Thanks for this. It's surprising to me that this aspect of flea's tone doesn't get brought up more often as this is what makes Flea easily recognizable. I like how you mentioned that the growl is most apparent when playing the lower notes; this confirms that your topic is the same as the specific inflection I am most curious about - the slinky, aggressive, and somewhat rattling sound you get when you pluck the strings - and not just the general bass tone. I find Modulus Flea basses to naturally produce this growl and while stingrays can, it's not as explosive and as aggressive as the former. I think the major factors which contribute to getting that characteristic punch are: humbuckers, very low action setup, boosted low-mid EQ, strong fingers that really dig into the strings, carbon fiber neck for that brighter tone, and probably looser string tension?
Yeah - I agree. I think new strings help too (these were quite old). I'm not sure there is a rule about round core vs hex core etc., but the general consensus would say stainless would be the way to go.
Came here not because of Flea, but because of the growl. Everything you've said makes perfect sense - growl is totally different from what the overdrive pedal does! God bless the fret buzz }:-)
Thanks mate. Having same bass as you I just flow with the growly sound of this bass. Your video just ended my everlasting distortion tune ups to find the sound. I just lowered the action 😎
Nice video. I unfortunately realised some slightly uneven frets on some areas of my MM Stingray, but regardless you get pretty darn close to his tone with this low-action. One thing worth mentioning is if you're aiming to get his tone while playing "direct" into the DAW or D.I., you'll probably hear more buzz than notes. Amp-Cab (or a Sim) is an absolute must to nail the whole equation. Cheers!
there is some info under the video, but basically you're talking just over 3/64ths at the 12th fret E side, and just over 2/64ths on the 12th at the G (bass laying flat - not held in hands). The relief needs to be very minimal - between 5 and 8 thousandths.
Nice, same here. Try experimenting with the blend control. As the pickups are so close together, when you favour one over the other you'll suddenly get an increase in mids (the blend centred will cause a drop in the mids due to how the pickups are wired. If you roll the blend back towards one pickup it'll bring some mids which can be voiced almost like a semi-parametric eq. more towards the bridge will give you a higher almost fretless like midrange (Think Ryan Martinie's tone) and towards the neck (though it's really a middle pickup considering how far back it is) will add some lower mids. What strings do you use? I find DR Hi-Beams have a nice high midrange content that suits the Thumb bass. A bit of gain can accentuate mid frequencies as well. Have fun.
I don't think that buzz equals growl. There is no need for buzzing frets to growl; it is about dynamics of playing when you dig in on the right spot of the string.
Hello great vid.I tried setting up the bass as you suggested E 3/64 at 12th fret and 2/64 g string at 12th fret and my bass a squire vm is buzzing non stop is this the way it should be ? Thanks
Hi there. You have to have impeccable fretwork on your bass to accommodate action this low (i did my own fret level on this bass). Also, relief/bow needs to be almost negligible. It's a tough order! Anyway, for most people, it is buzzy as heck anyway. Most bassists scoff at a setup like this. The trick is to play it amplified, with a slightly pushed amp. If you look at flea playing his basses without an amp, you will hear huge amounts of buzz. th-cam.com/video/jDlILvy33C8/w-d-xo.html
I must disagree with you on the GK amps, They are mostly solid state amps and deliver a very clean hugely powerful sound, having owned 2 models the 700RB and and Fusion 550, I find they are very crisp and clear. Fleas growl sound is almost purely his extremely hard playing and some tone shaping, oh and the bass he uses of course. This is why you hear the growl in the lower strings more, because they vibrate with greater amplitude. While you are on the right track with the fret buzz delivering an aggressive gain like sound, the bass should not buzz while playing normally but only when digging hard into the strings which is what is what happens with bassists like Flea. However since their "buzzy" sound comes from playing hard, that in itself changes the tonal output of the bass so that the signal is louder and more punchy. When it comes to string action, I would not go lower than 3/32s Anyways thats my 2 cents, you should work on your own sound and set up your bass to your own comfort ;) that is when you will always get the best sound out of any bass.
Cheers for the advice. I was mainly talking about Flea's tone though - and he does really have his action that low. Regarding the GK - they can be clean and crisp - but they also have 'power rails' which saturate and have an overdriven quality to them. Google 'GK' and 'hitting the rails'
A cranked-to-the-gills GK is definitely not clean. I have a GK 400RB and the louder it gets, the more tubey and distorted it gets. Flea used an 800RB back in the day, which is known for it's tube-like growl it get when cranked. Paired with a Mesa 2x15, like Flea used around the BSSM days, and you got a warm, gritty, growly sound paired with something like a Jazz or a Wal like Flea used.
