I've been working in some harmonic stuff into my playing for the last year or so, utilizing some obnoxious "shredding" techniques at like, half the speed. I'm still working on the nuance of the technique, but what can I do to make them louder/cut through more? I'm having a hard time reconciling everything I want into one sound, ie, running my amp bright enough to actually hear them, having enough mids for them to cut through the band, and all while not getting to 'quacky' or 'clanky.'

I think some compression would help, but what other pieces of gear would help out? Was considering doing the bi-amp thing, but I don't have the $$$$ for yet another head and cab.

Right now I'm using a Paul Reed Smith Electric Bass, a Mesa Boogie D-180, and an Ampeg 4x10. I also have a Zvex Machine, which is working well, and a Black Cat bass fuzz based off the Maestro Brass Master.

a cheap dbx or electro-harmonix, perhaps with a tube, would be a nice pre/comp addition to juice up the sound and bring out whats masked by the pluck. Those harmonics shold jump out a bit more. Im curious the bassist out there use here, either pre or post to ultimately shape the sound.

I find on a fender jazz bass that if you turn off the neck pickup the harmonics get much louder, but you lose bass. Pickup settings will do an awful lot for harmonics, and the PRS pickups are in pretty much the same place


edit to avoid confusion, I got the pickup wrong

I think on pretty much every guitar and bass, if you want the most pronounced harmonics, you need to crank the bridge pickup to full volume, and turn any other pickups off.

Clean boost, dirty boost (overdrive, distortion, etc), compression, any of this stuff will help your harmonics have more body.

I used to just use a Boss DS-1.

Bridge pickup only. Compression would definitely help. EQ'ing in the mid&mid-high will also help.

I would say play them harder, and that effects is a poor substitute for technique. But if you've been concentrating on harmonics for a year you're probably fine and need that extra push. Right? But still have a nice bass tone and not be all Jaco about it with little bottom or presence.

I would focus on getting the harmonic volume where you want in relation to note first. With compression and EQ in your chain. Then mess around with the EQ on your amp to add back some bass/treble.

Good luck, I was running into this problem a couple months ago.

In addition to everything here, try switching between using a pick and fingers. You should be able to get a much louder sound with your fingers (this is what I remember anyway; its been a while since Ive picked up my bass). I think it produces a more bass-heavy note if I remember correctly.

Can anyone verify this?

chet wrote:In addition to everything here, try switching between using a pick and fingers. You should be able to get a much louder sound with your fingers (this is what I remember anyway; its been a while since Ive picked up my bass). I think it produces a more bass-heavy note if I remember correctly.

Can anyone verify this?

For me playing with a pick is much more abrasive sound with attack whereas the finger is a more rounded sound. And for me notes are always much soften when played with fingers, while harmonics are louder. Whenever I use a pick for harmonics I get a really nasty click sound that ruins it for me.

I agree with the bridge pick up statements above and would also add that if you are playing finger style then pluck close the bridge. Your technique is more important than any other element that you're thinking of adding to your signal chain.

A exciter or chorus can enhance the overtones both can be used with distortion to disguise the prettyness or set to be more brutal than pretty. Most Chorus boxes are set up to be run in stereo if you want to biamp. Test before you buy this may not be a sound you like. It is easy to get a sound too 80's or sting like with a chorus.

Using a eq mxr 10 band graphic type, with or without a preamp can bring the overtone frequencies at a level that does not remove the low end.

I have been useing a small Yamaha box that does a smile eq which is what I use on a graphic eq for bass anyway it is (I think) EH-1 and is arround $40 - $60 nice chrome finish no hiss.

found a good solution, zvex machine > lo-pass filter!