Apologies if this has been discussed and I couldn’t find the thread.
I’m a creature of habit and don’t like to change things. I found some strings I like and that’s that
I adjusted the knobs on my amp to where I liked the sound and I don’t change anything. The most I do is roll my tone knob down if I’m playing a song where I want a low muffled/vintage tone ( Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, for example). I really don’t like messing with stuff.
Most days I listen to the sounds coming out of my amp and I just love hearing the notes ring out. But occasionally I’ll pick up the bass to practice and have some fun and the tone just sounds off. Nothing drastic, it just doesn’t suit my ears like normal. I’d guess I experience this about once a week. I play every morning and evening.
Anyone else experience this, or is it my imagination? Is ear fatigue a thing(like palette fatigue)? Is my cord failing? Are the electronics of my cheap bass failing?
I think every player, of any instrument, runs into this situation. But I think the root source of funky playing days lies within us: our mood, degree of fatigue on a given day, external influences on our minds, etc.
It’s a thing, for sure. But another thing is when you can play and seemingly do no wrong: Your fingers are on auto-pilot, the sound is great and all is right with the world.
Two perspectives: 1.) Know that the former will happen on occasion; and, 2.) Rejoice when the latter happens. Music springs from the muse. Welcome it and it will often reward you with a really good day.
Are you sitting in the same spot every time facing the amp? The bass would sound awesome like the way you set it up when you sit in the same place you set it up. When you move and/ or facing the wrong(different) way it will sound different especially in a low(er) volume setting.
I get this from time to time as I have a few amps and they are not in the same position I’d hear the sound I like but when I change amp it sounds different. Also the acoustic treatment too, unlike other instruments, the bass’s low frequency usually trap in the corners and ceiling the sound waves bounce back and cancel some, well it can be a mess. It was a pain but I treated my playroom and made sure to avoid the flat ceiling. Studio foam panels and the hanging basses took care of the absorber and diffuser.
That’s a good point. Also the volume can change the tone, especially with resonnance phenomenon, like the sound can be very good at low volume and become more “boomy” if you raise the volume. In this exemple, you’d have to lower the lower frequencies on the EQ as a compensation.
Everything is very consistent. My amps stay put and I always sit in the same spot. I really just hang up the bass and turn off the switches when I’m done and come back to the same setup every day.
I’m curious about what all you did to your room. I’m a noob and looking for any information I can get.
Thanks, but I don’t believe it’s related to strings. On the days where I don’t like the sound I will walk away and everything sounds fine when I return. No changes made.
If that’s the case then it’s just the day you are having. Like @MikeC said, some day it’s good and some is great, or not, lol. Sometimes I feel like the basses just play themselves and some it’s just fighting me the whole time, when that happens I just stopped and do something else for a while.
I would not rule out a poltergeist or other more scientific external causes.
@Shinyribs - can you make a recording of the same tune for several days and post it here (as youtube video)? Than we can have an intersubjective look at things…
I put some studio foam panels to deadened the room a bit slowing down the returning sound wave and I used to put the diffuser panels but I found that the basses I hang on the shed offer plenty of diffuser so I removed them.
In my experience, it hasn’t mattered if I were playing piano, sax, guitar or bass: Some days are unbelievably magical, and other days were poop on a stick. Same guy, same instruments: different results. There is only one constant in this equation. In other words, we have met the enemy, and he is us.
But don’t let it get you down. Shit happens. Sometimes it’s great and sometimes it ain’t.
I wouldn’t worry about it. It could be as simple as you had a bad day at work and you’re plucking harder, or your tired and plucking softer or with your hand at a slightly different angle. Unless your pickups or amp are starting to go flaky, they should return the same sound when plucked at a consistent angle, force, and speed. It’s not like they have moods (again, unless they’re starting to go flaky for any one of a number of reasons). And really, the premise I just put out isn’t even accurate, because as your strings get used and dirty their sound will change.
And that’s not even taking into account external factors discussed above. At random times of the day, there’s some wacky EMF field around my house that causes a buzzing. Other times, it’s not there. shrug
The only thing I have to record with is my phone and the last time I recorded something the audio was horrible. Like it fluctuating or something. I’ll set if I can do something.
I have a guitarist friend that has this problem - he compensates by buying new gear all the time. Amps, pedals, new guitars, cabs - you name it. It’s his excuse to feed his GAS.
I actually prefer the sound of the 40 much better as the 100 seems too boomy to me. But I’m admittedly a noob and still finding my way. My bass itself in one of the infamous Glarry units, so…you know. Nothing special going on over here
Yes absolutely. In the home practice setting the smaller capable 10” speaker would sound much tighter than the 12” speaker on the 100. Taking both outdoor would yield different results for you.
