Better bass (amp) tone
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Posted on Jul 22, 2010 09:46 am
Fragile
Member Since: Sep 30, 2009
I'm looking into selling my schecter and getting another used bass that could more easily handle multiple genres (still not sure what i'm gonna get, any recommendations there would be appreciated!) But also, i'm looking for a little more tone amp-wise. Pod Farms bass amps sound decent, and certainly add color, but they aren't quite what i'd like.
I'm thinking of either finding another amp plugin for bass, or maybe a DI box (like those sansamp things), or maybe just get a used bass head on ebay, and just use the DI on it. Plus, the later two options would be a little more useful for jamming, since i only have 2 inputs at my disposal.
Really, i'm just looking for a little discussion to pursuade me in one direction or the other. Anyone use that sansamp DI box going strait to a PA or interface?
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Jul 22, 2010 10:56 am If you get a bass with active pickups, I have found it improves the direct recording tone a lot. I have recorded a lot of bass just straight into the board with actives and really like the tone, running that thru models helps too, the active pickups are a bigger, fuller sound and make a better sound coming from the models as well.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Jul 22, 2010 11:42 am One of the 'years ago' regulars; TallChap, used a SansAmp DI for bass and liked it much. I've not seen one, so can't comment directly.
I have an old SR400 fretless that I like much. My son is looking at getting a new model, in the 500 range, and fretted. When I was doing research before getting mine, I found a lot of reviews saying things like 'studio workhorse', and saying the Ibanez basses are very good all-rounders.
I like mine, and do a lot of stuff with it. I have flat wounds on it, and being fretless, it does limit some of my usefullness, but I think a round on fretted would be quite nice. I look forward to my son saving up the nickels to get his.
I'm thinking it was an SRX530 something, but I think they're discontinued. He may have to look a bit more, but I'm not sure.
I've often plugged directly into my mixer's preamps for my bass work, and it's worked quite well. I'm not against doing DI this way at all.
Plus, an amp sim can help some too.
Jul 22, 2010 01:59 pm I was actually very impressed with the ibanez models i've heard demo'd on youtube (semi-pro reviews. Like what i've seen dB do only with video). Pretty cheap too!
Just out of curiosity pjk, how old is your son? I've heard you talk about jamming with him a lot. Thats gotta be a nice privilege! One I look forward to some day in the distant, distant future lol.
Hmm, To be honest i found myself leaning away from the actives. But i know very little about pickups. I'll need to read up a bit on that! My schecter has actives. but i just can't seem to get the tones i want out of it. Eh, who knows. i might even just need a new set of batteries and some strings.
Jul 22, 2010 03:10 pm My main bass is a 5 String ESP, that was pretty inexpensive as well, with actives and it's been very good to me, my older bass has passive pickups and it just won't give me the sound I am looking for, too dead sounding...I guess it's a matter of taste, but actives have always been easier for me to manage.
cruxTypo SzarMember
Since: Jul 04, 2002
Jul 22, 2010 08:00 pm I dont think u can go wrong with the standards the Fender Precision or Fender Jazz, also G&L makes musicmanesque units that i think sound better. Their all very much work horse basses that provide a variety of tones and playability.
Ive always found active pickups problematic in live situations, wat with batteries to worry about and all. But in the studio yeah, if it gives u better tone.
On DI's my bassist uses an MXR unit and he and I both love it. The sound is great out of the box and its very tweakable, the distortion is also very workable. I prefer it to the sansamps ive heard even though that is the more commonly used stomp, but i think it sounds a bit harsh at times.
I dont have a ton of experience with Bass heads, but i dont personally see the point in having a head without a cab, or if ur not gonna record through mic. Im pretty sure with all the amp sims out there, watever head sound ur lookign for can be conjured up with some level of accuracy. If u were to invest in a whole head but were going to bypass the cab, maybe it would be better to get just a dedicated pre? Those uber pricy avalon units, which i believe r actually DIs, they seem to be the industry standard for bass tone.
