28mistertee Posted March 2, 2017 Author Share Posted March 2, 2017 [quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1488462553' post='3249162'] I'm inclined to think your bass may be a player here... Why not pop down to Bass Direct in Warwick - about an hours drive from you... That will at least let you isolate the various components.. Or you're welcome to pop over to me (a little bit further) - I have five strings, different amps and cabs... Bring your stuff along as well.. [/quote] Mark I'm going to drop you a pm after work. Thanks I appreciate that 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 [quote name='28mistertee' timestamp='1488467412' post='3249217'] We use 3 tunings so I use 3 basses where my G&L SB1 is in B which is the problem tuning. The pickups are very powerful so that could be problem. Amp I have a Mywatt400 and I have a Sansamp DI programmable mainly to help keeping the volume of all 3 basses at the same level. Cabs are both 8ohm. [/quote] OK, so it's just the one bass that is causing this problem and the other 2 are fine. So I'd say the indication is that there is nothing wrong with your gear, that buying new gear would solve, but your set up and/or EQ for the SB1 needs looking at. If the DI is just levelling out the volume you're still running your low B with the EQ that you use for your other 2 basses. You might need to change the EQ for the SB1. I'd guess you're overloading the signal from the bass, or from the pre amp. Does playing the SB1 on its own, no Sansamp DI, get rid of the problem? Or how about taking the volume of the SB1 down a little more than the others? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 I'd be surprised if any cab of even remotely portable size could reproduce the fundamental of a low B string at any significant volume. 31 hz is seriously low. Happy to defer to Bill and Phill on this if I'm wrong, but aren't most cabs producing mainly harmonics at those frequencies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28mistertee Posted March 2, 2017 Author Share Posted March 2, 2017 [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1488471872' post='3249265'] OK, so it's just the one bass that is causing this problem and the other 2 are fine. So I'd say the indication is that there is nothing wrong with your gear, that buying new gear would solve, but your set up and/or EQ for the SB1 needs looking at. If the DI is just levelling out the volume you're still running your low B with the EQ that you use for your other 2 basses. You might need to change the EQ for the SB1. I'd guess you're overloading the signal from the bass, or from the pre amp. Does playing the SB1 on its own, no Sansamp DI, get rid of the problem? Or how about taking the volume of the SB1 down a little more than the others? [/quote] I haven't used the SB1 without the Sansamp as I normally use all 3 together and yes the Sansamp is there to level all 3 volumes as close as I can. Obviously the eq on the amp stays the same throughout and I try to adjust the levels using the level and eq on the Sansamp which isn't an easy job. I've noticed in the past my SB2 (standard tuning) has also made the speakers pop on occasion so maybe it's the MFD pickups in both basses which are very high in output. I do run an 80s BC Rich with Seymour Duncan passive quarterpounders in and this particular bass sounds fantastic. I used to use a Marshall vbc412 which whilst was very heavy I could just plug in and it sounded great whichever bass I was using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 [quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1488476614' post='3249315'] aren't most cabs producing mainly harmonics at those frequencies? [/quote]They are, because the bass is producing mainly harmonics at those frequencies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28mistertee Posted March 2, 2017 Author Share Posted March 2, 2017 [quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1488477583' post='3249327'] They are, because the bass is producing mainly harmonics at those frequencies. [/quote] So it's not a problem with the cabs then? I've heard many who prefer the sound of a big old school cab if that's what Dan is referring to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 [quote name='28mistertee' timestamp='1488480309' post='3249361'] So it's not a problem with the cabs then? [/quote]It can be if EQ in the amp and/or an active bass is trying to get out of the speakers what they can't give. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28mistertee Posted March 2, 2017 Author Share Posted March 2, 2017 [quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1488483046' post='3249397'] It can be if EQ in the amp and/or an active bass is trying to get out of the speakers what they can't give. [/quote] I'm going to put it down to EQ as my problem bass is a passive bass although it has high output pickups. Thanks yet again for some great advice throughout 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 (edited) They might also have a very different response as well as output. Play a Jazz Bass and a Gibson EB-O and they hardly seem to be the same instrument. Edited March 2, 2017 by Bill Fitzmaurice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 [quote name='28mistertee' timestamp='1488434882' post='3248856'] I play mostly in standard but the we're venturing into B more and more now so I need a speaker that will handle that. [/quote] I've yet to find a half decent modern cab that cant handle a low B with ease, in reality going from an E to a B doesn't really require much extra actual low frequency handling because as others have pointed out the proportion of the note energy in the fundamental range is very small (and non-existent in many cases where HPFs are involved). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28mistertee Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 Think I sussed it chaps, took some of the low end out of my sound but the main problem was the output of the pickups. I've lowered them a little and all seems a lot more manageable now. Thanks again for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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