Just a couple of test riffs w/low F# bass!

[chimp_spanner]

Hey all, just thought I'd share a couple of quick riffs with ya all - first of which I'm almost certain will be on the new CD in some way or another!

"All Roads Lead Here"

https://www.yousendit.com/download/bVlCcHBGeWFoeWJIRGc9PQ

"F# Bass Test"

YouSendIt - Send large files - transfer delivery - FTP Replacement

I'm tuning my bass to F# with a....*dun dun dunnnn* 130 gauge :\ but, I've a 145 coming in the post this week. But the results are promising I think! What it's lacking in clarity and definition now I think it will gain with the extra tension. So here's hoping.

Oh and for the curious, All Roads Lead Here started life as a latin riff gotta stay true to the roots. Yeeeeah.

x

 

[Mattayus]

nice man dude bro mate!

The F# bass was surprisingly unmuddy! bet you were chuffed that came off eh? What bass you using? just a 5 string?

 

[chimp_spanner]

Yeah! It's a Schecter Stiletto Deluxe 5, kind of a budget long scale (35") but it's served me pretty well. I was on the verge of buying a new bass but I figured if I can get this one to at least sound how it should, might as well save the money!

Oh and as a side note, I had an idea...but I wasn't sure if it was a sensible one or not. If you make the string longer behind the bridge, dya think it'd increase tension overall? Some kind of sleeve, or metal jacket that sits near the ball end so it'd put the end of the string about an inch further back...seems like a good idea in my head.

 

[Mattayus]

Maybe, maybe not! My logic says 'yes', but isn't the scale length of an instrument from nut to bridge? In which case, it wouldn't work! I'll let someone who knows more about it answer hehe, i'm not much of a tech head so i'm not absolutely sure.

 

[The Dark Wolf]

Oh and as a side note, I had an idea...but I wasn't sure if it was a sensible one or not. If you make the string longer behind the bridge, dya think it'd increase tension overall? Some kind of sleeve, or metal jacket that sits near the ball end so it'd put the end of the string about an inch further back...seems like a good idea in my head.

No. It has absolutely zero effect.

This has been debunked many times. Tension is ONLY a factor of the string length of the pitch aspect - bridge to nut. That's it.

 

[Apophis]

sounds nice

 

[chimp_spanner]

Ah that's a shame! In any case I'm sure the 145 will be okay. If I'm getting away with a 130 it should be!!

 

[eleven59]

That sounds massive! This answers my question of what I'm going to do if my guitarists go to 8-strings. I had considered doing the Meshuggah thing and tuning up to unison, but really wanted to try octave-down but wasn't sure how it'd sound. Now I know

 

[chimp_spanner]

Cheers man I mean I have to say, it doesn't sound good all the time. Another track I posted up here, Bad Code, just works with the unison thing. I think going that low should be done in moderation ya know. Otherwise it just gets tiring to listen to. But it's awesome to be able to do it!

 

[Ruins]

wow sounds damn good and original style too
i want more!

 

[Zak1233]

man they are so

you never cease to amaze me paul

 

[MF_Kitten]

sounds great, but i somehow don´t hear the bass the way i would have expected. it seems to lack the "gel" that you need to make it work in those kinds of tunings. try more high mids, to bring out the timbre of the bass, so it accents that deep sound

i find that when guitars and bass gel together that deep, the guitars should sound really vibrating. you hear this very well in Bulb´s 8 string mixes, and in Tiger/Iechine´s songs in places. it also helps to use a pick to bring out the sharp attack and overtones.

listen to this: SoundClick artist: Bulb - Hello! I am Bulb! Enjoy the tunes!

listen to the part after the initial palm mutiing riff, where there´s a little flurry of notes, followed by two low notes. "dagga-dagga-dagga-da... DOOOOW DOOOOOW - buddali bew bew bew" X2. (yeah, i know. i´m great at verbalizing riffs. it´s a trained skill... what!?) listen to the deepness of the timbre of those two low notes. that´s a result of the bass vibrating at half the speed of the guitars (octave down), and somehow affecting the mix between guitars and bass, giving it that super-emphasized timbre that makes me wanna buy myself a new bass despite the fact that i can´t afford it... ME WANTS!

 

[Variant]

I dunno if I agree, you can really hear the rumble of the bass in Paul's demo, it's nice because it's not really following the guitar in all the places, which I'm a big fan of. Great mix, in any case.

 

[KaLeVaLA]

wow...that is def. a lowtuning for that bass hehe...i would def. fail if i was trying that hehe!
Good job man! Awesome riffs btw!

Sorry to go a little off topic, but..what string size would you recommend when using a 5string bass (same as you have) in drop A tuning?

 

[TomAwesome]

 

[chimp_spanner]

Heyhey! Cheers for listening all :]

Yeah actually I was talking to Misha about the bass thing yesterday, and he sent me a clip of one of the tones he'd managed to get and it was far closer to what I want - actually very little emphasis on the fundamental, and a real boost to the mids. Had a nice throaty tone to it, didn't interfere too much with the kicks and stuff.

I will tweak my bass tone, but not until I've got a better string on I think the lack in tension is gunna dull the sound a bit, and I'm kinda backing off on my pick attack so I don't have to retune...as much!

But yeah, will definitely keep hammering away at this idea. I can tell you all that there will be sax, vibraphone, and Linn-Drums. Woopwoop!

x

 

[Coryd]

Sounds awesome chimp!

Looking forward to hearing how it turns out after the addition of the "sax, vibraphone, and Linn-Drums. Woopwoop!"

 

[bulb]

Heyhey! Cheers for listening all :]

Yeah actually I was talking to Misha about the bass thing yesterday, and he sent me a clip of one of the tones he'd managed to get and it was far closer to what I want - actually very little emphasis on the fundamental, and a real boost to the mids. Had a nice throaty tone to it, didn't interfere too much with the kicks and stuff.

x

dude, in my honest opinion, your F# bass tone is way better than mine, its not quite there yet, but its way closer than i got, and as i was saying earlier if anyone could get distorted octaved down F# bass to sound good it would be you!
im excited to see how that 145 works out, because if it does i may have to go string shopping!

 

[CGord]

Yeah! It's a Schecter Stiletto Deluxe 5, kind of a budget long scale (35") but it's served me pretty well. I was on the verge of buying a new bass but I figured if I can get this one to at least sound how it should, might as well save the money!

Oh and as a side note, I had an idea...but I wasn't sure if it was a sensible one or not. If you make the string longer behind the bridge, dya think it'd increase tension overall? Some kind of sleeve, or metal jacket that sits near the ball end so it'd put the end of the string about an inch further back...seems like a good idea in my head.

I have one, great bass for the money.

 

[MF_Kitten]

dude, in my honest opinion, your F# bass tone is way better than mine, its not quite there yet, but its way closer than i got, and as i was saying earlier if anyone could get distorted octaved down F# bass to sound good it would be you!
im excited to see how that 145 works out, because if it does i may have to go string shopping!

the only problem with your low F bass tone is the floppyness of the string

i think i would go at least .165 or something myself.

Woodo guitars has a clip of one of their 7 string basses tuned to f# with a .145: http://www.woodoguitars.se/Sounds/Woodo B7 Low End.mp3

sounds decent, but loose, i think. i want to get a bass and grab the warick Dark Lord string set with the .175 in it

i like the deep fundamental sound of chimp spanner´s clips, but i like the "gel" of misha´s clips. can´t wait to hear the .145, and eventually what misha decides to get. and how that will sound as well