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Jul 22, 2010 08:44 pm do you not like Pod for bass? I got it sounding pretty good.
Jul 22, 2010 09:04 pm I had a Fender Precision and it was one of the worst sounding basses I've ever had. it was supposed to be a nice model, sounded great in the store, but eh, it sucked in every day usage.
cruxTypo SzarMember
Since: Jul 04, 2002
Jul 22, 2010 10:30 pm American made? Fender seems to have HUGE differences between stuff made in the US and abroad. And the whole, the mexican modles use the same parts argument doesnt hold up at all
Jul 22, 2010 10:32 pm I had one that was made before the mexican models even existed as I recall...I like the Jazz basses, not so much P-basses, it seems very hit or miss.
Jul 22, 2010 10:51 pm I can't comment on a Bass. But, I can comment on the Sansamp.
Many bass players come to us with one of them. And many times we have to switch it out to something else. They seems to fail quit often. And personally, I don't care for the sound in a live setting.
If you can swing the price, the Avalon U5 is just killer!!
Jul 23, 2010 02:40 pm Sansamp's kill! Give me one any day over an ampsim. I love anything fender P bass/Jazz bass, epiphone/gibbo thunderbird for open pick sort of riffs (pop punky), and warwick make a great cheapish one (corvette? Had a session a coupe of days ago with it).
Passive Di most of the time for me. Run a distressor on 1176 type settings, add some distortion. Mean tonez.
Jul 23, 2010 11:51 pm Hmm, i was looking at a fender actually. Jazz bass, with active pickups. Eh, i'll link you just in case someones had experience with them or a similar model.
www.fender.com/products/s...rtno=0136860306
Not sure where its made, but its not an american model. I'm still in the "searching" stage though. Really, i have no clue what bass i plan on getting. Considering everything from the Jazz, to a musicman, to one of those ibanez basses. I just want something that can do just about every genre and sound pretty "at home."
Hmm, that avalon U5. Does it work well with pretty much anything? Even do much for vocals? I might add that to my wishlist of goodies i probably won't pick up for a long long time, but that i would love to pick up!
And the Pod-Farm stuff for basses, eh. honestly i really need to spend a little more time tweaking it. I haven't spent as much time with the bass models as the guitar. I guess i just like the idea of having a DI box or something for bass so i can do a little tone shaping while jamming. I'm really wishing i had shelled out for the UX8 instead of the UX2, especially since after buying platinum, i really only saved about $50 by not getting a UX8. Ah well.
Quick question, how do you know when your batteries are low in a passive bass? will the tone ever get weaker or muddier? or does one pickup just instantly stop working?
Also, funny thing dB. i was talking to a friend today who told me the same thing about his old P-bass. He had one and HATED the things sound.
cruxTypo SzarMember
Since: Jul 04, 2002
Jul 24, 2010 08:25 am Well, the highschool answer would be, a bass that seems at home in any genre would be a bass u SEE ppl usnig in every genre, which kind of lowers it down to fender and musicman, unless u count things like Tobias which r geared towards those virtuousos who could play any genre and TEAR IT UP
but since my beloved is getting no face time.. MXR DI!!!
Jul 24, 2010 10:21 am Hmm.. well. thats kind of.... obvious lol. Great advice, i'm just an idiot for not thinking of something that obvious :P I don't trust my instincts anymore, especially not in a music store at least. There's always so much commotion, and what i think is a good sound usually isn't the same when i get home with it.
www.jimdunlop.com/index.p.../pip&id=257
^^ Is she your beloved crux?
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Jul 24, 2010 12:38 pm Quote:
Just out of curiosity pjk, how old is your son? I've heard you talk about jamming with him a lot. Thats gotta be a nice privilege! One I look forward to some day in the distant, distant future lol.
He's just turned 16. I spent some real time with him ~3 years ago on acoustic, and showed him some stuff. I told him then, expect it to take 2-3 years before you feel that you can 'play' and like what you're doing. And it did. Luckily, he didn't get discouraged, practiced quite a bit, and can now do a lot that he wants to.
