Depressed Corvette $$ NT Ash Owner...

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parabolic

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Hi everybody,
Finally, I upgraded my bass, passing from a Yamaha BB414 to a Corvette $$NT ash. It took long time and many music shops tours to decide, and in the end the choice was done. Now, after a month, I am discouraged. I can't get out from the $$ a good tone, and it seems quite different from the feeling I got when I tried it in the music shops. I tried different pu settings and panning: yesterday I used the configuration suggested by Golem ("asymmetric" neck and bridge pu settings), but the sound was ... "hollow", I don't know if I can explain properly, and if I boosted the lows it got "clangy", and definitely without punch. I passed 3/4 of the time at the amplifier knobs, and in the end the only result I achieved was to get my band-mates upset. At home I use a Fender Bassman 250 and the tone I get is decent; when we play together I use as Ashdown Evo 500 coupled with a Behringer BA810. Someone told me that the problem came from the behringer cab, but I tried with an Ampeg and a Markbass and the results were similar. You are far more experienced than me with Warwick basses: have you any further suggestion? I am worried because some days ago a colleague told me that he purchased the $$NT and got the same problems, and in the end he sold it and bought a Bongo...:confused: Thanks!
 
hey parabolic

sorry to here that. i've bought a nt vette almost a year ago. it's a good bass very versatile but after some time i do have the same problem like you...
i like the tone of it but only with fresh strings... and i'm not that happy with the b-string, i mostly played stuff with the standart 4strings which is than a joy to play. but later i bought the stage1 and another thumb nt.

what i think is that the sound is too boomy for my taste. with fresh strings (more zing and growl) i switch both humbucker parallel and after the string are getting a bit older i switch it to singlecoil.
from this expierence i suggest that the pu-configuration doesn't fit a neck-thru construction with ash body.
maybe i'm just talking bull♣♣♣♣ too because i should invest more time in amp settings. compared to the stage1 and thumb which almost fits my soundtaste by having the eq flat/neutral the vette needs more knowledge and love in amp settings.
another point what i think that this bass needs a 3band instead of the 2band.

to the behringer: for the price it's a fantastic box i do have 4x10 but prefer the markbass more because it has a more articulated sound. it's a bit boomy too but shoudn't effect the vette sound that big...

still like this bass and i take it with me to the gigs for some songs lately but i'm tryin to optimize the sound/settings in following time and will inform you if you want. and if you have an earlier solution then please tell me:)

cheers
herbie
 
The first thing you need to dow itha $$ is lower the pick ups. This removes a lot of the mud and any distortion created when plucking. The $$ is a funny instrument though. It is very versatile and over the 3 years that I've had it I've loved it and hated it. I'm back to loving it now that I know more about playing with the configurations. It is a fantastic bass, but it does require a lot of persavearance. Try individal pick ups. I'm currently playing just the neck pick up, switch down for parallel, and backing off the treble slightly, but bass full on, and it's coming through the mix lovely.
 
Thanks. My pickups are at 5 mm (bridge) and 8 mm (neck). with the neck one lightly tilted towards the thinner strings. I tried different options (single coil neck + parallel bridge, both single coil, both parallel). Probably the one I like more is both single coil, but with this configuration my bass is overwhelmed by the two guitarists' amplifiers, so I am forced to push gain and master full clockwise, and the sound gets horribly distorted (no way to convince them to reduce their output...). They say that my pu are too low and this is why I have scarce punch. I tried to change the strings, now I use Ernie Ball medium gauge, but with no better results. Probably you are right, Mr Bassman Sax, I need time and I should stubbornly go on trying and trying, but I feel like I exhausted my ideas. The setup is ok (I took it to a good luthier the same day I purchased it...), I spent hours screwing and panning and equalizing, I borrowed the $$ to another (very skilled) bassist, to rule out the "incompetent bassist touch" factor, he shared my opinion and he suggested me to try different settings, or considering the pickups change, because (in his opinion) MEC are not quite good. Probably I'm missing something... I wonder why, when I play alone, I can get a good sound (especially with the Fender Bassman, surely not the best bass amplifier available...), particularly with both pu in single coil, but in the mix I get totally lost or mu tone is horrible.
 
Dude, try to work around with your eq. Finding the "right" EQ for a bass takes a long time, but once you have it, you're satisfied. It took me 1 year to learn what types of settings my jazz bass was good for, but once you know, your bass will be killing. For your bass, I'd personally go bridge pickup only in serial, bypassed pre with a solid boost at around 800-1000 Hz.
 
I don't think an ash body is good for $$'s. They're too muddy and boomy to begin with but in an ash body it just makes it worse. I have never been able to get a tone that I like out of a $$, granted I have never played a bubinga NT version. The bubinga version seems like it would do a great job of cleaning out the mud. Maybe you should have gotten a bubinga one. Also, get rid of the Behringer cab. That will make anything sound bad.

Welcome to the forum by the way.
 
have to slighty disagree.
And also I'm wondering why your guitards are talking such a bs.... you can't be heard, they are too loud... so YOU lack in punch?
Driving your amp at max for sure is no good idea, especially if you got the feeling your sound is too muddy - those deep frequencies in full boost are able to kill your speakers - and behringers even faster, imo.
I've played your bass and was...puh... I liked the $$NT Bubinga much much more, but I don't have the feeling your NT should be any worse or muddyer than any regular $$ is, as the maple neck brightens it up pretty much already!

