geoffbyrne Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 ....I like clean..... G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 (edited) Isn't the correct response to him if you think he [i]is[/i] talking rubbish is "Right....I'll give that a go sometime, cheers !" and then swiftly go off to do 'that thing' He is a punter after all, seems a shame to make a thing out of it... OMMV Edited December 31, 2015 by ahpook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 IME a little bit of overdrive on the bass works wonders for most classic rock songs. After all, most of the songs you are covering will have been recorded with the bass going through a valve amp and the speakers straining to cope. See if you can find some isolated bass tracks from the original recordings of the songs. I think you'll be surprised by just how much dirt is actually in the bass sound. Remember that what sounds good on its own doesn't always sound as good in the full band setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 [quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1451515193' post='2941228'] Mark bass known for a rather sterile sound, don't many use a valve overdrive pedal in front of them? Even without much gain to thicken the sound somewhat. [/quote] I cannot imagine calling an LM2/3 'sterile' sounding... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1451562243' post='2941520'] In which universe? [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1451564557' post='2941551'] IME a little bit of overdrive on the bass works wonders for most classic rock songs. After all, most of the songs you are covering will have been recorded with the bass going through a valve amp and the speakers straining to cope. See if you can find some isolated bass tracks from the original recordings of the songs. I think you'll be surprised by just how much dirt is actually in the bass sound. Remember that what sounds good on its own doesn't always sound as good in the full band setting. [/quote] +1 Listening to isolated bass tracks is very enlightening indeed. You're right, quite often the sound of the bass alone is not very pleasant, yet it sounds glorious in the mix. It's amazing with a tiny bit of overdrive can do. A lot of 'clean bass' sounds are actually softly overdriven, if you listen to the isolated bass track... to the OP: I doubt you sounded sh*t. That guy probably just likes more overdrive than you do. I'd experiment with some overdrive perhaps at rehearsals and see what it feels like, for fun, but don't feel like there's something wrong with your clean tone. Clean works too. Just saying clean vs overdriven means little... you can sound very good in classic rock by playing clean too, it's all in the EQ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Smile. Say thanks. Do your own thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 If it sounds good to you and the rest of the band I'd just shrug it off. Tone is such a personal preference. He was probably a guitarist where this practice is acceptable and encouraged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Maybe just be happy someone actually noticed your "tone" , doesn't happen every gig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Sounds like the competition has decided that 'your tone' is not the same as 'his tone' and is therefore inferior. If you are happy then I'd forget it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 It really depends. I have heard a lot of bands covering Sabbath songs and drenching the bass in overdrive or fuzz. Most of the classic rock stuff has a bit of light overdrive via it being recorded with valve amp being played at high volume. However, a clean bass sound is probably going to more accurate representation of the original recordings than you would playing through a fuzz like Boss ODB3 or Zvex Wooly Mammoth. You would be surprised at how many 'heavy' bands use predominantly clean bass sounds, Iron Maiden being one of them. With overdrive, a little goes a long way in terms of the overall mix. I like classic rock, but get frustrated with some of the classic rock purists who listen with their eyes and get outraged if you use anything other an valve head or a bass that isn't a Fender Precision, Fender Jazz or Rickenbacker. Years ago I was told that my Vigier Excess was the wrong bass to be used when playing classic rock like Sabbath. Geezer Butler played the same model of bass during the Reunion in 1997 and that Roger Glover has been playing Excesses for years and even had a signature model! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I don't think it matters. I've played in thrash metal bands and classic rock bands. No one has ever said I should add overdrive. In fact most people I've played with love the sound I get. As long as you complement the band you'll be fine. The only problem I've had listening to the Mark Bass gear is it can sound very 'penetrating' and this can get tiring after a while. You don't need to 'cut through' any band with bass, it just needs to be present in the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Honestly, i would have told him to f*** off! What a prick! I got up at a jam night once and jammed Sweet Child o mine. It was the first tune I'd learned to play like 20 yrs earlier. I was just jamming on it, put some of my own stuff in but nothing detracting from the line. A guy come up to me and said "Quite good that, I'll show the exact part if you want" I told him to f*** off too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 [quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1451577513' post='2941653'] Honestly, i would have told him to f*** off! What a prick! I got up at a jam night once and jammed Sweet Child o mine. It was the first tune I'd learned to play like 20 yrs earlier. I was just jamming on it, put some of my own stuff in but nothing detracting from the line. A guy come up to me and said "Quite good that, I'll show the exact part if you want" I told him to f*** off too! [/quote] Ah yes. "The bass line doesn't go like that." comment. The answer is always "It does when I play it!