Efforts you have made to find right tone

[Clarky72]

[quote name='Randy_Marsh' timestamp='1325011909' post='1479122']
I bought a Stingray. Job done
[/quote]

haha, almost worked for me too. the best rounded 'every tone i'll need' bass I've ever owned. still searching for more, i'll never be satisfied i reckon...

[Doctor J]

[quote name='lee4' timestamp='1325015252' post='1479171']
[b]When was the last time any of us had an audience member make [i]any[/i][/b][b]comment about our tone?[/b]
[/quote]Quite frequently, actually, over the past few years when I've been gigging on guitar but had a few comments on my bass tone, too - most memorably when a fella told me he was on a different floor and couldn't hear the band, but he could [i]feel[/i] my bass

[Clarky72]

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1325018009' post='1479205']
Quite frequently, actually, over the past few years when I've been gigging on guitar but had a few comments on my bass tone, too - most memorably when a fella told me he was on a different floor and couldn't hear the band, but he could [i]feel[/i] my bass
[/quote]
Awesome.

[SteveK]

S'funny, one thing I noticed pretty early on: (to paraphrase Gary Player) [i]The more I practice...the better my tone.[/i]

[Musky]

[quote name='lee4' timestamp='1325015252' post='1479171']
[b]When was the last time any of us had an audience member make [i]any[/i][/b][b]comment about our tone?[/b]
[b]IMHO you should get a sound that fits the music(but it does'nt stop me trying to find 'that'sound).[/b]
[/quote]
25th April 2009. Though it was another bassist so maybe that doesn't count...

[Jamesemt]

Fwiw I've had about 30 basses in the last 5 years and found that I can only get the sound in my head (or is that out of my head???) with active basses. Don't get on with Jazz basses ( bought a Sadowsky Jazz untried off here, thinking an expensive Jazz would fit better in the band than a cheap Jazz...it didn't...and I ended up spending more than the initial purchase cost on pickups/different eqs and luthier time...). For me, precision pickup, active 2 band EQ and either DR Sunbeams or bizarrely GHS Boomers seems to get me what I want. The tone I like tends to be quite dubby - despite the fact I play mostly pop rock

[icastle]

[quote name='Clarky72' timestamp='1325009299' post='1479087']
The eternal tone search has found me buying and trading basses, amps, strings and pedals for years... that elusive tone is out there somewhere.
[/quote]

Yep.
And once you find it you'll start chasing another one...

[icastle]

[quote name='lee4' timestamp='1325015252' post='1479171']
When was the last time any of us had an audience member make [i]any [/i]comment about our tone?
[/quote]

Quite often from audience and fellow musicians.
My response is to squirm uncomfortably and mutter something about 'listening to what works and not fiddling with stuff all the while'.

[RichF]

familiar but great topic. I have focused on the basic "food groups". So first of all basses - I stopped playing 10 years or so ago, sold a heap of basses but kept my trusty Precision (loaded with hot EMGs). I got rid of a stingray (ouch! literally wake up screaming at that), a 4001 (didn't much get on with that), a Thumb fretless (my technique stank so it was a waste, still best bass I have ever owned), a couple of Jazz basses etc. Had a sense of what I needed when I got back into playing after raising a family. As well as my precision, I now have a good quality Jazz (with a versatile John East pre) and a Corvette $$5 (not sure why i didn't go for the Stingray, but was trying to recreate a hybrid of the stingray and the Thumb). So that's me covered the precision, jazz and humbucker sounds. Next food group, backline. Finally got a decent contemporary amp (Tecamp - the dark horse of the D class battle) and good quality speakers (Barefaced). My concession to GAS comes through pedals. Which risks being the black hole of the tone search - once you move beyond the "bass into amp into speakers" holy trinity you keep on needing more and more and more to deliver that imagined perfect sound (well I do). Still probably got there now. Finally the set up that delivers everything I thought I needed but couldn't care about when I was 20. Does it sound as good as it should? eh, no. To be fair, sometimes yes. But all the other variables are more often than not in the way of delivering the perfect sound (venue, sound system, band etc). So this is eternal, frustrating but fun. It's my first love (after my family) so why not. I love the science and art of it. I know next to nothing but hunger to hear about the next thing that might take me the next step on my journey.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='RichF' timestamp='1325021008' post='1479241']
familiar but great topic. I have focused on the basic "food groups". So first of all basses - I stopped playing 10 years or so ago, sold a heap of basses but kept my trusty Precision (loaded with hot EMGs). I got rid of a stingray (ouch! literally wake up screaming at that), a 4001 (didn't much get on with that), a Thumb fretless (my technique stank so it was a waste, still best bass I have ever owned), a couple of Jazz basses etc. Had a sense of what I needed when I got back into playing after raising a family. As well as my precision, I now have a good quality Jazz (with a versatile John East pre) and a Corvette $$5 (not sure why i didn't go for the Stingray, but was trying to recreate a hybrid of the stingray and the Thumb). So that's me covered the precision, jazz and humbucker sounds. Next food group, backline. Finally got a decent contemporary amp (Tecamp - the dark horse of the D class battle) and good quality speakers (Barefaced). My concession to GAS comes through pedals. Which risks being the black hole of the tone search - once you move beyond the "bass into amp into speakers" holy trinity you keep on needing more and more and more to deliver that imagined perfect sound (well I do). Still probably got there now. Finally the set up that delivers everything I thought I needed but couldn't care about when I was 20. Does it sound as good as it should? eh, no. To be fair, sometimes yes. But all the other variables are more often than not in the way of delivering the perfect sound (venue, sound system, band etc). So this is eternal, frustrating but fun. It's my first love (after my family) so why not. I love the science and art of it. I know next to nothing but hunger to hear about the next thing that might take me the next step on my journey.
[/quote]

Tecamp is good, I find that almost any bass I stick through my rig will sound good.