Very good video. I´ll try that. I just think that this setup maybe not work for every song. A slower song with long ringing notes can be prejudicated from the buzz. I really dig the buzz and I think it´s part of the growl. But sometimes it´s doesn´t work.
Mini?Man this looks like two minis it's too huge I dont wanna know how big is the original one.By the way I was in a run for analog synth,checked Minilogue( a failure IMO) ,MS20 mini yeah I know they all have their sweet spots and they're different beast,BUUUT I settled for Behringer DeepMind 12 ,man that's the synth 12 voice polyphony killer fx bpdy TC and Klark Technik and the sound is to die for.It blows away all KORG analog synths.Its more close to Roland JUNO 106.Just love it.
thumbs down already? I don't get it.... I really don't. What is wrong with the presentation?! LOL - There is no bs'ing here - that is how Flea's tech sets his guitars up...
Cheers mate - appreciate that. I reckon people are so used to Go-Pro's and super HD now too. The standards have changed quite a bit over the years, but we can't all invest to that level!
You really need to open the video with the bass sound you are talking about, getting through 9 minuets of talking when we don't eve know if your sound is good, will frustrate people very fast.
I think the main problem is, you should start off by showing the "growly tone" that you built. Thats how you have a proof of concept and then you may explain 10 min or 20 min on how you got it. In your video I watched first minute and then skipped a few times to see if you are playing - couldnt find the playing part so i was about to click thumbs down - but then i saw your question. So here you go - an answer instead of thumbs down.
I am skeptical of this for sure, I saw a video years ago where I heard Flea playing a bass acoustically before a gig and there was no fret buzz. I think the growl sound comes from the playing style, the bass itself and the GK "Hitting The Rails" Amps Growl. Is there any evidence that he sets his action that low?
at those string heights all your getting is frett buzz and i can clearly hear it when you are playing. I like low strings but that is unplayable every note is choking.
yep, that's the point! I'm not BS'ing - that is how Flea sets his action. And it's not because the frets are not level on this bass - they are deadflat level, with some appropriate amount of truss rod curve added
Thank you. "Growl" is written all over in the bass reviews but I never understood what it meant. now I understand and for me it's just fret buzz :-) Don't take it bad, it's just not my liking and for now on I won't pay attetion to the "growl" factor in a bass review ;-) the same for "slap" : I don't care if a bass is bad for slap :-)
I think fret buzz is not acceptable. Strings can be set low but as a musician you want a clean sound from your instrument even when its not plugged in. Guitar players would not accept that and neither should bassist. Most of these sounds are really all in the hands really. The low mids and all that are helpful but its the player. Ive played fretless for over 20 years and I get a wonderful growl with flatwound strings using no compression. Would roundwound strings, low action and compression help? Sure!! But again its mostly in the hands and how the player approaches their instrument and how well they know their instrument.
Ok, that's your opinion man. I think it's a very narrow opinion, but you're entitled to it. the fact remains that Flea uses super low action, and that 'clank' and grind contributes to his distinctive sound. You surely cannot deny that.
I love leaving in the fret buzz. It does add character and I think is the growl being talked about here. It's a very particular sound being sought. Like the quest for fretless mauw/mwah, if that's what it's called.
Thanks for this. It's surprising to me that this aspect of flea's tone doesn't get brought up more often as this is what makes Flea easily recognizable. I like how you mentioned that the growl is most apparent when playing the lower notes; this confirms that your topic is the same as the specific inflection I am most curious about - the slinky, aggressive, and somewhat rattling sound you get when you pluck the strings - and not just the general bass tone. I find Modulus Flea basses to naturally produce this growl and while stingrays can, it's not as explosive and as aggressive as the former. I think the major factors which contribute to getting that characteristic punch are: humbuckers, very low action setup, boosted low-mid EQ, strong fingers that really dig into the strings, carbon fiber neck for that brighter tone, and probably looser string tension?
Yeah - I agree. I think new strings help too (these were quite old). I'm not sure there is a rule about round core vs hex core etc., but the general consensus would say stainless would be the way to go.
Came here not because of Flea, but because of the growl. Everything you've said makes perfect sense - growl is totally different from what the overdrive pedal does! God bless the fret buzz }:-)
Cheers mate! Fret buzz is underrated!
GK800RB is Flea's amp on BSSM. Later it was a 2001RB.
The answer is he plays hard, that's it.
What is this peculiar "Gate" in the background? A fireplace?
Great video mate! That tone is amaaazing loved it !
