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Something amazing happened tonight. So, we're at the venue, a bar & grill that loves us and the music we play. We've got our stuff set up, and I'm eating my dinner, and then this bearded shitheal in a Cobra Kai jacket pops into my view. He looks at the guitarist and I, and shouts, "LOOK AT THESE REDNECKS!!!!!!!!!1" He was... well I'm not going to say his name, but it starts with a K, so I'll refer to him by a special pseudonym that has no weird connotations. Special K is a guy I haven't set eyes on for far too long, but we talk online sometimes. He was the drummer in the first real band I was ever in, back in high school. In 1999, he, the guitarist in my current band, my brother, and I formed a band in which we had our first cover band success. We were in our early 20s at the time. When that band eventually crashed and burned, we all went our separate ways, and life happened. Eventually, he moved to the most rural county in Illinois--and that's loving saying something--and he's been making a resourceful living there for over a decade. He's a great drummer. And man, if I could put his talent into my current drummer, I'd be pickled tink. But also, he's just a great guy. Seriously. He came out to St. Somethingorothers in Missouri to watch a couple of his old bandmates play a bar gig. He's in two bands right now--he drums in one, and he sings in the other. I even got to meet his don't-call-her-a-wife, finally. Needless to say, we did a lot of catching up between sets. What's really funny is that if I hadn't bought a new 5-string and if I wasn't having the frets on my old 4-string leveled right now, I'd have brought both of those basses to the gig, and they were the same basses I was playing when we were all in a band together from 1999 - 2002 or so. The guitarist in our band is playing an EMG Kirk Hammet Signature guitar, which was what he was playing back then. Crazy.
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Mar 24, 2024 09:22
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Well she's strung up with trimmer line that is stretching out, and I need to Install the piezo But it works, and will be sufficient enough to perform at open mic poetry nights So loving sick people 
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Mar 25, 2024 08:14
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Mount the skateboard trucks on it and ride it to your gig
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Mar 25, 2024 13:53
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Thumposaurus posted:Mount the skateboard trucks on it and ride it to your gig Do this or never show your face here again
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Mar 25, 2024 17:09
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Is it possible to have too much compression? I notice that the further I turn my compression knob the better it seems to sound, I at some point realized that was actually what my ear wanted and not more gain I think
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Mar 28, 2024 03:56
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Technically yes but you're probably not getting close to it, so play what sounds good to you The example I'm thinking of is the Mick Gordon Doom compressor that takes everything from -200 to 0 dB and makes it 0 dB for the noisiest signal possible.
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Mar 28, 2024 12:51
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I like to preserve some dynamism when I play so I'm always half way on my comp pedal. But I've played gigs without it and it always take so much longer to find your sweet spot.
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Mar 28, 2024 14:06
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Wowporn posted:Is it possible to have too much compression? I notice that the further I turn my compression knob the better it seems to sound, I at some point realized that was actually what my ear wanted and not more gain I think Compression can do a lot to mask technique too. Not calling you out or anything, the entire purpose of it is to make things sound more consistent and "flat", which especially for fingerstyle can make up for any little technique flaws and make things sound "better". It's killer for slapping too for obvious reasons. That said, the more you push towards that "studio" sharp sound, the less raw and organic it will sound, which may or may not work with the music you're playing. Shageletic posted:I like to preserve some dynamism when I play so I'm always half way on my comp pedal. I think this is the key. If you're using compression in a way that means you have 1 volume level it's probably too much outside of a narrow set of genres (though it'll likely make the soundperson very happy)
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Mar 28, 2024 17:46
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Also, it depends on if you're using multi-band compression. You can really lean into a multi-band compressor and end up with a wonderfully full and musical sound that lacks only a wide dynamic range at max compression/minimum threshold. Conversely, a single-band compressor (the most common pedals), when set to the max, will result in a tone that sounds squashed and a little weird, almost to the point of this crazy "clean overdrive" that flattens the dynamics in a less musical way. It's for this reason that I've been thinking of going back to my SpectraComp. I love the MXR, but it's not easy to dial in, and now that I've got an active bass in the lineup again, I can't quite get it just right. The SpectraComp, being multi-band, might work better.
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Mar 28, 2024 21:29
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I got one of them Cali76s for my bass playing. It rules.
