basses

Girl Toes · Post by **Girl Toes** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:18 am

I've been noticing how many basses are just really crappy: almost most of them.

There are so many, including one of my own, that the E string comes out as a different volume than the rest of the strings. Its usually louder, though last night it was softer. A lot of these basses are also very muddy sounding. There is no other instrument I deal with regularly that has such a bad and consistent problem.

and so...

mjau · Post by **mjau** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:14 am

The only basses I've played that sounded real even to me also sounded completely dead to me, without any character. With my P-Bass, I just pretty much try to avoid the dead spots and have learned to play that bass in a way that works for that bass.

GrimmBrotherScott · Post by **GrimmBrotherScott** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:48 am

It helps tremendously to have the bass "set up" by someone who knows what they are doing. I don't (beyond quick intonation fixes, on the fly stuff) know how to crank the neck, optimize string action, etc...

I am not talking a Guitar Center quick fix, I am talking a luthier or experienced guitar tech. It will probably cost you $100-150 for the service (usually includes new strings, etc...) but it will last for a year or more.

Catoogie · Post by **Catoogie** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:42 am

$100-150 for the service

Are they NY prices? I pay maybe $50 for a set-up on my P-Bass (I buy my own strings.........actually I should say I did....I have flatwounds on it and I don't change them). And as far as the set-up lasting a year or more, I haven't had it set-up in more than three years and everything is just fine.

Girl Toes · Post by **Girl Toes** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:44 am

Yeah, Grimm, you need a new guy.

stinkpot · Post by **stinkpot** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:53 am

There are so many, including one of my own, that the E string comes out as a different volume than the rest of the strings. Its usually louder, though last night it was softer. A lot of these basses are also very muddy sounding. There is no other instrument I deal with regularly that has such a bad and consistent problem.

Have you tried messing with the height of the pickups? I've been able to get my P-bass to even out a bit by doing that. It's not perfect, but definately manageable, and I didn't have to change the style of my playing.

Or you could get a Rick

Girl Toes · Post by **Girl Toes** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 11:05 am

Well, i still love my bass, and its only bad on one pick up. But its more an observation here than anything, I work with a lot of crappy basses from night to night, and its always the same problem. From a sound guy's perspective, its annoying.

Scodiddly · Post by **Scodiddly** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 11:11 am

For a P-bass it's mostly a matter of setup. You can really tweak the split pickup to even out the strings.

The rest of it is the player.

jeddypoo · Post by **jeddypoo** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:35 pm

I play a Fender 62' reissue Jazz bass and I'm very happy with it. It went for years without a proper setup, other than myself futzing around with allen wrenches, so when I did go to get it properly set up, I was told it would need TWO proper setups a few months apart to get it back to fighting shape. The intonation had gotten too wonky for me to repair myself at the time I had brought it in. Basses, probably do to the fact that there's that much more tension going on, despite the larger necks, fall apart a lot more quickly than most guitars, and it yeah, getting a really pleasing tone out of one live can be a real bitch. DI into the board seems like the only way to go a lot of the time. I've heard very few bass amps in my time that produced great sounds consistently.

Red Rockets Glare · Post by **Red Rockets Glare** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:58 pm

anyone here do the Carol Kaye trick with the foam under and behind the bridge pickup for the extra woof and click?

I do it and it sounds great for some tracks.

jeddypoo · Post by **jeddypoo** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 1:01 pm

gotta try that, thanks! She was a hell of a bass player.

mjau · Post by **mjau** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 1:01 pm

Red Rockets Glare wrote:anyone here do the Carol Kaye trick with the foam under and behind the bridge pickup for the extra woof and click?

I do it and it sounds great for some tracks.

I'll palm mute, use a heavy pick attack, and throw my little Maxon stompbox compressor in the chain and get a similar sound.

wedge · Post by **wedge** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 1:55 pm

I did not know this until I pulled it apart to clean it, etc., but this bass that I just bought off-uh ebay came with a foam block underneath the bridge cover. I was *really* pleased to see that, becuase I love that type of tone. Never had one before but I'm looking forward to fecking with it...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... %3AIT&rd=1

thunderboy · Post by **thunderboy** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 2:20 pm

Girl Toes wrote:Yeah, Grimm, you need a new guy.

Actually, it sounds like YOU do, Lance.

jt

GrimmBrotherScott · Post by **GrimmBrotherScott** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 3:19 pm

Girl Toes wrote:Yeah, Grimm, you need a new guy.

That's for a one time total once over. That includes pulling all the electronics, testing them, cranking the neck properly (you are only supposed to crank the neck so much a day), etc...this guy is a luthier and when you bring it in and say "totally set this up", it is going to cost you some ducats. After the initial set up it will cost you $50-75/year.

I am an hour outside of NYC, so yes, it is a NYC price.

Message Board

basses

basses

w

bass talk

s

Re: bass talk

Who is online