Just a snarky remark from me but when you played Ethiopa at 9:03, the original has its verses in 7/8, not 4/4
not snarky at all mate - good point - never noticed that. Will pay more attention in future as these subtleties are what makes Flea great
MrTurboparrot the timing of it isn't exactly a subtlety
I shit you not- this dude doesn't play a single note during this fucking video. oh wait @9:00
Thanks mate. Having same bass as you I just flow with the growly sound of this bass. Your video just ended my everlasting distortion tune ups to find the sound. I just lowered the action 😎
Nice video.
I unfortunately realised some slightly uneven frets on some areas of my MM Stingray, but regardless you get pretty darn close to his tone with this low-action.
One thing worth mentioning is if you're aiming to get his tone while playing "direct" into the DAW or D.I., you'll probably hear more buzz than notes. Amp-Cab (or a Sim) is an absolute must to nail the whole equation. Cheers!
finnaly someone puts numbers on what on whT ridicously low bass action means...thanks !
You got a pretty close sound and I agree with you. By the way, could you post the precise specs of the action etc. please?
there is some info under the video, but basically you're talking just over 3/64ths at the 12th fret E side, and just over 2/64ths on the 12th at the G (bass laying flat - not held in hands). The relief needs to be very minimal - between 5 and 8 thousandths.
Your tone is amazing. How do you get that girth with a Sterling bass?
How would I️ get my Warwick to growl more? Good video
What Warwick have you got?
Jon Hallam I got a thumb
Nice, same here. Try experimenting with the blend control. As the pickups are so close together, when you favour one over the other you'll suddenly get an increase in mids (the blend centred will cause a drop in the mids due to how the pickups are wired. If you roll the blend back towards one pickup it'll bring some mids which can be voiced almost like a semi-parametric eq. more towards the bridge will give you a higher almost fretless like midrange (Think Ryan Martinie's tone) and towards the neck (though it's really a middle pickup considering how far back it is) will add some lower mids.
What strings do you use? I find DR Hi-Beams have a nice high midrange content that suits the Thumb bass. A bit of gain can accentuate mid frequencies as well.
Have fun.
Jon Hallam hey thanks man I appreciate it
Did it work?
thanks man! great explainations and great sound ;-)
I don't think that buzz equals growl. There is no need for buzzing frets to growl; it is about dynamics of playing when you dig in on the right spot of the string.
Finally someone who does this video thanks +1 sub!!!
Yeah - not too much on this on the yootoobz for some reason ;)
Hello great vid.I tried setting up the bass as you suggested E 3/64 at 12th fret and 2/64 g string at 12th fret and my bass a squire vm is buzzing non stop is this the way it should be ? Thanks
Hi there. You have to have impeccable fretwork on your bass to accommodate action this low (i did my own fret level on this bass). Also, relief/bow needs to be almost negligible. It's a tough order! Anyway, for most people, it is buzzy as heck anyway. Most bassists scoff at a setup like this. The trick is to play it amplified, with a slightly pushed amp. If you look at flea playing his basses without an amp, you will hear huge amounts of buzz. th-cam.com/video/jDlILvy33C8/w-d-xo.html
He is wrong, Flea's tech says it's 4/64 and 3/64
I must disagree with you on the GK amps, They are mostly solid state amps and deliver a very clean hugely powerful sound, having owned 2 models the 700RB and and Fusion 550, I find they are very crisp and clear. Fleas growl sound is almost purely his extremely hard playing and some tone shaping, oh and the bass he uses of course. This is why you hear the growl in the lower strings more, because they vibrate with greater amplitude.
While you are on the right track with the fret buzz delivering an aggressive gain like sound, the bass should not buzz while playing normally but only when digging hard into the strings which is what is what happens with bassists like Flea. However since their "buzzy" sound comes from playing hard, that in itself changes the tonal output of the bass so that the signal is louder and more punchy. When it comes to string action, I would not go lower than 3/32s
Anyways thats my 2 cents, you should work on your own sound and set up your bass to your own comfort ;) that is when you will always get the best sound out of any bass.
Cheers for the advice. I was mainly talking about Flea's tone though - and he does really have his action that low. Regarding the GK - they can be clean and crisp - but they also have 'power rails' which saturate and have an overdriven quality to them. Google 'GK' and 'hitting the rails'
A cranked-to-the-gills GK is definitely not clean. I have a GK 400RB and the louder it gets, the more tubey and distorted it gets. Flea used an 800RB back in the day, which is known for it's tube-like growl it get when cranked. Paired with a Mesa 2x15, like Flea used around the BSSM days, and you got a warm, gritty, growly sound paired with something like a Jazz or a Wal like Flea used.
Does pickup height matter for this?
Very good video. I´ll try that. I just think that this setup maybe not work for every song. A slower song with long ringing notes can be prejudicated from the buzz. I really dig the buzz and I think it´s part of the growl. But sometimes it´s doesn´t work.
