Hello TBers,
This may seem like a silly topic, but here goes...
I'm a drummer and somewhat new to bass. I had a Markbass CMD 102P that I just could not get a good sound out of, no matter what bass or settings I tried, so I decided to sell it. A guy came over to check it out, plugged in his Peavey bass and the amp sounded absolutely stunning. I debated cancelling the sale, but didn't. Still, I could not believe how much better it sounded when he played through it compared to how it sounded when I played through it. I discussed it with my bass teacher and we considered that maybe that guy just had his technique locked down, and maybe his bass just worked better with the amp. Still, sound is one thing; technique is another. It might explain some of the difference, but not all of it.
I then decided to sell my TC Electronic BG250 because it did not sound punchy enough. Again a buyer came by, plugged in my bass--the same one I could not get the amp to sound good with--and played just a few notes. Again, the amp sounded fantastic. He was not doing anything special, just running a few notes. OK, that's twice now.
Third time's a charm. I sold my G&L L2500 because, again, it just wasn't my sound. No real punch. A guy came over to purchase it for his son. The dad is not even a bass player. He just plugged it into the BG250 so he could make sure it worked, and plucked a few notes. Yet again, the bass and amp sounded great.
Lastly, I took my Fender ADPV into a shop to see about possibly changing the pre-amp. The guy behind the counter plugged it into some cheap little Peavey guitar amp and didn't even play it seriously. He just placed the bass on the counter and fretted a few notes. Once again, my bass sounded better to my ear than it does when I play it.
A drum teacher once told me that when purchasing a kit or cymbals, I should have someone else sit behind the kit and I should just stand back to hear how it sounds from out in front of the kit because it differs from how it sounds when you're playing it. I could see that applying to the drums because there is a batter head and a resonant head, and the former faces you while the latter faces away from you. However, that's not the case with bass or bass amps, so what would explain the difference in sound between playing and listening to or through them? You can say it's because I'm a newbie and don't have good technique, but I'd beg to differ. Still, I'd love to hear your opinion because it's driving me insane, such that I'm hesitant to get rid of any more equipment because I don't trust my ears anymore.
Thank you.
This may seem like a silly topic, but here goes...
I'm a drummer and somewhat new to bass. I had a Markbass CMD 102P that I just could not get a good sound out of, no matter what bass or settings I tried, so I decided to sell it. A guy came over to check it out, plugged in his Peavey bass and the amp sounded absolutely stunning. I debated cancelling the sale, but didn't. Still, I could not believe how much better it sounded when he played through it compared to how it sounded when I played through it. I discussed it with my bass teacher and we considered that maybe that guy just had his technique locked down, and maybe his bass just worked better with the amp. Still, sound is one thing; technique is another. It might explain some of the difference, but not all of it.
I then decided to sell my TC Electronic BG250 because it did not sound punchy enough. Again a buyer came by, plugged in my bass--the same one I could not get the amp to sound good with--and played just a few notes. Again, the amp sounded fantastic. He was not doing anything special, just running a few notes. OK, that's twice now.
Third time's a charm. I sold my G&L L2500 because, again, it just wasn't my sound. No real punch. A guy came over to purchase it for his son. The dad is not even a bass player. He just plugged it into the BG250 so he could make sure it worked, and plucked a few notes. Yet again, the bass and amp sounded great.
Lastly, I took my Fender ADPV into a shop to see about possibly changing the pre-amp. The guy behind the counter plugged it into some cheap little Peavey guitar amp and didn't even play it seriously. He just placed the bass on the counter and fretted a few notes. Once again, my bass sounded better to my ear than it does when I play it.
A drum teacher once told me that when purchasing a kit or cymbals, I should have someone else sit behind the kit and I should just stand back to hear how it sounds from out in front of the kit because it differs from how it sounds when you're playing it. I could see that applying to the drums because there is a batter head and a resonant head, and the former faces you while the latter faces away from you. However, that's not the case with bass or bass amps, so what would explain the difference in sound between playing and listening to or through them? You can say it's because I'm a newbie and don't have good technique, but I'd beg to differ. Still, I'd love to hear your opinion because it's driving me insane, such that I'm hesitant to get rid of any more equipment because I don't trust my ears anymore.
Thank you.
There’s something to that “tone in the hands” thing. Location in relation to the speakers can also play a large role.
