Getting Good Bass Tone: A Beginner’s Guide
Consider the most influential bass player in your life: the one you listen to the most or the one who inspired you to pick up the instrument in the first place. I’m sure you’ve thought to yourself, “I wish I could play like that!” at some point.
That thinking, no doubt, had something to do with the player’s impressive technical abilities, but there’s another part of the equation. I guarantee the tone of the musician was equally responsible for your dropped jaw, whether it was gritty distortion, the raspiness of a jazz bass, or the dark thumping flat wound strings on a precision bass.
That’s exactly what we’ll be discussing in this article: BASS TONE. This guide will explain what the knobs on your bass do, teach you EQ concepts, introduce you to bass effects pedals, and identify common tone mistakes to help you get the greatest sound out of your bass.
What is Bass Tone?
Bass tone, or guitar tone in general, refers to the sound of your bass when you pluck the strings. From pickups to speaker size, there are many ways to alter your bass tone at various points in your signal chain (i.e. the path traveled by your electrical signal, from the bass itself to the amplifier/output source).
Why is Tone Important?
- Bass tone isn’t a “one size fits all” approach. Each genre calls for a different sound. Playing with a pick probably won’t work in a jazz trio, and an envelope filter wouldn’t be appropriate in most worship bands.
- Tone can help you stand out and develop your signature sound, especially if you plan on pursuing the solo bass path. Consider how you can recognize a specific musician instantly simply by their voice or tone.
- Great tone can inspire great playing. Personally, the better I sound the more I want to play! It’s amazing how a dialing in your EQ just right or using a new effects pedal can spark your desire to practice and inspire you to play from a different creative angle.
Factors That Impact Your Bass Tone
Technique
If there’s one takeaway from this blog post, remember: tone starts with YOU! It’s all about the hands of the player. Practicing proper technique can enhance your tone immensely, and it’s a great way to improve your sound without breaking the bank!
Take your fretting hand, for instance. Applying too little pressure when fretting a note can result in a nasty buzzing sound, whereas more pressure will produce a clear, sustained note.
Your plucking hand also has a significant impact on your tone. For an intense rock song, plucking the strings harder would be suitable, yet for a mellow jazz performance, dialing back and plucking the strings more gently would be more appropriate.
You can also use a pick instead of your fingers for a bright and punchy sound.
Check out these examples and pay attention to each player’s technique and how it impacts their tone.
Note Choices
Some notes sound different, depending on which strings and frets you use. For example, the note G sounds a little darker and has more sustain when played on the fifteenth fret of the E string, while that same note sounds brighter and decays faster on the fifth fret of the D string.
Strings
The type of string winding, material, and coating make a big difference in the overall sound and feel of your bass. Check out this guide for a deeper dive into bass strings and the comparison video below.
Electronics – Pickups
Pickups are the microphone of your bass – they ‘pick up’ the string vibrations and send the electrical signal to your amplifier. The pickup type and placement play a huge role in shaping your sound.
- Single coil pickups: According to Guitar World, this type gets its name from the coil of wire inside it, wrapped around a bobbin. Pole pieces under the strings and a magnet make up an oversimplified description of the construction. Jazz basses have two single coil pickups – one near the bridge, and one closer to the neck. The bridge pickup tends to have a brighter, honkier sound while the neck pickup sounds more smooth but can often have a growl to it (depending on how the tone knob is set – more on that below).
- Split coil pickups: Split coil pickups are exactly what they sound like – a single coil pickup split in half and placed in an off-set position. These are commonly found on precision basses and have a thumpy, full sound. Some precision basses even have both a split coil near the neck and a single coil near the bridge – also known as a ‘P/J’ pickup configuration.
- Humbucker pickups: Similar to how split-coil pickups are named, humbucker pickups do exactly that – they ‘buck hum’, minimizing unwanted electrical noise that the dual single coil-configured jazz basses often suffer from. You can find these on Ernie Ball Stingray basses and deliver a punchy, clear sound.
Electronics – Active vs. Passive
Passive basses have simple electronics and have a more “pure” sound. They have at least two basic features that are controlled by the knobs on your bass: volume (one volume knob for each pickup) and tone. Precision basses have one volume knob, and Jazz basses have two volume knobs since they have two single coil pickups. The tone control knob, when turned all the way down (or “rolled off”), will deliver a darker sound. Cranking the tone knob all the way up will provide you with a brighter, crisper sound, bringing out more attack and punchiness. Even if you don’t have a Fender/Squier Precision or Jazz bass, most passive basses are modeled off this configuration.
