punk bass tone?

**Rider** · 08-08-2005 06:57 PM

my bassist has an ampeg B2-R head and a 1X15 classic cab. he is wanting to get a good solid punk bass sound out of it. somewhat on the mid range side of things with clarity to make hot bass licks shine through.

the EQ bands are (+/- 12dB): 40, 80, 150, 300, 600, 900, 2k, 5k, 8k

and hes running a fender P bass 4 string through it (passive).

also wondering what a good head would be to run a gibson SG through that would serve for light punk crunch, solid emo type (like finch), and that can be scooped and tweaked for metal. im planning on running 1 or 2 boss pedals through it (pre and post) to help shape the tone coming out of the cab. something that would complement the p90s and capture their 'sweet spot' and the hard edge of the SG, but is pretty felxible. a boogie would be good for metal, but im thinking if i go more along the lines of the more flexible marshall heads i might be better off. crate also has blue voodoo, how does it compare (if it isnt half bad it is pretty cheap. are there any marshall heads that can go from Finch to In Flames and such. only looking at around 100W tube amps, i would prefer a half stack but i would seriously consider a combo amp too. would like to use it for mostly live, but miking it with a 57 beta would be nice too.

**timtu** · 08-09-2005 02:44 AM

hi,
This is the general tone I like to get on bass:
(40)boost (80) boost (150) tweak (300) boost (600) boost (900) boost(2k) cut (5k) cut (8k) cut
Please excuse the crude modelling but I could not make anything better. You obviously know the importance of the mid range but get some low range in there two. avoid 150 and 250 because they are the 'muddy' frequencies that make bass sound crap. High frequencies I generally prefer not to have however that is preference. It sometimes picks up plectrum sounds and fret noise aswell as your fret movements. If you play slap bass a little extra low end may be required if you play finger bass a little less low end.
Thats jsut my opinion and if you don't agree, you're wrong.

tillman.

**Rider** · 08-09-2005 06:09 PM

punk is usually picked, which is a cross between slap and finger low end wise. even on metal, i usually try and fit the bass in 100-200 range best i can so the kick can slam through below it.

as for 150-250 being muddy, 150 isnt muddy at all (at least coming live out of the speaker), its a very soft mellow frequency.

ill bring those settings over to my friend (going there now) and see how they sound. i mean cutting the 150 area a little (which falls into tweak?) might help clean up the mids some. and ill probably have 2k and 5k just slight cut if any.

but as for your suggestion, it sounds like it could work, im definitely going to try it and hopefully its the tone im looking for. i will say personally it looks like a nice set, if not for punk then definitely for something.

and yes, nofx does kick ass :)

**McCheese** · 08-09-2005 07:15 PM

From your description of your style, I would steer clear of the Crate Blue Doodoo. It sounds like old Megadeth, and that's it. I'm wondering what you think is more flexible about a Marshall than a Mesa, I've always felt the opposite. A Mesa Dual Rec is a great amp with a solid clean channel.

As for Bass, most of the bass sound you hear on albums is either direct or through 10" speakers (or a combo of the 2). 15" cabs are usually used to fill out the bottom end for live performance, and don't provide the same punch as a 10".

The 'standard' rock/punk/metal setup is an Ampeg SVT-4 Pro into an 8x10" cab.

On Timtu's frequencies, I would say (for live performance) if you cut at 300 instead, it would clear up the mids a bit and make the boost at 600 more effective. Also try boosting at 2k, as this is where a lot of the attack in the bass comes from. Cut it for a mellower bass, but since you want it to cut through more, this is the place to do it.

When you EQ, start with small adjustments, and make sure you're listening from a decent distance from the amp (10' at least). Trying to EQ a bass amp standing right in front of it is pointless.

**Rider** · 08-10-2005 08:24 PM

my friend chewed me out about not being specific enough (sorry, im not a bassist, and im not that into punk yet), but his tone is screamo.

and hes planning on getting a 4X10 cab, but for now he just needs to figure out a good tone for his 1X15.

i try to insist that the tone he hears on CDs is different but he insists on 'i want that kind of tone'. i guess with imagination you can tell how you want your bass to sound live.

so anyone know the usual setup for screamo? i dont know anything about punk bass tone.

**McCheese** · 08-10-2005 09:28 PM

Tell him to quit whining and spend some time fiddling with the knobs.

For recording just go direct.

**Rider** · 08-11-2005 08:22 PM

he fiddles with them a lot.

**McCheese** · 08-12-2005 09:27 AM

If he fiddles with them a lot, and isn't getting the tone, then it's out of the capabilities of the amp. The biggest problem is probably that he's using a 15". When he gets the 4x10 it'll be very different. That and the B2R is more or less a piece of crap that happens to say Ampeg on the front.

Like I said, the tone you're hearing on most albums is direct.

**Rider** · 08-13-2005 09:15 AM

i know, he knows its direct, and i could help him get the tone he wants its just -I- dont know the tone he wants, because i dont know bass tones and i dont know punk.

so anyone have any EQ stats for screamo?

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