Too much bottom end

[Steve R.]

One of my guitars has a really fat tone - fattest I've ever played. Great highs and mids but there is too much low end that sounds flubby when you start to increase gain. It would sound so awesome if I could just reduce the low end a little bit. I'm wondering if anyone has ever used some sort of high pass filter inside the guitar to accomplish something like this? If so, what did you do?

I've tried different pickups, but the really fat low end is present with all of them to varying degrees. Currently, I have a Duncan JB in the bridge, but I've tried Custom's, and Screaming demons. I tried increasing the volume pot to 1 meg (no tone pots), but then there were too many highs and it sounded little peaky in the upper mids, although it did reduce the low end a bit. I'm not quite sure what else to try.

The guitar has a real nice, balanced tone acoustically, it is just that the bottom end comes through too strong when plugged in. Yes, I have this problem with any of my three amps, without effects, so it is definitely the guitar.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Too much bottom end

You might want to try an alnico 2 humbucker like the Pearly Gates or A2Pro for the neck and if you want a hot pickup like the JB try the Custom Custom instead for the bridge pickup. Alnico 2 humbuckers seem to have a little less bass and more mids, and that's why I use them in my humbucker guitars that would sound a little muddy otherwise.

Lew

 

[fab.regnaut]

Re: Too much bottom end

Is it a bolt on neck ? i had the same problem with a gibson and i found that the Duncan distortion had the tightest low end ( compared to the customs ) , and the palm mute with it really make rumbling the speakers , good fun !
(The screaming demon does it as well in a cleaner way )

 

[MrHeavyMetal]

Re: Too much bottom end

what kind of amp and settings are you using ?

 

[fab.regnaut]

Re: Too much bottom end

hey Mr heavyMetal if you tried both XN2 and Duncan Distortion how do they compare ? :saeek:

 

[Steve R.]

Re: Too much bottom end

Thanks guys, here's some more specifics.

The guitar is an Alder Warmoth strat body, with a bolt-on maple neck and Pau Ferro fretboard (Pau Ferro is probably between rosewood and ebony tonewise). It has an Original Floyd Rose for the bridge.

Amp settings?

Well, on my '73 Super Lead, Volume I 8-10, treble 7, mid 7-10, bass 5-8, presence anywhere from 2-10 depending on my mood.

Bogner Ecstasy settings -red channel- presence 8, bass 6, mid 8, treble 8, gain 8.

-Steve

 

[italic zero]

Re: Too much bottom end

I have my bass on 3 or 4 all the time... maybe the simple solution is the right one?

 

[Steve R.]

Re: Too much bottom end

I have my bass on 3 or 4 all the time... maybe the simple solution is the right one?

The problem is that the fat bottom end sounds like it is overloading the first gain stage, so there is a little bit of a farty characteristic to the tone. With the tone stack being towards the end of the gain stages on my amps the bass control can't dial out the problem.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Too much bottom end

I don't own a single amp, including my '70 Marshall small box 50 watt head, that I'd ever use the bass control set higher than 4. I think the guys are right and that you're using a bit more bass than you need to.

I've noticed that guys who gig tend to use less bass than the guys who don't.

Got to be careful with the bass or else I'm stepping all over the bass player...and usually he's bigger than I am! :laugh2:

Lew

 

[Morior]

Re: Too much bottom end

Either that, or it could be that the pickups are set too high. (in other words, too close to the strings. Things often become a bit boomy if that is the case)

 

[some_dude]

Re: Too much bottom end

I'd try lowering the bass side of the pickup....or a Boss GE-7 to dump some of the bass end before it hits the preamp.

 

[Steve R.]

Re: Too much bottom end

I don't own a single amp, including my '70 Marshall small box 50 watt head, that I'd ever use the bass control set higher than 4. I think the guys are right and that you're using a bit more bass than you need to.

Even when I turn down the bass, that slightly flabby bottom end is there. Believe me, it's not something that the bass control can dial out. That was the first obvious solution.

Lighter gauge strings help a little bit, so maybe lowering the pickup a bit more will help.

-Steve

 

[nuntius]

Re: Too much bottom end

I don't own a single amp, including my '70 Marshall small box 50 watt head, that I'd ever use the bass control set higher than 4. I think the guys are right and that you're using a bit more bass than you need to.

I've noticed that guys who gig tend to use less bass than the guys who don't.

Got to be careful with the bass or else I'm stepping all over the bass player...and usually he's bigger than I am! :laugh2:

Lew

I think you're right man. Before I ever did my first gig I had my bass set at 7-8 all the time, but now it's more like 3-5 depending on what I'm going for.

Maybe lower the pickup and see what happens there..