Improve Your Bass Tone With One Simple Fix

[@talkingbasslessons]

Just for clarification: Flat eq means 12 o'clock on most tone controls. It means no boost and no cut. Mid way on a tone control (12 o clock) is the natural sound received from the bass. Below 12 o clock will cut and above 12 o clock will boost. I've noticed some people thinking I mean totally cut.

[@marshwetland3808]

I understand that on the amp. But what about on the bass. Surely those should just be fully open? Also thanks so much for the demo of the different frequency ranges. I'll never forget that.

[@MinhPham-ly7yp]

Hi, So if I have three knobs for Low, Med, High. They each should be set on five? And same w tone knobs on bass? All at 50%? I also have 3 knobs for tone on my Ibanez SDGR. Thank you in advance. This was such a good tutorial.

[@marshwetland3808]

@@MinhPham-ly7yp I'm wondering something similar. Or, assuming that, no, that can't be right. AIUI, the knobs on the bass should be full open, because that's the full bass sound. It's not boosted, at least in my passive pickups. It's just the full sound. One pot for each pickup and one for overall volume. I have to cut a little bit of volume because the top just seems to be buzz.

[@chatname0192]

@@MinhPham-ly7yp The knobs on the bass itself operate slightly differently. You will want your bass knobs set to fully open/100% using the method discussed here. If you have multiple pick-ups similar concepts to finger placement affecting tone apply.

[@azeitegallo2]

That's exactly what I understood: totally cut. Happy 2 be reading this while still watching the video.

[@andrewsalthousesalthouse1181]

I've been playing for years, have a music degree and this video was still humbling to watch. No BS 'Hacks' just good advice. Thanks Mark. 👍

[@AtomizedSound]

Same

[@mrrclewis]

Newbie. Awed. This is some stellar starter advice. Subscribed.

[@Lord_Verminaard]

Same, music degree, been playing guitar 25 years, and I still never really understood what the tone controls did. So usually I never messed with them too much, haha. This was a great video.

[@rossco420]

It’ makes so much sense what Mark is saying 💯

[@KY-zerSOH-zay]

Marc is really a Master in Teaching! Learned so much i loved to would haven know back in the days, playing bass for almost 30 years.

[@TooMuchInfoToTrust]

Dude. You are THE GOAT. Low ego, low spam, just quality.

[@NelsonMontana1234]

I spent so many years dealing with engineers who thoguht that bass meant "low end." And then guess what happens? The bass wound up booming out and consequently, they mixed the bass lower and lower -- until it was gone.

[@NICUofficial]

damn the isolation of frequencies part of this video is MINDBLOWING aaaaaaah

[@iutchube]

Great lesson. Please send this to me in 1991, when I first started 😆

[@virgilrytaar9083]

Great advice, I'm in year 43 of gigging and the best sound I've ever had was using my original 1969 Marshall Superbass 100 watt valve amp, the tone controls did very little if anything when it was at gig level. Sounded quite horrible on it's own but once the band kicked in it was perfect. The mids were INSANE, I remember doing a gig supporting Leo Sayer, bizarrely the Fourmost were just below us on the bill, Billy said 'can I use your amp, it's the best I've ever heard'. I stood out front and the mic'd up sound was astounding for 40k people. Mids are where its at

[@brianfoster5702]

I had a super bass and agree about the sound everything made now has so much in effects that I don't think you need

[@keithrobinson4146]

Yep, I've played with flat EQ on both my bass and amp for over 25 years. Always use just volume to balance out with rest of band. Nice one Mark. One of the best bits of advice for bass in a band mix.

[@Synequanon]

Been playing for more than 30 years and I learned as much today as if I'd just picked my first bass guitar ! I am pretty sure many musicians I played with thought at some point that I boosted way too much certain frequencies and then some. Even though I always began by setting everything at 12 o'clock I probably should have been a little more aware not to crank my bass control too much and use more midrange. Thank you a ton Mark !

[@deviantmultimedia9497]

