Pick-Ups

[SWR_n_EB]

hey, i love my MM, no problems, it sound great, best investment for bass yet. i recently haven't been satisfied with my tone as i used to. i changed strings, and the battery, with no results. Its a Sterling, and i got it cuz i lovesd hte neck, cuz i've always been a fan of jazz neck. i would really hate to trade it for a Sting Ray, cuz i really desire more of a beefy tone, im thinking of a similar tone as a Fender Deluxe, with the P and J pick ups. my buddy jsut got a cuple of bass line pick ups put into his Fender Percision. He added a j and upgraded the P.

what might u suggest to fix the problem. my favorite thing about bass is tone, warm, beefy, deep. i was thinking of replacign the pick-ups , or it might be my amp. maybe suggest levels. i have a workingman's 15, and i tohught maybe my lack of mid and punch is due to the 15 inch speaker, that's like 4 years old. perhaps is there and upgrade for the speaker?

all help is apprecaited. thnx

 

[Aussie Mark]

my favorite thing about bass is tone, warm, beefy, deep

Have you tried flat wound strings, in a heavier gauge?

 

[SWR_n_EB]

i bumped up the guage from what is was normally, and noticed very littel dif. ive never liekd the sound of the flat wounds. not enuff punch. how much roughly would it cost to get a pick-up swap>? like labor plsu the pick up? i think that might be the way to go. i mean, after all, i also am not so fond of the G strign twang, that everyone says is gone with new pick ups. what about the EQ any suggested settings. i spent 2 much time in my day figiuring out a good slap tone and style, that i forgot the fundamentals. i need to realize what bass is all about. im getting more into writing funk, and tight parts, wiht purpose. catch without taking over. and this is when i relized sumthing wa lacking.

 

[jeffsixx]

well instrument cables can make a difference not a huge, if your using a cheap 3 dollar cable you might want to check into the more expensive one's. you might also want to check out the "Bass Exciter" pedal ive tried it at guitar center it definatly adds bottom and warmth.

 

[Psychicpet]

hmmm...... you've tried monkeying around with the coil tap switch right? the only other thing I'd suggest(other than trying a couple of different amps) is to possibly consider dropping an Aguilar 3 band eq in it. A luthier friend of mine just made a 5 string with an Aero MM style p/u and an Aguilar 3band and he said it sounded HUGE

 

[SWR_n_EB]

im using a planet waves chord.. aer u talking about the 3 way switch? i cant notice a variety in note to be honest.......its so minor, it seems to get lost.

i palyed on a Roland amp i have at my school, and its a 12" speaker, it sounded sick, IMO, which doesn't make me happy, cuz new amps= $$$$. the other alternative is to run a cuple 12's along side. i was thiking either a 2x12, 4x12 just upgrading the whole set, with a 4x10 and a nice head. but being a student, job less, i was hoping the pick-up's might fix the problems...


thnx for hte input, please, keep it coming!!!

EDIT o, btw, do u know of any online sights or places in the bay area that sell SWR or Ampeg stuff for really good rates. SOmeone told us about thier"little secret" and it was a sight that had amazing prices! i remeber u gave em ur e-mail and they sent u a quote...cool stuff if u can rember that site.

 

[bovinehost]

I've had a few Sterlings and never found them lacking in fundamentally good bass tone. And I don't buy into that business of one cable making a big diff - it either works or it don't, and unless it's 40 feet long, well....but that's just me.

I would first look at your amplification and cabinet setup, if it were up to me to make the diagnosis. I don't know shinola about the Workingman stuff, so can't tell you what's what or if that could be it, but my INSTINCT is...that could be it.

More power gives you more punch, more headroom. Ten inch speakers will tighten up your low/high mids, which is, no matter what anyone else says, where we bassists make our mark. Mids define thump, and I am seriously all about the old school thump.

First, I would also suggest changing strings. Flats with definition? Thomastik Infeld Jazz Flats. If those are too low tension, try LaBella Deep Talking Flats. Strings are one thing that can seriously change the way your bass sounds without surgery, without the BIG investment in heads or cabs.

But after that, it may be time to move up to something more deadly as far as your amp/cab go.

Or I could be full of doo-doo, but that's what I think.

 

[Disquieter]

I've had a few Sterlings and never found them lacking in fundamentally good bass tone. And I don't buy into that business of one cable making a big diff - it either works or it don't, and unless it's 40 feet long, well....but that's just me.

mr bovine,
you, sir, are a contraversial gentleman..

i believe in some sense, that cable does make a difference..

i'll explain later, right now, my pesto tortellini is getting cold.


joel D.

 

[spectorbassguy]

mr bovine,
you, sir, are a contraversial gentleman..

i believe in some sense, that cable does make a difference..

i'll explain later, right now, my pesto tortellini is getting cold.


joel D.

I must say I agree. I can def hear the difference between your average $8 cable and a good quality Planet Waves or Monster Cable. Personally I prefer the Planet Waves cables since I've had numerous Monsters go bad. Haven't tried any of the real high end jobs - maybe I should?

 

[bovinehost]

Uh oh, next we're going to talk about the sonic difference between batteries, aren't we?

In blind tests, qualified participants (who thought they could tell the difference between "super" cables and regular cables) were correct no more than 50% of the time. What does that tell you about the odds? And what does that tell you about AUDIBLE sonic differences between cables?

In any case, I don't think our young man's tone quest could be traced to a cable. IF you believe in the audible difference between cables, you at least will admit that the difference is small, right?

