Fat rock bass sounding guitar?

[bassickman]

I have a fender jazz however it isn't hasnt got the thick tone that I need. I am playing in a band similar to maroon 5, Later chili peppers stuff. Well produced Alt/funk/rock kind of sound.

Musicman stingray and lakland both came to mind?

Thanks,

bassickman

[Cosmo Valdemar]

There's no reason a Fender J wouldn't do the job admirably. Kust needs to be EQd properly.

However, if you are just not enjoying the sound of the bass, that's another matter!

[LiamPodmore]

Tech 21 Sansamp BDDI, Tech 21 VT Bass, Behringer BDI-21.

Run a Jazz through any of those set up correctly and you'll have a nice huge tone.

Liam

[EskimoBassist]

For me, like later RHCP and Maroon 5 stuff a Jazz would be my weapon of choice! What do you find so lacking about it?

[brensabre79]

Same here, whats wrong with the Jazz? If you want a bit more thud you could get a Precision, or for some 'honk' a Stingray. Or maybe just stick with the Jazz and add a series switch for the pickups?

Or set your amp up differently...?

[EskimoBassist]

A decent preamp will give you some more wallop for sure.

[Conan]

This jazz of which you speak... is it set up properly? Particularly the pickup heights? Is it sounding too thin? Too clean? Too scooped (i.e. lacking in midrange).... What kind of strings are you using (brand, gauge, etc)? Have you thought about replacing the pickups with something more aggressive?

It would be easier to give advice if you were a bit more specific about the problem!

Edited May 22, 2012 by Conan

[dannybuoy]

Yamaha BB with P/J pickups? Fat beefy rock tone from the P pickup that you can add a bit of J-like growl to when using both pickups.

[bassickman]

Ok, I love the tone. However, I play some big gigs with an alt rock, pop rock band. Similar to maroon 5. I find the Jazz bass tone perfect but the depth of the sound sometimes isnt deep enough. I use ernie ball slinky bass strings. I am a newbie to gear really and this is why i come to yourselves for advice.

[Ou7shined]

Stick some Lindy Fralin pups in your jazz. You'll not regret it.
I have some in the bass I used to use in my Pearl Jam tribute... full rock tone and no mistake.

[risingson]

Tis funny but both the bands you've mentioned have players that currently use Jazz or 'jazz style' basses. Hmm...

If you don't think you can EQ in the sound that you want from your amp then a Jazz bass ain't the bass you're after for big beefy low end (Jazz bass low end is present and manageable, but a tad restrained). You're probably best looking at something with a P pickup in it. Nothing fills space like a Precision.

Stingrays don't fill low end IMO. They're punchy and have loads of presence, but I always found that the location of the humbucker in a Stingray doesn't give you a proper low-end fundamental. I'm sure plenty of people will disagree, and I love Stingrays... but I don't think they do the job you're describing.

[ThomBassmonkey]

It sounds more like an issue with the amp, a jazz should be able to do the sound you're after.

A ray could do those tones too (I understand what rising is said, but it depends on the amp, rays can pump out a hell of a lot of bass in the right setup).

[Lozz196]

Try a higher gauge set of strings, same brand, just one step up. The difference I find, from using Roto regulars to heavies, is significant.

[Mornats]

You can try a different brand of string. I've currently got Overwater Light Gauge Nickel, GHS Bass Boomers and Ernie Ball Super Slinkys (the pink packet) on 3 of my basses and out of all of them the Slinkys sounds the weakest. "Clangy pieces of crap" I've called them. Strangely, the GHS and Overwater strings sound and feel identical. They even degrade the same way (leading me to believe they're from the same factory).

A different amp setup could help. Even though I hate the slinkys on my bass, when I put it through my Ashdown 220 Touring combo they sounds alright. They get some bottom end back.

[BottomE]

There are so many possible solutions that its a bit overwhelming

I'd probably look at things in this order...

Amp - it might be a problem that you could fix with the EQ section on your amp. Have a good fiddle with it. If you have a half-decent amp the EQ section will be quite powerful and minor adjustments should make a major difference.

Strings - try a heavier gauge

Bass setup - does the bass feel good to play? Have you had the bass professionally setup? If not this might be a cheap way to get what you want.

