Rock Bass Tone

The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away
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Home The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away

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more... On Bass

Victor Brodn
February 10, 2012
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If you are a guitarist or bassist who is old enough to have lived through a few stylistic trends in rock, you
know that each one comes with its own tone or amp trend as well. For the guitarist, the signs are pretty
obvious. A few years back, for example, it was nearly impossible to hear a heavy rock album without a
Mesa/Boogie Rectifier melting your face. But when it comes to bass, there is a singular tone that has survived
through most of rock n rolls trends and can be heard in most genres of rockbe it the British new wave
and punk bands of the 70s, the hair-metal bands of the 80s, or the modern rock and punk bands of the 90s
and today. That timeless thunder is the sound of a Fender P bass played with a pick while fueling an Ampeg
SVT and 8x10 speaker cabinet.
1. While trends come and go with guitar amps, this vintage Ampeg has continued to deliver the rock tone for bass that wont go
awayin spite of musical trends. Getting the high end to break up a little without really distorting provides that special toaster
tone. 2. Cutting the mids at the right frequency, engaging the ultra-low switch, and making sure your volume is turned up loud
enough will make a vintage Ampeg respond with the perfect tone when you plug in a P bass.
When that tone is executed correctly, it is square one for rock bass. In fact, it has been rocks sonic standard
for decades. Just listen to The Middle by Jimmy Eat World, All Fired Up by Pat Benatar, Piece of Me
by Skid Row, or Warning by Green Day, and youll get an earful of exactly how this classic, bright tone is
supposed to sound.
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So how does one deliver this classic bass tone? With their thick necks, P basses from the 70s are certainly a
good starting point, and the fretboard should be maple to really accentuate the growl, midrange woodiness,
and attack of the pick. Pick attack location is vital to this tone tooyou should be hitting the strings right
above the pickup or just a little bit behind it.
Personally, I use DAddario medium-heavy picks that are 0.99 mm thick. Some players prefer a lighter pick
to coax more zing and brightness from the strings, while others may choose a lighter gauge for increased
playing speed. But remember: If your pick is too light, youll lose low end and some of the buil-tin,
kick-drum effect thats at the heart of good plectrum tone.
For strings, they must be roundwounds. Luckily, there are a variety of high-end roundwounds available from
different manufacturersall with their own personality. Some brands have a cleaner, pointed top that sound
good for slapping, while others have a wide top end that sounds amazing with a pick. Rotosounds Swing
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Bass 66 series have been one of the most popular roundwound sets for many
years, and DAddario
are a great choice to achieve the tone that wont go away.
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But the secret to getting this tone really lies in the amplifier, and my amp of choice is a 74 Ampeg SVT. The
Powered
versions the company made from 71 through 76 are the magical models, and they are legendary
for aby Sailthru
reason. They sound the best when you push them hard. No other amp has come even close to sounding as
sweet when pushed like my 74.
My standard procedure for getting the amp pick ready is to engage the ultra-low rocker switch, set the
assignable midrange- frequency rocker switch to 800 Hz, cut the midrange knob to about 10 oclock (cutting
the midrange is an essential element for any great pick tone), and boost the treble to 2 oclock. The magic
starts to appear with a big, warm sound once the volume is set above 9 oclock, but the tone will not sound
aggressive until you really dig in with the pick. When you do so, youll get a high end that isnt distortedin
the traditional meaning of the word but rather a little dirty or fuzzy, while still retaining punch and clarity. I
call it the toaster tone because your top end gets the same treatment that a piece of bread gets in the
toasterit gets tougher, crunchier, a little discolored, and a lot tastier.
Of course, the cabinet also plays a huge role in this tone. And pairing the SVT with an 8x10 speaker
enclosure is a great fit, especially in a live setting. The secret lies in the fairly low power-rating of each
driver they actually sound like they are working hard. By doing so, they help the top end sound a little
dirtierwithout really being distortedjust like the amp does. Conversely, many of the modern 4x10
enclosures will not give you the impression they are working hard when pushed, because of the higher
power-rating per speaker. In a studio setting with a mic, I actually prefer a 1x15 cabinet when playing with a
pick. Because I tend to play fairly aggressively, a 15" speaker softens my attack just a bit while still giving
the recorded tone some extra size.
But what if you dont own these particular pieces of gear? Is it possible to get into the tonal ballpark with a
combo amp or solid-state rig? Yes. Pedals can actually do a very nice job of replicating the setup weve been
discussing. To name just a couple, the Tech 21 VT Bass and the MXR Bass D.I.+ both do a great job of
simulating a tube amp and will give the impression of a slightly overdriven cabinet. When using the MXR,
Ill engage the distortion channel and turn the settings all the way down. Doing this scoops out the mids and
adds just enough dirt to get the desired tone without sounding like a distortion pedal. With the Tech 21 pedal,
its a matter of simply setting the character control to 9 oclock, adding a touch of the drive control, and
voilthe effect were looking for.
So there you have it everything you need for one of the most enduring bass tones of all time. Even if
28/07/2016 13:59
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youre not in the market to throw down big bucks for the vintage gear, you can get close to the rock bass
tone that wont go away through other rigs.
Victor Brodn
Nashville bassist and producer Victor Brodn has toured and recorded with more than 25
major-label artists, including LeAnn Rimes, Richard Marx, Casting Crowns, and Randy
Houser. His credits also include Grammy-winning albums and numerous television specials
on CMT and GAC, as well as performances on The Tonight Show and The Ellen DeGeneres
Show. You can reach him at vbroden@yahoo.com.
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Victor Brodn is a Nashville bassist and producer who has toured and recorded with more than 25 major-label
artists, including LeAnn Rimes, Richard Marx, Casting Crowns, and Randy Houser. His credits also include
Grammy-winning albums and numerous television specials on CMT and GAC, as well as performances on
The Tonight Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. You can reach him at vbroden@yahoo.com.
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Mitch Malloy
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That amp looks familiar. ;>)
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The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away

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SNAMM '16 - Sound City Amps

The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away

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SNAMM '16 - Sound City Amps

The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away

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SNAMM '16 - Sound City Amps

The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away

The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away

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SNAMM '16 - Sound City Amps

Home The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away

The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away

The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away

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SNAMM '16 - Sound City Amps

The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away

The Rock Bass Tone that Wont Go Away

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SNAMM '16 - Sound City Amps

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1610 days ago

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