This is great advice for audio engineers too! Most bassists way overshoot the low end in their tone and it can make mixing the song a nightmare if you don't know how things work down there. It's definitely a trap for young players. I fell into it, and got stuck there for a while. Until my ear became a little better trained. But then I wished I had taken the blue pill because I knew my mixes sucked and I knew it was because of the bass, but on the list of things I knew there wasn't anything written after that. I tried thousands of EQ and compression settings until I got fed up and decided I needed to hear exactly how pro-mixed bass sounded. Soloed. If I could find a couple good examples of that, I could compare them to my soloed bass tracks and hopefully the problems would reveal themselves. That ended up being a pretty good idea and I didn't even need to A/B them with my tracks because the difference was so clear. The pro tracks all had A LOT less low end energy. And by a lot I mean A-fucking-LOT. I remember saying "are you kidding me?" and re-playing them over and over. All 3 bass tracks I chose sounded so tame and not aggressive outside of the mix. They sounded like... just some dude playing bass, not the enormous bass flamethrower that it sounds like in the mix. It was difficult to wrap my head around but it started to make sense because I had always heard my mentors talk about how low frequencies carry a lot more energy than mids and highs but I didn't realize the degree of truth behind that statement until then. It's like putting drop of ink into a 5 gallon bucket of water. It definitely won't go un-noticed. If you're an engineer and you can't get your low end right, definitely listen to the guy in this video, and also do what I did and listen to isolated bass tracks. If you're interested, the 3 tracks I used were Incubus - "Stellar" , The Beatles - "Hey Bulldog" and Nirvana - "In bloom" . Just add "isolated bass" to any of those in the search and you'll find all 3 here on KZbin. Out of the 3, the one that drives the concept home the most is the Incubus one because that song is like THE BASS AND VOCAL SHOW all day long. The bass is a huge commanding force in the mix but then you hear it by itself and it sounds like he's practicing in his bedroom. It's insane. Listening to the finished song and then thinking back on how that bass sounded soloed is very educational. I highly HIGHLY recommend it.

[@thegroovetube2316]

I've been a bass player since 1970 and I learned a lot from watching this video. I play in a band and will apply this advice immediately.

[@salatellez3101]

Fantastic Video. I'm a sound engineer, not a bassist, but this gives me an understanding of where the bassist should be in a live setup. Such well presented information. Thank you!

[@1flat1sharp47]

Man, I've been playing bass for 35 years and never "got" this! Thank you!

[@themadcam111]

Man.. Your videos are always my favorite. Always providing clarity in a musician's world of convoluted "tips and tricks"

[@jeffwoods9404]

I’ve been playing bass as well as guitar most of my life. I’m 49 now and have been thinking and dwelling on tone and sound like never before. This has been very helpful on my sonic journey. Thanks!

[@bluesdawg8014]

Room size, acoustics in the room, volume and live mix are all critical for bassists. I use a 400 watt Ampeg with 2 10's. I use my fingers and a pick for some sounds. This is a great video, good stuff. I forgot how long I've been playing at this pointed, 72 years old, gigging and recording every week still. Los Angeles

[@barryscott9742]

When I started playing slap bass in 2022 there were a lot of KZbin 'experts' saying you needed a scooped tone for slap. Now I leave everything flat. Great advice, Mark. I work regularly on what I call your 'Thumb Accelerator' exercise and I really notice the difference when I come back to my slap riffs.

[@ghosttownreview1531]

Well done! My #1 bass is a Fender Jazz American Elite. Run the bass controls flat into an Ampeg preamp with all the settings flat into a mixing board for the house and my in-ear monitors. 90% of the time it sounds like a perfect Jazz bass sound blending perfectly with the mix. If it's not cutting through I adjust my picking hand first. If that's not it then it's always the mids that need a little boost.

[@coreyh.w.3980]

This is so helpful for my stage of development and I’m currently playing in a band, thank you Mark. I laughed at myself when you mentioned boosting the lows and mids at low practice-type volume, that’s exactly what I do but I’m carrying that setting forward to band practice and after viewing this video I’m going to set them flat and do what you suggest. Here is a suggestion for a future tone video: discuss how overdrive/distortion/fuzz emphasizes certain frequencies and how to best use in a band setting. I own several of your courses, they are great, thanks for all you do!

[@savedbyzero8340]

An effect every bassist should learn how to use is a compressor. Buy the best compressor pedal you can afford, it will make all the difference in the world.

[@savedbyzero8340]

@@marioduron4376 save your pennies and buy a high end compressor you’ll thank yourself someday. It’s one of those effects that you don’t notice but makes a big difference in a band setting. It’s not the easiest effect to use, takes time to dial in correctly. It’s also used on practically every recording.

[@FunkadelicPancho]

I don't care for them for live playing, it screws with my dynamics

[@coreyh.w.3980]

I agree. Besides a tuner, the only pedals on my board are a compressor and the Big Muff fuzz pedal (which I only use for a few songs). I have the Darkglass Hyper Luminal, it really helps my tone. I know I have more to learn about it.

[@gary999t]

Sort your basic tone and technique out first, and then add effects. I’d agree, a compressor is a great pedal, and worth putting the effort in to learn to use it properly. Decent compressors aren’t cheap though, but they are worth it IMHO.

