Sound Addendum, Pt. 1

Okay.... I've had a few folks ask why don't play a 5 or 6 string basses. Here's the answer.......

I've tried both 5's and 6's..... in fact I owned a 5 string Yamaha for a bit. The problem for me is that the 5th string was just useless. It just felt like a wet noodle strung up on there. And when I did play anything with those extra low notes, I found I was just interferring with the bass drum, especially below the low D. Any notes higher just didn't sound right when played on the B string.

6 strings just didn't feel comfortable, and the higher notes offered by the C string just seemed to interfere with the guitars or horns.

Ultimately, the 4 string is harder to play. You have fewer note choices, and you're forced to change position more frequently, where the 5 and 6 allow you to play passages with only a string change instead of changing positions. Whatever.... I've played 4's for so long, it's just what I'm into. I'll occasionally drop my E string to a D using a Hipshot detuner, or, in the case of one of my basses, I tune down a half step. Anyway.... Jaco, Rocco, James and Duck didn't/don't find a need for anything other than 4 strings..... that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

One more thing on the amps. A lot of folks have said with the way I play, they're suprised I don't play an old Ampeg SVT. Trust me, I've thought long and hard about it. I just can't justify the size or expense of it. Most clubs and stages are just too small for the SVT...... 300 tube watts, and at least a big 4x10 or 8x10 would blow down the walls of a small club. Bigger clubs end up running you through the board anyway, so no one really gets to appreciate the big tone you've invested in, as you end up running a direct signal from your bass.

My GK sounds incredible. I've got it set up so that it punches through like a mic'd kick drum, and it's extremely warm. I think the warmth comes from using the 700RB, which growls at lower volumes than the 1001RB, and has the lower "5string" voicing than the 800RB. I've never been a fan of 12" bass speakers until recently. The Neo212 is as loud as any 4-10 I've ever used, and offers a nice compromise between the punch of 10's and the depth of 15's. The head weighs just under 20 lbs. and the cab comes in at 64 lbs....... that's a lot less than a 85 lb SVT head and 160 lb 8x10 cab.

Da Krusha