Can't get a consistent bass sound

[pennylink]

I'm a guitarist primarily, but play a little bass so I can lay down bass lines in my humble home recordings.

Here's my problem: once recorded, some of my bass notes sound much "bassier" than others, and not just the lower notes. For example, an A note played on the E string will sound much bassier than a low E or F note on the same string! I've tried to adjust how hard I hit the string to compensate but it just doesn't seem to do the trick.

Another example: playing a D note on the E string will sound much bassier than playing the same D note on the A string... what's up with that?

When I look at the recorded wav file the notes appear roughly as loud, they just sound so inconsitent. Even when I put a compressor plug-in on it, it still doesn't compensate for the difference in sound. From what I can tell, the pick-ups are adjusted correctly.

Is it the way I play (read: bad), is it the guitar, is it my recording technique, or is it normal? I record direct into the Hi-Z of an Aardvark Q10 interface/soundcard using a 1984 Peavey T-40 with humbuckers, and monitor through Mackie HR824.

Thanks in advance for any ideas or suggestions

 

[Shockadelica]

The difference in the string thickness is going to generate different tonal chracteristics from string to string even if it's the same note.

 

[pennylink]

I can understand that, but why does the A note on the E string sound bassier than say the F note on the same string

It almost seems like it should be the other way around, with E or F bassier than A... (by "bassier" I mean the sound, not just a lower note).

 

[Light]

Bass necks almost always have "dead" spots. Take it to a good repair shop, and they may be able to help. If not, that is what compression was invented for. It helps, a lot.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Garry Sharp]

It's the instrument, pennylink. I had the same on my old Washburn; when I upgraded (I now play a G&L fretted and a Manson fretless) there was a distinct improvement in consistency up and across the fretboard. I think I know why but with any luck Light will come along and give the professional answer.

(quick edit to say we posted simultaneously - can you elaborate as to why Light)

 

[Light]

It's the instrument, pennylink. I had the same on my old Washburn; when I upgraded (I now play a G&L fretted and a Manson fretless) there was a distinct improvement in consistency up and across the fretboard. I think I know why but with any luck Light will come along and give the professional answer.

There are a lot of reasons, all of them having to do with having a long thin piece of wood with a lot of tension on it. Guitars (and basses) have a tendency to want to become accordions, just trying to deal with all the tension. On basses, which have even longer, thinner, necks, the problem is even worse. Hence the famous "S" curve on most old Fender basses, where the truss rod does not go the whole length of the neck. With out actually seeing the instrument, I can't say what the exact problem is, or how to fix it. All I know is that it has to do with a really long, thin piece of wood with a lot of tension pulling on it.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[pennylink]

I'm feeling a little better now knowing it's not just me!

Do you think if I took that long piece of thin wood to a good luthier he/she might be able to fix it, or do you think I just need to look at getting a better instrument?

 

[Garry Sharp]

"Guitars have a tendency to want to become accordions" said Light

Well, I hope mine don't - I sound bad enough as it is. Did you hear about the accordionist (?) who left his instrument on the front seat of his car by mistake? He had only got to the end of the street when he remembered and turned back...but it was too late . Yes, sure enough the window was smashed - and somebody had put another accordion in the car next to his.

 

[Light]

I'm feeling a little better now knowing it's not just me!

Do you think if I took that long piece of thin wood to a good luthier he/she might be able to fix it, or do you think I just need to look at getting a better instrument?

Yes, it can be fixed. Anything can be fixed (well, almost anything). The only question is if the instrument is worth the cost of the repair, and I can't answer that without seeing it.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[pennylink]

Hay Light and Garry, thanks for the advice.

One more question: do I need a guitar tech that specializes in bass guitars, or do you think any decent guitar tech should be able to handle this?

Thanks again

 

[grinder]

Hay Light and Garry, thanks for the advice.

One more question: do I need a guitar tech that specializes in bass guitars, or do you think any decent guitar tech should be able to handle this?

Thanks again

A descent guitar tech can handle anything.

 

[Light]

A descent guitar tech can handle anything.

Precisely.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Garry Sharp]

What sort of bass is it pennylink?

 

[pennylink]

It's a 1984 Peavey T-40, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, two humbuckers. Bought it used on eBay, but seems to have seen very little playing time, as the frets are still perfect and there's hardly a scratch on it.

 

[tholos]

You can shift the frequency of the hotspots/deadspots on the neck by adding or removing mass from the headstock. Since it probably wouldn't be a good idea to remove mass from the headstock, your best altermative is to add mass. Clip a kaiser capo on the headstock, see if that improves things. get a woodshop clamp, and try that. you've just got to experiment.

 

[lpdeluxe]

How are you recording? If you're micing the bass cab you may have problems with the room. I always go direct to avoid this...but still have some problems when I play it back. You can't remove the room, unfortunately. Do you have a compressor? Recording through one will even out your sound.

 

[pennylink]

Thanks. I'll try the headstock mass adjustment and see what happens.

lpdeluxe, I record direct into the Hi-Z input of an Aardvark Q10 interface/soundcard, and add compression using a plug-in in my sequencer (Sonar 2.2)

 

[Light]

Thanks. I'll try the headstock mass adjustment and see what happens.

lpdeluxe, I record direct into the Hi-Z input of an Aardvark Q10 interface/soundcard, and add compression using a plug-in in my sequencer (Sonar 2.2)

Don't bother. This will do nothing of value for you. This is one of those things where people spend their money on a modification of there guitar, and it does nothing, but they spent money on it, so they decide it worked. The problem is not the weight of the headstock, the problem is the warped neck.

Take it to a good repair person, and see what he/she says.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Ed Dixon]

Also, if your pickups are adjustable in any way, have you tried that? Sometimes individual adjustable pickup pole pieces can have odd effects. Since it requires little more than a screw driver, it might be worth trying.

I have an older hollow body Hofner Bass, and had a similar problem some years back. Pickup adjustment seems to solve that one. Not sure if yours is the same, but it's a simple test to try.

Ed

 

[DJL]

I'm a guitarist primarily, but play a little bass so I can lay down bass lines in my humble home recordings.

Here's my problem: once recorded, some of my bass notes sound much "bassier" than others, and not just the lower notes. For example, an A note played on the E string will sound much bassier than a low E or F note on the same string! I've tried to adjust how hard I hit the string to compensate but it just doesn't seem to do the trick.

Another example: playing a D note on the E string will sound much bassier than playing the same D note on the A string... what's up with that?

When I look at the recorded wav file the notes appear roughly as loud, they just sound so inconsitent. Even when I put a compressor plug-in on it, it still doesn't compensate for the difference in sound. From what I can tell, the pick-ups are adjusted correctly.

Is it the way I play (read: bad), is it the guitar, is it my recording technique, or is it normal? I record direct into the Hi-Z of an Aardvark Q10 interface/soundcard using a 1984 Peavey T-40 with humbuckers, and monitor through Mackie HR824.

Thanks in advance for any ideas or suggestions

Bummer... well, the first thing that comes to mind is... either your on acid, or your bass needs repairs, or you can't play bass... I'd have a repair shop look at it. Good luck.