A bass strings/dirt interaction question

[Jwar]

Never had an issue with fuzz, grind, dirt, edge, and bite with using flats. I ditched roundwounds years ago, but I went through many kinds over many years (DR Sunbeams were probably my favorite).

Thomastik flats are not bright, nor are they thumpy. Grindy/edgy/middy/bitey but without the useless high frequencies that disappear in a mix anyhow. At least, my kind of mix. Switching to those was like removing the tweeter on my basses!

I also use D'addario Chromes on a few other basses, those are bright for flats, but eventually get pretty thumpy if you play the shit out of them. That's when I change them. Because I don't play flats for thump, no sir, not me.

Flangers kinda suck with flats. Those high crispy overtones get lost. But everything else I use is awesome. Fuzz for days, delay, ring mod, phasers, more fuzz, distortion, etc.

I Love Flatfuzz

What kind of bass do you play? I've found this can make a HUGE difference. Like my MTD will die if I put flats on it. The tone just goes to shit. But my Squire Jazz sounds really good with chromes.

[nad]

What kind of bass do you play? I've found this can make a HUGE difference. Like my MTD will die if I put flats on it. The tone just goes to shit. But my Squire Jazz sounds really good with chromes.

Three Bordwell basses, all with Thomastiks on them. My #1 baby Nordy vJ4 also has Thomastiks. Four years and counting, strings still sound fantastic!

My Stingray and P both have Chromes. And only then because these two are normally doomtuned to C# most of the time. Thomastiks sound too dull below a full step, Chromes actually sound better that way.

All passive. All flatwound. All Nordstrand (duh). ALL FUZZ. I don't do mellow or sit-in-a-mix tones. I rape the shit out of whatever sound surrounds me!

OH! And I love my RAT pedal with all of these. Never played an Elements.

[DarkAxel]

Alright, had an actual recording session today, re-adjusted the Elements a bit for more bite, tried playing in different positions... Got a bit more growl from the Elements.
I still want to try to move from Fingerprint/Huge Box II/Elements to B:Assmaster/W&C Pickle Pie B/Rat Tail. Maybe still keep the Elements for a different, darker and smoother OD sound. Phew, quite an expensive move though but maybe if slowly one by one...

the biggest eye-opener was the fact how good my bass sounds with the Rotos recorded, though How well it sits in the mix I mean. We've layed some serious foundation for the EP, maybe even a soon-to-happen album. Funny that you mention flangers by the way - did one of the tracks with my BF-2, found a great subtle setting that works really well with dirt, too... Ended up putting a bit of foam under the strings for more of an oldschool Motown thump and the bass track still sounds fucking cool! Damn maybe I just need to stop bitching and just dig in and COMMIT. I actually think the more oldschool sound fits the band perfectly

a bit of a confession: I really want to stay with flats because they are so consistent once broken in. Hate strings dying on me/changing sound too much, which was my experience with nickelwounds and I can't be bothered buying bass strings so often, too rich for my blood because I'm a cheap fuck

ps: i'll probably share a short clip as soon as we have it mixed

[DarkAxel]

I should start sub-titling my threads something like "I will ask you a question, receive numerous great tips and then disregard all of them" sorry guys, but I appreciate every suggestion and I'll keep some of them in the back of my head for the new bass times

[DarkAxel]

Ha, funny. This record is not even out yet but i'm gonna reference it anyway...

My goal for OD tone would be something like that goodness at 2:40 (not sure I'm getting it from the Elements though)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WBYwH1y9kc[/youtube]

Fuzz I'm currently shooting at and almost getting with Fingerprint (or Finger-> Elements) is this


("Otherwhere" in the playlist here if the link doesn't work http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/18/st ... -a-monster )

[Mudfuzz]

Ha, funny. This record is not even out yet but i'm gonna reference it anyway...

My goal for OD tone would be something like that goodness at 2:40 (not sure I'm getting it from the Elements though)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WBYwH1y9kc[/youtube]

Fuzz I'm currently shooting at and almost getting with Fingerprint (or Finger-> Elements) is this


("Otherwhere" in the playlist here if the link doesn't work http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/18/st ... -a-monster )

that sound to me if you were to pedal that sound would be a

[DarkAxel]

I have actually been checking that out a lot Checked out some video - looks good! But maybe a bit too dark?

I just PM'd Monkeydancer about his Devicraft BDSM. From Juan's video, I have a feeling it could get pretty good fuzzy tone, maybe even close to that Otherwhere tone?

ps: I swear this is not fanboism and haunting for Failure's tone. It's more like "Shit, they might actually be my spirit animals, because tonewise they do exactly what i've been trying to do, but better"

[Mudfuzz]

I have actually been checking that out a lot Checked out some video - looks good! But maybe a bit too dark?

