gig"

Your bandleader should pay you double if he is going to dictate what bass you play!