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Mar 28, 2024 22:01
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The compressor I'm using is one of those cheap brown compressor/eq pedals from Caline so the comp is just one knob that I have at like 70% and then I am doing a little bit more compression with a plugin in my daw to make it mix easily. If I start hearing hiss I usually turn it down, and that only happens when I turn my Rat on in which case I don't need a lot of comp anymore I am also 100% good admitting it helps hide my technique I am not a bass player and I'm using a pick, my highest priority is making sure it cuts through the mix once everything is recorded
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Mar 29, 2024 23:06
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I cheat a bit with an Empress Bass II into the effects loop of a DSM Bass Simplifier which lets me choose how to filter the compression range. This helps with active pickup basses , I don't have to change my compressor settings like crazy, I can just back off the volume on the DI and can swap with passive basses and just deal with the DI and have usable always-on compression. I don't think I could do this with an in-line compression pedal arrangement. I avoid the squashy stuff, it's fun for slap but that's the only use for hard compression.
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Mar 30, 2024 10:10
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tarlibone posted:Also, it depends on if you're using multi-band compression. You can really lean into a multi-band compressor and end up with a wonderfully full and musical sound that lacks only a wide dynamic range at max compression/minimum threshold. That's the one I use! It's always on and at noon for any gig I play. Still manages to work for my classic rock gigs where we go soft then super aggressive depending on how we want to amp the crowd. Good stuff. Just plug it in and forget about it.
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Mar 30, 2024 13:07
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I ordered a used Fender Rumble 500 from Guitar Center for what I thought was a great price. 24 hours later they contacted me to say oh yeah, it's nonfunctional, do you still want it?  Back to amp shopping. Debating whether to pony up an extra $100 on the next cheapest 500, but it feels like overbuying (I'm only practicing at home right now, maybe in 6-12 months I'll be looking to play with others). Before that came up I was looking at the Rumble 200, GK MB 115, or Hartke KB12/KB15, all used of course.
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Apr 5, 2024 20:13
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I have a Rumble 100, and it's plenty for practice, jamming, and even band practice with a drummer. I've used it for several gigs at small-ish bars. A Rumble 200 will be fine. The 500 is also great, but it's a lot of amp if you're not out playing quite a bit. Sure, when you get to that stage, you won't have to upgrade your amp, but the 500 is not the bare minimum for gigging, not by a long shot.
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Apr 5, 2024 20:24
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Discussion Quorum posted:GK MB 115, or Hartke KB12/KB15, all used of course. I'm an old fan of the GK sound. Just what I think of for "my" tone. But a 1x12 in a kickback would be a great home/garage practice amp that could be used as a monitor.
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Apr 5, 2024 20:53
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Thanks. I think I have settled on the Rumble 200. As much as I like the form factor of the Kickback, nothing else in the price/size class seems to match the features of the rumble while still being held in high regard.
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Apr 6, 2024 00:37
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I just went and got my Precision Bass Special back from the music shop, where the in-house tech guru diagnosed a problem with a high fret or two that has plagued me for decades: set the action to Fender spec, and the strings rattle in several positions. Set it a little higher than spec, and it's mostly free of those sounds, but now the action is high. Not insanely, unplayable high--especially for a heavy-fingered player like myself--but still high. Basically, using the standard tricks for setting neck relief and action (using the string as a straightedge), I was never going to get it right because the frets were wrong. Also, after 20+ years of regular use, I'd worn the frets visibly in the lower positions. I just got it back. Frets are leveled, crowned, and polished. I think he raised the action at the nut a bit (by adding material to the slots), and then dropped the action to the floor, even grinding some of the saddles down to get the action as low as it needed to be. I was skeptical because I'm so used to playing this thing with higher action; I figured I'd just raise it a 64th or two. Nope. This thing plays like greased butter sliding over a hot pan made of ice.
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Apr 6, 2024 21:49
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hell yeah
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Apr 6, 2024 23:22
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P bass is the way
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Apr 7, 2024 00:06
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Man my only concern with that fix is the slots could wear down over time faster than a nut would on its own but I ain't no luthier. I'm more familiar with shimming to get the job done but I would love to learn more about something that is durable that you can just add to the slots.Shageletic posted:P bass is the way 
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Apr 8, 2024 07:54
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Thoughts on halfwounds? I have a PJ
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Apr 14, 2024 22:34
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Captain Splendid posted:Thoughts on halfwounds? I've never tried them, but I like the idea. I put flats on my Fancy Pants Precision Bass (my American Pro Precision Bass), and I love the sound, but it means that if I'm playing a gig, I have to account for the flatwound sound. For a lot of songs, it's not an issue at all; at most, it's a stylistic choice. But if I'm doing "Song 2" or something that requires some snarly, sizzly fuzz, or just a lot of treble in general, I'll have to use my roundwound-equipped 5-string. My normal complement of basses at a gig is either a 5-string in standard tuning plus a 4-string in B♭ concert, or those two plus a 4-string in standard tuning for songs we play in standard that I just prefer to play on a 4-string.
