I need some help with my Bass/Amp setup.Music 

Perfect Balance

Perfect Balance

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P_Balance
I got a bass guitar not long ago, some sort of Alvarez (not very good, but I got it for free). I borrowed some speakers and an amp from my cousin, and it sounds like a rock guitar or something, that sort of choppy rattling sound, instead of a smooth bass sound. I am not using a amp specifically for bass, but I'm still not sure if that would be the reason for the messed up sound.

Does anyone know why it is doing this, or how to fix it. (The amp I'm using only has an equilizer on it, so thats the only thing I can adjust.) :indiff:
 
It's either distortion (mostly a guitar effect) or the speaker vibrating causing a rattling noise. Guitar speakers should never be used for a bass speaker, but feel free to use a bass speaker for guitar. Some bass speakers are built with aluminum cones. Some, with hemp. They need to be super stiff, or you'll get that rattling noise.
 
So, you're running your bass through a home stereo system amp and speakers?
 
More of a car system, its 2, 8" subs and an amp.

I sort of found a way to compensate though, I make everything on my bass quiet, and I crank up the amp, so thers barely any sound coming from the bass, only the smooth hum sound, and I crank up the amp so it makes it really loud. (Bad explanation, but I'm not sure to how to explain it properly, since I'm a beginner to this.)
 
If you can adjust the equalizer, definately play with that. I run my bass through my guitar amp, and with a little tweaking, it sounds okay. Increase the low-range (obviously), and drop out most of the middle. Play with the high-range until you get a sound you like. I like to play with the high-frequencies turned up, to get some nice TOOL-ish tones, especially on the D and G strings.
 
Maybe you should play in your car then? maybe that would fix the problem :D :lol:

I run my bass through a bass AMP that i got with it. Check a bass store that has actual bass AMPs then you should get a nice smooth sound. And are you sure it is the AMP and not playing ocrrectly? Cause if your pulling the chords down hard enough you get a screwed sound. To fix that problem you press your thumb on the other side of the bass so you press the chord all the way down.

And just a random question, how many strings does your have? I'm guessing 4 cause thats what begginers useuually have. But i play with 4 strings cause i'm not good enough to play 6 like John Myung :(
 
Master_Yoda
And just a random question, how many strings does your have? I'm guessing 4 cause thats what begginers useuually have. But i play with 4 strings cause i'm not good enough to play 6 like John Myung :(
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That's a dumb@$$ statement if I've ever heard one.

It's true that some bass virtuosos typically play with 5 or 6 strings, but plenty of professional bassists use four strings their entire career 💡

Yeah Alex you really need to get an actual bass amp, or those speakers will blow.
 
Thanks for the replys

@kenny: No chance of the speakers blowing, I'm playing it quiet, because 1. it gets worse the louder it is, and 2. My dad doesnt want me to rattle the whole house.

@Master Yoda: 4 Strings

@kylehnat: The equilizer doesnt seem to do much, the only thing that helps is to bring everything down so it sounds muffled, that gets rid of some of the rattling.

I don't know how new the strings are, but they look pretty shiny and clean, so that might be part of the problem.
 

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