Alchemy - Gold from Coal

[FlatEric]

I've spent a while browsing older posts, to see if this subject has been posted but can't find
anything like it, so I'll have a go. Anyone who knows of a post like this, let me know

After many years of collecting, I have recently been fortunate enough to be
able to put same make and different make basses side by side, in three
different amp/cab combinations.
To make the recipe more interesting, in some combinations, they are strung with different
makes of string/different gauges.
As we all search for "our sound", or to emulate one that we like, or to copy it for cover
numbers, the recipe has to be about right.
If you take a sample bass, (I started with three Japanese 62 RI Jazzes) near enough the same
year, with three different types of strings (all roundwound) the difference was very noticable.
The amp is set to a fixed setting, all the time and then the same basses were tried in a different
amp/cab, with pretty much the same EQ settings. The sound and tone, as you might expect were
different again.
So, when looking for "that sound", it may be a case of keeping the bass you have and altering
the recipe. I even tried different (good quality) leads and a wireless rig and found that there
was a noticeable difference.
Alternatively, you may chop in a completey good bass for something different, only to find
that the elusive magic sound is out of your grasp, as the amp/cab doesn't add to the flavour.

Comments please.

Cheers.
Flat Eric.

[henry norton]

Changing the strings should be the very first thing a player tries if they're looking for a new sound from their bass. It's where 'the sound' emanates from and the medium that interprets the entire physical construction of the guitar.

Lucky you by the way. Interesting experiment but have you strung the three basses with identical sets of strings and played them back to back through a flat EQ so you can see the difference each neck/body combination, magnet age, finish option makes on the tone of what are otherwise supposed to be identical instruments?

[FlatEric]

[quote name='henry norton' post='663141' date='Nov 23 2009, 08:32 PM']Changing the strings should be the very first thing a player tries if they're looking for a new sound from their bass. It's where 'the sound' emanates from and the medium that interprets the entire physical construction of the guitar.

Lucky you by the way. Interesting experiment but have you strung the three basses with identical sets of strings and played them back to back through a flat EQ so you can see the difference each neck/body combination, magnet age, finish option makes on the tone of what are otherwise supposed to be identical instruments?[/quote]

Yep, I tried that as well, with a brace of T-40's and Japan P's.
The T-40's were the same era, neck, controls etc - Red, Natural
and Sunburst, all strung with Elite mediums, same gauge.
The Natural was the most bright and powerful, then the Sunburst,
then the Red, in that order.
The P's, strung with the same strings, were hard to tell apart, although
all (and most of the ones I've played) had a more powerful E, which despite
having the pup further down on that side, still barks louder than the other
strings. I am just more gentle on the E - seems to work.
The thing I mentioned about the leads, in the previous post, had one being
hurled into the bin. Looked OK, got some fancy writing on the side but
seemed to suck up about 10% of the power. Never noticed until I started
playing around with them.
Just goes to show that if all the governing factors are in your favour, Great!
If not, could be a great bass but the lead and amp let it down, or a great
amp and duff bass!
I have followed a lot of the posts from "doctor of the bass" and I'm sure he
must have had a similar experience.
Would be interesting to find out.