Let me correct that- it will sound as good as it can for that bass, a cheap rubbish pile of poo will sound as good as that ever will, a P will sound like a P and a jazz a jazz and so on. Eq and everything almost always run flat, tiny bit of compression with the attack button in. perfect.

I bought the cab as it only cost me £150 or so new (yeah I know!) and the amp was a pragmatic it's light, will match and I don't like the look of little mark or the tone of TC electronic stuff... bought it blind and.... well for something bought with so little thought it stopped me caring much about tone.
I still want to fiddle. Shall I stick new pups in it? should i sell it and get a overwater? and so on- but I don't need to as whatever I have will sound good, you don't notice it till you play through something else (a trace combo at church for instance) and there is that little annoyance that what you are playing doesn't sound right.....

So buy a tecamp puma.... (and sell me your overwater)

[Immo]

Asking the OP's question:
I bought Traben Neo because I liked the sound, but I was at the "I just like bass" time of my life.
Then I started to crave [i]vintage[/i], [i]fat[/i], [i]rich[/i] and [i]warm[/i] bass sound. First time the satisfying effect came, when I removed the lacquer from neck socket and put the flats on my Traben Neo. But few weeks later I got my hands on Fender Precision and with 'proper' Sunn amp I got two months later the search was pretty much over.
But later I've decided to buy two more basses to have the 'full spectrum' of sound - more aggressive T-40 and more punchy/muddy 70's Tele Bass. Oldschool funky, sharp and muddy - all I wanted. Anything else I'll buy will be out of pure G.A.S..
And for some vintage 'nuances' I'll build few basses for myself.

[Pow_22]

Valves, P bass, flats, Done.

[Immo]

[quote name='lee4' timestamp='1325015252' post='1479171']
[b]When was the last time any of us had an audience member make [i]any[/i][/b][b]comment about our tone?[/b]
[b]IMHO you should get a sound that fits the music(but it does'nt stop me trying to find 'that'sound).[/b]
[/quote]
Hey, I was on a concert once and I oh-so-wanted to congratulate the bass player his sound, as it was simply perfect. Too many hundreds people and security people in the way, though.

[xilddx]

[quote name='norvegicusbass' timestamp='1325013221' post='1479138']
Wow how pompous do I sound there about threads "degenerating"!!? I mean take this thread wherever you wish LOL. Seems I am obsessed with tone right now so anything about it and how you achieve certain sounds is good to know
[/quote]

Alex Claber's piece in the latest Bass Guitar Magazine is all about TONE. It's interesting and very useful.

[BottomE]

Like most i think its just been a trial and error thing over 25 years. I have had basses that sound amazing at home only to dissapoint in a band situation. I have also had amps that colour the sound of the bass in a bad way. There have been basses that have played great but haven't been versatile etc the story goes on. If you can just keep trying stuff till you find a combination that works for you.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I found my tone through trial & error & have arrived at the combination of fingerstyle playing technique, old thomastik flatwounds, a behringer limiter pedal & a £5 curly cable from maplin. I get my tone with any of my basses using that combo and it works for me whether I'm using my own LMII/1212L lightweight rig or an ancient peavey combo at a jam night.

[Sibob]

Bought a P-bass & a Barefaced

Si

[lee4]

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1325018984' post='1479216']
25th April 2009. Though it was another bassist so maybe that doesn't count...
[/quote]
I'm only counting mere mortals,not us higher beings

Edited December 28, 2011 by lee4

[Delberthot]

I've tried nearly every bass that every bass player I've ever liked has played as I've went through different phases then it dawned on me one day that I sound like me regardless of what I play.

There may be a wee bit of extra bottom end or a touch more top between basses but its still essentially the same sound.

Edited December 29, 2011 by Delberthot

[dmccombe7]

Have gone through loads of basses and amps to find that elusive perfect sound. Highlights to date :-

Aria SB1000 into 2off Peavey MkIV heads with custom 1x12" & 15" cab.

WAL custom into same rig.

Fender Jazz into Roland pre-amp into 2off Mattamp valve power amps into a 2x10" cab & 1x15" reflex cabs.

Warwick Thumb DI'd to PA.

Either my Jazz or Overwaters into my GB streamliner and 2off Berg 12" cabs.

The GB and Berg cabs give me a warm clean sound and IMHO a true representation of what my basses actually sound like. No matter what the style of music i have a bass that will suit thru this rig.
Mainly classic rock at the moment. Thumb just doesn't really work in this band - shame cause its probably the nicest of my basses to play.

Dave

[phil moore]

sound is fairly subjective in my opinion,I think mine is ok then I hear another player or play someones set up and realise there is always more to find out there. Same with tunes, styles and everything else, the fun is in the looking.