Getting a pick tone with fingers using EQ

[Baloney Balderdash]

15 minutes ago, HowieBass said:

It's OK to use a pick, honestly! 

 

I am sure Anthony Jackson will be pleased to know he can now finally call himself a real bass player, also when he uses a pick, that's of course assuming 6 string bass players were pardoned as well.

Bobby Vega at least now can have peace of mind. 

On a more serious note I can play both, but by far prefer the tone I get from playing with a pick, that specific snappy emphasis on the attack that can't really be obtained exactly the same otherwise, strangely enough I by far prefer using my fingers for guitar.

 

Edited January 2, 2021 by Baloney Balderdash

[hubrad]

5 hours ago, Paul S said:

I think if you read the 3rd and 4th posts, they mention fingernails.

Dagnabbit.. missed them! Went right back to the start, too.

Apologies. 

Edited January 3, 2021 by hubrad

[Downunderwonder]

Helluva lot of eq IN the fingers!

Dig in near the bridge.

[Baloney Balderdash]

On 03/01/2021 at 08:12, Downunderwonder said:

Helluva lot of eq IN the fingers!

Dig in near the bridge.

Only to realize that you have run out of space when you need to replicate the tone of using a pick near the bridge, and then, when you finally give up on using your fingers to replicate the sound of playing with a pick and therefor starts to actually use a pick, realizes that your fingers never really sounded like an actual pick to begin with anyway.

Also I don't think that is what people usually mean when they are using the phrase "tone is in the fingers", I believe it is to be taking slightly less literally, and usually is used in the sense that the personality of your playing (signature sound if you will) is in how you are actually playing your instrument, with all that encompass, including how you use your fingers (and/or pick), more so than in the specific gear you use to do so.

You'll always sounds like you, that is no doubt the truth, but that doesn't mean that you will always sound exactly the same regardless, and it certainly doesn't mean that you can sound exactly like playing with a pick by instead using your fingers, a carrot, a sock or whatever you might wish ,that isn't actually an actual pick. 

With the right gear and technique, sure you can reach an approximation, but it will never sound exactly like the real thing, and in my opinion isn't really worth the troubles it requires of you to get the job half done, when you can just stop to stubbornly insist on not using the one thing that will actually get the job done properly. 

Edited January 6, 2021 by Baloney Balderdash

[BassAdder60]

I would be happy to get a half way tone between the two I guess

Im finding I can get near to the half way tone which I actually prefer over the very different pick tone 

I’ve found that setting up my amp for fingers with my PBass tone control at 75% I can then add more bite by turning it to 100% and still with fingers I can get a little more punch and drive 

I’m happy this way I think but if not I can grab a pick for very fast lines that my fingers would struggle with 

[Baloney Balderdash]

4 hours ago, BassAdder27 said:

I would be happy to get a half way tone between the two I guess

Im finding I can get near to the half way tone which I actually prefer over the very different pick tone 

I’ve found that setting up my amp for fingers with my PBass tone control at 75% I can then add more bite by turning it to 100% and still with fingers I can get a little more punch and drive 

I’m happy this way I think but if not I can grab a pick for very fast lines that my fingers would struggle with 

Not sure if this was intended as a comment on my reply above yours, but my comment wasn't really aimed at you, I kind of figured you would be perfectly fine with not sounding exactly like playing a pick, but just needed to get in the ballpark, and that is perfectly valid as far as I am concerned, my reply was more a general notion aimed at people who seems to honestly believe that there are no situations where your fingers would just not be the optimal solution, but where using a pick would be the only right choice. 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Baloney Balderdash

[Stub Mandrel]

2 hours ago, BassAdder27 said:

I’m happy this way I think but if not I can grab a pick for very fast lines that my fingers would struggle with 

Funny how we all differ, I'm way faster with my fingers than a pick.

[BassAdder60]

I’m an old guitarist so pick is easy for me but I’m decent finger player on bass and just prefer it 

[Dan Dare]

3 hours ago, BassAdder27 said:

I’m an old guitarist so pick is easy for me but I’m decent finger player on bass and just prefer it 

I'm in a similar position, having played mandolin and guitar for 30 years. I prefer to use my fingers on the bass if I can, but I find there are some approaches that really demand a pick. It's more to do with the attack and shape of notes than the tone. You can approximate it to an extent, but really, using a pick is the only option in the end.

[51m0n]

Can't really be done.

But I've gotten very close in a DAW using a parallel channel with ludicrous levels of filtering, eq and compression.

Just as an experiment 🤩

[Cosmo Valdemar]

On 24/12/2020 at 12:59, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

That's not so much using a pick as it is having a new set of light gauge round wounds. Entwhistle got very close to that tone finger style, though you wouldn't know it after ham fisted mouth breathing producers were done. Listen to 'My Generation', one of the few tracks that managed to get past them with his real tone.

... which was recorded with a Fender Jazz and La Bella flats 😉

[chris_b]

A few years ago, I volunteered to dep for a punk band. I got the set list and dug out my, at that point unused, pick. After 4 hours I called back and declined the gig. I just couldn't play properly with a pick, fingers didn't seem to sound right and I couldn't make finger style sound anything like a pick. l did try.

[Lozz196]

20 hours ago, chris_b said:

A few years ago, I volunteered to dep for a punk band. I got the set list and dug out my, at that point unused, pick. After 4 hours I called back and declined the gig. I just couldn't play properly with a pick, fingers didn't seem to sound right and I couldn't make finger style sound anything like a pick. l did try.

Which band was that, Chris?

[chris_b]

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Which band was that, Chris?

I don't actually know the name. I heard that someone couldn't do a gig and put my name forward. Nothing had been finalised at that point, so I quickly backed out when I realised it wasn't going to end well.