Guitar Rigs

[AciDBatH666]

It's in the attack. In some songs I hammer down and really push down with my fingers.
Some I just chill and have more finesse. With bass, a LOT of the tone is from your fingers and where you're hitting the strings. Hence why you can go from one sound to another without making any changes to your gear. You just change your technique.
The closer to the bridge you play with your fingers, the more treble sound you'll get. Closer to the bridge and you'll get more bass. When I want mellow deep sounds I pluck actually on the fretboard with my right hand.

I'm not the biggest fan of flatwounds. But if you're going for that sound and getting some buzzing, it'll help get rid of it. You can't get that clank with a pick because 1) you use a pick and you pluck vertically. 2) With your fingers you're coming a the string horizontally. If you want to do that with a pick, you'd have to turn your pick 90° and push down towards the body of the bass. Not gonna happen.

[Amateur]

The closer to the bridge you play with your fingers, the more treble sound you'll get. Closer to the bridge and you'll get more bass.

Really?

Playing bass with a pick is a lot like playing bass with fingers. If you play towards the fingerboard you are going to have a cleaner, more bassy tone. Where as if you play toward the bridge you are going to have a more nasal, highs and mids emphasized tone. A'la Jaco. Unless you're trying to play the bass like a guitar, with a gentle strum of the pick which gives you no attack tone no matter where your pick strikes string.

I do agree with what you mean, It's all in the attack. That's why John Entwistle will go down as one of the best bassists evar. Don't know him? Youtube The Who. If you want to see a progression of his fingerstyle technique listen to a Victor Wooten bassline. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqLbemgstQA The tone Victor achieves in this song is just amazing. All done with fingers and varying attack, and a heap of talent (forgive his rapping, the studio version is so much more tasty).

I also never use a pick. If I want a calm mellow tone I use the pads of my fingers between the neck pickup and the fingerboard. If I want a bright percussive sound I use the tips of my fingers with a strong anchor and a powerful strike. I do so by the bridge if I want to cut the mix and by the board if I want a rattly "could be slapped?" percussive tone. If I want the "pick tone" I just use my index finger nail.

I'd really not like to argue bass online. It is the second best thing I do in life next to breathing, and like breathing I can't accurately express how to do it online.

[Amateur]

Oh and flatwounds tear up your left hand something fierce. Your best bet is to turn up your amp and attack the strings more softly.

*edit* Oh and also you can use a little fingernail in your fingerstyle technique to get a little brighter timbre. One of the little things that sets bassists apart from guitarists playing basses.

[AciDBatH666]

The closer to the bridge you play with your fingers, the more treble sound you'll get. Closer to the bridge and you'll get more bass.

Meh. One of those times when I lose my train of thought or stop typing to look at something else and come back and forget where I'm at.

Closer to bridge = more trebly, closer to neck = bassy.
DER DER *Hits limp hand on chest*

[Amateur]

You're cool dude. I knew what you meant. You can play closer to the neck with a vigorous attack, kinda like fingerstyle slapping, and get a super trebly/bassy tone with little to no midrange. A'la Mudvayne. (my old buddy Ryan). Bassists don't get the cred they deserve, and when they do it's the shitty ones like Nikki Sixx or Michael Anthony. Both garbage.

I'm not trying to be a snob or anything like that, I'm still pretty young (27) compared to most bassists. I've just been an avid player for 20 years so I've seen some fads come and go. Remember when everyone wanted to sound like Fieldy (KoRN)? I used to tell my students to stop using their fingers and just start playing bass with a rake.