Tone, How do you hear it?

[Nicko]

I play a P Bass, because it feels good and is simple. I think it sounds great most of the time, and even using different amps in the practice room its pretty much plug in, sounds OK, lets go. I see a lot of positing about tone, and how one particular make or model sounds great in the mix.

I listen to lots of music, but most "big" bands have bass players who swap between P, J, explorer or something exotic and I cannot differentiate between different basses on different tracks. Sometimes I hear a track and think the bass tone sounds awesome but I am outing myself here and saying I just cant tell that much difference between individual bass tones pre production, and in a shop environment I am completely lost on the subtle difference between basses.

Give me a pointy hat and I'll stand in the corner quietly.

[chris_b]

Over the years I've heard some world class guitarists talking about differences in their gear and sound that were so small that to everyone other than themselves they were practically irrelevant.

Bass gear has improved to the point that we can now do this. Some players switch around because they can. I swap basses about every 10 years or so, but have no problem with those who do so more frequently.

[discreet]

Much is made of the difference in 'tone' between different basses, but I've found that whether I'm playing a P bass, a Jazz, a Spector or anything else, regardless of which amp/cab I'm using, the end result generally just sounds like me playing the bass. Which leads me to believe that much of the 'tone' generated comes from the way basses are played, i.e. it's all in the fingers. Just thought I'd get that in first, so we know where we are.

However, GAS is fun (if you can afford it - sometimes I can't) and if you enjoy the 'tone' journey, then why not?

[spacey]

That scoop between the low end and mid- high is what defines, hence why I do not like soap bar pickup basses like thunderbirds, they fill the sound but just never cut through the mix.
Agree its a Precision, warwick or Rickenbacker for tone

[PaulWarning]

depends whether I've got my hearing aids in or not seriously, I know what the Nicko is on about, bass is usually not very prominent in the mix so they all sound the same, live, anyway, which is why I plump for a P bass, it just seems to cut through the mix better than most other basses, yeah, I've seen bands with bass players swapping basses, can't tell any difference, saw a 60's covers band the other week, first half he used his £7000 1967 Rick, second half a Fender Jazz, sounded more or less the same to me TBH, and yes I had my hearing aids in

[leftybassman392]

If you're in a rock band the bottom and mid of the guitar sound will generally drown out most of the harmonics (which is where differences in tone make themselves known) of the bass. There'll be exceptions, but for yer average pub/covers band it's unlikely to make much difference what you're holding - as long as it's a bass of course!

How it feels in your hands is another matter though...

[Grangur]

As I hear it when I'm playing finger-style I think the P split coil gives a high-amplitude thump emphasis at the beginning of the note, where a jazz single-coil is more uniform through the length of the note to my ears. That said, it's subtle. but i can also hear it when others play too unless it's thrash. I don't think it's enough to be a really big deal though. I've got both and like them both for playing different things.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1471774755' post='3115705']
Much is made of the difference in 'tone' between different basses, but I've found that whether I'm playing a P bass, a Jazz, a Spector or anything else, regardless of which amp/cab I'm using, the end result generally just sounds like me playing the bass. Which leads me to believe that much of the 'tone' generated comes from the way basses are played, i.e. it's all in the fingers. Just thought I'd get that in first, so we know where we are.

However, GAS is fun (if you can afford it - sometimes I can't) and if you enjoy the 'tone' journey, then why not?
[/quote]

I`m pretty much the same - as long as I have an amp where I can boost the highs, drop the mids, and have a bass where I can wallop the strings I sound pretty much like me.

[miles'tone]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1471774755' post='3115705']
Much is made of the difference in 'tone' between different basses, but I've found that whether I'm playing a P bass, a Jazz, a Spector or anything else, regardless of which amp/cab I'm using, the end result generally just sounds like me playing the bass. Which leads me to believe that much of the 'tone' generated comes from the way basses are played, i.e. it's all in the fingers. Just thought I'd get that in first, so we know where we are.

However, GAS is fun (if you can afford it - sometimes I can't) and if you enjoy the 'tone' journey, then why not?
[/quote]

Yup, after years of "research" and money spent, I firmly believe that tone IS in the fingers.
However, when my ears hear my fingers whupping it on a good P bass, it certainly inspires my mind to get more involved and go deeper into the music.

[skankdelvar]

Perhaps the world's greatest tone-hound is Mr Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. For studio work the hirsute Texan assembles a breathtaking variety of vintage and custom guitars designed to afford the widest possible sonic palette. He runs these Holy Grail guitars through a carefully honed combination of rare, gorgeous valve amps with highly distinctive tones.

In concert every one of his many guitars is EQ'd to sound [i]exactly[/i] like his '59 Les Paul and shoved through a JMP1 MIDI pre-amp and a Valvestate SS (!) power amp.

I think he probably knows something most of us don't.

[Funky Dunky]

Eric Johnson and his bizarre claim that duracell batteries sound better in his pedals. Nah man, you need to see a doctor!

I only give some credence to the "tone is in the fingers" adage - I sound a lot better playing a Jazz bass through a good amp than I do playing a cheap bass through a cheap amp. I think fingers are the last variable in shaping that tone, but gear is the foundation of the tone IMO.

