Quote:
Originally Posted by Christopher Rhodes
I hope I did not kill this thread...
I played my 7-string bass last night, with a LMKII head... it was nice. I might get another gig out of it.
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I have noticed tons of youtube clips with Smith basses. Just put 'ken smith' in the youtube search, pull up a chair and listen all day to more clips that I can count.
For me, (if playing electric bass) I get the sound I need with the bass and amp at hand. The room and stage have a lot to do with it. I would say it's equally or even more important to have the sound in your head you are shooting for than to have pre-fixed settings planned.
I usually use both pickups balanced firts of all. Usually medium Tapercore strings and fairly fresh regardless of the venue. Form there it depends on the amp and how the amp sounds in the room. I like to set-up the amp for the room to get the basic sound I am looking for with the bass controls still set flat. I would prefer to make my tweaks or adjustments from the bass rather then reaching back to the amp. I usually have the volume out full on the bass but holding that back incase you need a quick on-board boost isn't a bad idea.
For tight funk sound setting with any amount of slapping to do (I haven't slapped much in years) I would raise equally the the bass and treble and cut the mids. This gives the bass a 'notched' setting. For jazz or pop or straight non-pop/slap R&B I do what ever works at the time. Playing with a small group verses a large group with horns will require different settings to cut through.
I would say the best setting is what pleases your ear and what people out in the house or hall tell you sounds best out there as well.
The exact bass you have in model or woods (woods matter a lot for tone settings) and settings between 4, 5, 6, and 7 string will vary even if each bass on the same gig in the same hands with the same strings is the exact same model and woods because, the mass in the neck woods matter. An open G sounds different on a 4, 5, 6 and 7 because of how much wood is under it.
So, use your head (mind really) and ears to know what you want to sound like and set you amp first. Then do the fine tuning with the Bass preamp.
Sometimes after you get it just right, someone in the band tells you, too much this or not enough that or.. the house engineer say.. put it all flat, I'll mix it in the booth... lol
Keep an open mind and make good music.