Hi! I'm new to bass and i'd like to know how to get a bass tone in the kind of nirvana, ratm or jason newsted from metallica. I'm using a squier pj bass with a b1xon and a fender rumble 25 watt amp. Thanks in advance!
When I first started playing bass I wanted that tone so bad as well. Its part playing and part amp/knobs. For amp, boost your mids alot and treble a bit. Using the clock system, 12 is normal, try putting mids to 3 maybe 4 and treble 1 maybe 2, if you still sound a little to bloomy, boost your mids and treble more. Keep bass at normal. I always put my guitar knobs at full but you may like the tone you get from slightly decreasing your precision pickup. New strings help as well, I use rotosound strings.
For playing style, play around the neck pickup (precision pickup) and play hard, dig in, which doesn't mean play loud for say, I mean to be rough come down with your fingers with some strength in your right hand. For some reason, I always get a better “metal tone” with my fingers, a pick always sounds a little more bloomy although everyone told me otherwise. But I suggest you try playing with a pick as well and see what sounds better for you.
When you say metal tone, I assume you mean something like these. Both of these are played with pick, but I have no problem using my fingers and getting that tone, again try both pick and fingers and dig in.
A little distortion or fuzz and a lot of compression are my main ingredients for most metal. Hereunder are three links: one to Geddy Lee's isolated bass tone, one to Steve Harris' isolated bass tone and one to one of my cover songs.
