Pete Academy Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Is the sound you're after in your head, or do you go for a sound from a favourite bassist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I don't aim for a particular sound really, certainly not one from a favourite Bass player. I tend to just go with what sounds nice at the time. Unfortunately this changes a lot depending on my mood, which is a pain in the bum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTB Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I think I go for a sound that's in my head. However, that sound is very dependent on what style of music i'm playing and based on what I've heard others do in that genre. To answer your question, I suppose that means I do a bit of both! Putting it another way, I can' t think I have ever sat down with my rig and tried to get a tone like player X but I do make genre specific choices to achieve my desired tone. For example, I swopped my Spirocore Weichs for Golden Slaps when I joined my current blues/swing band to get a sound more authentic to that style of music. Recently, I played with a punky pop band and realised some fuzzy bass would sound great. I wound up the front end of the Streamliner, put the Sadowsky on the front pick up and everyone loved it. I've never used a sound like that before but it was the one in my head for that set of songs. Did I get that from hearing someone else? Quite possibly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 The sound is in my head,but it's fairly close to the one that JJ Burnell put there.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Lord Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 [quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1343585028' post='1752376'] The sound is in my head,but it's fairly close to the one that JJ Burnell put there.. [/quote] Yep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 My sound(s) are the ones that suit the music and instrumentation of whatever band I'm playing in at the time. They are not the same sounds that I was using 5 or 10 or 25 years ago when I was playing different music with different instrumental combinations. The idea that the bass sound I use has not been specifically tailored to suit the overall sound of the band is frankly ridiculous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 (edited) If the sound is in your head, and you spend X hours and £x trying to find it, it will be wrong. Think how your own voice sounds in your head when you speak, and then listen to a recording of it! But to answer the question, it's in my head. Tommy Shannon's live tone at Montreux 82 [i]as interpreted by my ears and memory[/i]. Edit to say: ...in my current band. In my metal covers band, it was the sound which supported the music the best. The same goes for my current band, of course. I perceive that to be Tommy Shannon's tone at Montreux 82. Nice. Edited July 29, 2012 by JimBobTTD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I often find myself agreeing with BRX, and this is no different, it's what's right for the band that matters. However, I know what I like to hear, and it's usualy a sound in my head that I imagine fits the music. I can normally get the sound I'm after with the POD X3. I generally go for a really deep warm tone with a a little top end bite. Usually with varying degrees of chorus, reverb, and compression. I tend to use variations of a few basic sound structures these days and tailor them to fit. I've found the most important thing for me before the POD is the right strings, I like the warm sprangy sound of Warwick EMPs at the moment, love them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 [quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1343585738' post='1752399'] [b]If the sound is in your head, and you spend X hours and £x trying to find it, it will be wrong. Think how your own voice sounds in your head when you speak, and then listen to a recording of it![/b] [/quote] Your bass sound isn't generated from your own face though is it dude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 So you don't have a combined bass and amp in your face? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 [quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1343587203' post='1752425'] So you don't have a combined bass and amp in your face? [/quote] Eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 (edited) Neer mind. Joking. I have had too much sugar. Edit: like this guy, I meant. Edited July 29, 2012 by JimBobTTD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 [quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1343587366' post='1752433'] Neer mind. Joking. I have had too much sugar. [/quote] Oh OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Yep, my sound is in my head, and no matter what bass I'm playing, and through most amps, I get there or there abouts on any of them generally. There's artistic license there of course, a Precision through an Ampeg, and a Stingray through an EBS, will sound pretty different of course, but then I wouldn't play a Precision through an Ampeg anyway!! You get my point though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I've never chased 'my sound'. I can imagine it's an expensive thing to pursue though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 My perfect bass sound and the sound that works with a band are two different things. I don't stress it when playing with a band as i start with a nice sounding bass and a simple but quality amp and make minimal adjustments (using the guitar's eq first and the amp's eq as a last resort) to fit with the drums. I prefer to let the guitar flavour the sound and not the amp. The amp is purely a tool to increase the volume of the guitar. Everything else should be tweaked to fit on top. I like to use technique over compression but am realistic and will use a little compression here and there. This is all for live work tho If I were in a studio i'd use anything that sounds good within reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Think my sound is reality, not in my head, as have recently acquired a couple of Stingrays, and realised that they are not me, so my sound is a Precision. I can get a workable sound from most amps that I like using a Precision, but find it difficult to get anything I like for band use without a Precision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceChick Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 My sound is in my head, I wake up in the night with it.... Then I listen to tracks on the radio and realise the sound can be so much better in someone else's head I'm going to keep taking the Meds and hope the sound in my head improves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 [quote name='PTB' timestamp='1343583902' post='1752357'] I think I go for a sound that's in my head. However, that sound is very dependent on what style of music i'm playing and based on what I've heard others do in that genre. To answer your question, I suppose that means I do a bit of both! [/quote] +1 It depends on the somg. I try to hear the tone in my head and the try to get the same tone out of my cab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I always used to have the same sound, no matter what I did. It used to frustrate the tits off me! From a Laney Klipp with a 60's Marshal 4x12, to a Carlsboro Stingray with a 1x15, to a Peavey Combo with a 12" speaker. Satellite P Bass copy, Westone Raider I, Wesfield Small Body and an Aria Pro II Mab 20/5. They all sounded the same! How the hell can that be? Even now with a Peavey T-Max with a 4x10 I have to be careful. Going Active has helped, but the thing that has helped the most is my Behringer V-Amp Pro, it just adds some colour where before there was none. It is most odd, I have felt cursed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 (edited) Whilst I can see that some might pursue another player's sound/tone, it's difficult to say that those who claim they "engineer" their own sound truly do so. When you first pick up an instrument, part of the learning process is to establish the performance envelope of said instrument: What can you reasonably expect it to do.in a repeatable manner. As such, your expectations are [i]managed[/i] by your choice of instrument. When you move to another (inevitably) bass, part of your style, developed by playing your first instrument, comes with you. This then evolves to suit the new instrument as needed and so on [i]ad infinitum[/i] especially when effects and eq are thrown into the mix. Unfortunately, we're all limited by the contents of the signal chain that follows us, at least to some degree. Edited July 29, 2012 by Lfalex v1.1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 My go to sound is deep, punchy and defined and variations on that theme. If it's rocky it may be punchier and if it's a slow blues it may be deeper and rounder. It depends on the bass I'm using and the band I'm playing with. Luckily I have a John East retro fitted in my Jazz bass so if I need variation I can get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_skezz Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 [quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1343585028' post='1752376'] The sound is in my head,but it's fairly close to the one that JJ Burnell put there.. [/quote] Sounds about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Good question. I have a good idea of what I am aiming for according to the style of music I am playing. But I like two different type of tones. Bernard Edwards is a huge influence of mine and I love that tight, bubbly and warm tone he had. I also love Marcus Millers tone and I use that really nice hi-fi scooped tone. Two very different types of tones and I try to use them as much as I can because they suit my playing style very well. I'm quite fortunate that most of the music that I work on at the moment lends itself very well to those bass tones. Not everyone's taste, but it works for me and has done for years. But, when I have to switch to a rock tone, folk, blues or whatever I have a pretty good idea what to dial into the amp or what type of bass to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeBrownBass Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 (edited) . Edited January 19, 2013 by JakeBrownBass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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