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Quiet Upper Strings....

B

BradBassMan

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Messages
74
Location
London
Well, i was in the studio last friday and noticed my D and G strings were really not cutting through the mix due to them being strangely quiet...i dont mind this alot but when it came to fiddly solo bits it really wasnt loud enough, im going to try and raise the pick up a bit on that side but could this be electronical...def wasnt the amp...gallien krueger rb700..... :confused:
 
I play a 1001RB-II, so maybe I can help.

For live use, and sometimes in the studio, there are a couple things I do for more pronounced top end.

Using the "Contour" knob can help. Turning it towards the flat position may help. On the "Contour" knob all the way to the left is flat. I dont turn it all the way, but usually have it at about 10 or 11 o'clock.

Another thing on the GK that helps is the high mid knob of the EQ. It tends to work great for making upper register notes speak more clearly.

If youre running a DI from the 700, Id try using it so that your EQ settings on the amp come through the DI line. I cant remember if thats pre or post EQ. Theres a pre/post EQ button very close to the DI.

A couple other things that will help the D and G through the GK will be; naturally, playing a little closer to the bridge. Also if you play with too heavy of a touch, you can choke out the notes, making them less present in the mix. So make sure esp. when recording that youre playing with an even touch.

All of which Ive just stated, is stuff Ive learned since playing GK. Ive put most of this stuff to work in the studio, even over the past couple weeks and have been very pleased with the results.

I hope it helps you.
 
Cheers, ill give it a go..what about guitar based...is there any reason this could occur on a SR4??
 
I don't have a SR4, but on my Sterling I raised the pickup on the G side because the G string sounded weak. It was never a problem when I had flats on it, but very noticable when I put rounds on. The point being here that some strings may need such a pickup adjustment and others not. It's easy enough to try raising it on yours and see if it works.
 
It is MUCH easier to adjust the amp, because you only have perfect pickup settings once, IMHO. The Post E/Q is out on my 2001RB, so I think its pretty generic across the brand. Try that, and if that fails, move your pickup, but little by little, because I threw my stingray way out of whack when I was younger doing that. Eh, actually, who cares, just go for it, you can always set it back :D
 
Yep im using rounds on it at the moment Father Gino, did try flats once but didnt give me the tone i was looking for...which is pain in the derrier.lol..ok well i shall try all these techniques and report back to you guys..thanks for the help!!
 
Take some careful measurments of the pickup height before you move it. Then you can always put it back the way it was.
 
Welcome to the "only thing wrong with MM basses" world. I've had two Stingrays- a '04 and an '96 and they both had quiet G-strings. In fact, every one I've ever tried in any store has had this funky weird issue. To me, it's just become a fact of life if you wanna play a Stingray or Sterling. My Bongo neck is pretty much dead zone free, however and very nice. In all, EB has excellent customer service and checked over my SR several times and eventually worked out a satisfactory swap. Still, I will continue my quest for a future SR with no dead G string, and hope to find it.
 
AAAh seee, i KNEW it wasnt just my bass. I have raised the pickup a tiny bit and it has worked but i havnt had to do this to any bass ever before. But as this is bar FAR the best bass i havt ever played i aint swapping it. ALthough Jon, wanna have a 92 SR4 for a lime green HH Bongo???hehehee
 
agplate said:
Welcome to the "only thing wrong with MM basses" world. I've had two Stingrays- a '04 and an '96 and they both had quiet G-strings. In fact, every one I've ever tried in any store has had this funky weird issue. To me, it's just become a fact of life if you wanna play a Stingray or Sterling. My Bongo neck is pretty much dead zone free, however and very nice. In all, EB has excellent customer service and checked over my SR several times and eventually worked out a satisfactory swap. Still, I will continue my quest for a future SR with no dead G string, and hope to find it.
Click to expand...


Im not doubting you at all, but I havent had this problem before.

Before I really started working on my tone, I had problems cutting through with any bass I played.

I dont think its realstic to say that every StingRay has a dead G. Ive had about 15 now and really havent had that problem.

This may be tied to that batch of basses that got out with the G's that are prone to slip off the fretboard. :p :D
 
I was getting worried...

because everybody seemed to have that problem. At least I know I'm not alone in being satisfied with my G string's output. This could be because I have gotten fairly proficient at using the sweepable semi-parametric EQ on my Eden. But I don't have any problem with my SVT or SWR, neither of which have a parametric EQ. So maybe I was just blessed when I got my Sterling. But that may not be it either, cause my jazz basses are well balanced, too. I hope I've cleared that up.
 
I had a '94 Stingray that I tried everything (thicker strings, raising the pup, etc) but...to no avail. I even sent it in to get repaired and came back the same. I ended up selling it way out of frustration. I sure miss that beautiful birdseye maple fretboard :( I feel better knowing it wasn't me but a quality of the Stingray itself (or at least with similar problems).

Now....my Sterling's D and G ring loud 'n proud and I have not tweaked the action or pup height at all. And me likes the neck better....so I guess not a total loss (I probably wouldn't have got both).
 
Anyone ever try flpping the bass over and playing left handed when you have that going on? Sometimes it could be in your fingers. IMHO.


tk
 
This is exactly the same issue that brought me to the forums many moons ago...

Pick-up adjustment was key - I needed to raise the height of the pick-up under the 'G' string to resolve.

Also, to echo Father Gino - the 'G' was weaker with rounds. Since I switched to flats the issue is less noticeable and requires only a modest adjustment of the pick-up height to balance the volume across all four strings. :)
 
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