[@savedbyzero8340]

@@marioduron4376 Cali76, Empress effects Bass compressor, Omnicomp by Broughton are a few handmade ones. These are really fine pedals. I own all 3. I been thinking about getting a EUB but can’t decide on which brand to start off with.

[@findingfreedom-definingtru4818]

Excellent! I am a 61 y.o. beginner on the bass (though also a professional singer since forever) who started playing acoustic bass guitar last september. After plugging into a few amps recently, I now am eagerly awaiting my first (small) amp. This video already answered so many questions that arose in those few amplified session, I am super grateful for the info. THANK YOU!!!

[@MrIrekK]

This is a brilliant video with simply the best advice on setting the bass tone I’ve heard throughout my long years of playing bass. Thank you, Mark!

[@tonybonnici5920]

I have been applying this for years and I 100% agree..

[@berlihe]

Wow, the part where you isolate the different frequencies was really eye-opening!

[@ScottWhitley]

Amen! I remember learning this lesson back in the day. I'd spend hours nailing a tone in the bedroom only to find it just got lost on stage. AND as you say, the more I turned up the amp it just started breaking up... :) Great lesson, Mark.

[@talkingbasslessons]

Cheers Scott you Lancashire legend you.

[@WilDBeestMF]

Oh man. So many times, I am in my bedroom with what I think is a beastly snarling active jazz tone that's giving me goosebumps, only for it to get buried by a wall of class A distortion. I was fighting the poor fellas for sonic space like a total moron.

[@bobt5778]

@@WilDBeestMF Hah! That's me over the last few nights. Tweaking and tweaking amp settings, second-guessing my gear choices... Can I join your moron club?

[@WilDBeestMF]

@@bobt5778 Sure, dude. I'm the president now.

[@LastTrump7]

@@talkingbasslessonsAs a newbie to the Bass and Bass amps is the recommended “smiley face” settings of the EQ a no no? Keep the EQ in a straight line? Playing a 300 watt amp.

[@rome8180]

Most live gigs have front-of-house support anyway. The amp is really just so you can hear yourself on stage. The sound engineer at the venue is going to do his best to make it sound good out in the crowd. That's out of your control, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Also, your bass cabinet makes as big a difference to your tone as your amp does. And then there is the tone knob(s) on your bass. And then there's all the technique elements you mentioned.

[@KaijuAlert]

I started on electric guitar and I remember learning quite quickly that adjustments to EQ were best made in small increments. Back in the day, I remember reading about the "scooped mids" tone. It was the early 00s, Nu Metal was popular and people still raved about Metallica's Black album tone, Mesa Boogie were all the rage and super scooped sounds were de rigeur. I tried scooping the mids on my amp and while it did sound fat and heavy, playing at home alone, I quickly found that it sounded harsh, fatiguing on the ear and it make leads, chords and arpeggios sounds extremely muffled. My young and inquisitive mind tried a change of direction and I boosted my mids - what a revelation. But with that, I quickly learned another lesson and that is what you talked about here, that you only need small adjustments to get what you want. Maxing out the mids just makes a really harsh tone too, but in a different way to scooped mids.

[@goodtimes12342]

Never ever look to Metallica for good bass tone reference LOL

[@grooves.x]

I remembered my bass teacher telling me to boost the mids whenever I find my bass is not cutting through the mix. Now I understand the theory behind the advice. Yes boosting the mids always helped the bass cut through - especially when the sound guy has no idea which is often 😆

[@alphagt62]

Exactly, a bit of mids and even some treble can make your bass fill more space. If I’m playing in a band with a rhythm guitar, I’ll stay lower in the mix, more bass and less midrange. But in a band with only one guitar, I use much more midrange and treble to fill that space in the rhythm.

[@grooves.x]

@@alphagt62 I’ll have to try a bit more treble next time. I usually keep treble flat or slightly rolled off - the fret noise bothers me 🤣

[@RicardoMontee]

The note and frequency demonstrations were very helpful, really drove the point home.

[@DonDickhaut-Bassman]

That was the best part for me a s well!

[@tooltroll]

No lies detected. 😁 I've been playing and recording for 40+ years, and I can attest that getting all precious about tone, especially soloed, is a huge waste of time for everybody. In fact, back in the 80s, I pulled all the tone and volume controls out of my basses and just wired the pickups in parallel to the jack; Removing all that parallel resistance shifts the resonant point of the pickups higher and lends brightness and clarity. I use the amp's tone controls for minor tone adjustments, a small frown on a graphic, but still almost flat (plus or minus 2-3 dB), and volume is handled by my handy-dandy old Zoom multi-effects pedal. For recording, I high pass at 160 Hz, which is the 2nd overtone of my low E, which keeps the bass out of the way of the kicks and toms. After the HP, everything under 250 Hz gets compressed AF and blended back into the 250+ mids and highs.

