PHOTO : DAVE PELESCHAK
BASS
Michael Durval Ferreira has been playing bass for just over 10 years and is a part of Toronto-based rock outfit Curses . The band just released their debut EP , The Bridge . Check it out on iTunes , Apple Music , Spotify , and other music streaming services . Hit up the band on Twitter , Instagram , or Snapchat : @ wehavecurses .
By Michael D . Ferreira
Tone
You know that sound that comes out of the speakers when you first plug in your bass and hit a string ? That ’ s your tone . Your tone is basically the product of every piece of equipment you ’ re using – from your bass to the cable plugged into it . Anything you can possibly think of will be a factor in your sound .
Finding Your Tone It might seem obvious , but I recommend spending a bit more to get really high-end cables . That way you don ’ t lose any quality in your sound and you ’ re also protected from thin , noisy cables that don ’ t come with a warranty . I use Planet Wave cables because of the lifetime warranty , which really helps when you ’ re spending over $ 50 on cables .
When you ’ re connecting your bass to your amp and any effects in between , always aim to have a minimal amount of slack between components . Point to point is usually the best .
I am a fan of vintage basses and amps . I feel that they don ’ t make ( bass ) guitars and amplifiers like they used to , with the exception of a few brands . I play a 1975 Gibson Grabber and Rickenbacker 4003S . I put them through my 1992 Marshall 100- watt JCM 800 Bass Series . I run all of that out of a standard Ampeg 8x10 cabinet and I throw a few pedals into the mix as well – namely , a Sans Amp , Big Muff , and ‘ 70s Boss CE-3 Chorus . That ’ s my tone . Of course , you can get a ton of different sounds out of a single effect category . Just because it says distortion or fuzz doesn ’ t mean one will sound like the other . You have to hunt and do some research to tailor your tone to your playing and your projects . I go for that dirty / gritty sound but I still love the raw tone that tube amps give you .
Adapting I ’ ve noticed that any time I can ’ t use my 800 , or play through a different cab , my tone is much different than what I ’ m used to . Whether it ’ s the number of speakers in the cab or if I use a more powerful rack amp in a practice space , it ’ s much different even though I ’ m still using my own basses and my pedal board .
The only downfall to the kind of gear I prefer is that it is very large and heavy to lug around every night – particularly my cab . It also takes up quite a bit of space in the van . My amp is also very delicate due to the tubes that power it . In this case , I ’ d recommend a road case , both to protect your gear but also to make it more comfortable to transport . That said , it does make it heavier .
With speaker cabinets , the heavier the speakers are and the thicker the wood , the better for your tone . If you can lift up a cabinet with ease , it ’ s probably not going to give you the full sound you ’ re looking for . If you can barely move it , that ’ s the one you want .
Once You Find It … I ’ ve owned a lot of amps and even more basses since I started playing bass and I could never find that perfect sound I was looking for . At one point , I owned three different amps in just two months . It ’ s taken me a very long time to find all the gear that I own now and I can easily say that
I don ’ t regret the hunt one bit . I get compliments on my tone often , mainly because my amp isn ’ t something a typical bass player would use – especially live .
Also , both of my basses are very sought-after and incredibly difficult to obtain . My Gibson Grabber alone was a piece I was after for six years and I couldn ’ t be happier playing it every night .
My rig might be a little odd to some but for me , there is nothing better , and that ’ s your sole concern . Not everyone is going to agree with what I ’ m writing when it comes to vintage gear compared to newer equipment , but it really all depends on the specific tone that YOU want .
I ’ ve found what I ’ ve been looking for , and now , I could never go back .
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