He picked up bass a year ago, and really likes it. He still sits around playing on acoustic 6, but is gearing towards his own bass soon.
He recently played in a school 'rock band' type project, with 3 other students, and the teacher singing. They did like 5 songs, and it went over pretty well. He's got the bug now =). I have the vid of it, I might post bits of it to YT. He was playing a Mex P or J, i can't remember, though it was a Mexi Fender. Pretty nice.
We purchased a 800$ trumpet for my daughter around xmas time, so the missus and I are thinking that we will probably fund part of his music equipment as well, though he's determined to get the $$$ himself. Good lad!
On a related note to the OP, I just recorded bass last night for a practice project for my drummer's son. I plugged direct into my interface (low gain, but made it up in software) and used amplitude live (the cheap version) for my amp sim. They have a bass head and 1x15 cab, and it worked out pretty well. I'm not super demanding on projects like this, but it came out good and usable.
Jul 25, 2010 03:54 am since i am more focused on guitar though one of my dreams was always the stingray 5 string from musicman.
its equipped with active pup's and will last a lifetime. very versatile and since my guitar shop offer installment it was affordable. it grumbles and has all the lows i am thinking of, the craftsmenship is excellent as well. the one i own is a longscale monster - made only of two pieces of maple.
i record the stingray usually via di box j48 into the mixer and another track paralell over a blues jr to get more grunge. this two signals mixed together make a nice bass sound.
another choice could be warwick, they do also very nice basses with cool sound.
but after i have seen billy sheehan in a bassclinic i am sure its just about the amp, ampeg svt and go. thats the sound for bass, wether you play yamaha, fender, gibson or whatever.
stay tuned!
cruxTypo SzarMember
Since: Jul 04, 2002
Jul 26, 2010 01:44 am to Fragile, yes there she is (tear)
i think its a very versatile unit that can stand in for an amp when a good one isnt around (or a bass for that matter) where the sansamp is very rock oriented the MXR can go from very nuanced jazzy stuff straight to hardcore
and yeah music shops r pretty crazy at times, but nowadays i always have to steel myself with hey "i have the money and im ready to use it, im the customer!" and i go in adn try wat i want for how long i want and how i want, and if some greater than thou salesmen gives me attitude, i just walk out and make sure every musician i know hears about it. Harsh, but hey, would u let a mcdonalds employee ask u "do u really want fries with that? this meal is way better without the fries man"
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Jul 26, 2010 12:18 pm Good points Crux, they're here for us, not the other way round.
I've walked out of a few places when sales-people weren't doing their job. I've had managers chase me down before I left the store, so they could fix the problem.
Jul 26, 2010 03:46 pm Glad to hear! Seriously, i can't imagine many things greater than sharing your passion with your closest loved ones. And actually training him musically! thats great.
Anyway, I'll seriously consider that MXR! not too pricey at all. I really need to learn to be a little more assertive while shopping. I'm a bit of a push-over. Especially in music stores. And when i think they like me as a person, it gets even worse (which i still can't tell which are genuinely nice guys who love people, and which just want to reach their fingers deeper into my pocketbook). Lol, great analogy with the mcdonalds thing. I never thought of it like that. But i've had things like that happen several times for very stupid reasons.
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Jul 28, 2010 10:56 pm I have no idea what's been said bc I need to focus on homework but there are three solutions for your bass tone problem:
1.) Get a good bass (duh, sorry)
2.) Get a Sans amp
3.) Record with parallel compression.
Aug 13, 2010 03:13 pm Eh,just thought i'd mention this. I had been recording into the "normal" input instead of the "pad" and it's an active bass. It was just always so quiet even in the normal (til it was run threw an amp model), i never thought i'd need the pad. Well, sounds a lot more usable now.
