I'd like to be able get a fuller, but still 'growly' bass sound on demand from my polycarbonate Stick, with the original Stickup - something in the direction of fretless bass guitar or double bass maybe. My idea is to be able to switch from the original integrated bass and treble sound to a 'two instrument' sound. Anyone recommend a stomp box that achieves that to a modest degree for a modest outlay?

Thanks, Max

Hi Max,

I've had good luck getting a nice, dynamic bass sound with the Sansamp Bass Driver DI. I wouldn't say I've gotten a fretless sound out of it (how does Jim Lampi do it??) but definitely traditional "bass" tones into an amp. Very flexible unit with regard to tone shaping and signal options and (no surprise) it's also a nice DI in a recording situation. I've had mine for over 10 years with no issues, using it with an '83 Stick.

There are lots of options and I'm sure you'll get some good suggestions here!

Eric

Ditto on the Sansamp, for the fretless sound, that was the one thing I missed from my old Boss GT-8. Unfortunately my old post vanished from an earlier version of this board, but if you find one of those GT-8's, there was a fretless effect that worked fantastic for bass instruments when you switched a couple input settings. Worked great on my bass and NS Stick, should work just as well on the bass side of a standard stick as well. Sorry, I forgot the "input" settings. One of them was a manual mode. I've tried a fretless effect on other Boss muti-effects, they did not sound the same as what I did with the GT-8.

That's such a great question!

I know I've tackled this same one over and over and I feel I've come up with a Stickup™ sound I'm very happy with! Playing in my Stick Duet, my proclivities to become polarized are becoming fully realized and in needing to provide a driving growly bass tone myself, I left the fretless bass player in me take over! Using my ear I figured out that if I just boost the low, lower and higher mids I will get the sound you are describing. I use a Roland Cube 100 bass combo and turn all but the treble knobs up all the way. Having individual amps has a lot to do with it as I also use a Roland Cube 60 for he treble side, giving me a guitar/bass sound! I can't recommend these two amps enough!

I think it's also important to note that this is basically how Jaco EQed his bass rig, adding or subtracting highs as he saw fit, depending on how dead his strings where. If one sets their amp to these settings, turns up the bridge pickup and tone on a fretless bass and plucks right at the end of the neck, you get the fretless mwahh or at the bridge pickup, the obligatory "Jaco" sound. I just took that same concept and tired it on Stick after running the instrument through a modded Rane AP and damn does it sound full!

Here is my duet's page:

http://www.myspace.com/steelandglassduo

Have a listen!

Let your ears be the judge!

I hope this helps!

Thanks very much guys - I'll have a look for those boxes here in UK and also try giedosst's tone setting on my amp. I have a Crate A120 combo with full EQ on each channel, I hope that will be OK for practise without the heavier bass muddying the treble sound too much - fingers crossed.

Nice sound giedosst!

Thanks! When you crack it, please post, I want to hear it!

Hey Steve - I just remembered back when I let you try out my Zon fretted bass. You're pretty good at emulating a fretless sound on a fretted bass a bit like Jimmy Haslip from the Yellowjackets. Have you adapted some of your left hand bass technique to the Stick? Pretty much involves partially muting each note with your left hand. I'm thinking if you are, you don't need much help from amp settings

Wow! Thanks Steve! That feels so good to hear, but I don't think it's my left hand doing anything special, I just know my sound, but then again, its not something I really think about, maybe I should! I would have no idea how that would transfer to the stick! I wish I could make my left hand sound like a fretless on my Stick, if I did, I don't think I would ever play bass again!

The Sansamp doesn't appear to be available in UK, so I've got BidMate set up to snipe a used GT-8 on Ebay. I just downloaded the manual -yikes! 108 pages, starting with '...in order to feel assured that you have gained a good grasp of every feature provided by your new unit, Owners manual should be read in its entirety'. So the traditional procedure of twiddling a few knobs at random doesn't cut it with these then? Ah, no, here it is: 'The GT-8 comes with dedicated knob controls, which allow you to make adjustments intuitively.' - that means 'if you don't understand this manual just twiddle the knobs'.

I just love these manuals - ahem:

'Never strike or apply strong pressure to the display' - maybe I better read the manual after all to avoid that neccessity.

'To avoid disturbing your neighbors, try to keep the unit's volume at reasonable levels' - gosh, is that how you do it?

'Sitar Simulator' - Uh-Oh, far out.

Man, this thing's a monster, it could be a long winter . Do you guys remember if the 'fretless' sound came from using the Defretter facility, or is there a preset patch for it?

Thanks, Max

Hi Max,

Looks like the GT-8 will give you a bunch of options! I haven't used it but own the ME-70 and am familiar with other Boss products. I'm fairly certain there will be a fretless preset or it will be pretty easy to set up your own patch with the "defretter". I have used the 'defretter" function on my Korg Pandora but was WAY unimpressed. You may or may not like the effect but I'm sure you will have plenty of sounds on the GT-8 to keep you busy and inspired.

If I'm not mistaken, the GT-8 is primarily designed for guitar, right? I've used the ME-70 on both the melody and bass side of my Stick and on occasion both sides in mono through it for a bit of compression and delay all with good luck.

I love the older Sticks! I've never played a Polycarb and hope to get a chance to check one out some day!

Eric