Moos3h Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Hi all, Another forum I'm on have this thread running and it's full of useful stuff so I figured I'd pilfer it for here. What are your tips for better tone without spending a penny? Mine is to raise the action a little - I've recently done this on all my basses and whilst I don't like how it looks, my fingers have adjusted and it sounds better to my ear. So what are your top tips for tonal improvements without getting the credit card out? Cheers, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old_Ben Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Practise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Ignore particular 'smiley' or 'frowny' shapes on your eq. Use your ears not your eyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Listen to your rig. I mean [i]really[/i] listen… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Clean up you left and right hands so the notes you hear have a degree of expression rather than too much EQ. For example, some bass players can't play a note without excessive bass and that will rob your sound of all character. So learn to pay with a lot less bass and you will have more personality in your sound and then you can work it into your playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 (edited) I`m with Moos3h on this one, I did the same, just a half-turn on the saddle screws on the bridge but it makes - or seems to - the notes more distinct. I still need to get some fret-buzz/rattle though, so I can`t raise them too high, so eq is the next bit. Less bass as per JTUK, I have mine flat, very seldom I boost the bass, if the amp isn`t bassy enough at a venue I`ll cut the highs rather than boost the lows. Edited February 15, 2015 by Lozz196 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1424026369' post='2691727'] I`m with Moo3h on this one, I did the same, just a half-turn on the saddle screws on the bridge but it makes - or seems to - the notes more distinct. I still need to get some fret-buzz/rattle though, so I can`t raise them too high, so eq is the next bit. Less bass as per JTUK, I have mine flat, very seldom I boost the bass, if the amp isn`t bassy enough at a venue I`ll cut the highs rather than boost the lows. [/quote] Just come back from a gig where the bass player had a Warwick type bass with twin humbuckers and played with a pick.. Totally awful indestinct sound..!!! Last night bass player had a Rickenbacker 4001 and ran that with too much bass. Conclusion was that was the only way they could play the lines but it was toneless City...and also made it very hard for them to fathom a bandmix as the bass on the bass came over as way too loud. so the guys really needed to work on their dynamics... but with +12bd or thereabouts running off the bass or thru the amp... tone is pretty much unachievable.. Its all bass and blubber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Get an even volume across all strings (usually via pickup adjustment and a little twiddle on the EQ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Stop notes at the right time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Turn up your amp volume far higher than you really need and learn to play gently and cleanly especially with the right hand. (Or the left hand if you're a leftie) Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krysh Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 since light is faster than sound, try to catch a look on the drummer kick foot to become more tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestar Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 All of the last three posts have worked for me too. Especially the amp up and lighten fingers one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Be particular where you place your cab...too close to a wall..on a stand...etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cytania Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 If your amp has a Presence or similar upper treble control (my SWR is labelled 'Aural Enhancer') turn it up and concentrate on clean, expressive playing. By the same token if you always dial in compression ease it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krysh Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 (edited) [quote name='cytania' timestamp='1424040759' post='2691983'] If your amp has a Presence or similar upper treble control (my SWR is labelled 'Aural Enhancer') turn it up and concentrate on clean, expressive playing. By the same token if you always dial in compression ease it off. [/quote] I may stand corrected sir, but the way I have understood the "aural enhancer" is this: [url="http://www.experts123.com/q/what-is-the-aural-enhancer-and-what-does-it-do.html"]http://www.experts12...does-it-do.html[/url] not simply a presence and upper treble control but more a mid cut and bass&treble boost. Edited February 15, 2015 by krysh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goblin Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Definitely use your ears, also experiment with where you anchor if you're playing with fingers, naturally it helps if the sound you're aiming for is appropriate to the genre of music. My default position is more towards the bridge, and what I do is I set the blend on the pickups to bias slightly towards the bridge pickup. My action is fairly low, not so low that it's clattery though, but it works well with playing lighter, I also make sure that with my fretting hand, I'm fairly light with my fingers there, and I try and actually land on the fret itself, not somewhere in between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Left hand (if you're right handed) strength. I repeat patterns with my left hand without using my right hand, and then do the same amount of exercise on my right with the strings muted - saw Bill 'Buddah' Dickens do this years ago, and it keeps your playing clean. And if I'm ever unsure, I ask myself 'what would Pino do?' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 a mantra that was posted on here at some point by someone, quoting someone else... 'Don't practice until you get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong.' as a blagging bodger of a copy and paste merchant, it is the only way I can get by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cytania Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 (edited) Thanks for that Krysh, never realised the Aural Enhancer control was so sophisticated. I always used to think of it as 'a 'finger noise' control for the slappin' crowd. However over the years I've come to appreciate that in the mix fretting sounds are a good, percussive thing not something to be compressed away. Edited February 16, 2015 by cytania Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Care less! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japhet Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Practice on a bass with a high action and heavy strings if you have such a thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 [sub]Buy a new amp/bass and repeat ad infinitum.....[/sub] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 [quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1424098496' post='2692536'] [sub]Buy a new amp/bass and repeat ad infinitum.....[/sub] [/quote] ... and that's [i]FREE[/i]..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Listen to what all the other instruments are doing and play something appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicko Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Not wishing to incur the wrath of others, but the first time I met a really good sound man the first thing he did was turn everyones volume down. Instead of the band fighting with each other that let us actually hear what was going on. Once, ond only once, you get the balance right PUT IT UP TO ELEVEN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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