Active basses have a higher output signal and come with more robust tone-shaping capabilities, thus more knobs. They are equipped with an onboard preamp powered by a 9-volt battery (sometimes two batteries) which allows you to tweak the lows, mids, and highs of your bass, similar to what you would see on the EQ section of your amplifier.
Tip: Not sure if your bass is passive or active? Look at the backside of your bass: if the body has a battery compartment, it’s an active bass. If not, it’s passive!
Bass Effects Pedals
Effects pedals change the sonic texture of your bass. Types of pedals include:
- Multi-effects: A single unit with many different effects. Great for those who like to experiment or working musicians who play in a variety of musical settings.
- Stomp boxes: Dedicated pedals that deliver one effect. For example, a distortion pedal or a chorus pedal.
- Plug-ins: Virtual versions of pedals. Often used with recording software.
Common Bass Effects Pedals:
- Distortion: Distortion pedals add gain to your signal, thus resulting in… well, distortion! You’ll often find these in metal, rock, and experimental music. Similar effects include fuzz and overdrive. Listen to Chris Wolstenholme’s bass line in the intro of Hysteria by Muse. You can get this sound by using an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff or something similar:
- Compressor: Think of compressors as automatic volume control for your bass, bringing down loud peaks and boosting quiet notes for a nice, even sound. A compressor is a solid investment regardless of what genre you’re in to.
- Preamp/direct box: Don’t have an onboard preamp? No sweat! If you have a passive bass and are needing some tone-shaping options, this type of pedal will suite you nicely. Most of these are equipped with an EQ section, and sometimes additional effects like overdrive are included.
- Octave: The octave pedal splits your signal in two. The result: you’ll get a clean sound, plus another signal that drops whatever you’re playing an octave down. A must-have for electronic music and bass solos. Check out this TikTok from Igor Odaryuk:
Here’s my current pedalboard to give you an idea of what a fairly simple setup looks like. The signal chain runs from right to left: compressor/limiter, overdrive, multi-effects unit, volume pedal, and looper.
You may be wondering… “What’s the best bass effects pedal for beginners?” I’m a big fan of the Zoom MS-60B. It was my first pedal, and I still use it to this day! It has a ton of effects that provide a great starting point to help you discover what you like and what you dislike.
Amplifiers and EQ
Just like a car stereo has treble and bass settings, bass guitar amplifiers have an equalizer (EQ) to help you control the volume of specific frequency ranges in your bass. At a minimum, amps will have bass (low), midrange (middle, or ‘mids’ for short), and treble (high) controls.
EQ Troubleshooting:
- If your bass guitar sounds muddy or muffed, there are several possible causes:
- You’re boosting too many frequencies. Avoid boosting your bass, mids, and treble all at the same time.
- You’re making more drastic boosts than necessary. Remember, less is more.
- If your bass sounds tinny, you need more low end. Try boosting the bass or cutting the treble. Additionally, too much midrange can thin out your tone.
EQ Best Practices:
- Start with your EQ flat, then adjust to taste. A few small adjustments can go a long way. This is a handy tip to remember when playing with new musicians or performing/rehearsing in a new location.
- When it’s necessary to adjust your EQ, cutting a frequency is often better than boosting another.
Common EQ Settings for Adjusting Your Bass Tone:
- Mid scoop: Cut the midrange and boost the bass and treble for a beefy, sharp tone. Good for slapping.
- Low mid boost: This is where the majority of the bass’s presence lives. If you have an option on your amp or bass to control the low mids (around the 250-500 Hz range), give them a boost to stand out while sitting well in the band’s mix simultaneously.
- Flat: This means that no frequencies are being boost or cut. Sometimes the best EQ is no EQ at all!
So… How Do You Get Good Bass Tone?
To sum it up, it starts with good technique and understanding how to dial in the tonal controls on your bass and the EQ on your amplifier (remember: making small adjustments can go a long way). After that, it’s up to you! Experiment with effects pedals. Play with a pick. Use flatwound strings for a change.
This guide barely scratches the surface, but I hope these basic concepts can serve as a launching pad as you dive into the world of tone.
Spoiler alert… it’s a quest that never ends. 😉
