The Last Bass Outpost
Main Forums => The Bass Zone => Topic started by: Pilgrim on August 06, 2009, 10:03:32 AM
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I've been reflecting on a simple concept that many people seem not to understand.
They buy considerably different types of instruments, then try to turn them all into the same thing - to keep "their sound".
Personally, "my sound" is somewhat different based on the instrument I'm playing...and that's why I have different instruments. If "my sound" was monolithic, I'd have no reason to own more than one bass.
I see no reason why any musician's "sound" can't have numerous variations based on their instruments, strings, amplification and technique (and other factors such as venue acoustics).
Am I missing some critical concept here?? ???
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Just turn up the volume, Al... :mrgreen:
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I've been reflecting on a simple concept that many people seem not to understand.
They buy considerably different types of instruments, then try to turn them all into the same thing - to keep "their sound".
Personally, "my sound" is somewhat different based on the instrument I'm playing...and that's why I have different instruments. If "my sound" was monolithic, I'd have no reason to own more than one bass.
I see no reason why any musician's "sound" can't have numerous variations based on their instruments, strings, amplification and technique (and other factors such as venue acoustics).
Am I missing some critical concept here?? ???
Umm...OK. I guess I didn't realize this was a problem that required a thread to address it. But, perhaps your mind will be put at ease by further responses.
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nope... we still need more volume.... ;D :mrgreen: ;D
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I'm sure you're right! :)
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I have seven basses but since I'm still learning how to play them, I like to think my sound is uniformly atrocious to certain people at all times and all people at certain times. ;D
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I look at my basses as a box of chocolates or crayons and have them arranged accordingly. Each bass has its own role or voice in what I do.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Fenderbird/MY%20BASSES/familty.jpg)
Les Paul Standard-Bass & Chunky metal rhythm guitar
Blueshawk for clear Lead & trumpet/horn parts
RD for Any part
EB-0 for Twangy tele & monster woofy Brown Notes
That is why I never understood buying the same bass multiple times, with so many other favors to taste (Mark & George)-Yeah I know you really like them!
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It's all for the groupies, innit? Give them multiples, I say!!!!!!!!
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I'm with you Pilgrim. I was actually just thinking about this this morning. Although I would hope that there are parts of my playing that are distinctively "me," I also love playing different basses and find that what and how I play change depending on the circumstances. I use a lot of effects like distortion, filter/synth sounds, etc. in my own music too, which seems to change the character of my playing.
But then there are the stories of famous musicians playing other people's instruments and sounding exactly like themselves. I seem to remember reading Ted Nugent saying that Eddie Van Halen played Ted's guitar and rig and it sounded totally like Eddie. But maybe that's becoming more the issue of how much or how little does the construction, electronics, etc. really have to do with the sound, and that the player's hands may (or may not) be more important.
John's analogy of the box of crayons works great for me!
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I like to think my sound is uniformly atrocious to certain people at all times and all people at certain times. ;D
Uh, table for two, please! ;D
Actually, part of the reason I started this thread is that I get tired of people who obsess over 'my tone" without ever stopping to think that it changes depending on the instrument, the amps and the setting.
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I have "a" tone that I strive for, what I would call "my" tone, usually involving a Fender Bass/flats/a pick/palm muting. It's a 70s Dee Murray tone. But, I also love the 60s short-scale hollowbody tone, so I own a Gibson EB-2, Epiphone Rivoli, and several other old(and new) hollowbodies. I also love Ric bass tone and thus own a few Ric basses. So, I guess I buy into the Crayola analogy!
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sounds like a nice argument to present to the wife. 'my' crayons are usually very dark.
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Yup, my basses are different colors that serve me well right out of the box or with a switch to flats as mood or set lists change. The first three sound best with tone rolled back (a bad habit that the Epi and 55-02CS counteract).
Starfire w/ Dark Stars (w/ pick)
Pedulla Buzz with Barts (singing mwah or upright)
Dark Star P-Bass (soul/psychedelic)
Epi TB silverburst (grind rock)
Lakland 55-02CS (3-band EQ makes it the most versatile for church duty)
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I do like your RD, John... reminds me of what mine used to look like (but still with the Moog...? presumably as early as mine) :o
I really would like to get a semi, and a Jazz, someday... oh yeah, and an EB3L, a true T'bird, a Scroll, a Plexi... (fade to grey...)
I'm still working on the sound for the Peter Cook, but she screams for loudness, always had that edge to her sound, but she's good with blues, too...
With the RD being fretless she's much more rounded, a much more versatile instrument; there is a part of me that would like the Moog back, but I keep that part of me in the isolation ward - too much pain associated with that one...
The Hohner is really a "Jack" of all trades, and so versatile and easy to play, hence my daughter using her...
