MAKE NOTES STAND OUT
Ensure that your bass is audible in every situation
Great to see you, bass players! This month, we’ll begin to take a look at optimizing your tone and sound to ensure that every note cuts through when playing live.
Now, there are many options here, and some of these will suit certain gear combinations much better than others, so I’ll keep to the key principles.
First off, we’ll start with the bass itself. Where you play with your plucking hand will make a lot of difference in the sound you produce. If you play down by the bridge, you’ll get a much brighter and high-fidelity sound, although you’ll lose some of the low-end quality of your tone. If you play up by the neck or even over it, you’ll create a much warmer, thicker tone, but this compromises on clarity.