Bass: balance between chord clarity and "big" single notes

[kbit]

This has been on my mind lately. Usually I'll eq a sound thats nice and burly on single notes, but then if i hit a two note minor third interval it sounds like mud. Try to rectify this issue and single notes sound too thin.

I play short scale basses tuned to D standard. Im selling off my amp at the moment so that doesnt really matter.

Curious to hear some input from yall:

-I've used 15" speakers exclusively and the only cab that was kinda ok on both was my old 2x15 Peavey (Was using a music man 150 at the time). Would 10" speakers be a better option?

-Any amps/eq styles I should look into? Ive thought about eventually going for a preamp/power amp set up so I guess I could have two pres on a a/b switcher.

-Stop tunning down to D? (But I dont wanna do that, D rules )

-Would using a compressor help?


Any other comments?

[neonblack]

Do you have multiple pickups? I had that problem on my single-pickup bass, but less so when I have multiple pickups

[Chankgeez]

Sound Saw?

[neonblack]

Sound Saw?

Oh yeah, this. And an accountant. One to get your signal in order, the other to blow it to smithereens.

[kbit]

Middle position pickups only. Mustang/P bass style. The way I tend to like em.

I guess im hoping to have one base tone that could be decent at doing both rather than pedals. But I'd use pedals if need be. Because we all love pedals

neon do you have your acountant yet? if you do whats it like?

[Chankgeez]

Pedals are always the answer?!?!?!

[neonblack]

Middle position pickups only. Mustang/P bass style. The way I tend to like em.

I guess im hoping to have one base tone that could be decent at doing both rather than pedals. But I'd use pedals if need be. Because we all love pedals

neon do you have your acountant yet? if you do whats it like?

I won't get mine till Friday but I borrowed Chank's for a little bit. I loved it on bass. It made me love my tone again. It adds punch and the perfect amount of brightness to the signal, and gives my dirt just a little nudge. It also evens out the volume from when my tone is up and when its rolled off.

I think there's one on TGP for $125 right now. Not that much off the retail price, but every penny counts.

[Achtane]

Are you down-tuning a standard set? You might wanna get a fatter set that has more tension at that tuning.
Play closer to the bridge when hitting multiple strings?
Use a pick?

[kbit]

Yeah I got a heavier set, and I use a pick almost all the time, but I should probably play towards the bridge more often.

[PeteeBee]

I had the same problem on regular guitar on the lowest two strings. Getting a bigger amp helped the minor 3rd sound both notes strong. Used to drive me crazy because I love that sound.

[oscillofuzz]

Consider 12"s. I play a bass vi mostly and do both chordy stuff on higher notes/strings and fat bass (usually supplemented by an octaver and/or dirt), all with the bridge humbucker on full blast. So far, only 12" speakers have given me the 'best of both worlds', so to speak. Whenever I am in a situation that I play other people's gear I find that 15"s make me too undefined on the highs (but massive as thick fudge in the lows) and 4x/6x10"s lose the subs when the octaver is on (and I find they're somewhat more 'directional', and therefore need to be louder to hear yourself on stage). Both yield an imbalance in overall sound that isn't an issue at all when I play through my delightful 4x12 cab. Now, there might be 2x15"s out there that do have the high end response I want, and maybe an 8x10 could deliver the sound of octaver-subs I require, but I haven't run into those yet. Given the choice I really prefer my 4x12 over other people's ?x?" cabs, as does the rest of my band.

[Achtane]

You could pretty easily add a series/parallel switch. It will probably make the pickups sound thinner and have less output, but should help. You could just switch back for big single note stuff.

[BoatRich]

Consider 12"s. I play a bass vi mostly and do both chordy stuff on higher notes/string and fat bass (usually supplemented by an octaver and/or dirt), all with the bridge humbucker on full blast. So far, only 12" speakers have given me the 'best of both worlds', so to speak. Whenever I am in a situation that I play other people's gear I find that 15"s make me too undefined on the highs (but massive as thick fudge in the lows) and 4x/6x10"s lose the subs when the octaver is on (and I find they're somewhat more 'directional', and therefore louder to hear yourself on stage). Both yield an imbalance in overall sound that isn't an issue at all when I play through my delightful 4x12 cab. Now, there might be 2x15"s out there that do have the high end response I want, and maybe an 8x10 could deliver the sound of octaver-subs I require, but I haven't run into those yet. Given the choice I really prefer my 4x12 over other people's ?x?" cabs, as does the rest of my band.

I use a 412 and 810 with a V4 on bass vi and bass and I was going to say the same thing. Also favor low mids over lows to clear up a lot of fundamental mud when chording on bass and play near the bridge as everyone else said.

[Grrface]

Consider 12"s. I play a bass vi mostly and do both chordy stuff on higher notes/string and fat bass (usually supplemented by an octaver and/or dirt), all with the bridge humbucker on full blast. So far, only 12" speakers have given me the 'best of both worlds', so to speak. Whenever I am in a situation that I play other people's gear I find that 15"s make me too undefined on the highs (but massive as thick fudge in the lows) and 4x/6x10"s lose the subs when the octaver is on (and I find they're somewhat more 'directional', and therefore louder to hear yourself on stage). Both yield an imbalance in overall sound that isn't an issue at all when I play through my delightful 4x12 cab. Now, there might be 2x15"s out there that do have the high end response I want, and maybe an 8x10 could deliver the sound of octaver-subs I require, but I haven't run into those yet. Given the choice I really prefer my 4x12 over other people's ?x?" cabs, as does the rest of my band.

I use a 412 and 810 with a V4 on bass vi and bass and I was going to say the same thing. Also favor low mids over lows to clear up a lot of fundamental mud when chording on bass and play near the bridge as everyone else said.

^^ Basically all this.

[kbit]

Now just to clarify, when yall say low mids do you mean around like, 250hz?