Double Bass and Beyond - Gary Upton of Upton Bass
Double Bass and Beyond - Gary Upton of Upton Bass
Bass Foundations - Your pickup, your bass and your Acoustic Sound with Gary Upton
Are you giving your bass the love and care it deserves? Are you paying enough attention to its acoustic sound and how it reflects on your amplified sound? Today's episode stems from a stimulating conversation with a client who questioned whether a plywood bass with a pickup could sound as good as a fully carved bass. We dive into the dynamic labyrinth of bass making and playing, exploring the significant roles of different components in the ultimate sound output. And remember, as the saying goes, "the result sound is only as good as what you put in."
Playing your bass acoustically and enjoying its sound forms the bedrock of whatever comes out of your pickup. This episode will help you reevaluate your understanding of pickups, bass types, strings, amplifiers, and even the chord that connects to the amplifier. We share practical tips on finding the right amp, pickup, and settings to preserve your unique sound as you amplify. So, join me, Gary from Uptown Bass, as we uncover the often overlooked aspects of your acoustic sound and how to let it shine through, no matter the pickup or amp. Start with your hands, your sound, your bass - and let it work for you!
Hey guys, it's Gary with Uptown Bass. It's been a minute since I've posted a podcast and I'm inspired now to start posting on a few topics that are more dictated from me breakdowns, speeches, concepts about basses and bass making. But this one today is about how you get your resulted amplified sound when you're playing An instrument you play, I'm going to say, is the best instrument. What am I trying to say? We talk about strings, we talk about setup, we talk about pickups, we talk about the bass, whether it's plywood or a hybrid or a carved, and, if it's synthetic, strings and so on and so forth, and we talk about the chord that then goes to the amplifier and what kind of amp it is and what kind of sound comes out. As you go through that chain of sounds, I'll say this it starts in your hands.
Speaker 1:No question, the thing you play the bass acoustically and practice playing acoustically and enjoy your acoustic sound from is the foundation of what comes out of whatever pickup it be. For example, there's pickups that are very, very accurate to the instrument you play, that get plugged into electric bass amps that color the sound and make it sound like an fretless electric. There's pickups that, if I were traveling the world, such as like a Fishman Full Circle, and you told me, every week I'm playing a different bass, but every bass I play will be compatible with a Fishman Full Circle and who knows what amplifier I'm going to play through. I'm going to choose that Fishman Full Circle If I know. I have my rig, my sound. You know I'm playing my acoustic image with my bass. I'm putting a Rev Solo pickup on there because of the microphonic properties that really make it sound like me when I'm playing it.
Speaker 1:So this question comes about because a client said you know, hey, I usually play with a pickup in loud settings. Why don't I just play you know, a plywood bass that has a decent sound, with a good setup on it, and just use a pickup? Well, the result sound is only as good as what you put in. So are we saying that that plywood bass and its amplified sound would have no differentiation from it being a nice, fully carved, singy, sustaining bass? You go to play that loji on the E string and on that carved bass and that G goes blah and you play it on that plywood and it goes boom. You know that sustain, that ring, that sensitivity is going to speak through into whatever pickup it is and whatever amplifier it is Breaking it down further, I want you to walk by your bass and play this acoustic instrument acoustically, without plugging it in, without needing to use the grid to power an amplifier.
Speaker 1:That sound needs to be the sound that inspires you and sounds like you on the day to day, and I think that's the most important part for me. If you're playing something, that it works and it's okay, I mean artistically, how much you're going to bring to it works and it's okay. What you're going to bring to the table is a diluted version of yourself. So you know, an instrument that plays, that sings, that speaks to your soul when you play it and your pajamas at home, in your music room or in the corner or on the stairs or wherever you grab it. That sound, that singy touch, that expression where I can play pianissimo to fortissimo and express my musical thoughts, that sound regardless of the pickup and regardless of the amp. Don't get me wrong, the pickup can ruin it, the amp can ruin it, but that sound is the foundation. So start with your hands, your sound, your bass Fall in love with that. Then the chain of sound I would recommend would be to preserve who you sound like and what your bass sounds like as you plug it into the amplifier.
Speaker 1:And if you have a product, a pickup, an amp, a chord, a string that you feel is standing in the way of expressing who you are and your inputs to your instrument, there's your next issue, chase, after finding the right pickup, finding the right amp, finding the right settings. Guys, I see so many players that are using amplifiers. They plug in their bass and they don't change the fundamental tone adjustments, that they plug in their war wick or their fender or something like that. Throw all those settings out the window and start on your double bass, shaping the sound in the room before you plug it in. Get your bass sounding right. Listen to what that sounds like when you plug your amplifier in. Listen to that sound.
Speaker 1:If the sound that's coming through your amp does not mimic the sound of you and your bass in the room, there's a problem. Adjust, change the bass to mid to high, so on and so forth. Bring the main up, bring in the pre to kind of support and not over goose the amp. But again, if you can't get there now, we found a problem. We have many, many, many records will say, oh, this player sounded great here. This player sounded great there and I saw a picture of him playing and this was the pickup he was using. Don't forget what condenser was in the room that was getting his natural acoustic sound. Start with your natural acoustic sound and then work on the chain of your sound and the source of your sound.