Crappy bass tone

[xilddx]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1365695641' post='2043112']


After using god knows how many different brands of varying prices over the last 20-odd years of playing I'm frankly not convinced they actually do make that much of a difference (as long as it is a sensible comparison eg roundwound vs roundwound not roundwound vs flatwound).
I'd be interested for someone to set up a blind audio sample test with different manufacturers strings all of the same style and gauge and on the same bass run through the same rig played by the same player. Could we tell the difference between the £6 set and the £30 set?. Each set would realistically be run on the same bass for 6 months and played as often. One sound sample when freshly strung and another 6 months down the line to see how each set wears with equivalent use. Probably been done but not seen or heard the data personally.
[/quote]
Bass Player mag did it four years ago. Lots of differences. But feel and durability are immensely important too. You'll not find me playing Rotosound or Elites for those reasons.

[discreet]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1365694381' post='2043084']
Rather tasty that - if I do say so
[/quote]

I believe it was mixed and mastered by some spiffy sound guy... his name escapes me at the moment...

[discreet]

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1365668465' post='2042477']
I know it's all personal taste but listening to this song which I really like and the dead bass tone really sticks out.
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgHHFKpxjKs"]https://www.youtube....h?v=YgHHFKpxjKs[/url]
[/quote]

Hang on, just a minute - what's wrong with this bass tone again, exactly..? I quite like it!

[Lowender]

Of course it's subjective, but I owned a Fodera and that was the worst tone I've ever gotten. Oddly enough, there aren't too many bassist whose tone bothers me -- except for Les Claypool and Victor Wooton. Maybe there's something to a bass being TOO solid that makes it sound thin.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 16, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[KevB]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1365696426' post='2043136']
Bass Player mag did it four years ago. Lots of differences. But feel and durability are immensely important too. You'll not find me playing Rotosound or Elites for those reasons.
[/quote]

Can you recall how they measured the differences in actual sound? were they in a group context or in isolation?

[thunderider]

that bass tone seems to be coming back atm!!,iv got strings on my ricfaker 2 years old and still sound good 2 years of gigging and rehersals dont knw what they are as they were put on when it got restored,probly ernie balls,as for recording tone,i played thro a genz benz shuttle 900 at the last session,he put compression on it,totaly killed the ric gnarl and rattle,wich the song was built on.....

[xilddx]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1365697999' post='2043176']


Can you recall how they measured the differences in actual sound? were they in a group context or in isolation?
[/quote]lab conditions with about 40 sets

[KevB]

I doubt I could tell the difference from any of them listening to a live gig in all honesty. I can understand the 'feel' side of things entirely though, it wouldn't matter how expensive a set was, if it felt uncomfortable and likely to put me off my stroke I wouldn't have them on my bass. I'm currently trying out some £6 sets of roundwounds I picked up on ebay a while ago. Had a set on my jazz for a couple of months with no detereoration to my ears yet (I don't have a lab ). In the same period I've just ditched a set of Fender strings on my precision that were three times the price as they've gone a bit dead. I've now put a set of the ultra cheapo ones on the P as well to see how they fare with some propper gigging.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1365695641' post='2043112']
After using god knows how many different brands of varying prices over the last 20-odd years of playing I'm frankly not convinced they actually do make that much of a difference (as long as it is a sensible comparison eg roundwound vs roundwound not roundwound vs flatwound).
I'd be interested for someone to set up a blind audio sample test with different manufacturers strings all of the same style and gauge and on the same bass run through the same rig played by the same player. Could we tell the difference between the £6 set and the £30 set?. Each set would realistically be run on the same bass for 6 months and played as often. One sound sample when freshly strung and another 6 months down the line to see how each set wears with equivalent use. Probably been done but not seen or heard the data personally.
[/quote]

You have 20 years experience and you think that strings DON'T make a difference?


[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1365695719' post='2043117']
Me too, they sounded really dull right out of the packet.

I suppose how long your £14 set of strings will last depends on how you play, how often you play and how much you sweat
[/quote]

I usually just practice by playing a few RHCP covers or improvise over another song. It's rare that I do anything more than that now. There was a time about a year ago when I was playing about 10 hours a week, but that's not the case anymore. My ProSteels have been on since the beginning of the year and still sound really bright. Rotos would have been dead and in the bin at this point.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1365698709' post='2043197']
I doubt I could tell the difference from any of them listening to a live gig in all honesty. I can understand the 'feel' side of things entirely though, it wouldn't matter how expensive a set was, if it felt uncomfortable and likely to put me off my stroke I wouldn't have them on my bass. I'm currently trying out some £6 sets of roundwounds I picked up on ebay a while ago. Had a set on my jazz for a couple of months with no detereoration to my ears yet (I don't have a lab ). In the same period I've just ditched a set of Fender strings on my precision that were three times the price as they've gone a bit dead. I've now put a set of the ultra cheapo ones on the P as well to see how they fare with some propper gigging.
[/quote]

I wouldn't say there was a big difference when all in the mix, especially since so much EQing goes on live so that everything sounds good together, but there is a difference in the sound of strings, a big difference. Personally, I prefer the sound of D'Addario. The thing I like about D'Addario is that all their strings have the same ring to them, so if you want a flat sound, you can have it, but still get that brilliant D'Addario ring. The thing I like about Ernie Balls are the sheer sleekness of them. Slinky's are so easy to play on, and they last a good while too, but I prefer the sound of the D'Addarios. I've played GHS nickel wound strings before that went dead in a month, and they cost me £23! That was the first and last time I made that mistake. I've yet to play a string that has a tone and durability better than D'Addario. My teacher had a set ProSteels on for a year before changing them, and they were still pretty bright when he took them off!

