Which bass for metalcore

[DeadandBuried]

I'm a guitarist by trade but I might be joining a metalcore band playing bass. I've been filling in a few times so they may offer me the permanent spot.

So if I get the job which bass would be the best one to get for a metalcore/post-hardcore sound? They play in drop b tuning and I have been using someone's Epiphone Firebird. Most of the bass work involves following guitars so driving the root notes and doubling up on riffs.

Is a 4 string better or a 5 string?

Also what amp heads and cabs? I know very little on bass tone so would appreciate some help.

Thanks.

[some_dude]

Re: Which bass for metalcore

Pretty much any bass can be used for metal.... active/passive, P, J or soapbar... doesn't matter. Rock/metal bass is generally sort of scooped. Your job is to provide the low end, but having some brightness helps to because it adds attack to the kick drum. Most dual pickup basses will naturally scoop the sound due to phase cancellation between the pickups. It's why you'll see a lot of 2 pickup basses in rock/metal.... Jazz, PJs, and 2 pickup soapbars.

Some people will advice you not to scoop, but my band started sounding much better when I stopped fighting it. Being a guitarist I liked my midrange, but on bass I was making a mess of the guitars and vocals. Once I carved out a space for them in my EQ the whole band sounded much better.

My recommendation is to listen to a bunch of bands you dig the sound of and figure out what they're using for gear, then go try some stuff out and see how it feels in your hands. I was pretty set on getting an Ibanez until I plugged in a Fender. Currently own two Jazz basses.

As for amps, in general the more distorted the guitars the cleaner you want the bassist. Distortion adds harmonics, and in a harmonic pissing contest you're going to loose to the guitars. With heavy guitars a cleaner bass will produce more definition and a better foundation for all that dirt to sit on.

4x10/8x10 cabs are standard in rock/metal for a reason. They're naturally scooped with lots of attack and great rumble. I don't know how much you're looking to spend.... I use Mesa, but Ampeg sound great, are affordable and are easier to come by used.

That said, if you're gigging you'll have to get accustomed to being DI'd. It's a totally different ballgame than guitar... most of the time your personal rig is a really sweet monitor since it's the DI that gets fed into the house.

[ICTGoober]

Re: Which bass for metalcore

^^^^^ THIS GUY SPEAKS THE TRUTH! ^^^^^

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Which bass for metalcore

I actually have a pretty mid heavy bass tone (particularly high mids). A pick goes a long way.

[DeadandBuried]

Re: Which bass for metalcore

Cheers for advice SD, really helpful stuff. For the time being though it looks like the role might not be happening however I will expect to have a few gigs on bass for the rest of the year.

Its interesting about the tone being as clean as possible, I try to turn down the gain as much as I can on the amp head and the SansAmp that I use. Still get a half decent beefy tone without being too muddy.

The amp head is a Behringer which isn't top quality but does the job. The cab is a 4 x 10 Peavey which isn't that bad considering. But I think the Sansamp makes the majority of the tone.

[2ndhandband]

Re: Which bass for metalcore

Something ARTICULATE. I've mixed my share of that kind of band and two guitars AND a bass player all trying to get this super chunky mids-forward sound is just brainless. You're going to need way more treble than you think if you're going to cut through. All those lower mids you love so much? If I'm mixing you I'm gonna take a big old dip out right around 250hz anyway. And since bass is not guitar and I'm going to be taking the DI out of the back of your amp I have control. Something with punchy lows and crisp, articulate highs is what you want. You need attack, not girth. Don't try to duplicate what you hear on records; what works in the studio for that kind of music absolutely DOES NOT WORK live.

As a live sound engineer I will sacrifice almost anything for articulation.

[Adieu]

Re: Which bass for metalcore

Something you can drop Seymour Duncan Blackouts for Bass into.

Awesome pickup. MASSIVE.

You only really need one of em, and dont need to bother with an active EQ preamp either imho... just the usual 10-50k volume and tone pots.