[@davidrainford7549]

Technique over tone control: very liberating. Thank you.

[@dennytroy]

Another thing to consider is the gain and master settings if the amp has both. You don't want the gain too low and master too high. If you do, you reduce a lot of the signal from the guitar. set the gain appropriate.

[@dalrok]

I 100% agree! Playing for almost over 50 years I almost never use the tone controls on my amps. Only if there are resonances in the room I use the parametric EQ to eliminate them. On my JBs I only use the tone control with the bridge PU to get that nasal 'Jaco' tone. Most of the time the EQ on my Glock is off. On some active basses (esp. my Yamahas) I have a minimal boost in the mids and that's it. Even when playing with very loud metal bands (2 guitars w. 2 Marshall stacks each) I only had my 350 Watts Glock BassArt with very clean cabs and always cut through the mix. The worst one can do (and I always see/saw it out there when I work as FOH engineer) is having a 1000 Watts amp with monster cabs, bass at 4 o'clock, mids cut and it's guaranteed the bass is not to be heard.

[@makitron4910]

"...that all comes from technique not from gear"...this sentence sums up the whole lesson.....Txs for teaching! :)

[@eyesofthefox]

"Tone controls are just volume controls for that frequency." Greatest piece of knowledge I've ever recieved.

[@donhall-aquitania1025]

This lesson was super helpful and saves me wasted time trying to “dial a tone in” while I practice. I actually love the sound of my bass with the preamp eq flat.

[@MrAKbass]

Yep, (low) mids are what counts, especially in a band setting. I really dislike the "scooped mids" sound, that's why I don't use cabs with e.g. a 12"+ horn (tweeter). Most of 'm sound terrible to my ears, that's why I use a dedicated 5 - 7" midrange driver that runs up to 5-8 khz. Btw. I regularly post in the Talkbass "amps and cabs" section as Arjank.

[@nafis6668]

As a guitar player, i also prefer when the bass guitar fills that low mids. It gives that clear fundamental with lots of punch. This will make the whole band sounds so thick & powerful. Easy example, Breaking Benjamin bass tone, especially in Dear Agony album.

[@JunacCRO]

whats amazing is that most tones that we try to emulate were from the time when speakers and amps had to be hauled on stage and PA systems struggled so only vocals got in them and backline was the main band sound. so bass players had to distort their amps and play really loud to get through...

[@crocholiday]

One thing that can also greatly effect tone is strings. Some basses, like a P bass or J bass sound great with almost any type of strings but what you use changes the tone. A P bass with flats sounds totally different than with rounds. Some basses are more particular about what strings they like. Rounds on my stingray sound epic but flats... she sounds a bit anemic and doesn't cut well at all imo. And the right bass for the right tone is 1000% a thing. I worked for months trying to get a passable P bass tone from my Stingray for a country project. I tried flat strings, EQ and all sorts of other stuff. I obsessed over it until I finally I landed on the perfect solution... I got a P bass lol. So yea I completely agree, don't fight a bass's natural tone. It'll just be a crappy version of what you're trying to get. Besides, you can never have too many basses lol.

[@goodtimes12342]

yeah, I don't get the flats on a stingray thing. The whole reason you get a stingray is for the zing! Flats on my p though... oh yeah

[@twodogswalking840]

I totally agree. You might get an amazing sound at home but if you take that sound setting on stage with a band chances are it will sound bad. This can be a frustrating and disconcerting thing in the beginning. Especially when you can't hear yourself. If you want your bass to cut through the sound of the band use your mids.

[@johnpatitucci7919]

I learned this the hard way. I had too many EQ's in the chain. Between my bass, the DI, the effects pedal and finally the bass head, I was getting a really muddy sound and thought that I blew my speakers. I actually had 4 different EQ's doing different things. I flattened everything and resorted to only use the EQ on my bass for real time controls.

[@thomasfioriglio]

Fantastic lesson Mark and such good advice. As you said, the first thing most new players do is turn up the bass. I have heard similar advice about keeping everything flat and if you need to sculpt the tone, cut the bass or highs or mids and don't increase them. Thanks for sharing this good advice.

[@stephenbingham5935]

Thanks for best advice I have heard. I was constantly frustrated, searching for a tone and then being annoyed that it was not ''right'' for the situation.

