My bass just won't cut through off the E string :(

[nickhuge]

So I have my finished rig (apart from a bass driver DI but I’ve run out for money for now!)
Fender American P-Bass, 2 Markbass cabs, Ampeg SVT III pro. It sounds pretty damn gorgeous when it’s on its own. The issue is when I’m playing with the rest of the band, anything played low down sounds awesome (we play in drop C# so only a semitone below drop D), but as soon as I move up onto the A string and up the fret board I lose all the bass and it doesn’t cut through. I’ve tried a different cabs (2 massive trace’s last night) and I’ve tried knocking the EQ off the ampeg and still have the same issue. The bass is pretty light for a P-Bass. I had a look at the pickups and the pickup does seem to be quite low on the E-string end. I was thinking perhaps a compressor might help so i could boost the overall volume but keeping the low end at its current volume, but when you listen to the bass on it’s own it seems to keep the same volume through out and I love the tone.
Have you got any ideas what I could try?

[Mr. Foxen]

Heavier strings. Setup.

Edit: Is it a plain single P pickup?

Edited February 25, 2012 by Mr. Foxen

[nickhuge]

Yeah it is, well the split single obv.

[Mr. Foxen]

I'd start by having everything clean and quiet and checking the string balance in high and low positions. How old are the strings? Also, tap the poles with something metal an see if the tap is same sound all across, will tell you if a pickup issue.

[nickhuge]

Thought it might help to share my current EQ settings

[Merton]

Less bass, more low mid. Will cut the waffle but still give a huge low end

[nickhuge]

more bass in the 3 band or the graphic? Cheers!

[bertbass]

I had this problem with a new bass that I bought and whatever I tried, different amp, cabs, strings, graphic eqs, infact everything I could think of, it didn't make any difference. I went back to the old bass and it was all there again. I'm assuming that it was the light weight body of the new bass that was the problem. Can you try a different bass and see if it's still the same? Good luck.

[Merton]

[quote name='nickhuge' timestamp='1330185412' post='1553881']
more bass in the 3 band or the graphic? Cheers!
[/quote]
LESS bass on both the three band but especially the graphic. Anything below 80Hz or so, don't boost, and anything below 50Hz I'd cut a smidgen.

[thodrik]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1330178996' post='1553774']
Heavier strings. Setup.
[/quote]

Usually the first thing I do with a Precision, or in fact just about any bass!

[dannybuoy]

Get your string-to-string volume balance sorted first by adjusting the string and pickup heights. A compressor will help, but you want it as good as you can get it without one first.

[fretmeister]

As said - less bass on the EQ and more mids. Especially if your guitarists are using a really mid scooped tone then they've already stolen the low end. So you almost need an opposite EQ curve.

Important thing to note - you'll probably hate it on it's own, but it will work in the mix.

[charic]

My band play in drop C (CGCF), check out newtone strings. They will make you a set of strings especially for drop c tuning (you wont be able to tune to standard though). They wont be thicker than normal either and cut through absolutely great.

The EQ as above. More importantly though check your guitarists EQ and don't be afraid to tell them to turn down!

[Lozz196]

I`ve encountered the same, and found that working in reverse seemed to solve it:

Heavier strings, fiddle with the eq to get get the sound you want from the A string and above, then lower the height of the pickup under the E string so that it doesn`t over-boom, and sounds the same as the other strings. Maybe adding a compressor at this point will help, it certainly does with my set up, especially as I`m quite heavy handed.

[fretmeister]

Oh - and tell the guitarists to lay off the bass freqs.

Let each instrument serve its purpose. When guitarists have too much bass and the bass has none, when they go off soloing all the balls from the music disappears. If the sound is built from the bottom upwards that doesn't happen.

Have you ever heard Slayer / Slipknot / Machinehead rhythm guitar sound in isolation? You can hear the low notes perfectly well, but they are clear and not actually bass heavy. The bass does that. And the full band sound for all of them is immense!