I guess this is the part where i humbly go "whoopsies :]"
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Aug 13, 2010 04:57 pm Kind of on-topic:
I'm back into the market of looking for a good bass. I'm just so out of touch with brand names with basses, and what features to look for or to discriminate against. I still want a 5-string, no question. But that severely limits the field. I'm still kind of partial to the Fender J-Bass. But hell, a new American Standard 5-string J-bass is over $1300, and the American Deluxe is more like $1700. I mean, I could afford it (technically...not having a spouse to give me dirty looks when I talk about these things is a handicap). But I'm not sure if any other basses of lower cost will fulfill both my needs and my own ideas of what a good bass is.
I know I don't really want Ibanez, ESP, Dean, or probably even Schecter (although I'm on the fence there). Only because those basses seem to cater more to the metal crowd with attenuated mids and humbucker pickups. I like that passive single-coil sound from what I can tell so far. Kinda that vintage bass sound I guess.
Aug 13, 2010 04:59 pm I use ESP and I am not metal...my only real requirements are active pickups, an unfinished neck and 5 strings...from there, brand means little to nothing to me.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Aug 14, 2010 01:34 pm Hey Tad, your Rondo not cutting it?
Sounds like a trip to the GC is in order. Try things out, etc.
On a related note, my son is purchasing a douglass, from the rondo site. A 4 string fretted. Should be here on monday.
Aug 14, 2010 03:01 pm Awuh... tad. :(
but yeah, sounds like a trip to GC would be a fine way to spend your afternoon and many months savings:)
Do you like playing 5 strings? Or just need that low string for the added range? Man, personally i find myself not quite used to those wider necks quite yet, even though thats the only bass i really play. Any time I play on a 4 string, i'm much more comfortable. But i need that extra range.
Me thinks i'll wait around a few years, see if Line 6 releases a new Variax bass with alt tunings and truely good construction. 4 string model i'll be able to down tune. But, maybe this is just my subconsciousness trying to find a loophole so that i won't be tempted into spending even more money when i get my hands on it. For a couple of years at least :P
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Aug 14, 2010 03:27 pm Well, there's always the Craigslist barter system. Trade something up for it, maybe you got a Faberge egg or babe ruth card laying around =).
olddogMember
Since: Jul 02, 2003
Aug 14, 2010 04:48 pm I really like my Peavy Cirrus EXP bass with Active P/U's ($500'ish range, available 4 or 5 string) and I use either GR4 or Amplitube for the bass amps, they pretty much get any sound I'm looking for. I'd never buy another bass with Active P/U's though simpy because every time I grab it to play, the dang battery is dead. :D
Dan
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Aug 16, 2010 11:30 am pjk: Yeah the Rondo is in pretty bad shape after I jacked up its truss rod. I've deemed it beyond repair for what the bass is worth. It plays, but the action is crazy high on it. I do like its cheapo pickups though. They sound like something off of a 1970's rock album, I love it.
olddog: Peavey is one of the brands I've been looking at. I'm impressed with the quality of basses they offer for the price. Same with Yamaha as well, another brand that I wouldn't immediately look at but they put out some good stuff for the price.
fragile: I agree, a trip to GC is in order. If I just didn't dislike that place so much!
KainMember
Since: Sep 03, 2008
Aug 16, 2010 07:45 pm I use an Ibanez RDGR and it has so much versatility and a super smooth neck. There is'nt a sound or a tone i couldnt get with this bass. Tadpui, youre right about Peavey basses,very underated. A friend of mine has the zodiak( i think thats the name) and it is such a cool bass, awesome even if it was twice the price they sell for which is so cheap it's criminal. I played a few yamaha's too, very well made and nice to play. You might want to take a look at Ocean basses also,not metal at all but very smooth tones and well made. I think they make a 5 and a 6 string. I hate gc also, i now go to bestbuy music store where they have sound proof rooms to test gear out,awsome.
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Aug 17, 2010 02:25 am i think Peavay are underrated in general. Their stuff is really great.
I have 2 of their amps one 100 watt tube and a 60 watt solid combo, they dont miss a beat as far as i can see (touch wood)
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Aug 17, 2010 09:24 pm Deleted By Dematrix