 

[jeffsixx]

well when i posted about trying a better cable i was in such a hurry that i didnt type everything out. cables can make a difference but not a huge difference. as far as flat wounds maybe he should try the roto sound steve harris sig. set of bright flats.

 

[dlloyd]

IF you believe in the audible difference between cables, you at least will admit that the difference is small, right?

The difference between regular cables and top notch cables is very slight. But it is there.

You get a slightly lower output, compressed signal with a slight loss of treble through a regular cable.

Big deal...

I have volume controls all over the place. I want my signal to be compressed (I'm looking at getting a EH Blackfinger compressor). I use a bass that has EQ, through a cable to a preamp that has EQ to an amp that has EQ... I can deal with the treble loss.

When it comes to recording, the lower output might be of concern to some in getting the highest S/N ratio, but I couldn't give a hoot.

Crappy cables are a different matter...

 

[spectorbassguy]

Uh oh, next we're going to talk about the sonic difference between batteries, aren't we?

In blind tests, qualified participants (who thought they could tell the difference between "super" cables and regular cables) were correct no more than 50% of the time. What does that tell you about the odds? And what does that tell you about AUDIBLE sonic differences between cables?

In any case, I don't think our young man's tone quest could be traced to a cable. IF you believe in the audible difference between cables, you at least will admit that the difference is small, right?

I do agree that the problem is not in the bass or the cable, but probably in the amp or strings he's using. I don't know much about SWR though. I would also try several different types of strings - tone can vary quite a bit from brand to brand.

My electric guitar player on our worship team and I did the blind test and both of us could easily tell a remarkable difference. That was, however, with no one else playing in a quiet atmosphere. My Korg DTR-2 tuner gives me a clue too. With ordinary cables the signal does not stay solid and the needle wavers a lot. Monster or Planet Waves cables hit the note and it is rock solid. Maybe we're just overly picky but we're def sticking with the Planet Waves cables.

BTW Jack, have you TRIED the new Energizer XL Bunnyface 2005 9 volt battery? It really hops!

 

[SWR_n_EB]

im so glad its not my pick-ups. i was willing to fix it. i notice a sligh difference with a good chord, but only when recording, cuz i get a more clear signal. my thoery on chords is that ill spend 30 bucks once, and its good for life. 30 bucsk is chicken feet in the bass world. im a fan of hte feel of round wounds. correct me if im wrong, but the flat wounds ar ethe ones that have no notches? if so, im nto such a fan of those. i like the advice that bovine has, ultimatly, i'd like to get a 4x10 or 4x12 with a nice head, however, i dont need that much power. i think a simple little 2x10, possibly a Goliatch Jr would do the trick, and then i could add it to my 4x12 later on, and be very happy.

i hear talk about eq's and they do help, but there only so much i can do. im not talkign about a horrible tone, lots of ppl love my sound, but im just not 100% satisfied.. i know it sounds lame, but i really would like ot have that killer tone, and im close! jsut not there.....

thank you so much, keep hte advice coming.

 

[spectorbassguy]

30 bucsk is chicken feet in the bass world.

Heck I'll get you chicken feet for 20 bucsk! In fact I'll get you the whole darn chicken!

 

[midopa]

Plus a drink and a side?

 

[bovinehost]

I was locked into rounds for...well, decades. Who played flats in the late 70s, early 80s, into the 90s? No one I knew.

But there was a tone I was looking for, and I sort of nailed it when my late 90s era-Slinkys went dead. What could that mean?

What it mean to me, eventually, was that flatwounds were at least partly the answer to my tone quest. This may not be true for you at all, I realize this, but it was for me, so I have to mention it. Think "Another One Bites the Dust" and THAT is almost exactly the tone I wanted from my Stingray, and guess what? That tone comes from flatwound strings (and technique, of course).

What you said about power ("I don't need that much") will never be true, no matter what you've heard or read. The TRUTH about bass tone is that you can never have too much. It isn't about being loud, it's about headroom and the ability to punch it up just a bit without distressing your amp or your speakers. I ran a 1200 watt head the other night and we were just barely above regular jukebox levels.

I mean, my cabinets and stuff scared the bandleader at first, but it's not about volume! It's about tone, and by God if a boatload of power, CLEAN power, doesn't do the trick!

I realize that your tone is CLOSE. Mine had been like that for a long time, and I was ALMOST happy. For me, the switch to flatwound strings, the 1200 watt head and a couple of Ampeg cabs....and all my questions about tone were answered.

Your mileage may well vary, because tone is extremely subjective.

 

[Aussie Mark]

Amen, brother Bovine

 

[dlloyd]

What it mean to me, eventually, was that flatwounds were at least partly the answer to my tone quest. This may not be true for you at all, I realize this, but it was for me, so I have to mention it. Think "Another One Bites the Dust" and THAT is almost exactly the tone I wanted from my Stingray, and guess what? That tone comes from flatwound strings (and technique, of course).

I might give flats a try... is there anything that compares with my power slinkies for tension (I'm suspecting that the jump to TI's would be too much!)

 

[Aussie Mark]

I might give flats a try... is there anything that compares with my power slinkies for tension (I'm suspecting that the jump to TI's would be too much!)

The TI's are probably the lowest tension flats on the market. I haven't used every flat brand, but in my experience I'd rate tension from low to high as -

Thomastik Infeld
Dean Markley
D'Addario Chromes
Rotosound

Of the above brands, for general rock I prefer the Chromes. I tried the heavy gauge Rotosound Steve Harris set, but they were far too stiff to get a decent sound.