Need Help!!!!

[bovinehost]

No need to apologize!

We all have those moments when nothing works. Just hang around and if there's anything this group can do to help you, I know they will.

Welcome!

Jack

 

[PaulMack]

Yo Captain I feel ya man as my new SR4 has been one of the most frustrating guitars to eq I've ever had. Took it to my luthier to have it rewired and when he got around to it he suggested that I replace the pickups and electronics rather than mess with the original stuff.
I'm looking into the Basslines SMB 4a pickup and the Basslines STC 3M3 electronics...which have a slap contour switch which, in my opinion, may increase the versatility of this instrument.
Yeah I know.....right hand position...etc....
I find the high end on my bass harsh and very hard to tame. While the consensus here may be that I don't know what I'm doing as far as eq'ing or just crazy. This is not the case ......just a matter of personal taste or perhaps something inherant in my particular instrument.
On the other hand the bass is punchy and articulate and a joy to play...just a bit too much in your face. This may be what others here may find attractive....it's just not for everyone, certainly not for me.
I've had my moments of regret because of the tone I get or can't get (slap in particular..despite the basses reputation) but there's just something about it that still makes me pick it up and play it.
While I agree with everyone that to just come out with the "sucks" and "blows" ain't cool. There are those of us that have been brought to this forum because of our initial or total disatisfaction with said bass. I know that some of my querys have gone unanswered because I aint got both feet on the boat yet.
While I'm not just trying to stir up S**T like that cat Fulda I think they were valid. Be pretty boring if every had the same "tone' so to speak
Hate to hear ya gave up your JB2....I love mine.

 

[Aussie Mark]

I find the high end on my bass harsh and very hard to tame. While the consensus here may be that I don't know what I'm doing as far as eq'ing or just crazy. This is not the case ......just a matter of personal taste or perhaps something inherant in my particular instrument.
On the other hand the bass is punchy and articulate and a joy to play...just a bit too much in your face. This may be what others here may find attractive

I hate harsh trebly modern tone more than probably any other member of this forum (yes, even Jack confesses that he likes roundwound strings on one or two of his basses) , but somehow I managed to tame my SR4, or so it seems from these mp3s .....

http://deayton.com/band/aroundandaround.mp3

http://deayton.com/band/whiteroom.mp3

Having heard and played many SR4s I still don't understand your difficulty in getting a tone that you like.

 

[JB1]

I too do not underdstand why some peeps find it a struggle to get a decent tone.

I'm not dissing anyone for that, but I see it that with a 2/3 band EQ on a bass, plus whatever a decent modern amp can offer EQ wise, plus string technology being what it is = there must be something combination-wise that suits everyone?

I can't say I've ever had an issue with tone control on my SR4's. I've heard different sounding basses through different amps (some perhaps it could be argued 'better' basses/amps), but I'm right where I like it with my set-up. Perhaps I'm just lucky

 

[drgroovenstein]

What do you all mean by "don't dime the volume"? Never heard that phrase before. Are you recommending not to turn the volume all the way up on the bass itself? Hrmm.. if so, I've always run my active instruments at max volume. Doesn't that help with signal to noise ratio?

 

[drgroovenstein]

I find the high end on my bass harsh and very hard to tame. While the consensus here may be that I don't know what I'm doing as far as eq'ing or just crazy. This is not the case ......just a matter of personal taste or perhaps something inherant in my particular instrument.
On the other hand the bass is punchy and articulate and a joy to play...just a bit too much in your face. This may be what others here may find attractive....it's just not for everyone, certainly not for me.
I've had my moments of regret because of the tone I get or can't get (slap in particular..despite the basses reputation) but there's just something about it that still makes me pick it up and play it.

You can't get a slap tone on a stingray? That concept actually blows my mind. What are the specs on your 'ray? Is it 2 or 3 band, maple or rosewood? Just curious.

