I completed all Bass Buzz lessons (yay!) and decided it was time to upgrade my bass (for fun ) My starter bass is a Squire Classic Vibe '60s Jazz Bass, which I’ve been enjoying.
I wanted to try something different. I love metal and read good reviews for the Schecter SLS Evil Twin Bass (and also love the way it looks ) so chose it as my upgrade.
I want to love the Schecter so much, but the tone isn’t as deep as my Jazz Bass, and sounds “nasally” at times (for lack of better words). Is this what I should expect from a Schecter bass, or is there a chance I need to play around with the controls? I’ve adjusted the controls, but haven’t found that classic “deep” bass sound that I love from my Jazz Bass as of yet. It seems like it came out of the box “ready to play,” but I have not taken it for a proper setup yet, so wondering if that could also be playing into the sound.
I’ve also been looking at the Ibanez SR500E Bass, and wondering if that would be a better route for me (I have 45 days to return the Schecter, if I want to).
The Evil Twin has the Fishman Fluence pickups, which are supposed to be the most versatile pickups ever… You probably haven’t discovered their full potential yet.
This question is maybe a bit more tricky. I would personally love that Evil Twin bass, but I wonder if the Fishman pickups / preamp would work for you. I had a guitar with a Fishman and it was the best “clean” sound I got from a guitar which worked great with any hi-gain pedal. I think it should work that way for metal.
For more color you could look at EMG or Seymour Duncan. I can imagine the Fishman sounds clinical compared to others. And yeah, you can fix a lot with EQ.
Personally I prefer passive basses and do tone coloring with pedals, amps and cabs.
My Spector Dimension has the Fluence pickups and I agree. Even after a year I still don’t think I’ve been able to get the full potential out of them. Even then, it’s kind of spoiled me for others.
It’s a 3-way voicing switch for classic, funk, and modern. I’d think classic should get me the sound I want similar to my Squire, but doesn’t seem to be doing it. Still figuring it out!
I can’t tell if it’s intended specifically for acoustic instruments or if it’s just saying it will work well with acoustic instruments.
Regardless, I’m not a fan of the design. I don’t understand what this gives you over using a pedal. If anything, it seems less convenient being a clip on rather than a pedal.
If you’re interested in getting into playing with pedals, but don’t know what you want, most people here reccomend the Zoom B1 Four Multi Effects Pedal. You can get these used for less than a $100.
It’s really good for being able to try out lots of preamps and pedals without having to shell out a bunch of cash. Also, a lot of people around here have them and will help if you have questions.
No better words for it. As much as I dislike that nasally sound, it helps your bass cut through the mix so people hear what you play instead of just feel it. You can get rid of that sound if you turn down the bridge pickup. You’ll have to play with it some. Try turning the bridge pickup all the way down and start adding it back till you get the nasal sound, then back it off some.
If you want to get more precise and keep both pickups turned up, you could use an EQ pedal to get rid of the nasal sound. The Zoom I recommended can do this or you can get an EQ pedal from Boss or MXR.
Thirdly, depending on your amps EQ capabilities, you could dial it out there.
I know it’s in the mids. If you need information on the specific frequencies, I could tag some people that are more knowledgeable on that than I am. I’ve never gotten that deep. It was always easier to just turn down the bridge pickup.
I got into the other options because different people have different sensitivities and like to make adjustments in different places. Since everything affects everything else, sometimes it makes more sense to change something in one place rather than another, depending on how complicated your setup gets.
With how people talk about those pickups you should be able to get pretty close. But, keep in mind the Fishman pickups are both humbucking pickups and the Jazz bass is using two single coil pickups. These are very different designs.
Single coil pickups have a “growly” sound and the pickups on the Squier are going to sound a little dirtier than the Fishman pickups.
Humbuckers have an “airy” sound (almost like there is space to breathe inside of the sound they make) and the Fishman pickups, in particular, are supposed to be very clean sounding.
If all this is stuff you already know, just ignore. I was trying to think of what you’re hearing and what might be causing the differences.
This is super helpful, thank you so much!! It’s very interesting to experience the difference in the guitars, and all your explanations very much help me understand why I’m hearing what I’m hearing.
Haha, that is exactly what I’ve been thinking about - maybe the jazz style bass is just the sound I like, and I should stick to it. I was also thinking that maybe I should explore other passive basses in general, rather than an active bass?
I’m a big fan of passive basses, and prefer them over active basses, except when I don’t.
My go to bass is a niche bass, a single coil P like the early fifties. But I back that up with a Jazz (active). Go for what you like, could be you are a Jazz man. I would hold on to the Schecter, your bass tastes will likely drift over time and Fishmans are not to be discarded lightly
Actives IMO are more of a PITA (dying batteries, etc) for hobbyists, etc.
If you want a very simple setup to tour around with etc, and your preamp is in your bass, active it is for sure.
But otherwise its a bit like buying a TV with a VCR built into it.
Haha I wouldn’t go that far, I say it adds an extra boost and EQ to your signal but that comes with the cost and hassle of an battery. It’s great for metal if you want a hot signal going into your pedals and amp.
Personally I do prefer passive like John, but I like to toy around with different pedals and amps.
@leshurv I just watched the video. See if pulling the push/pull knob and using position one on the toggle switch gets you closer to the sound your looking for.
I’ve been trying! No luck yet… it sounds closer, but still has that kinda clinical/a little harsh sound to it. It’s interesting to hear the difference between my Squire and the Schecter, I think I’m getting used to the Schecter sound a little more and appreciating the difference between the two.
) My starter bass is a Squire Classic Vibe '60s Jazz Bass, which I’ve been enjoying.
) so chose it as my upgrade.