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Apr 15, 2024 01:02
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Captain Splendid posted:Thoughts on halfwounds? I've tried them but found them to be the worst of both worlds. Dead sounding (in a bad way) and uncomfortable to play.
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Apr 15, 2024 07:35
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Captain Splendid posted:Thoughts on halfwounds? I used to use GHS groundwounds on my hot/bright Tribute SB-2, not a bad way to tame it while keeping some sparkle but in the end I found that trying out GHS precision flatwounds was a better deal and I had them on it for several years before recently going back to DR sunbeams. If you have a good PJ its basically the same choice between a bright sound with roundwounds or a warm sound with flatwounds, very few axes are going to really gell with the halfway-house strings but there must be some or they wouldn't be making them. In terms of feel I found them slightly easier than rounds on the fingers but like a lot of those nickel strings, you get a lot of black on your fingers from the new strings (at least with GHS strings).
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Apr 15, 2024 11:53
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YO. I am working on a bass pedalboard. I have a mothership of a guitar pedalboard but so far my bass pedalboard is a bit bare. THAT'S COOL but while I'm riding this GAS, I figured I'd ask for ideas. CURRENT BOARD: - Morley Power Fuzz Wah Yes I am a Metallica tragic. However the Fuzz on this Wah pedal is surprisingly tasteful. The fuzz on this pedal is my "Rock" distortion and when combined with my metal distortion pedal, it's my over-the-top fuzz sound. - VT Bass This is my "metal" distorted sound. Gets surprisingly aggressive with the character turned up and it has plenty of drive to make things gnarly, clanky and fun. - Ampeg Opto Comp Very straightforward nice sounding compressor. It's always on. - Moog Flanger How else am I gonna play 46&2 without a flanger? I am a very unique individual and not a cliche in the slightest So with these 4 pedals I've got Clean bass (just with the comp), Rock bass (Fuzz from the Fuzz Wah), Metal Bass (VT Bass), Stupid Fuzz (Fuzz + VT Bass) and Modulation (Flanger) and all of them play nice together. Any other cool poo poo or ideas I should add to my pedalboard?
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Apr 19, 2024 01:24
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Octave. Envelope follower. Synth.
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Apr 19, 2024 01:45
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I'm currently running a comp, chorus, vt bass and occasionally a phaser or delay if the mood strikes - but borrowed a mate's Big Bass Muff Pi the other week for a bit, and found it played real nice with the VT Bass, which I usually have set to either a smooth either clean-ish or slightly growly/grindy sound. I have a bunch of guitar fuzz pedals, but I found they all eat too much low end fundamental - the dry blend on the big muff really makes a difference. Otherwise Dang It Bhabhi! posted:Octave. Envelope follower. Synth.
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Apr 19, 2024 02:05
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Dang It Bhabhi! posted:Octave. Envelope follower. Synth. Envelope filter is on the list... I kinda hate synth pedals so I'll pass on that front, but cheers for the recommendation  I keep hearing about Octave pedals on bass, but...I don't get why? Can somebody provide a kickass example of when somebody's used Octave on a Bass guitar to make something awesome? (Also, I'm gonna grab a Digitech Ricochet Whammy at some point)
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Apr 19, 2024 02:38
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H13 posted:Envelope filter is on the list... I come back to this video every year or so. The fill is pretty cool and the reverb/drive/octave combo is a great sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63XX0cgQLvs
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Apr 19, 2024 03:40
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I've been considering grabbing a Joyo Voodoo Octave Fuzz to mess around with - if anyone has any experience with those I'd be keen to hear about it. At $65 AUD it's pretty enticing.
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Apr 19, 2024 03:53
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Don Dongington posted:I've been considering grabbing a Joyo Voodoo Octave Fuzz to mess around with - if anyone has any experience with those I'd be keen to hear about it. At $65 AUD it's pretty enticing. It's an Octavia, right? They're sick. It's a pseudo octave up so it's narsty. It definitely is on my guitar.