The Hiwatt and the Marshall cab makes up the rest...
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I like the crayon analogy. I've concluded that my ears aren't as sharp as some, but I can hear the difference between these:
- Jack Casady semi-hollow bass with rounds (flats coming soon, I think)
- 1963 P with flats more than 30 years old
- Gretsch G2202 with rounds
- 2000 MIM Fender Jazz with factory rounds
- 1970's Univox 335-style hollowbody with flats
- P-special fretless with nylon tapewounds
I also have an Applause (Ovation body) acoustic-electric short scale that's great for practice. I have a couple of others but most are in need of some repairs or work.
When you look it over, that's a pretty fair set of crayons if you don't need active pickups.
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+1 on the Crayola thing,but i would love to have 2 of each.for a back up. (i dream of a pair of Ric's 1 blk, 1 wht)
as far as "my sound" i tend to use 1 bass sound at a time for each project/band.at least for a while.i like to suit my sound to who i'm playing with and what kindamusic we're doin'.at home i do whatever i feel like that day.
right now i'm in 2 bands. both hardcore/punk but very different.
band #1.is more mid tempo, straight forward and kinda rockin' with some weirder stuff sprinkled about.i use my '92 les paul bass. (3 knob passive)with a DOD "Flashback Fuzz" pedal. fuzz all the way up.real dirty heavy on the mids and highs.on the faster songs i use the bridge pup only. on the more rockin' stuff i use the neck pup. i never use both together.but i do use the tone knob a lot.
band #2. is super fast, thrashy, mean and ugly.with some spooky heavier stuff. i use my '76 Ripper with '71 Guild "Sludgebuckers" (the ones with the big 'ol screws) they're super powerfull.i only use the bridge pup.when i was running my Ampeg,i pluged straight in.right now i'm using a loner Sunn Coliseum but its too clean so i've been using my Rat.but just a touch of fuzz. i use a lot of bottom and mids.real boomy.
at some point in the future i'd like to do some thing dark and new wavey gothish like Joy division,the cure,the wipers and some thing really lo-fi and swampy surf buzz. bands like that would probably require more than one sound.
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I like the crayon analogy, but I think it doesn't really cover the whole story.
If some basses are the crayons, some are feltmarkers, some are pencils, etc.
My basses all have something in common. But they're not all the same.
Most of them are mahogany. But some are short scale, some are long scale.
Some are solid, some are hollow. Some are bolt on, some are set neck.
I have one bass that is maple with a long scale set neck. But it has LO-Z Gibson pickups and a Gibson type three point bridge. Which makes it "family" of some other basses I have.
If you stick with the crayon analogy, you can make a beautiful drawing with ton-sur-ton colours. ;)
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Uwe's is the Toyo Color Finder, about 1500 hues, keeping the contrasting colors side by side.
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They give me lots of crayons in the quiet-room...
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I'd have to say my favorite sounds are Fender Precision and Jazz bass ones. I have one of each as well as an older Guild Pilot, BachBird, and the Grabber of course. My main player is a 5 string Jazz style bass with Duncan stacked pickups and an Aguilar OPB-1 preamp. For a live sound that is the one I prefer as it seems to always cut through.
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Yes, the crayon analogy is nice. But Picasso is still Picasso whether he does an oil paining, a pencil sketch or a sculpture.
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I rehease and gig with all my basses at this point, tho I rarely switch during a show I always bring two. I think all my basses have a slightly different voice and thus to bring that out I use a Line 6 pedal that allows me to choose one of many amp simulations (Acoustic 360 for me!) and then use a separate parametric eq for each of them. The info is stored in a named bank on the pedal so I can bring up the proper eq'd model for any bass very quickly in a live situation and not have to worry about changing anything on my amp, which I view as a large colorless device that the basses and the pedal enhance. Its taken some time and I'm not completely satified with it for all the basses yet but I'm close, all my "players" are dialed in pretty nice and I'm very happy with the individual sound they each have to my ear.
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thats a good idea having a preset for each bass.i think i will try something similar on my me50b to iron out level diferences etc between my eb4l(with mudbucker and 2 carvin blade singlecoils as a humbuker in the back position)-loadsa level and eb2(with pitbull)-not as much level..
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Fenderbird/Craola.jpg)
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Hahahahahaha! Nicely done! Uwe would need the 144-crayon box though.
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brilliant! well done! ;D ;D
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Thats the thing most people do not "get" about Gibsons, Rics Etc is that each bass has its own color or sound.
Tones so good you can taste them.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Fenderbird/misc/kid-eating-blue-crayon.jpg)
Built in sharpener is optional.
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Grabber Blue... :mrgreen:
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Fenderbird/Craola.jpg)
MAAAAHHHHveloussssss.....!