I also wouldn't go for lowering your pickups if it's not distorting - imo you'll get more bass freq the further they are (...?! or am I wrong)
Then try out: neck in singlecoill, bridge in serial or parallel (you'll see what you like more) - pan ~70% towards the bridge and try to play somewhere near the neck pickup (more towards the bridge pu though).
If THAT is not punchy enough, then go and boost 800-1000hz on your amp - leave your bass in passive mode, unless you should feel you lack lows, then boost it with your onboard.

Nevertheless - if you are not satisfied with your output, i.e. your volume - it's not your basses fault! I think your issue is also caused by a bad band-mix, also by your rig.

and what I always forget:
TRY NICKLE STRINGS!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
boebl said:
Nevertheless - if you are not satisfied with your output, i.e. your volume - it's not your basses fault! I think your issue is also caused by a bad band-mix, also by your rig.
Click to expand...

+1

Have a look at the MXR M-80 Bass DI+ or the SansAmp Bass Driver...
 
Hi Parabolic,

It depends on what you want from your sound. If you want to cut through a loud band, a $$ configuration is not the best ever, and the Bongo is even worse IMHO.

But, it doesn't mean you cannot have a good sound.

Keep in mind that when this kind of pickup was created it was a single way to use it:
- only ONE pickup, in parallel (switch down)

Golem's setting is nice and innovative, but keep in mind he doesn't play with guitarist so cutting through the mix is not an issue for the King.
and if I boosted the lows it got "clangy", and definitely without punch.
Click to expand...

Do not boost the lows on that bass please :-)

Do you play loud, really dig in? 5mm can be a little too much if you play light. 3.5 - 4mm is better. Set the pickups as close as you can so you don't have distortion, and weird POP- s when you hit the strings.

- Use only the bridge pickup, switch down.
- take the bass EQ's out, or boost only the treble.

What amp do you have? If you have 30 - 40 HZ pot - cut that frequency. Try to clean up the low - low frequencies - there is the problem.

You can slightly boost 80 Hz after, some 400 hz, then a serious boost on the 2500 HZ area...

Boosting 800 as some of my forum mates said is good, but your bass will have more growl with this other approach.

Basically you have two ways of making a sound with your bass. Natural - old school - goost 800 - 1100, stuff like that. Or modern growling - clean up the lows, cut some 300 Hz, and serious boost 2500.

Always keep in mind that your bass has already too many lows, and it actually needs a low cut, not a low boost. It is muddy because of the lows.

You can have a great sound with your bass.

Some things you can improve for a better cutting sound:

Different strings - Nickel strings.
Different pickups - Bartolinis will clean the lows and boost the mids.

Just trust your bass, and you will be very satisfied.
 
Thank you all, and particularly, thank you Florin.
I'm in the frame of mind of changing pickups.
Today I'm going to have a talk with my luthier.
 
I would seriously try just the neck pickup.Leave the bridge pup out of it and then work from there. I'm no expert though. I just always felt the MM single pup was in the perfect spot and adding the second was "too much" Also, When trying to compete with 2 guitarists, I always found that boosting the Mids made me cut right though. Problem with guitarists is that they usually have way too much bass in their EQ. Every stage is different and you will always have to adjust your EQ for the room you play in. The audience never has a problem hearing the bass, trust me. Your best bet is aim you cabinets right at you and stand next to the drum kit so your drummer can hear your bass. Then make your eq adjustments with the help of your sound man to get your bass sounding good on the dance floor. I'll trade you my Corvette 5 bolt-on in a heartbeat.
 
Another neat trick could be to look at your bandmates settings on their guitar amp, and boost the freqencies that they cut. That way you'll be easily heard. DON'T EVER FORGET that what seems to be a bad tone in solo can do wonders in the mix. My suggestion for boosting the 800-1200 area will not give lots of growl, like florin said. But the guitarists usually don't use that frequency and it will give you tons of punch and clarity to your tone. It's what I call my magical frequency for ash/maple basses. But if you really really want growl, neck pickup only, single coil mode, with those freq should give you plenty. Oh and like Flo said, don't be afraid of cutting lows, it should help.
 
In case I decide for new pickups... I have a question (probably a very silly one...): is it possible to change the MM pickups with a MM/J configuration?
 
Who cares? Plus there's enough space to make the J pickup angled. :)
 
Do you want your Corvette $$ to sound like THIS? Yes this is a trick question.



Sexy isn't she?

Hint: trade in.
 
flipper_gv said:
DON'T EVER FORGET that what seems to be a bad tone in solo can do wonders in the mix.
Click to expand...

+1, what you think will be an awesome 'band' tone when your playing on your own invariably isn't. For me, the $$ almost has too many options for tone on it, if I were you I would just stick everything in the middle on your bass and get working on changing the sound thru your amp settings. Can you bypass the preamp on a $$? If so, it might not be a bad idea, it'll give you a much 'simpler' (can't think of a better word) tone for you to then mould through the settings on your amp.

And seriously, tell your guitarists to turn down, and if they won't then why are you playing with them? You're suppose to be in a band playing together, not against each other.
 
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