[@niteshades_promise]

I keep my pots in the middle notches. Plug into a d.i. box on stage no amp. Never thought my tone sounded off. Active deans.🍻

[@konagolden4209]

As a pro bassist for several decades, this is spot on. back in the day, I can't tell you how many players added a graphic EQ to their rack or pedal board and scooped the mids killing their tone. Next were the guys who maxed the lowest bass, killing definition. Excellent video...those who listen to your advice will save years of time and tones of money chasing better tone.

[@freudsc4t447]

Agree, same thing re decades here. Even using standard Ampeg gear with the built in EQ its better to just ignore it. Leave it off.

[@konagolden4209]

@@freudsc4t447 Spot on. Cheers!

[@user-ug8fj8hx8w]

Nice video. I stumbled to playing bass with a flat EQ by accident. Then l found myself in a situation where my practice amp 150 Bassman was too big for the room. At flat EQ I was either plowing everone over or I couldn't hear myself. So I had to turn down my volume, and boost my lower mids. Everyone was happy about the mix after that.

[@stevecrumpton9643]

What an outstanding video, Mark. The manner in which you give instruction keeps my attention. I actually took notes....(wish I'd done that in college). Respect from a LONG time bassist in Jersey.

[@messageinathrottle4046]

Thank you for breaking down the EQ in such an understandable way. So helpful.

[@kennyguerin9185]

Almost 60 years of playing and this advise is priceless. Thanks

[@jdigory]

Amazing advice I wish I had received years ago. Much of these points I have figured but only after many years of playing bass in live settings. Great tips!

[@billybass908]

Your so right it took me 20 yrs to learn that very concept thanks for the education 👍👌

[@christophe2987]

I've been playing bass for 86 years, and the advice is good, all flat is the key, and of course sound is in the fingers 😉

[@ChristophJakob]

I've only picked up learning how to play the bass a couple of years ago and one game-changing adjustment was something that I didn't even know was a thing at all, because I've never had to deal with it on guitar/electric guitar in 15 years: String action - which has been way too high for the kind of playing I like (mainly writing video game music and covering RHCP stuff and similar). This, combined with nice and thin bass strings made a bigger difference on my sound than any amp or pre-amp etc ever could.

[@exhainca]

Top tip: Make sure your guitarist can dial in an EQ that does not encroach on your frequencies. Top tip 2: If the guitarist is adamant that they need to take up your frequency range, a. Find a new guitarist, b. Look for a band where people know what sound is, or c. Make your bass sound like a guitar, to really piss him/her off, and hit a few solos to trigger an authentic primadonna response. Watch and have a laugh, then revert to a or b.

[@danzemacabre8899]

Spoken like a true full blooded bass player that's not some failed guitar player, right on! And may I suggest a good ole' Morley Wah Peddle with distortion to really bring it home, 3 or 4 minutes cutting loose on this and they fall in line

[@andyhinds542]

One of the reasons why I quit wanting to play in bands is the ego and attitudes of other band members. Also, I don't have to commit to playing when I'm not in the mood. I don't want playing to become a chore.

[@elsienova4269]

This is horrible advice. People that think bassy guitar parts and bass parts don't mix are people that have no idea how the actual frequency space works. The best parts that cut through a mix on a bas hang around the 50-80hz range, and 150-250 hz range. That covers the actual deep growl of the instrument and the punchy nature of playing. Guitars meanwhile don't really overlap with that even if they are looking for a growly deeper tone, as the guitar will never enter that 50-80 range, and instead covers the things right above 250 to about 300, and then 500-700hz stuff. There's so many great bands that show this being done well, from A Perfect Circle to Muse, industrial stuff, etc.

[@exhainca]

@@elsienova4269 Do you actually think this was real advice. LOL

[@joelmcgee4405]

Explanation through isolation was worth the price of admission. Thanks Mark!

[@teopatl]

For all the reasons Mark explained, high pass filters are essential. Thumpinator, fdeck, Broughton. Make your cab more efficient and more articulate

[@AlLuiPigus]

I remember listening to a Pantera song from their Trendkill album which was a mix with an enhanced bass guitar track. A lot of people were saying in the comments that Rex Brown's bass was out of tune. But keeping in mind your comments, that everything is mixed as a whole, the bass was totally right!

[@1965JB]

I played for a blues guy in Chicago who told me to turn the mids and highs all the way off and the bass set on 11. Drove me and every sound man in North America insane.

[@aweismantel8625]

Very clear presentations. You are never too old to learn.

[@juzek1958]

Where I'm currently at; I set the tone of the bass (active Jazz Bass) at home using full range headphones (no amp), then at the gig, I use the amp/mixer only to match the tone I want without any further adjustment to the bass tone controls. In other words- Bass tone controls for the bass, amp/mixer tone controls for the room.