[megallica]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1365696742' post='2043144']
Hang on, just a minute - what's wrong with this bass tone again, exactly..? I quite like it!
[/quote]

I suppose I liked the more gritty bass tone on the Supersh*tty and Payin' the dues albums, just my personal preference.

[discreet]

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1365706963' post='2043362']
I suppose I liked the more gritty bass tone on the Supersh*tty and Payin' the dues albums, just my personal preference.
[/quote]

Sure. The tone he's got in the vid is good (imho), but as someone else said, a boingy roundwound sound would suit the track better.

Edited April 11, 2013 by discreet

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1365668465' post='2042477']
I know it's all personal taste but listening to this song which I really like and the dead bass tone really sticks out. I've heard all the James Jamerson stories and can appreciate that some players don't like anythiing but low end thump but for me dead strings sound awful on a recording.

Any other nominations for what you might deem a crap bass sound?

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgHHFKpxjKs"]https://www.youtube....h?v=YgHHFKpxjKs[/url]
[/quote]
I actually quite like that. I would struggle to achieve that tone myself! Also that song rocks \m/

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='Jus Lukin' timestamp='1365697341' post='2043158']
It's not a 'bad' sound in itself (it's the classic Fender with flats tone), just perhaps not the best choice in the context. But the Fender with flats thing is [i]very[/i] fashionable right now, so people are choosing it because 'it sounds great' rather than because it sounds great for that particular song. It's the same reason so many bass sounds were inappropriately bright and zingy in the 80's- "it sounds great!", regardless of the song.
[/quote]

Heh, I spent 2 and a bit years playing a fender with flats in an 80s tribute band. Nobody noticed.

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1365704769' post='2043319']
You have 20 years experience and you think that strings DON'T make a difference?
[/quote]

Me too.
And he said up to a point. Once everything else is thrown into the mix, the brand makes less difference than you'd think. Gauge, and flat/round make a difference (though still less than you'd think) the age of the bloody things does though.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1365711546' post='2043447']
Me too.
And he said up to a point. Once everything else is thrown into the mix, the brand makes less difference than you'd think. Gauge, and flat/round make a difference (though still less than you'd think) the age of the bloody things does though.

[/quote]

You need to read my reply after that one

[bagsieblue]

Do not like the typical Rickenbacker clanky metallic tone at all. Really gets on my wick...

[Bloodaxe]

My vote goes to Greg Lake. His Jazz Bass tone in King Crimson & the early ELP stuff is spot on IMO:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9OxYRCzclo[/media]

But when he 'upgraded' to an Alembic...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5jgL7Hn1ks[/media]

Where'd the bass go? Peter Gunn without a heavy left hand & a full tone = Fail.

[MartyForrer]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1365671791' post='2042545']
Tone, like the strings that are partly responsible for it, among other things, is strictly a personal taste, like you say. Some people swear by flat strings, others hate them.

This is life. Don't worry about other people's tone. Once you have found yours, and are happy with it, that's all that matters.


Regarding the tone in the clip.......I love it.
[/quote]
This ^^^^

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 16, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1365711754' post='2043450']
You need to read my reply after that one
[/quote]

Yep, and after 20 years of nobody else caring what you sound like, and the fullness of your d'addarios. You may also just buy what's cheapest and most durable.

Course you may not, horses f*&^ horses and all that.

[mcnach]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1365678038' post='2042674']
What's the difference in timbre with your ProSteels compared to a cheaper alternative? And what gauge?

I use D'Addario 9-42 on my Strat, it sounds great.

I have also read from an expert on Gibsons that many players go for higher gauges on their Gibbos to get better tone, but if you have a great guitar in the first place it will sound great with even 8-40s, only poor guitars need heavier gauges.
[/quote]


Somehow the 9-42 has become "standard" on the typical Fender scale length instruments, and 10-46 on the Gibson shorter lengthe ones, which results in a comparable feeling of "tension" on the strings. I do feel that thicker strings sound meatier, and depending on what you want, this could be just the thing. I had a Yamaha AEX502 with P90s and it came with 11-48 or something like that. It was not as nice to play as my strat, but that thing sounded huge! I changed to 9-42 and it still sounded great but a bit of the "grit" and creaminess was not there anymore. Still great. But different.

I don't think you can salvage a poor guitar with a heavy gauge string set... it would just be another flavour of poor, no?

[mcnach]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1365676258' post='2042632']
Some idiot on YouTube argued with me one day about bass tone. He basically said distortion was a good thing, because it cuts all the low end, but then said you [i]need [/i]to use 18inch speakers, and not some "4x10 gallien krueger POS".

This was on a Lemmy video. I just decided the guy was clearly too stupid to even understand what he was saying.
[/quote]

youtube arguments: engage only for amusement purposes

I had one guy, a couple of years ago or so, who took serious offense at something I said about a moronic post of his and he kept adding comments to my comment and then sending me messages. This was both in English and Spanish, both of very poor quality... I had a little bit of fun winding him up, but he was too easy a target and I got bored soon. He continued to send me messages for a while after I gave up...

[Mog]

I really hate the mid-boost/inverted smiley tone. Its a nightmare to work with from a desk and sounds more like a baritone telecaster than a bass. I'm generally fine with most bass tones as long as theres some sort of low end definition.