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spencer

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I think we all know how a 3-band sounds but I can't get an idea of the 2-band sound. I heard it described as more agressive but I also heard it was deeper smoother and more mellow, which one?
 

bdgotoh

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Depends on how you have it set. In general the 2 band has more low end and highs on tap than the 3 band, so if you crank a 2 band all the way up you get aggressive and deeper. The 3 band seems mellower than 2 band to me.
 

bob atherton

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As I tend to use my 3 band with the treble totally rolled off and a touch more mid and bass than 'normal' the thought of trying to get my tone with a 2 band scares the hell out of me!
 

Caca de Kick

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To me the 2 band is voiced more in the low mids, which makes it sound deeper, and the top end smoother. Where the 3 band seems more voiced in the upper mids which gives it more searing edge and grit. On a gig I defintely get more finger noise with the 3, and as a result have to turn the treble down more than it would be set on a 2.
 

spencer

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Hmm I like upper mids more than lower mids..

Here's how I use my eq.

Treble boosted all the way for agressive flea tone.
Mids flat
Bass flat

For smoother stuff I just roll off the treble, if it needs to be super smooth I'll add some bass and maybe take out a tad of mids but overall I usually don't touch the mids.
 

maddog

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Depends on how you have it set. In general the 2 band has more low end and highs on tap than the 3 band, so if you crank a 2 band all the way up you get aggressive and deeper. The 3 band seems mellower than 2 band to me.

interesting. This is the same impression I have of the 3 vs. 4 band on the Bongo. I attribute it to the larger gap between the center frequencies for each band.
 

bdgotoh

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Hmm I like upper mids more than lower mids..

Here's how I use my eq.

Treble boosted all the way for agressive flea tone.
Mids flat
Bass flat

For smoother stuff I just roll off the treble, if it needs to be super smooth I'll add some bass and maybe take out a tad of mids but overall I usually don't touch the mids.

If your treble is all the way up you owe it to yourself to at least try out a 2 band. The treble control on a 2 band sounds great as you turn it up.
 

mrpackerguy

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To me the 2 band is voiced more in the low mids, which makes it sound deeper, and the top end smoother. Where the 3 band seems more voiced in the upper mids which gives it more searing edge and grit. On a gig I defintely get more finger noise with the 3, and as a result have to turn the treble down more than it would be set on a 2.
Exactly. And the treble control is VERY sensitive, requiring only minor adjustments, at least on my Sabre anyways
 

Rano Bass

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To me the 2 band is voiced more in the low mids, which makes it sound deeper, and the top end smoother. Where the 3 band seems more voiced in the upper mids which gives it more searing edge and grit.

Exactly, both sound great it's just a matter of personal taste but 3 band Rays tend to sound a little more present in the upper mids.
 

oli@bass

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+1

And to me, that makes the 3 band sound more "aggressive".

Another way to describe them is that the 2 band sounds "more organic and warm", while the 3 band sounds "more mordern and clean". That said, they sound closer to each other than any other wannabe StingRay to a real MM SR.
 

spencer

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Well after reading many threads about this I'm going to give the 2-band a shot..

Im sure I can get an agressive tone from it, and I heard it has less "clankyness" which I have experienced, as other people say, you cut the treble but then it seems to take away too much of the highs and muffles the sounds. Hope I like it!!
 

Caca de Kick

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spencer said:
Im sure I can get an agressive tone from it,

Heck yeah you still can...it's all in how you set the treble tone knob.
One of my favorite examples of aggressive; listen to Rage Against the Machine's first album. That's a 2band Timmy is playing.
 

oli@bass

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Heck yeah you still can...it's all in how you set the treble tone knob.
One of my favorite examples of aggressive; listen to Rage Against the Machine's first album. That's a 2band Timmy is playing.

Wow. Didn't know that. Love the bass sound on that album!
 

meatwad

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I once found this setting on the intra-webs...

3-band -

bass - all the way up
mids - all the way up
treble - all the way down

This gives me everything I want from my bass, with a fresh set of strings in particular. Try it. As the strings mellow out, the treble comes up. I would never crank the treble over halfway... OUCH!
 
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spencer

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Sorry but the most I ever do is a little bump off the detent in the bass and treble rolled off. I love the highs and couldn't imageing boosting bass and mids and cutting treble.. You would mosT likely be lacking alot in the 250 hs range
 

bob atherton

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I once found this setting on the intra-webs...

3-band -

bass - all the way up
mids - all the way up
treble - all the way down

This gives me everything I want from my bass, with a fresh set of strings in particular. Try it. As the strings mellow out, the treble comes up. I would never crank the treble over halfway... OUCH!

This is an extreme version of my settings. If we say the tone can go from +5 to -5 then I use treble -4, mid +3, bass +2. I agree with not letting the treble go over half way.

IMO I think a lot of people, including me, were put off the SR tone by going into a music shop, showing interest, being handed the bass after it was 'set up' for that classic MM SR tone by the sales assistant and it sounds all wrong, way too bright and synthetic.

If one is used to a Fender P the settings that I use are a bit like a P tone but with more clarity and punch. Works as well, if not better, in a band mix than a Fender P. Job done.
 

spencer

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Im gonna go for it, I plan on picking up a black/maple stingray to play while it comes in, if I really don't like the 2band, Ill just swap the two preamps.

Edit: Then I realize Ill be missing an input jack in the 2 band.. Scratch that idea..
 

liverbird

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Another way to describe them is that the 2 band sounds "more organic and warm", while the 3 band sounds "more mordern and clean". That said, they sound closer to each other than any other wannabe StingRay to a real MM SR.

I agree. I have a 1990 SR4 and a 2007 SR4, both Trans Red, both alder body, both maple neck. The '90 is a 2-band, the '07 a 3-band.

The 3-band (which also has a higher output) is more aggressive while the 2-band is mellower and warmer. Both are excellent instruments - it really depends on taste and musical situation, I guess.
 
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