How to make your bass sound better - Play it.

[BassApprentice]

I'm sure we are all guilty of buying/trying basses and it not sounding good or blaming our gear for us sounding bad.

It's a 30min watch but it's quite interesting with some pretty respected opinions and some things I hadn't thought about regarding how the aging process affects an instrument. The bit where the artificially add vibration is questionable but the comparisons do sound different to me.

TLDW: Skip to 18:44 to see the comparisons.

So, do you agree? Do basses you bought brand new sound better after years playing?

 

[bloke_zero]

Crazy video! Well, you can hear that it's different after a year - I guess how much of that is the pickup magnet and how much is the body? I think the whole nitro thing is partially about how the bass feels in your hands as much as the difference in tone through the pickup, though a friend of mine (and studio engineer) swears it makes an audible difference.  Cool that they asked some actual experts - Seymour Duncan no less!

[gjones]

A bass that sounds good acoustically, tends to sound good amplified. That's what I've noticed with my own basses (I have 12). My favourite bass is a mix and match Fender Jazz, that I put together from Japanese parts. It's very loud and resonant, when played acoustically. Time may have an effect on the wood of an instrument. But I think a guitar can also sound great, brand new and straight out of the box, like my 2017 Precision.

[Doctor J]

3 minutes in and the only thing, other than time, you’ll be hearing is a year’s worth of finger biocrud and fatigued strings?

[Chopthebass]

To my ears the difference in sound is so subtle it would be lost in a band mix. 

[BassApprentice]

20 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

3 minutes in and the only thing, other than time, you’ll be hearing is a year’s worth of finger biocrud and fatigued strings?

You missed the part where put brand new Elixirs on for the test, took them off and put them in a packet for a year. There are too many variables to say which has the most impact though.

[bloke_zero]

16 hours ago, BassApprentice said:

There are too many variables to say which has the most impact though

They *almost* admit they think it's the pickups, as they note towards the it's exactly what Seymour Duncan is talking about with the effects of magnet degradation.

17 hours ago, gjones said:

A bass that sounds good acoustically, tends to sound good amplified.

I think the wood and finish must play a part - it's hard though - I have a bass that just feels so good acoustically it's kind of hard not to pick it up all the time though I'm not convinced it's the best sounding electronically!

[Iacopo San]

To me it sounds pretty stinky poo before and after.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Maybe over time, you learn to get the best from any given instrument and adjust your playing to suit? 

[Doctor J]

Yamaha developed a process called A.R.E. which follows this line of thought. They used it on the highly regarded BB2024 basses

 

[4000]

On 16/07/2020 at 09:05, bloke_zero said:

They *almost* admit they think it's the pickups, as they note towards the it's exactly what Seymour Duncan is talking about with the effects of magnet degradation.

I think the wood and finish must play a part - it's hard though - I have a bass that just feels so good acoustically it's kind of hard not to pick it up all the time though I'm not convinced it's the best sounding electronically!

I’m a firm believer in the “sounds good acoustically”. Of all the many basses I’ve had, the ones that sounded best acoustically tended to sound the best. In fact they’ve all generally sounded like an amplified version of what they’ve sounded like acoustically, not surprisingly. 

With regards to finish, that definitely has an effect. I’ve experienced first hand where instruments with thick poly finishes have been stripped and have sounded different afterwards. Of course some people will notice far more than others. 

Edited July 18, 2020 by 4000

[alyctes]

8 minutes ago, 4000 said:

With regards to finish, that definitely has an effect. I’ve experienced first hand where instruments with thick poly finishes have been stripped and have sounded different afterwards.

Possibly related to the body thickness before and after?   Would that not alter one of the resonant frequencies of the body?

[4000]

11 minutes ago, alyctes said:

Possibly related to the body thickness before and after?   Would that not alter one of the resonant frequencies of the body?

Possibly, but in my experience thick finishes seems to create a more reflective sound, to my ears at least. Others might hear it differently. 

FWIW I think I liked the first tone better in the example, so I’m not sure it gets better. 😂

Edited July 18, 2020 by 4000