Preamp/EQ Pedal - these are a solution that will give you options. Sansamp and Sadowsky do great outboard preamps that will make any bass sound good

Pickups - you could go for a new set of pickups thought the choice is staggering and unless you know what you are looking for exactly you could be dissapointed

Basses - you could go for a Fender P Bass or as someone else said the Yamaha BB1100 type with a P/J setup. Thats the expensive option.

A Jazz Bass should do a pretty good rock tone and hopefully you can get it sorted.

[gjones]

Gayle Ann Dorsey usually uses a Stringray but for her latest tour with Lenny Kravitz (who's pretty funky/rocky) she's using a Jazz. So it shows you can get the kind of sound you want from your present set up.

BUT in my opinion a Stingray with the treble turned down will really hit the spot.

[bigjohn]

Pre-amps are where the bang for buck is for depth and tone in general.

That said, I like my Jazz, but mostly use a Precision if I'm after fat. Jazzes just need more EQ to get the same thickness and I never get it as fat as with a Precision.

I've never played anything but the three basses in my signature through my rig though. I've been thinking about a Stingray myself just to see.

Edited May 22, 2012 by bigjohn

[stingrayPete1977]

You can't beat a Ray IMO, it's the one trick pony that's been used for both live and studio work for jazz, funk, punk, blues, rock, indie and everything else by some of the best players out there, that's quite a trick!

[lettsguitars]

Someone on here said this somewhere already. The funk is in the fingers. That is the most useful advice you could get. Make the most out of what you got, and you'll learn to be a better player. There's too many people looking for 'that sound' which is very detremental to technique. You surely wont get anywhere by trying to sound like somebody else. Use your ears and find a bass that works for you. Lose the pick and practice until you can get the sound you're after out of a brick. Aah pure poetry.

[Conan]

[quote name='bassickman' timestamp='1337699720' post='1664160']the depth of the sound sometimes isnt deep enough.[/quote]

Not sure exactly what this means. Not enough really low "trouser-flapping" bass frequencies? Is that really what you are striving for? Or do you mean deep as in a "full, rounded" tone?

If you're not getting enough low bass (true "bass" rather than low mids) it's most likely to be your strings and/or your speaker cabinet(s) that are the root of the problem IMO. What amplification set-up are you using? Your sif implies that you always DI into the desk... No on-stage monitoring?

Edited May 23, 2012 by Conan

[LukeFRC]

pickups, both on, then back off the bridge slightly. (or just the neck pup if that works)

fingers. play over the bridge pickup.

strings- heavier? DR fat beams are fairly low end heavy.

Amp ah boost the bass, and probably the low mids. Play around. (actually what is the amp/cab? that may have more to do with the sound than the bass)

and the rest of the tone is in your fingers

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1337724370' post='1664685']
Someone on here said this somewhere already. The funk is in the fingers. That is the most useful advice you could get. Make the most out of what you got, and you'll learn to be a better player. There's too many people looking for 'that sound' which is very detremental to technique. You surely wont get anywhere by trying to sound like somebody else. Use your ears and find a bass that works for you. Lose the pick and practice until you can get the sound you're after out of a brick. Aah pure poetry.
[/quote] good response.

[BluRay]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1337721592' post='1664632']
You can't beat a Ray IMO, it's the one trick pony that's been used for both live and studio work for jazz, funk, punk, blues, rock, indie and everything else by some of the best players out there, that's quite a trick!
[/quote]

I love my stingray, but - and I accept this is just down to me - its not the easiest bass to get to sound right. Very challenging to EQ, and sometimes I'm all over the shop - from way to thin to mega phat. When I get it right it sounds awesome - but Ive had to adjust my playing style to suite the bass. I'm now its bitch.

[Conan]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1337778979' post='1665301']
and the rest of the tone is in your fingers
[/quote]

A lot of the tone is in the fingers, but boosting low frequencies is more to do with strings and cabinets! With you on the DR fatbeams though...

[mike257]

I'd echo the comments about playing position - my Sandberg is basically a jazz and I get a huge jump in bottom end from playing around the neck pickup.

It's the cheapest solution you'll find!

[CBbass]

I have no idea why a Jazz won't do what you want from it. Perhaps you have sh*te electronics?

A P bass may have a very, very slightly thicker tone.