[@terjelken3246]

Wow. I started playing bass in 1972, quit three years later. Then after fifteen years I started playing again and have continued to this day. In all these years i have heard: "Turn DOWN the mid tones, that freq. range is for guitars and other solo instruments. Bring up your low tone to boost the bass tones and eventually some high tones to add definition". Even people who have played partly professional for many years says so. No wonder I struggle in the band rehearsals.😞 BUT from now on: 👉 This will change. I should mention here that the guitar player in the recent band i joined one and a half years ago, have for the last rehearsals suggested to me turn up the amp's mid tone.

[@bassafterdark7186]

Great video. About practice amps, though -- I think the Fender Rumble 25 (25 watts, 8 inch speaker) is the perfect practice amp. Great tone, light, and can even be used to play in small acoustic ensembles without a drummer.

[@stevendicks7324]

There are a lot of good practice amp options. I have been using a Roland RX MICRO Cube Bass for practice for several years and have recently begun using a Fender Mustang Micro. The Mustang Micro works surprisingly good, particular when you are learning new songs by playing along. My gig rig is a Mark Bass. I play P Bass, G&L ASAT and Jazz basses.

[@stevendicks7324]

There are a lot of good practice amp options. I have been using a Roland RX MICRO Cube Bass for practice for several years and have recently begun using a Fender Mustang Micro. The Mustang Micro works surprisingly good, particular when you are learning new songs by playing along. My gig rig is a Mark Bass. I play P Bass, G&L ASAT and Jazz basses.

[@rockereivanivan]

I've spent years trying to improve my bass tone, and thanks to your videos I discovered that 1. I don't like the natural sound of my bass, therefore it's going to be difficult to found a tone that I like. 2. By leaving every setting flat that really helped me get a useful tone out of my bass. Thanks a lot mate you've really helped me.

[@gary999t]

This is a good video. You’re never going to cover everything in a 15 minute video, and everyone will have their own opinions, but this is a pretty good broad brush.

[@rickrocketts183]

Thanks Mark, very helpful. There are so many convoluted opinions on this out there and this cuts to the heart of it.

[@SO-ym3zs]

In addition to hand placement, it's worth mentioning that the gauge and material of picks can substantially change your tone.

[@alphagt62]

String diameter also makes a big difference. I play a 4 string, and almost everyone plays a .105 E string. But I noticed some strings called heavy gauge, where the E string is .125. I asked all the most accomplished bass players I knew what difference it would make? And they all said, “I donno”. So I tried them, and I’ll never go back! Much more growl and beef, I use a medium/heavy set from D”Addario XL 165.

[@joshholt5930]

No self respecting bassist uses a pick. With a possible exception being Chris Squire of Yes.

[@SO-ym3zs]

​@@joshholt5930 I don't know if they respected themselves or not, but in addition to Squire, lots of notable bassists have played with picks: McCartney, Bill Wyman, Sting, John Entwistle, Roger Glover, Carol Kaye, Joe Osborn, John Deacon, Roger Waters, John Paul Jones, Dougie Thomson, Noel Redding, Bobby Vega, Cody Wright, Steve Swallow, Anthony Jackson, Mike Mills, Andy Rourke, David Ellefson, Justin Chancellor, Jason Newsted, Mike Dirnt, Peter Hook, Simon Gallup, Duff McKagan, Lemmy...

[@BambiTrout]

@@joshholt5930 Can we please stop with this? Sometimes you want to use a pick for a different tone and a sharper attack. I think everyone should learn proper finger technique, but if you wanna use a pick, then you should be able to use one without some wanker in the corner going "Pah! A REAL bassist would NEVER use a pick!" - they would and they do. It's about the music and the sound; not what you use to make it.

[@Scale_Slotcars_Latvia]

@@BambiTrout well said 👍

[@D.Bass326]

This is great advice.

[@scarletturk3892]

Best tone advice and explanation video ever. Bang on 👍

[@eggylikesbass]

Good info. Last time I recorded, I bypassed the onboard preamp on my Warwick Streamer 2-5. I allowed the Nordstrand J blade pick-ups free reign to do their thing. Told the engineer "everything flat, little bit of compression top and bottom. Boost the level accordingly. The basslines sounded as one might expect, nothing special. I have the bass line to drummer/recording engineer, he laid down the drum tracks then EQd the bass lines. Absolutely nasty. Full round thumpy bottom, and that signature Warwick growl on steroids. I've had two different guitarists record two different styles over the bass and drum tracks, one rock, one metal. In each case the growl from the bass cuts through the mix, there's no mistaking the Warwick tone. Would have done it differently if we were working with a full band, but in both instances we were working with guitarists via online collaboration. Everything stated in the video I find to be spot on. I've even learned me something. I'll be setting everything flat for rehearsals and live performances then EQing accordingly from now on. He's right about the bedroom tone getting lost in the live mix. He's definitely spot on about having big power for headroom. I have a background in car and home audio. Having ample amplifier power to spare affords valuable headroom which makes all the difference in the world. It's for this reason that I've picked up an Ashdown ABM1200 Evo IV. 600 watts RMS x 2 @ 4 ohms per channel. My previous setup was a 2000 watt crown amplifier through an all tube SVT preamp. Absolutely killer I can fill any small to mid sized venue with sound, regardless of FOH (majority of the local dives lack sorely in the way of adequate sound) Good info, loved and subscribed

