Tone guru Ian Allison shares his secrets for the perfect bass sound using the Noble preamp DI.

nobleamps.com/preamps
Ian is playing a Fender Custom Shop '58 P-Bass with flats into the Noble Preamp DI, direct to UA Apollo Twin. Recorded with Logic, live at Studio Corso in Mountain View, Ca.
Ian Allison (Minneapolis, Minnesota) has worked as a performer, session player, songwriter, and producer alongside numerous artists including Eric Hutchinson, Soul Asylum, Jeremy Messersmith, Max Collins (Eve 6), Verskotzi, Kat Perkins (The Voice), Sara Groves, and many others.

[@Iofflight78]

Thank Ian, for getting me into a few things, including your DI. I now have one of your DIs on build right now - hope it shows up for my Bday next year. Your DI sounds like what I heard in my head when I think of how a bass should sound.

[@brewer9565]

Really nice sounding classic finger style groove. You can't beat a P-bass with flats if played with the right touch and feeling. The Noble sounds quite good. Would love to try one.

[@harrievandennieuwenhuizen212]

Hi Jack, showing this video convinced my wife so I can purchase this fantastic DI pedal, it’s a life investment

[@nobleamps]

Sounds like you have a great wife. Haha! Cheers!

[@LouBass09]

Damn That Tone and playing

[@ts4gv]

would be very interested in a dry vs. noble comparison

[@queen1977]

Hi Ian! I just discovered this clip and boy am I glad I did! In addition to the introduction of a great DI, I LOVE what you're playing towards the end of the clip (1:47). Is there any way I can get a transcript (tab) of the jam? Thanks a million!

[@bantru7]

awesome!

[@hahabass]

Dude's groovy af!

[@reggaebass1857]

That playing at 1.48 is amazing, not sure I could get that good no matter how much I practice

[@HoldenItaly]

Are these fender flats?

[@Theladrion]

Jeebus, have you seen the pole pieces on your A string?

[@seankent1807]

Theladrion in ‘58 Leo raised the pole pieces under the A to help even the volume out from it to the other strings, so Fender even does this on all of the reissues too.

[@AndreaAustoni]

@@seankent1807 Not all the reissues, only the 50s ones.

[@seankent1807]

@@AndreaAustoni which is what I said, all of the reissues of that ‘58 style SMH

[@MascisMan1]

What flats were bring used?

[@bassjake96]

Fender Flats

[@LJSMusic54]

I'm partial to the low mid tone...but this preamp is one expensive puppy be nice to try it out first before investing in a possible door stop. Let's face it most of the tone comes from your fingers and or technique.

[@kingdeedee]

​@J L by "crappy," do you mean cheap or do you mean non-functioning? I think a great player can do a lot with cheap equipment (especially these days), but if shit don't work then that's a different thing altogether lol

[@park_dub]

Can you connect the noble preamp straight into a cabinet? Or do you go noble/amp head/cabinet?

[@nobleamps]

Hi Parker! You will still need a power amp to drive the speaker cabinet.

[@lex3729]

Is it a Baxandall EQ?

[@nobleamps]

No it's a "boost only" EQ, Fender style. Flat EQ is with both knobs all the way down.

[@rome8180]

Ian Allison is annoyingly good at bass.

[@nunofernandes4501]

Whenever I see a Fender bass with those chrome pickup covers I get an uncontrollable urge to reach out and remove them. I gotta see a shrink.

[@averyhorton3614]

Yeah, they can cut you.

[@nunofernandes4501]

@@averyhorton3614 and they're ugly. In my opinion, of course.

[@averyhorton3614]

@@nunofernandes4501 and a pain when you need to work on the bass.

[@nunofernandes4501]

@@averyhorton3614 I also like to attack the strings with my fingers on the sweetspot right over the neck pickup which is impossible with these covers. But to each his own, it's not my bass.

[@matthewbernard4427]

This may be a stupid comment, but every time I see a demo of this thing the volume is completely off.

[@fauhdemcdoo9090]

The XLR out bypasses the volume This explains it. m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIKrl4t9dtSVl5I

[@peterbaird7597]

The volume knob only affects the 1/4" output, the XLR output bypasses it. Presumably the demos only recorded the balanced out, so the volume knob is something you can safely let a producer play with until he's satisfied.

[@TempoDrift1480]

That tone sounds like plugging into the mic jack of an 80's home stereo reciever.

[@BishopEdward76]

That can't be a Fender Custom Shop '58 P-Bass unless it's a one off. Custom shop never made that model in that color. So what is it?

[@BishopEdward76]

This? www.fendercustomshop.com/basses/precision-bass/1957-journeyman-relic-precision-bass-maple-fingerboard-wide-fade-2-color-sunburst/

[@nobleamps]

That's probably the closest model currently in production. Ian's bass is a 58 reissue made for the 2005 NAMM show. Could have been a one off or very small run.

[@BishopEdward76]

Ah, yes, I had one of those. The hard V neck is a real bitch to play. TY for the update!

[@luvbasses5487]

Looks like a 2005 ‘58 NAMM bass described in the above comment. I just found one on Reverb and BOUGHT it. It was a Limited Edition run of only 100. The neck has a slight V profile. Nothing like the Journeyman 57’s that came out in 2016! Those are a little hard to play..

[@twerpeater]

luv basses I bought a limited edition 58 in wide fade burst. The neck is not so much V shaped, but it’s certainly a handful.

[@sammey1919]

All these bass videos sound the same. How about demonstrating what the bass sounds like with and without Noble?

[@AndreaAustoni]

Exactly. All I hear is a P bass with flats through who knows what studio gear + KZbin compression

[@harrykettelarij3928]

Your'e tone isnt everyones tone, so don't say your'e a tone guru. You have your style and sound ive got mine. And the perfect bass sound, sounds like a religion what you preach in your church. Sorry (not) in mine lol.

[@SamuelStephen]

you do realize this is Noble's channel and not Ian's right? He's not calling himself a Tone Guru 🙄

[@AmiliaCaraMia]

Easily the dumbest comment.

[@are-bass]

Don`t get salty!