my bass sounds like shit, any tips!?

[NicholasDWolfwood]

3ms shouldn't be noticeable at all, I used to track (before I got my firebox) at 5-6ms and was still in time with the click and the other tracks.

a .110 should be fine at E. maybe a little tighter than you're used to but it will be fine (I used to play a .110 flatwound as my E, which is even tighter than a .110 roundwound, and it was fine)

 

[FIXXXER]

will a .110 fit into a standard nut or do i have to widen the nut!?
how about the setup...i guies the bass needs to be set up new,
can't do it by myself, atm i don't have money to get it done by a luthier, FML!

any strings you can recommend!? i use ernie balls for guitar, i noob,
don't know if the bass stirngs are as good as the guitar strings.

cheers
S.

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

a .110 should fit into a standard nut no problem. as far as setup goes, it shouldn't really need much setting up - maybe changing the action and intonation on the E but otherwise everything should be fine.

as far as bass strings, I like D'Addario Prosteels and DR Steel Lo-Riders the most out of any of the other strings I've used.

 

[Metaltastic]

Hahaha, I dunno how your nut came Nick (WOW did that sound wrong ), but I had to have SO much routing done to the one on my MIM Jazz Bass to get the 110 to slot in there! And big +1 for D'addario Prosteels, I'm loving this set in C-standard! (but for E- or even D-standard it seems like it'd be overkill IMO)

 

[ahjteam]

@ahjteam
i don't think that i need a practise amp, the axe-fx hast practically no latercy,
my Soundcard should be good enough also.

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/production-tips/521009-youd-think-would-painfully-obvious.html

 

[Metaltastic]

Dude, the AxeFX is an ampsim, he's not playing unplugged

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

Hahaha, I dunno how your nut came Nick (WOW did that sound wrong ), but I had to have SO much routing done to the one on my MIM Jazz Bass to get the 110 to slot in there! And big +1 for D'addario Prosteels, I'm loving this set in C-standard! (but for E- or even D-standard it seems like it'd be overkill IMO)

Well go figure, on my GSR200 I have it strung with a .130 no problem, no routing or anything done. The first set I put on the thing was the Steve Harris flatwound set (.110-.95-.75-.50) and it fit like a charm. But I stopped using flats and started using that bass for standard B tuning and it works fine.

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, figures it'd be fine on an Ibanez (or rather, that it wouldn't be on a Fender, stupid traditionalists :Smug: The worst thing is the fact that the headstock isn't angled downward, so to keep the low C from popping out of the nut you have to wind it enough times to be able to hook the string under the coils for the downward angle - I love the bass, but I fucking hate blind traditionalism, and that pretty much defines Fender IMO! )

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

What do you mean hook the string? Like this?:

On another note, I really need to get new strings for both of my basses. I'm recording a demo with 2 year old strings on both basses, and even though I'm brightening the signal through EQ etc, I still kinda want to have that fresh string tone on the next demo we do.

 

[ahjteam]

Soultrash, you could also check this:

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1338211/ahjteam_knucklehead_bass.mp3

only processing is CamelCrusher + EQ:

 

[FIXXXER]

the clean sound is really, really good!

 

[Fox Mulder]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/production-tips/521009-youd-think-would-painfully-obvious.html

+1

 

[Metaltastic]

What do you mean hook the string? Like this?:

Yup, it's not that hard to do once you know you have to do it, but a) the first time my tech put strings on there he didn't realize he needed to leave enough slack for that many windings (generally he and by extension I go for as few windings as possible to minimize slippage potential), and even though I now know how to deal with it, b) traditionalism still pisses me off

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

lol I just realized that pic is pretty shit, you can't tell where the windings are and where it actually starts. but rest assured, all strings are winding down towards the headstock, so there's less potential for slipping and/or breaking. I try to have at least 3 windings per string, but I think I had cut the strings too short when I put them on.

 

[Metaltastic]

Haha, yeah, I figured that, but as I said, normally my tech and I don't like having too many windings, just that much more potential for the string to not be wound 100% tightly and slip a bit! (AKA tuning instability)

And because I hate sounding like a pompous ass, he's not "my tech" of course, but the guy I go to regularly

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

well I dont know how other basses are with these tuning pegs, but this bass pretty much always stays in tune. I dont think it's ever gone out by more than a few cents (due to weather/humidity) in the 3 years I've had it - and it's not even a real fender, it's an sx.

 

[Metaltastic]

Cool, well as long as it works for you, that's what counts, and whether I like it or not I'll be doing the same with mine! (on the low C anyway )

 

[ElektricEyez]

I always run a bass through a Sansamp Tech-21. In the big studio I run it through a Great River and then through a LA-2A and get sweet results. At the home studio I'll run it through a Tech21, then a POD X3 then just in front of the RME Fireface DI. I usually have the player play while I dial in the sounds I'm looking for, but that Sansamp is my go-to box for bass.

 

[FIXXXER]

hey guys,

here's another try!
i played around with different settings and dialed in a sound that i can live with.
i recorded the complete track, edited the bass takes. everything is raw, no processing.

i'd like to hear a few suggestions about the raw sound of the bass.

how's the playing now!?
i think it's ok but it could be tighter,
or am i just too critical with myself!?

here's the link:

NEW TRY

cheers
S.

 

[FIXXXER]

links edited!

NEW TRY