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Apr 19, 2024 06:38
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H13 posted:I keep hearing about Octave pedals on bass, but...I don't get why? Can somebody provide a kickass example of when somebody's used Octave on a Bass guitar to make something awesome? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpjgLa1Ph-E
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Apr 19, 2024 14:44
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Octave bass was a tool to fight back against synth bass. The key is you're using it in midrange or higher. You're not playing much below C because that's just not going to carry through the amp or mix. Speaking of effects, can someone decipher what overdrive or mix of things this guy is using? That dingwall sounds disgusting, especially at the chorus drop at 0:40 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgyYJu1in7c Bottom Liner fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Apr 19, 2024 |
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Apr 19, 2024 16:59
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Bottom Liner posted:Octave bass was a tool to fight back against synth bass. The key is you're using it in midrange or higher. You're not playing much below C because that's just not going to carry through the amp or mix. LOL @ the entire comments section completely ignoring the music and talking about their hair and clothes like they're an idol band
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Apr 19, 2024 20:13
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Modal Auxiliary posted:like they're an idol band That''s cause they are  . They're from one of the biggest kpop companies.
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Apr 19, 2024 20:17
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Bottom Liner posted:That''s cause they are Well that definitely tracks, then.
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Apr 19, 2024 20:18
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I use the Pitch Fork to add an octave up, and sometimes an octave down plus three octaves up. This pedal is basically EH's take on DigiTech's venerable Whammy Pedal, except without the expression pedal. But... you can use an expression pedal with it if you want. And, the switch can be like a regular switch in Latch mode, but turn that off, and it's a momentary switch, with a preset portmanteau that is perfect. And you can change that portmanteau if you want. Being a clone of that pedal, though, means that it does sound fake. You can get a decent 8-string sound by using it in single octave up mode with the blend set to about 50% or so, especially if you add just a touch of chorus. Beyond that, you're getting sounds that are fake enough to act synth-y, which is what I like to use it for. In dual mode set to down one octave and up three octaves, with the blend set to about 80% wet signal, I pair it with compression and fuzz for when we do "Gold on the Ceiling." It sounds loving great. Speaking of songs... the guitarist in the band has decided to do some refreshing of our setlist. We're going to lean extra hard into the 90s stuff, seeing as how we're all in our late 40s and a ton of local venues love 90's bands. I have been hinting at wanting to learn "Time Bomb", so the guitarist relented and said, "Let's learn 'Ruby Soho!'", because anyone who's heard the former song (which still gets regular airplay) must certainly know the latter (which hasn't been played on the radio since 1943, several decades before it was released). So... well, I learned it, and it's surprisingly challenging for a punk song, especially when you've never heard it before. Then he said that we might as well learn both, since they're so short. I got my wish! And hoo boy, is that song not as easy to play as I thought. It's one of the few songs where I actually know some of the lyrics and none of the bass line, and... yeah, be careful what you blah blah blah. I did learn both though. And I'm playing them with my fingers. If you have anything to say about that, I'll play it on my flatwound-strung Precision.
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Apr 20, 2024 02:58
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Now do Maxwell Murder. edit: just remembered many many years ago in high school when I showed the song to a guitar teacher with naive hope of learning the solo. First he said that it had to be played with fingers because no one could flat pick that fast. When I said ok, I'll learn to play it that way, he said it wasn't physically possible and that the track was sped up. And so I thought and said that to other people for years. Listening to it now, it's definitely fast, but absolutely doable. Matt Freeman only played with a pick too so that guy owes me an apology if he's still alive. I could have been so cool. BrianRx fucked around with this message at 09:10 on Apr 20, 2024 |
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Apr 20, 2024 09:01
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Dang It Bhabhi! posted:Octave. Envelope follower. Synth. The minimum. Although I haven't been able to choose the synth yet. I have a Bubbletron and a Neutrino, they are fun pedals to have in a line with a chorus and a fuzz. I use a TC Electronics Nether for octave, going old school, it works for most of my basses, although the Spector is a bit odd with it, active pickups might not gell with an analog octave, so I might pick up a digital octave and see if it likes it better. It's useful to try both, analog octave doesn't track as well but just sounds better with a midrangey bass like a Precision, and it doesn't tend to like the lower notes. As for why? Sledgehammer, you know the song?
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Apr 20, 2024 09:31
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