Nowadays, gear is so versatile that you can pretty much play any style of music with any equipment. The real issue is that many bass players don't know how to properly use the EQ on their bass or amp... and some haven't realized that the way they attack the strings with their right hand, as well as the positioning of that hand, significantly affects the overall sound. Gear is cool-I love it-but it will never replace the creativity of the player.
One thing I hear right off the bat is that with the way that Josh really digs in, that compressor really isn't doing him any favors. It's squashing the hell out of his signal, and killing the low end. I'd maybe back off the compression ratio overall, and maybe shorten up the decay time in order to get a better result.
Now that’s a different approach to all that’s out there haha love it. Tone is everywhere guys 🤘 hands strings wood pickups pedals amps cabinets speakers. But mainly in the air and in your ears
Are you telling us they are using all the same settings, too? Because the differences I'm hearing don't sound like differences in technique, they sound like differences in EQ and gain settings on either the bass or the amp, or both. That being said, I have always been of the opinion that the standard technique taught to most bassists results in anemic tone. For good tone, especially for good rock tone, you have to dig in.
Looks like the dude in blue is playing softly on purpose. Haven’t seen him on this channel previously, so I may be wrong, but that’s just what it seems to me
I'd prefer Chuck's technique. The aggressive attack with both hands comes through and is useful in some songs, but not the ones I have to play. I was influenced early on by Gary Willis who prefers to let the amp and pickups do the work. No offense to Josh. Matter of preference.
Literally the only thing that could affect the tone other than the players themselves at this point is if they were played on the same day at the same time, how fresh the strings are, and who played first. If filmed on separate days, a change in ambient temperature and humidity could make slight shifts in the setup of the bass. As far as who played first and the freshness of the strings, oil buildup from the fingers can cause the strings to sound different, so someone could have a brighter sound just because they played it first, then hand it off to the next person without the oils being removed, and the strings won't have the same punch. All that being said, I know this channel well enough that these variables won't affect the final production. This is evidence that different players with different techniques will sound different when played through the same equipment. Besides, most of the variables I mentioned can easily be fixed with a little EQ tweak.
What does the video mean? I was waiting for them to play the same riff with some cheap bass and they are just playing the same stuff with different dynamics
This happened to me before too. My soundman at that time tried my bass. When he played mine with the same everything, it was really sounding different. Forgive my bad english.
Josh should stop using such low action, because his playing style is making notes on higher frets sound blocked and dead. His playing style is great, but the basses he plays are not adjusted for it
As a caveman attack bass player I can assure you no BS whatsoever. The heavier you strike the strings the closer to the pickups the strings get. A heavy handed bass player will produce more volume and more treble from identical settings.
![[BASS COVER] Iron Maiden - Rime of the Ancient Mariner](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7tiEi-8ZHes/mqdefault.jpg)
Nowadays, gear is so versatile that you can pretty much play any style of music with any equipment. The real issue is that many bass players don't know how to properly use the EQ on their bass or amp... and some haven't realized that the way they attack the strings with their right hand, as well as the positioning of that hand, significantly affects the overall sound. Gear is cool-I love it-but it will never replace the creativity of the player.
Lee Sklar has a dummy switch on his bass he calls "The Producer Switch". He just moves his hand after using it lol.
One thing I hear right off the bat is that with the way that Josh really digs in, that compressor really isn't doing him any favors. It's squashing the hell out of his signal, and killing the low end. I'd maybe back off the compression ratio overall, and maybe shorten up the decay time in order to get a better result.
"It's the warrior, not the weapon." Something a bassist once told me.
The tone always will be in the hands
It sounds so different to me cause Josh beats on his strings like they owe him money.
Now that’s a different approach to all that’s out there haha love it. Tone is everywhere guys 🤘 hands strings wood pickups pedals amps cabinets speakers. But mainly in the air and in your ears
Are you telling us they are using all the same settings, too? Because the differences I'm hearing don't sound like differences in technique, they sound like differences in EQ and gain settings on either the bass or the amp, or both. That being said, I have always been of the opinion that the standard technique taught to most bassists results in anemic tone. For good tone, especially for good rock tone, you have to dig in.
What a gr8 message for the masses
Both Chuck and Josh are outstanding musicians, but it’s clear that Josh’s attack is FAR MORE AGGRESSIVE.
Great video!
Looks like the dude in blue is playing softly on purpose. Haven’t seen him on this channel previously, so I may be wrong, but that’s just what it seems to me
This is what people mean when they say tone is in the hands!
I'd prefer Chuck's technique. The aggressive attack with both hands comes through and is useful in some songs, but not the ones I have to play. I was influenced early on by Gary Willis who prefers to let the amp and pickups do the work. No offense to Josh. Matter of preference.
Literally the only thing that could affect the tone other than the players themselves at this point is if they were played on the same day at the same time, how fresh the strings are, and who played first. If filmed on separate days, a change in ambient temperature and humidity could make slight shifts in the setup of the bass. As far as who played first and the freshness of the strings, oil buildup from the fingers can cause the strings to sound different, so someone could have a brighter sound just because they played it first, then hand it off to the next person without the oils being removed, and the strings won't have the same punch.
All that being said, I know this channel well enough that these variables won't affect the final production. This is evidence that different players with different techniques will sound different when played through the same equipment. Besides, most of the variables I mentioned can easily be fixed with a little EQ tweak.
Yes it sounds different if you play harder
Finally a video that showcases where Tone REALLY comes from. From the Player! It maked all the differences! :)
What does the video mean? I was waiting for them to play the same riff with some cheap bass and they are just playing the same stuff with different dynamics
Now let Tim play the same.
Chuck just needs to pick harder
Boring. Just hitting strings harder does not define an individual tone.
Okay..same amp chain sure...but you're telling me that this is the same pickup and tone knob settings on that bass for both players?
This happened to me before too. My soundman at that time tried my bass. When he played mine with the same everything, it was really sounding different. Forgive my bad english.
Yep, how much you dig in makes a freakish difference. I'm in the caveman camp.
Josh should stop using such low action, because his playing style is making notes on higher frets sound blocked and dead.
His playing style is great, but the basses he plays are not adjusted for it
This just BS.
Which part is BS?
As a caveman attack bass player I can assure you no BS whatsoever. The heavier you strike the strings the closer to the pickups the strings get. A heavy handed bass player will produce more volume and more treble from identical settings.