[@BankruptBassplayer]

I have been preaching what you said here for over 30 years! (Sound check magazine readers will remember) Thanks for making this video, i hope a lot of Bass players follow your advice.

[@squidandchips]

I've been playing bass for 33 years, and I can say this vid taught me some stuff and also reminded me of some stuff I'd lost along the way. Thanks, fella!! :-)

[@diegovargas70]

Very usable and smarts concepts, thanks Mark. Even player with some experience shoud keep in mind the importance of the mids in the overall tone equation

[@darrenwales1092]

Fantastic advice Mark . Thank you

[@anthonynelson6800]

My brother played bass for 30 years. He used to call that "tuning up." I understand that now and it is easier today than in the 80's

[@thumplife792]

You are a blessing to the bass community.

[@marsmediapro]

1st of all, what a gorgeous bass you have there! I've never seen that particular bass. 2ndly, I am a guitarist, yet I own 6 electric basses; each one has a different feel, and different sound: J bass, P bass, EB3, EB0, Violin bass, Firebird bass, and Burning Fire bass. I am in a a 2-man band, and we each play bass, synths, and-or guitar. At home, I use a 40 watt amp into a 12" speaker ( I have a pair of these); for small concerts and rehearsals, I use a 100 watt amp into 4 tens, or my paired 40 watt amps into their 12's, which actually, gives me enough headroom. YT suggested this video, I was curious;, I enjoy your presentation, and have subscribed. Thanks for sharing! (PS: using 2-way PA speakers for computer playback)

[@Paulman50]

I always wondered why my bass didn't come out in recordings very well. Will try this thanks.

[@nafis6668]

I highly recommend picking hard near the bridge with bridge pickup selected. Please use fresh stainless steel for that clank and articulation too. With this method, even cheap 200 bucks cort bass will cuts through that thick distorted guitars.

[@Nickthebassist01]

Something I was taught very early on is to use mids. Too many bassists with smiley face EQ and a shite tone. I personally set my settings to my standard tone, then tweak from there. If I left it flat it’d lack the punch and growl that I focus in on (Warwicks and Spectors help here a lot too)

[@MrSolfreeman2]

Fantastic advice. Took me a while to learn this myself

[@bobgreen8142]

Yes! The Rumble 40 is ideal for home practise. Everything set flat, maybe roll the bass off to about 11 o'clock for my bass (Mustang with flats).

[@adamgomes538]

Great info. Been playing for three years now and you have held my hand while I kicked an screamed, multiple times I have thought of quitting and now all I can say is thank you for your laid back approach and easy to understand teaching methods. All though I still have alot to explore I now feel competent enough to play with others or just improv to my hearts content. One of the best things I've ever did was pick up the bass. Also one tip I'd really like to throw out to the community that alot already know but a healthy mindset is a huge component for music and life! Thanks Mark.

[@thisdyingsoul76]

I've dabbled in bass over the last 25 years, but then started to play bass more seriously about 7 years ago. I never had any complaints of how I sounded so I always assumed everything was good, until I tried to record myself. My bass was always disappearing into the mix. It sounded great in my studio monitors but as soon as I took the music to my car, home stereo or played off my phone, it was gone. I'm sure if you muted the bass, you'll notice its missing but it was inaudible. I thought maybe it was due to the lack of acoustic treatments in the room, but with a closed mic'd cab, I'm now convinced it was that my EQ was too bottom heavy and not enough mids. Which is weird because I thought I understood this, but maybe its a case of the low end being boomier than I realized.

[@jeffromek7073]

Excellent! Thanks for the detailed review of different frequencies to help our understanding.

[@SmittyGonBass]

Absolutely the best explanation of bass tone I have found. Thank you.

[@charlesdigennaro4981]

I found this lesson to be extremely informative. Will try this at my next gig because it seems that I am always adjusting everything differently. Each time I play out live

[@martinfay7274]

Excellent video Mark. That's probably the most productive 15 mins I've ever spent on KZbin! :)

[@robertgill448]

GREAT advice. Thank you.

