Author Topic: Playability or tone?? (Read 499 times)

bigredbass · « **Reply #30 on:** October 25, 2009, 10:16:09 PM »

Maybe it's just me . . . depending what day it is, either I DON'T sound good and my tone sucks, on a great bass and amp, or I'm just NOT playing very well, despite the fact I set my own bass up myself and the playability is just fine.

And this is on the same bass and amp with all the knobs in the same place: Yesterday I was a hero, today I'm a zero ! ! And I've been playing for thirty years ! !

The eternal struggle . . . . playability and tone is all well and good, but some days it just doesn't matter if my head and hands aren't talking to each other.

jazzyvee · « **Reply #31 on:** October 26, 2009, 04:30:38 AM »

I get frustrated at rehearsal rooms where the equipment is of very basic quality and I can't get a sound from it that I can relate to.

Very often on gigs, my sound is better than my playing hahaha.
Jazzyvee

jet_powers · « **Reply #32 on:** October 26, 2009, 01:59:54 PM »

I think what Joey is refering to is the ghost in the machine!

JP

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #33 on:** October 27, 2009, 06:17:11 AM »

Oh, that is a point Jazzyvee!

I gave up using a rehearsal studio near home just because I couldn't get its boomny sounding room any longer. I started to hate the place and its stationary wave issues. There were days that I leave the place really frustrated (to not say pissed).

Now I got to get my car and go to another neighborhood, but I prefer that way much better... It is irritating having to play on a bad room. They gave you the impression that no effort you make is rewarded. Play is not a joy, joy is to hear music and there are places who seems to hates music (sorry, if I'm bitter today...).

room037 · « **Reply #34 on:** October 27, 2009, 08:19:23 AM »

My bass career started with Distillate bass.
Because my guess is Alembic tone first.

I was looking for other basses for playability.
After a quarter of a century, I got the answer.
Narrow neck 5st. Alembic basses satified both tone and playability for finger style, and Classic taper 4st. is comfortable for slapping.

I selected my other basses for the tone.
(Hamer 12st, Paul Reed Smith 4st FL, P-project Elec-Acoustic 6st etc...)

Eiji

hammer · « **Reply #35 on:** October 27, 2009, 01:37:30 PM »

As an individual who is somewhat limited with respect to the length of his fingers (okay...to be honest they are short and stubby) I'd have to go with playability. Having played for over thirty years I've found that the neck of a bass and its set-up make the difference between me sounding like an adequate bassist and a total hack. However, I can only respond on the basis of personal experience and it might be totally different for the person who can stretch those digits between the 1st and 7th frets with ease. In addition, recent years (as opposed to the distant past when I started playing) have seen the development of technology that allow just about any bassest with even the most basic amplification equipment to shape his or her tone to a much greater extent than in the past.

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #36 on:** October 27, 2009, 03:47:40 PM »

Since I've played my Alembic, it changed my concepts of what is playability and tone (and it is no Series).

jos · « **Reply #37 on:** October 28, 2009, 11:23:07 AM »

Hi Brothers! Sound is always first. That?s why we are playing Alembic instruments. Playability is important too but sound is always first. If only playability matters why spend money to buy an Alembic?
Every bass player can play a great wedding gig with almost any bass and nobody will complain about the bass sound as long as the notes you play is about the right ones.
I play the Alembic bass because the instrument helps me as a musician to get the sound I like. The Alembic bass has a great wide bass sound with all the frequencies available and is the right tool for me to do the things I do. The Alembic bass sound also cuts through better than most basses in difficult situations, at least in my experience.
But of course, there are other great basses out there too???

J-O-S

jet_powers · « **Reply #38 on:** October 28, 2009, 02:28:06 PM »

When I went to buy my Rogue 5 I didn't even plug it in. I knew it would sound good. It's an Alembic. I wanted to know how it felt in my hands. It felt good and I took it home and when I plugged it in it did not disappoint....

JP

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #39 on:** October 30, 2009, 04:56:10 PM »

Funny, I had the same feeling when I met mine.

I knew it only could sound great just playing it unplugged. It sounded so good acousticaly - good as no other bass I'd already played before - that I was instantly grabbed by it.

I tried it plugged then and it sounded amazing on store's big stack. I didn't knew how to use the Filter or Switches, but all sounds that I'd got seemed usefull to me. So I took it home just to find out it sounds perfect on any gear I plug it.

Really love my Rogue. One of the best sounding Bass I've ever put my hands on and it is very confortable to play, too!