[FinnDave]

When I play a Precision, I sound like me playing bass. When I play a Jazz, I sound like me playing bass. When I play fingerstyle, I sound like me playing bass. When I play with a pick, I sound like me playing bass. I only change according my mood, how my hands feel, etc. No real difference in sound once the whole band's playing, subtle differences are lost.

[TrevorR]

Notwithstanding that the main character in your playing comes from how and where you strike the string I do like the tone shaping possibilities that my Custom Series Wal's tone circuit gives me. I can garnet at quite different tones to suit different songs (or parts of songs through how I modulate that tone by where I pick the string). My Pro Series bass does sound quite different to my ears and the different tone circuits provide noticibly different tones.

Now, I'm willing to accept that the two basses might (consciously) sound no different to anyone standing more than 6 feet away from my amp, especially when in a band mix and subject to the vagaries of a FOH engineer. However, I'm standing 5 feet from my amp or a couple of mm from my in ears and I do hear an appreciable difference... And that's what matters to me!

[discreet]

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1471801507' post='3115998']
...However, I'm standing 5 feet from my amp or a couple of mm from my in ears and I do hear an appreciable difference... And that's what matters to me!
[/quote]

There's the rub. Regardless of the FOH sound, I suspect that if you're enjoying your 'tone,' you're more likely to play well, and vice-versa.

[M@23]

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1471794047' post='3115914']
Eric Johnson and his bizarre claim that duracell batteries sound better in his pedals. Nah man, you need to see a doctor!

I only give some credence to the "tone is in the fingers" adage - I sound a lot better playing a Jazz bass through a good amp than I do playing a cheap bass through a cheap amp. I think fingers are the last variable in shaping that tone, but gear is the foundation of the tone IMO.
[/quote]

Haha. Yeah that's a bit mad. I do love his tone though!

[TrevorR]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1471802885' post='3116013']


There's the rub. Regardless of the FOH sound, I suspect that if you're enjoying your 'tone,' you're more likely to play well, and vice-versa.
[/quote]

Precisely!

[TrevorR]

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1471794047' post='3115914']
Eric Johnson and his bizarre claim that duracell batteries sound better in his pedals. Nah man, you need to see a doctor!

[/quote]

And Eric is a rank amateur in terms of golden eardness when it comes to the serious hi fi brigade!

[Guest bassman7755]

For me theres probably half a dozen key distinct bass sounds which seem to be determined by pickup configuration and the amount of drive and given probably any good multi pickup bass and any decent amp with drive and EQ I'm confident I could get a serviceable version of any of them.

[HowieBass]

Excluding my fretless from this (as the rest of my basses are all fretted) I've a passive P (Squier VM), an active J (Squier Deluxe Active), a passive/active super PJ (Westone Spectrum LX) and an active 5er with the humbucker in the MM position (Cort Curbow) and though they do all have differences in tone the instrument with perhaps the most characterful sound (throaty?) to my ears is the Curbow - this worryingly means that I might well enjoy playing a proper Stingray so much that I'd want to own one! Doubtless though, in the mix to an audience, they'd just be hearing a bass!

[gjones]

Big and round it's a P bass.

More punchy and growly, it's a Jazz bass.

P bass thump with a Jazz bass growl, it's a Stingray.

[pintspiller]

Most of my fave bass sounds are from players who use a P-Bass, yet my fave sounds from me are with a J-Bass. Or so I thought. When I went back to my Harley Benton shortscale P-Bass, I figured my finger-playing sounded much the same as with the J-Bass.

I figure its all subjective and down to confidence in your playing and your instrument.

[JTUK]

I have to hear certain things back for me to play... If I don't get that, i lose quite a large facet of my playing and I could be anyone else.
I don't want to do that so I'm very picky about tone and sound.

[RhysP]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1471793667' post='3115912']
Perhaps the world's greatest tone-hound is Mr Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. For studio work the hirsute Texan assembles a breathtaking variety of vintage and custom guitars designed to afford the widest possible sonic palette. He runs these Holy Grail guitars through a carefully honed combination of rare, gorgeous valve amps with highly distinctive tones.

In concert every one of his many guitars is EQ'd to sound [i]exactly[/i] like his '59 Les Paul and shoved through a JMP1 MIDI pre-amp and a Valvestate SS (!) power amp.

I think he probably knows something most of us don't.
[/quote]

On "Eliminator" his guitar tone was almost entirely due to using Rockman gear, not a valve in sight.

[blue]

Who knows? I don't play any of the newer fancy bass guitars. I play a vintage Hofner Club bass, Gibson ES-335 bass, Gibson Les Paul Gold Top bass, and two MIJ Fender 1950s reissue s.

I'm lucky when I can dial in a good sound. My tone comes from my fingers.

Blue

Edited August 21, 2016 by blue

[Nicko]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1471810531' post='3116103']
Big and round it's a P bass.

More punchy and growly, it's a Jazz bass.

P bass thump with a Jazz bass growl, it's a Stingray.
[/quote]

I like this definition. Despite my original post I do have a Peavey Cirrus which always sounds growly and lacks the thump and to my ears distinctly less pleasant than the P, My band mates like the sound of it, which is probably why they dont play bass in the first place.