Finding a good bass tone...

[Witchichichuoo]

I'm recording through an old guitar amp right now on the clean setting, and I'm quite satisfied with the sound. It seems like I can easily get a decent tone out of a guitar amp rather than with a bass amp. Am I simply retarded? I haven't invested in a bass amp for this reason. Any help here would be great. I really like the tone from "Roundabout" by Yes if that helps.

 

[grimtraveller]

Well, you can get good tones from a guitar amp. I've done that many times myself. There are simply many ways to get good {that is, ones you like} bass tones, be it with a bass amp, DI, guitar amp, bass drivers {on rayc's recommendation I bought a Behringer bass BDI 21 ~ it's actually not bad. It's a kind of sansamp}, line outs on the amps, even via a stereo amp {I used to plug my bass into the mic input of my tape deck in the record/pause position and send the sound out of my stereo amp}. Combined with the way you tweak the knobs on your bass and the controls on whatever you're sending the bass out of or even combining miked amp and DI signals {or even adding a third line out signal} you can get a huge variety of bass tones. And the scope gets larger if you have effects pedals, whether they're guitar ones or dedicated bass ones.

I'm quite satisfied with the sound

This is the key phrase.
I love the sound Chris Squire got on "Roundabout", also the kind of sounds Geddy Lee got on Rush's "A farewell to kings" and the sounds Jean Jacques Burnell got on the Stranglers' "No more heroes". You should try out that Behringer BDI 21 because the 'drive' knob can take you close to those sounds.

 

[Bubba po]

the sounds Jean Jacques Burnell got on the Stranglers' "No more heroes".

JJ used a Hiwatt valve guitar head, and a multiple speaker cabinet that nobody can recall the details of, apart from half the speakers didn't work. This sound was blended with his D.I.d sound by Producer Martin Rushent.

 

[grimtraveller]

It's a bass sound I've long dug. It's like a raspy gravel voiced 120 fags a day hoarse shouter, but on a bass guitar.

 

[Bubba po]

It's a bass sound I've long dug. It's like a raspy gravel voiced 120 fags a day hoarse shouter, but on a bass guitar.

In my opinion it's the greatest bass guitar sound ever recorded, but it's only an opinion.

 

[Dogbreath]

I'm recording through an old guitar amp right now on the clean setting, and I'm quite satisfied with the sound.

then thar ye be laddy.



There's also a LOT to be said for the fingers. Recently (as in past few months) I ditched the pick and started using some right hand finger technique. The tone I get is pretty damned good, if I do say so myself.

 

[Greenfisted]

I have a really good bass preset for amplitube 3, if you're interested.

 

[grimtraveller]

In my opinion it's the greatest bass guitar sound ever recorded, but it's only an opinion.

There's about 15 I could possibly put up for that title if I thought that way. Jean Jacques' '77 bass would be definitely in that 15 and actually in the upper echelons.
That said, I dig the whole Stranglers set up and sound from that period and "No more heroes" would be one of the albums I'd be going to rescue if the house was on fire or the ship was sinking.
Even though they tell you not to.

 

[rayc]

No More Heroes & Rattus Norvegius are all about a great sound & great songs. What an ensemble!
I've been experimenting with bass tones lately - luckily I have a solid body bass (from 1982) with round wounds & a semi acoustic (from about 76) with flats so I have lots of scope from that angle. I play pick mainly & fingers when the sound calls for it. I'm looking for a felt pick as I'm trying to recreate the bass tones from Scott Walkers calssic tracks & I THINK that was part of it - not quite fingers not quite hard pick. I do have a Marshall Superbass head from 79 that's pretty cool through a 200w Etone box but the BDI21 as mentioned is pretty good - well for the price it's amazing but for a bass DI/pedal it's pretty good. The blend (valve tone) knob is good & the drive really can cut through.
In terms of toppy tones I don't like Chris Squires' tone but LOVE Bourke Shelley's from the 1st 5 Budgie albums. Geddy's - hmm, can never make up my mind - but I didn't discover Rush until about 4 years ago. I'm entranced by the bass tone of Tracey Pew of the Birthday Party.
Playing through a guitar head - a matter or results & taste. Through a guitar cab? That's a matter of care & luck.
If it works for you it's good to go.
As I've mentioned in other threads, my bass tone - solo'd is AWFUL but it sits well in a mix.

 

[studiodtk5]

I have recorded a lot of bass setups. SWR, Ampeg, Fender, Peavey amps...into...MESA 210, Ampeg 410, and Ampeg 610 cabinets. With lots of microphone combinations. Plus I've tried a few bass pre amps direct, BBE, Hartke, Eden, Peavey....

The sound that was always the hardest to beat was the Peavey ProBass 1000 preamp direct in. None of the other preamps sounded as good. With the right microphone, speaker, amp combination you can get a better sound out of the rig; but that takes a lot more effort to get it right. To be honest the amp & speaker combination may sound great, but some microhones just can't capture the sound good enough to beat the direc sound from the Preamp.

Lately our setup has been the Peavey VB-2 (tube bass amp) into an Ampeg 610. Typically we use that with direct out and a microphone on the cabinet.

If you have nothing I would highly recommend the Peavey ProBass 1000. You can find them used for in the $100 range. They are worth every penny (and then some actually)