Is that MS20 in the back cause if yes it looks Huuuge
LOLZ - yeah MS20 mini actually. It's not that big if you get your hands on one. It's a helluva fun synth ;)
Mini?Man this looks like two minis it's too huge I dont wanna know how big is the original one.By the way I was in a run for analog synth,checked Minilogue( a failure IMO) ,MS20 mini yeah I know they all have their sweet spots and they're different beast,BUUUT I settled for Behringer DeepMind 12 ,man that's the synth 12 voice polyphony killer fx bpdy TC and Klark Technik and the sound is to die for.It blows away all KORG analog synths.Its more close to Roland JUNO 106.Just love it.
Yeah, that Behringer deepmind 12 is a monster! Hope you enjoy it ;)
Está idéntico!
thumbs down already? I don't get it.... I really don't. What is wrong with the presentation?! LOL - There is no bs'ing here - that is how Flea's tech sets his guitars up...
You're a small youtuber, sometimes you will just get dislikes for no reason. Once you get more views the real statistics will show! :)
Cheers mate - appreciate that. I reckon people are so used to Go-Pro's and super HD now too. The standards have changed quite a bit over the years, but we can't all invest to that level!
MrTurboparrot Probably miss clicked since this is a good video!
You really need to open the video with the bass sound you are talking about, getting through 9 minuets of talking when we don't eve know if your sound is good, will frustrate people very fast.
I think the main problem is, you should start off by showing the "growly tone" that you built. Thats how you have a proof of concept and then you may explain 10 min or 20 min on how you got it. In your video I watched first minute and then skipped a few times to see if you are playing - couldnt find the playing part so i was about to click thumbs down - but then i saw your question. So here you go - an answer instead of thumbs down.
Flea played a Wal there. Mucho growl.
Otherwise use a jazz , strings low low to the fretts and pluck hardd.
I am skeptical of this for sure, I saw a video years ago where I heard Flea playing a bass acoustically before a gig and there was no fret buzz. I think the growl sound comes from the playing style, the bass itself and the GK "Hitting The Rails" Amps Growl. Is there any evidence that he sets his action that low?
Ok, found this video th-cam.com/video/jDlILvy33C8/w-d-xo.html
I stand corrected
People rim Flea, pretty sure the king of growl was Jean-Jacques Burnel .. What an old codger I am....🤠
you have a great sound going there
what strings are you using?
Too much chit chat and not enough demonstration - more playing please...
Thx, you saved me 9 minutes of life... Clicking back now
at those string heights all your getting is frett buzz and i can clearly hear it when you are playing. I like low strings but that is unplayable every note is choking.
yep, that's the point! I'm not BS'ing - that is how Flea sets his action. And it's not because the frets are not level on this bass - they are deadflat level, with some appropriate amount of truss rod curve added
Thank you. "Growl" is written all over in the bass reviews but I never understood what it meant. now I understand and for me it's just fret buzz :-) Don't take it bad, it's just not my liking and for now on I won't pay attetion to the "growl" factor in a bass review ;-) the same for "slap" : I don't care if a bass is bad for slap :-)
Stainless Steel Frets, glued in.
Peter Green???
Do you have one of dem smaller basses?
smaller? as in shortscale? No. this is 'long' 34"
not really fair playing a stingray style bass. they pretty much only growl
Fleas Tick- insects everywhere
Deep stuff! Grrrr.
Who the fuck walks through that tiny doorway?
LOLZ :)
Playing a 7/8 song in 4/4, sinful.
You should muting better the strings you are not playing, also ethiopia is not in 4/4. Other than that, your tone la really similar to flea's one.
Play the bass man. Too much talking and doesn’t show how it sounds
I did not get anything useful from this video
I think fret buzz is not acceptable. Strings can be set low but as a musician you want a clean sound from your instrument even when its not plugged in. Guitar players would not accept that and neither should bassist. Most of these sounds are really all in the hands really. The low mids and all that are helpful but its the player. Ive played fretless for over 20 years and I get a wonderful growl with flatwound strings using no compression. Would roundwound strings, low action and compression help? Sure!! But again its mostly in the hands and how the player approaches their instrument and how well they know their instrument.
Ok, that's your opinion man. I think it's a very narrow opinion, but you're entitled to it. the fact remains that Flea uses super low action, and that 'clank' and grind contributes to his distinctive sound. You surely cannot deny that.
Well fret buzz brings additional character to the sound. Personaly I love a little buzz all over the neck.
I love leaving in the fret buzz. It does add character and I think is the growl being talked about here. It's a very particular sound being sought. Like the quest for fretless mauw/mwah, if that's what it's called.
Sounds like a diesel truck.
Use a DI next time