More trebble for me please... but then again my main bass in an MTD 535

 

[Big Poppa]

The good doctor.....it has no effect on your signal to noise with our active basses. When you "dime" the bass on many amps you may overdrive the input section. Most newer amps actually have a switch for the active/passive input setting

I have spent tooo many years explaining how to first approach getting your sound. These guys have it right volume at most 3/4 and flat on your amp and flat on your bass
then the tone adventure begins

 

[drgroovenstein]

The good doctor.....it has no effect on your signal to noise with our active basses. When you "dime" the bass on many amps you may overdrive the input section. Most newer amps actually have a switch for the active/passive input setting

I have spent tooo many years explaining how to first approach getting your sound. These guys have it right volume at most 3/4 and flat on your amp and flat on your bass
then the tone adventure begins

Cool, I'll try that. I'm generally a flat on the bass, flat on the head (but don't call me a flat head) type of guy. I just usually have the volume up full on the bass (not the bass eq), and appropriate gain on the head. Will try your receipe for tone success. Thanks!

p.s. hurry up and build my bass already

 

[PaulMack]

It's a 2 band maple fretboard.
I posted early on that the best tone I can get out of it would lend itself to finger funk grooves and the closest example would be Gary Willis of Tribal Tech's tone. That in itself is a great tone but the slap thang is oh so elusive. Slap tone ain't somethin' I've ever had trouble dialin' up.
I'm sure some of you are "slapping" your knee thinking I'm mental but if someone would kindly tell me how to post a few of my original tunes here on this thread that would more than likely dispel that notion. Between that and the fact that I've been around bass all my borned days ( as we say here in the South) as my Father, Bill Mack, has played with Gene Vincent of "BeBopALuLa " fame...Jerry Reed, Rays Stevens, DJ Fontana ( Elvis's drummer) Jerry McGee (Ventures) and quite a few more.
I've never sought out forums and the like until I got this bass guess I'm as perplexed as you about the slap thang

 

[drgroovenstein]

It's a 2 band maple fretboard.
I posted early on that the best tone I can get out of it would lend itself to finger funk grooves and the closest example would be Gary Willis of Tribal Tech's tone. That in itself is a great tone but the slap thang is oh so elusive. Slap tone ain't somethin' I've ever had trouble dialin' up.
I'm sure some of you are "slapping" your knee thinking I'm mental but if someone would kindly tell me how to post a few of my original tunes here on this thread that would more than likely dispel that notion. Between that and the fact that I've been around bass all my borned days ( as we say here in the South) as my Father, Bill Mack, has played with Gene Vincent of "BeBopALuLa " fame...Jerry Reed, Rays Stevens, DJ Fontana ( Elvis's drummer) Jerry McGee (Ventures) and quite a few more.
I've never sought out forums and the like until I got this bass guess I'm as perplexed as you about the slap thang

I'll PM you my email address. I can probably host them for you. I don't think you can post them directly on the board.

 

[drgroovenstein]

PaulMack sent me entire songs, so I'll post them one at a time. I dunno how much of my bandwidth you all are going to steal heheh

I heard some objectionable material in the first, so I'll skip that one. Sowwy, I stick to my gunz. Not that I am into sensoring or anything, you know what I mean..

http://www.drgroovenstein.com/clips/track2.mp3

 

[PaulMack]

Aww man track 1 was my fave! Those pesky words of curse.
The tunes that the Dr is hosting for me were recorded on my 8 track here at home. I play all instruments/vocals and drum machine, except the sax on track 1, if ya want to check that one out ask for it and I'll send.
These may lend strength to my ability to dial in tone...may not as that is a subjective matter

 

[strummer]

I don't know much about home recording, but that cannot be a Stingray straight to the board?
It sounds like lot's of eq, and effects too. Has some kond of under water vibe that I dig, though.
How do you play the bass? Finger nails?

Edit: Ok, after 2 mins there is some real bass, but still it sounds like a lot of eq. The bass sound doesn't sit too well in the mix, does it?

 

[PaulMack]

The main bass line is doubled which is the effect that you hear and played with a pick. Yeah I guess I could bring the bass up in the mix, I didn't think it was necessary on this particular tune. Yeah I'm still on my learning curve with the home recording. Lot's o' fun though. No it aint a StingRay...haven't run that one thru yet ...
No effects at all my man straight into the board on one track and thru my rig on another
Oh yea I do use a compressor on this track

 

[drgroovenstein]

Paul, send me some shorter clips and I can host them all at once hehe. Remix so the bass is closer to the top! this is a bass forum, after all

I have like no experience with home recording...