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1451566165' post='2941566'] +1 Listening to isolated bass tracks is very enlightening indeed. You're right, quite often the sound of the bass alone is not very pleasant, yet it sounds glorious in the mix. It's amazing with a tiny bit of overdrive can do. A lot of 'clean bass' sounds are actually softly overdriven, if you listen to the isolated bass track... to the OP: I doubt you sounded sh*t. That guy probably just likes more overdrive than you do. I'd experiment with some overdrive perhaps at rehearsals and see what it feels like, for fun, but don't feel like there's something wrong with your clean tone. Clean works too. Just saying clean vs overdriven means little... you can sound very good in classic rock by playing clean too, it's all in the EQ. [/quote]]I hate listening to my bass tracks in isolation, good God I sound bad, better with a bit of overdrive in there, but that's just me. Slightly OP, but sort of relevant, saw a quote form the sadly departed Lemmy (may have been on here) Lemmy to the sound engineer "Can you hear that horrible noise coming out of my monitor" Sound engineer "No Lemmy", "Neither can I turn the f***er up" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1451566165' post='2941566']I doubt you sounded sh*t. That guy probably just likes more overdrive than you do. [/quote]He might've been listening with his eyes and because he didn't see an SVT and 'fridge' he made the very rude comment. They were playing Mountain's, Nantucket Sleigh-ride on the radio today and Felix Pappallardi's distorted tone was truly horrible to my ears (YMMV), not at all like Andy Fraser's exemplary Gibson EB tones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 [quote name='lojo' timestamp='1451572095' post='2941618'] Maybe just be happy someone actually noticed your "tone" , doesn't happen every gig [/quote] I don't really want anyone 'noticing my tone'. I'd prefer they liked the band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1451565505' post='2941559'] I cannot imagine calling an LM2/3 'sterile' sounding... [/quote] No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 Thanks for all the comments. I have ordered myself a cheap Behringer pedal to see if I like the overdriven sound. If not then its no great shakes at that price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 [quote name='Number6' timestamp='1451516822' post='2941246'] Just say noted..... [/quote] ...and then completely ignore his pearls of wisdom.. What's the betting if you saw him live you'd think, "Ooh, I don't like that bass tone." Pretty high, I'd reckon. Used a Markbass for many years with no effects other than a tuner and always loved the sound whichever bass I was using. Horses, courses... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 My rig is super-clean; SWR SM400 into a Barefaced Compact. I use a Dave Hall VT1 DI-EQ to dirty it up a bit. I find that I'm often using more than I thought I would in the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrunoBass Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 It makes me want to go to his gig and see how amazing his tone is... Seriously, if you're happy with your tone don't listen to someone who most likely is jealous. My band plays rock covers and I use overdrive 90% of the time, ranging from very subtle to full on fuzz. Depends on the style I guess. Works for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1451578509' post='2941660'] Ah yes. "The bass line doesn't go like that." comment. The answer is always "It does when I play it!" [/quote]ha ha, yeah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I'm possibly the wrong person to reply to this, I really don't like classic rock at all. However, I would say that if you and your band mates are happy, then ignore him. Kind of odd that you're doing s gig and he's not 😊. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Behlmene Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 [quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1451536551' post='2941342'] First, to the OP - don't let one person being a bit of a nob make you question your tone. If you're really unsure then by all means ask your band-mates for some honest feedback but from what you say it sounds more like the bloke in question had a bit of a chip on his shoulder than anything to do with your tone as such. However, on a slightly different note I would say that some subtle overdrive/distortion on the bass can actually really help it cut through. I tend to run my Ampeg SCR-DI with the scrambler section turned on, drive at around 10 o'clock and the blend around 11 o'clock. That gives me a bit of bite when I dig in and a little bit of sustain from the compression while keeping the tone nice and warm. I guess closer to a nice tube amp sound as mentioned above. Not sure if you're serious about this, but if so you need to open your mind up to new sounds my friend. It's fine if you're not keen on a driven tone for your bass playing, but simply ruling that a given effect should not be used is daft. Just go listen to some Muse, or Avenged Sevenfold, or The Killers, or The Dead Whether, or Mastodon or The Neutral Milk Hotel. or The Arctic Monkeys &c. to see how effective drive/distortion/fuzz can be when used well. Sure, its not appropriate for all occasions - you probably don't want to crank the Big Muff Pi when playing mellow backing to an acoustic set, but used well over-driven sounds on bass can be fantastic. [/quote] Daft...I thank you. I am suddenly aware of my misgivings. Muse, Avenged Sevenfold, The Killers, The Dead Whether, Mastodon, The Neutral Milk Hotel, The Arctic Monkey...I have been enlightened listening to them on your advice...beautiful distorted bass players...I am going back to the drawing board. I have so much to learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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