parker_muse Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Hey guys, My influences include ska, reggae, indie and other forms of contemporary music. I need to be able to flick between ultra deep bass and sything (almost a classic rock 'valve' OD tone) sometimes within songs to emphasise the ebb and flow within a track. What sort of set up would you recommend? I currently run a Westone Thunder Jet into a Mk2 Trace Elliot 4x10 combo. This gives me a very distinctive sound but something very rigid. I was thinking something along the lines of an Ampeg SVT450h into a Hartke 2x15 cab (or the peavey 18+2x10 in the for sale forum on here) Would this suit what i am looking for or should I be looking towards a more high end valve head for a grindy ballsy tone? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 If it were me..I'd get the classic rock sound sorted with the amp..and then palm mute the strings for the dub stuff..and maybe thumb the line with attack rolled off. It is a tough ask to cover that range of sound, if I understand what you are after, properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I think you have the perfect amp for that. You just need to learn how to fiddle with it to get the sounds you're looking for. I don't know your bass, what's it like? P, J, H, MM? Active/Passive? (we don't see that brand around here...) From what i've tried i think that a combination Trace/HiFi Bass - i'm thinking Yammy TRB from from 1005 to above, evidently - with the adition of a SansAmp VTbass for the gritty/rockish parts would do the job. You would be able to dial all the lows and all the clean/defined parts from the amp and bass and the dirt would be left to the SansAmp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parker_muse Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 The Westone Thunder 1 is a passive P style bass from the 80's. A beautiful piece of japcrap! I've got it strung with flats. I think you're right - i might have to go down the fx road to get the variety of tones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 You'd be able to cover more ground if you were using a J insted! A P on flats sounds low and no mather how much you boost highs and high-mids on the amp you just can't add what's not there to begin with... Probably a new bass day incoming?!!!... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parker_muse Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Heh, maybe! I wouldn't mind a CV jazz... though the neck might be a bit pencilly. The 34 rays or subs seem pretty sweet too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 A filter pedal (such as the moog LPF with an exp pedal) would allow you to have the full sound of the bass coming thru & then you can adjust the cutoff with the pedal to bring it to a dubby bass with no top end. Or the other thing I can think of is a PJ bass, rolling from J p/u to P p/u for the sound you want (tho this means you either have to stop playing or just play open strings whilst you change sound, unless you make an extension for an expression pedal to pan between p/us). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 As you have a passive bass you could put a much larger value capacitor on the tone control, so when you turn it down the lowpass filter reaches right down into the mids. Very cheap to do and easily reversible. Rock with tone up, dub with it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Tom - changing from flats to rounds will make all the difference on that bass - it was strung with rounds when I got it and I changed it to those D'addarios because I wanted the sound to be 'flatter'. Also consider a set of hotter pups - I stuck some Kent Armstrongs into my Washburn and they made a difference - half the cost of Seymour Duncans. It is what I would have done, had I kept it. I do kind of miss it - that stealth look is really cool - but have way too many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 If i was to take your route using my gear i would pick up my TRB, Trace and Fulltone. I'd start with the bass set flat w/ both pu's and tweaked the amp till i get that classic (slightly) mid-scooped trace sound. I would set the fulltone for the kind of grit i was aiming for. Then i would control all my sound with the bass and pedal: Dub: neck pu, bass boost, mid cut, high cut - pedal off Rock: neck pu, eq flat - pedal on or off Rock/Jazz/Funk: bridge pu w/ a little of neck, bass boost, mid cut, high flat - pedal off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Yes, rounds indeed - missed that you have flats on there. It's much easier to take away what you don't want (like excess mids and treble) than it is to add what's missing (a shortage of the same). A twist of suitably configured tone knob plus a shift in right hand technique should give you what you need (as long as you're not pushing your amp too hard). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parker_muse Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Hmmmmm but i REALLY love the tone at the moment for dubby magic! I'm tempted by getting a jazz and a sansamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) [quote name='parker_muse' post='1123972' date='Feb 11 2011, 03:58 PM']Hmmmmm but i REALLY love the tone at the moment for dubby magic! I'm tempted by getting a jazz and a sansamp.[/quote] Try flats in it. For Dub roll off the tone and play as close to the neck (right hand) as you can in fingerstyle. For crispy tones roll up the tone and play betwen the pu and the bridge. Try diferent areas of right hand playing and see the tonal diferences for yourself. I spend most of the time playing close to the bridge and when needed i climb to the neck and the sound rounds up with some extra lows without touching any knobs! edit: i'm refering to the P bass Edited February 11, 2011 by Ghost_Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parker_muse Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 If I roll the tone on the Westone all I get is 'plonk' - I think that's the only way of describing it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I have flats on one of my 6 strings. Using EQ and dirt I have no problem creating a horrible trebly distortion tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) I've used my westone thunder 1A for my brief tenure in a Studio One-style ska and raggae band. I used to enage the active circuit, roll the boost all the way to the bass freq and roll the tone off, and I could get absolute monster bassy and clear tone. And that was with some old roundwounds (some thick DR, forgot which) Edited February 11, 2011 by razze06 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parker_muse Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 I was thinking perhaps getting an active bass to replace the Westone - i could control the EQ from the bass and keep the trace flat with a touch of preshape (it really sings set up like this). The ATK can go from phatness to punchy clang... that could work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 [quote name='parker_muse' post='1124077' date='Feb 11 2011, 05:14 PM']I was thinking perhaps getting an active bass to replace the Westone - i could control the EQ from the bass and keep the trace flat with a touch of preshape (it really sings set up like this). The ATK can go from phatness to punchy clang... that could work.[/quote] The westone thunder mentioned above is for sale... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parker_muse Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 You cheeky begger! I'll have a peek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 [quote name='parker_muse' post='1124087' date='Feb 11 2011, 05:21 PM']You cheeky begger! I'll have a peek.[/quote] Moi? Cheeky begger? You must be thinking of someone else... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 These guys have all given good advice. You should be able to get the variation you need from your bass and your hands. I would recommend round wounds, do the palm muting thumb playing for the dub stuff (this is the way to play it anyway) to muffle off the treble, and, of course there's the tone control. The P type pickups on your bass should give plenty of grind. What I would also recommend s a ported type bottom end speaker (try one of Alex's, he was kind enough to answer!) to plug into your Trace to get those deep lows. Will make all the difference, don't get too much of those lows from the 4x10 combo, its a slim cab. Need a deep one. (If you don't do the palm mute thing, don't worry, easy to learn, I had to learn quick to emulate a double bass sound for a couple of Motown numbers. Get past the thumb blister period and you're away to a great technique) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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