My studio experiences have also been unpleasant, at best, but when I record live I rarely fiddle with any kind of eq at the amp or even the board.

Don't be afraid of the natural sound of your bass

 

[strummer]

The main bass line is doubled which is the effect that you hear and played with a pick. Yeah I guess I could bring the bass up in the mix, I didn't think it was necessary on this particular tune. Yeah I'm still on my learning curve with the home recording. Lot's o' fun though. No it aint a StingRay...haven't run that one thru yet ...
No effects at all my man straight into the board on one track and thru my rig on another
Oh yea I do use a compressor on this track

Ok, my mistake. I thought it was a Stingray, and hence my comments.

Edit: Paulmack, I just realized the bass sound on the recording is the way you want it to sound, correct? And now you want to know how to make the same kind of sound with a Stingray? I can't be of any help there whatsoever, sorry

 

[Urwordsbreakmed]

1. Ampeg owns you therefore it would sound holy coming from it
2. Put everything on flats... Amp, Bass
3. I like the too mess with the head first because for me it normal has more of a subtle change then the active eq on your bass.
4. Then If the eqs are a still a light off I mess with the bass.
5. After messing with the Bass I go back to the head and do the Final tweaking...
6. I sit back and bask my self in the glory of my perfect tone

 

[PaulMack]

Ok, my mistake. I thought it was a Stingray, and hence my comments.

Edit: Paulmack, I just realized the bass sound on the recording is the way you want it to sound, correct? And now you want to know how to make the same kind of sound with a Stingray? I can't be of any help there whatsoever, sorry

I've had my 8 track a little better than 4 months and these tunes are "works in progress" and I will admit that I haven't spent as much time on the bass as I have the other things going on, which is a lot!!.
The sound I got on the bass is pretty much what I was looking for. I normally don't play with a pick but it seemed to suit the line. Some guitarists have been known to double their lines ( Randy Rhodes for example) so I thought it'd be cool to try that out also. As bassists I understand the "turn up the bass" thang but I'm going after the overall texture of all the instruments. I will bring the bass up in the mix a bit though.
This is'nt balls to the wall rock and roll though I'm primarily known as a metal bassist. Most of my friends and aquaintances are surprised that I came outta my little room with songs such as these. My main influences would be Robert Trujillo, Victor Wooten and John Patittucci. I also dig Micheal Manring and Adam Nitti.
Most I'm trying to get out of posting the tunes is the fact that I'm not a novice at this thing. I find my StingRay most difficult to eq and get a usable tone. I did put a set of flats on it nnahhh not my thang it did make that dead spot on the 7th fret of the g string stand out considerably. I shoulda spent as much time scrutinizing this bass as I do those MIM Fenders I fool around with.
Bottom line is I'm not thrilled with mine and I hope that a change of pickups and electronics will make it something that aint gonna be stuck in the closet.
I've come here looking for answers and have wrote of my disatisfaction with my bass. I've searched the posts and have found I'm not alone. I have also found that we do not seem to be welcome here and may be ridiculed and/or ignored. I can understand that and will refrain from further posts.....I aint out to rain on yer parade and it ain't the first time I've made a mistake.

 

[SteveB]

3. I like the too mess with the head first because for me it normal has more of a subtle change then the active eq on your bass.

Ahh.. welcome back, Dij!

(emphasis mine)

 

[bovinehost]

I have also found that we do not seem to be welcome here and may be ridiculed and/or ignored. I can understand that and will refrain from further posts.....I aint out to rain on yer parade and it ain't the first time I've made a mistake.

Are you using the royal "we"? Paul, there has been only one instance in the last two years in which someone wasn't actually welcome here, and that had nothing to do with any dissatisfaction with Ernie Ball instruments.

I hope you haven't been ridiculed and I know you haven't been ignored. I'll go back and review this thread to be certain, but I think people have been trying to understand what it is you're doing and what it is you want from your bass.

I would certainly NOT encourage you to refrain from further posts, but will respect whatever decision you make.....but I run things on a day-to-day basis, have a pretty good idea of what the boss wants, and I this is supposed to be as inclusive as we can make it.

Let me know if I can be of any help to you.

Jack