[@Streetpartymarty]

100% agree with all points. Great video!

[@fabianwild2477]

There is one thing about the "notch" settings in combination with volume I guess. If you your volume is low, you tend to "feel" the lows less low, then if you play louder. So if you rise the overall volume, your lows will be much louder than needed. I have five string which sounds great for practicing, but the mids are barely not existent. In a band it's like it's been shut off. Lessons learned. Thanks for this great video. I will send this all off my bandmates for leaving this feq-range free for ME!😂

[@___David___Savian]

One week ago I set my bass amp so incorrectly for a gig that in the middle of the second song the singer walked up to me, pulled off my guitar and threw it out the window that was next to the stage. The drummer proceeded to take my amp and threw it across a river that was just outside the club and the piano player poked my eyes out. I don't want to tell you what the flute player did with his flute. But, it involved me ordering a lot of hemorrhoid creme from Amazon in the last few days. Hence me watching many bass amp tutorials. Cheers, from New York City. Recovering in hospital, David.

[@strong_voice_of_truth]

Brilliant video and so needed! Bass is one of the most over-eq'd instruments.Every beginner cranks the treble because it gives more clarity, and as a result ends up with an edgy icepick sound that doesnt sit well in the mix. Also, low end just muddies things up. Your advice about leaving it flat is spot on. I wish every bass amp only had a drive control and a treble cut. 99% of the time it would work so much better. By the way, musicians need to understand that to get a 3db change in volume requires doubling amp power. A much better solution is more or larger or more efficient speakers.

[@kevgamble]

What a marvelous demonstration. Thank you!

[@tomowens7499]

Great video man! I've played for over thirty years, I'm still trying to learn this stuff. I'd love a video where you show how different tones are created, some of my favorite bass tones are early 80s pop music tones, in particular Durans early bass tone which is very 'rear pickup' mid tone, I've always loved that tone for finger style but it sounds awful for slap or heavy rock with pick! I often find myself trying to 'locate' a tone I've heard on a song and I think I'm getting there but it's always helpful hearing how a pro does it! For example, Billy Sheehan's tone often sounds terrible on its own but great in the mix, ditto jaco...

[@richardharold5144]

I've been trying to identify the rest of the frequencies in the band to avoid stepping on their sonic footprint..... I find a P-bass flat works for most occasions, them P's are the Bees Knees!!

[@Orvulum]

Cool video! Tone control settings vary so much from one instruments to the next and one amp to the next that generalizations can be somewhat deceptive. Appropriate tone involves a synergy among many factors: Speaker cabinet, amp, amp tone controls, bass, bass tone controls, strings, playing technique, using pick or fingers, and even the acoustical environment in which you're playing... Just do lots of ear training and listening so that tone can be judged subjectively and adjusted accordingly, and if you're trying to get a good balance in a live performance situation, get a good front of house sound mixer and work with them. Other than that stuff, just experiment and have fun!

[@gallitoonbass4243]

I always play with a flat tone setting on my amp and bass guitar. The tone comes from my right hand. If I want more low end, I play closer to the neck. If I want more trebble, I play closer to the bridge.

[@dscapes1]

So glad I clicked on this! Getting my Bass in a couple of days and this is the best advice ever. Cheers mate.

[@danymarcotte1900]

Thank you so much!!! This video is extremely interresting and useful!

[@FunkadelicPancho]

Mids are your best friend in a live setting. The Darkglass Harmonic Booster has been a real blessing for my rig

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

My main bass is an active Ibanez SR-500. When I played live, I leave the bass and mid flat but turn my treble control all the way down because the 3 band EQ isn’t brilliant. I’ve been meaning to strip out the EQ and go passive instead

[@juzek1958]

Interestingly, on my active jazz bass, I leave the bass and treble flat and the midrange almost off.

[@wallyeggers8538]

Very interesting and very well-received! Thank you. I'm 50 years in on playing electric bass through an uncountable number of instruments and rigs. My most recent findings (i.e., over the last 2 years or so, during which time I've been playing *a lot*) are very similar to what you present, but I've been basing my "flat" tone with the controls all at about 10 o'clock instead of 12. Kind of a subtractive EQ approach. Goosing the front end gain compensates nicely for the subtraction of gain due to the lowered tone settings. My newest rig, though, is a Trickfish 1K, the amazing preamp designed by Mike Pope. With this head I do start at 12 o'clock, which the builder says is essentially pass-through flat, at least to my understanding. All of the 4 tone controls have switchable midpoints as well, which really makes for some interesting fine tuning. This is a killer rig, BTW, especially through the bespoke 12" cabs. Cheers!