I just PM'd Monkeydancer about his Devicraft BDSM. From Juan's video, I have a feeling it could get pretty good fuzzy tone, maybe even close to that Otherwhere tone?

ps: I swear this is not fanboism and haunting for Failure's tone. It's more like "Shit, they might actually be my spirit animals, because tonewise they do exactly what i've been trying to do, but better"

You like what you like, Even though I usually go out of my way not to emulate others there are sounds from records that are just "that" sound

I don't remember the Hematoma being dark sounding… but I find very few things to be actually dark sounding… even the DE Dark Boost… for me it was a letdown interns of darkness.. it was/is not the same as something like a Hog's foot/mole slamming a tube OD/amp That said.. I did not like the Hematoma myself because of it breaks in a overloaded SVT type of way which is cool if you use a bass with rounds and a lot of trebs but with flats those types of ODs [DE KP, DBA ISO etc] just sound farty… that is why when I used a SVT CL as my main amp I never set it to distort, I hated that farty Allen Woody sound

[KaosCill8r]

I have actually been checking that out a lot Checked out some video - looks good! But maybe a bit too dark?

I just PM'd Monkeydancer about his Devicraft BDSM. From Juan's video, I have a feeling it could get pretty good fuzzy tone, maybe even close to that Otherwhere tone?

ps: I swear this is not fanboism and haunting for Failure's tone. It's more like "Shit, they might actually be my spirit animals, because tonewise they do exactly what i've been trying to do, but better"

You like what you like, Even though I usually go out of my way not to emulate others there are sounds from records that are just "that" sound

I don't remember the Hematoma being dark sounding… but I find very few things to be actually dark sounding… even the DE Dark Boost… for me it was a letdown interns of darkness.. it was/is not the same as something like a Hog's foot/mole slamming a tube OD/amp That said.. I did not like the Hematoma myself because of it breaks in a overloaded SVT type of way which is cool if you use a bass with rounds and a lot of trebs but with flats those types of ODs [DE KP, DBA ISO etc] just sound farty… that is why when I used a SVT CL as my main amp I never set it to distort, I hated that farty Allen Woody sound

I love the Hogs Foot. Thick and dark like molasses. Gets the 15" speaker in my bass amp rumbling hard. Shakes the walls and really pisses of the missus.
Maybe try get your hands on an Ezekiel 25-17 or clone for bass dirt. I love the clone I built but maybe I'm just biased.

[ChetMagongalo]

I actually ditched my elements because it was too smooth and focused, not very "open" or something. I think the Fuck OD is the best dirt for grind on bass i've ever played. what kind of amp are you using? the easiest way to get that failure tone is to get a big toob amp imo.

I love how flats sound but I hate how they feel, I also hate the string noise that round wounds have, I have yet to play a happy medium. I've tried a few sets of flats and didn't like most of them, but I liked them most on older basses for that warm goopy sound

[KaosCill8r]

I actually ditched my elements because it was too smooth and focused, not very "open" or something. I think the Fuck OD is the best dirt for grind on bass i've ever played. what kind of amp are you using? the easiest way to get that failure tone is to get a big toob amp imo.

I love how flats sound but I hate how they feel, I also hate the string noise that round wounds have, I have yet to play a happy medium. I've tried a few sets of flats and didn't like most of them, but I liked them most on older basses for that warm goopy sound

Get yourself a Hogs Foot. It gives a bass the flat wound sound. Can also make a bass also sound a bit like a Gibson EB0 bass.

[DarkAxel]

I actually ditched my elements because it was too smooth and focused, not very "open" or something. I think the Fuck OD is the best dirt for grind on bass i've ever played. what kind of amp are you using? the easiest way to get that failure tone is to get a big toob amp imo.

I play a Trace Elliot GP7 300, a 15" SS combo. Currently can't really get a big or tube amp due to space/financial restrictions, but I know what you mean

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean about Elements being smooth and focused. Good point about the Fuck, I do remember liking what I heard when I lended it to a friend (bass) for a show before I started playing bass myself.

I absolutely love how flats feel, I even find it incredibly inspiring. My playing changed quite a bit just because of the feel and I keep on coming up with new riffs that are way more slidy and slinky. Really don't want to change that I feel like everything about flats is extremely subjective

[ChetMagongalo]

Get yourself a Hogs Foot. It gives a bass the flat wound sound. Can also make a bass also sound a bit like a Gibson EB0 bass.

well not to derail but i'm getting an old vintage bass that is inherently darker/lower fidelity to get that moody and less defined sound, instead of using flats.

DA I think you can still get that sound with flats, you just might have to do some deeper dirt pedal searching than you would if you happened to be into round wounds. You could also get another bass just for it, which is something I'm totally into. I also like that big fat grindy bass sound but can't get a big toob amp to do it. The Fuck OD gets me close enough personally, definitely fits me more than the Elements did. I've had the Fuck for like 2 or 3 years, and i've never thought about selling it.