Getting That Growl (MP3 provided) From Pickups?

[papmech]

Hi all.

I'm looking to invest in a new set of Bartolini soapbar pickups for my Yamaha RBX774. Will also be getting an Aguilar OBP-3 Bass Preamp. Probably going to get TYMC to do the whole thing.

Before I venture any further though, I would like to ask for your opinion on whether doing so will help me achieve the sound I am looking for.

bass growl.mp3 - 1.14MB
bass growl 2.mp3 - 0.68MB

The above link is a clip from a song that showcases the exact kind of bass sound I'm looking for. It's got quite a punchy growl sound to it. Will the upgrades I'm getting above me help me?

Or perhaps this kind of sound is achieved by running it through a tone shaper, say the SansAmp Bass Driver DI?

I'm quite clueless as I've just gotten into bass recently. Hope that some experts will post their suggestions / opinions.

EDIT: A lot of posters have commented that the first clip uses an effect. I hope the second clip demonstrates the desired tonality and timbre of the bass sound more than the effect.

 

[b33r]

sounds like an ocataver to me. a dirty one. i could be wrong, but there are definitely some lower notes in there, so maybe a 5-stringer on the bridge pickup?

 

[exin]

Hi,

I have a Yamaha BBN5A refitted with Bartolini M55CBC pickups running through a Audere Classic 4 preamp.

I think the Bartolini's has a signature tone of their own, they are very thick and smooth, if you like that kind of tone; at least for their classic bass soapbar series. They have a wide range of pickups that will cater to your tonal needs but the ones i'm using has such characteristics.

Anyway the song is Majesty by Planetshakers yes? I recognize the tune.

Regarding tone there are alot of factors that will affect your tone, body woods, kind of pickups that you use, preamp etc but one very very very important aspect of playing that most bass players overlook is finger tone; meaning if i play your bass and you play your bass, the sound will be different. It's simply physiological. If you give Victor Wooten your bass today he'll funkifize your bass.

Anyway back to the mods; the barts are a good choice to go if you are looking for that tone but you must know what kind of barts you are getting. Talk to Brian from www.bestbassgear.com. He'll advise you on what barts to get. He's a Bartolini guru, btw he's also the luthier for Ristola basses if you didn't know.

Cheers!

Post some clips of your bass when you "zeng" it.

 

[papmech]

Anyway the song is Majesty by Planetshakers yes? I recognize the tune.

Spot on. =)

Anyway back to the mods; the barts are a good choice to go if you are looking for that tone but you must know what kind of barts you are getting. Talk to Brian from www.bestbassgear.com. He'll advise you on what barts to get. He's a Bartolini guru, btw he's also the luthier for Ristola basses if you didn't know.

Will do. I hope TYMC stocks all the different models. It's alright to choose a pickup that doesn't exactly fit into the holes already in the bass right? I mean, you can just drill it if the hole is too small...

Post some clips of your bass when you "zeng" it.

Roger that.

 

[exin]

I got my barts from Brian. He was a great help, VERY IMPRESSED with his knowledge and service.

Anyway regarding drilling holes, i suggest IF POSSIBLE try to keep to the same holes as your previous pickups, i had to make new holes for my pickups cos you know yamaha pickups are LONGER than usual. It's annoying how they don't standardize their pickup shapes, almost telling you that swapping out the pickups is frowned upon, but hey, who cares man, i swapped out my pickups. =D

Do more research before purchasing. TALK TO BRIAN. hahaha .. drop him a mail .. you can get his email at www.bestbassgear.com .. if possible get from him, if you're willing to wait for it to ship from the US.

Cheers bro.

 

[shinobi]

regarding the tone shaper, by the term 'tone shaper' you are probably referring to a preamp, or more specifically, an offboard/pedal preamp. you mentioned getting an obp-3, which is a rather mild preamp. in any case, it's not gonna do much to the 'dry' tone of your bass. if you are gonna explore this option you may just want to get a preamp that provides more control over your tone.

i know that all this, including the pickups, will help but i still i believe that the MOST IMPORTANT factor in this case is in fact your right. you amp and especially, your cab.

personally, the bottom line is that my tone is different from amp to amp. all the junk in my chain allows me to control different parameters that affect my tone, but replicating a certain kind of 'dream' tone is another matter.

that was the long answer. the short answer, which ends many a talkbass thread: SVT, 8x10's

 

[Morlock]

definitly the sound is an effect

to get this sound I would go for 5 stringer for the low b, + compressor + overdrive + boost bass from preamp+ maybe the octaver... just a guess

 

[Resetti]

sounds like just an octaver to me.

 

[papmech]

regarding the tone shaper, by the term 'tone shaper' you are probably referring to a preamp, or more specifically, an offboard/pedal preamp. you mentioned getting an obp-3, which is a rather mild preamp. in any case, it's not gonna do much to the 'dry' tone of your bass. if you are gonna explore this option you may just want to get a preamp that provides more control over your tone.

A suggestion for a preamp that isn't as mild as the OBP-3?

 

[Morlock]

the second link sounded more link a fender jazz bass on a audere pre-amp or markbass outboard preamp.

I dont know if you can get that tone on a yamaha even if you put a preamp on it.

 

[jbarks]

Sounds like an OC-2 (or something similar). The growl on the octave is pretty aggressive.

 

[dumbcube]

to get this sound I would go for 5 stringer for the low b, + compressor + overdrive + boost bass from preamp+ maybe the octaver... just a guess

Anyhow only. Lol. No overdrive, sounds like octaver to me.

 

[drumandbass]

Try plucking near the bridge.

Roll of the trebles on your preamp and use an octaver. It sounds like it has a lil' synth sound thats blended with the original bass signal.

 

[Resetti]

as for your second link, it sounds pretty smooth to me.

I think you can easily get that with a fender jazz bass and your treble rolled off.

As for pre-amp, i'm not sure, to me it sounds like something that a bartolini pre-amp can give you - smooth sound actually, i didn't hear any much of a growl or burp.

 

[drumandbass]

as for your second link, it sounds pretty smooth to me.

I think you can easily get that with a fender jazz bass and your treble rolled off.

As for pre-amp, i'm not sure, to me it sounds like something that a bartolini pre-amp can give you - smooth sound actually, i didn't hear any much of a growl or burp.

Agreed. The second clip does not sound growly.

I'm not sure about the pups that you mentioned. Cause I have never used them.

But why not try using what you have to achieve that tone first? It trains you to listen out for different tones as well.