Bassists, generally, have a pretty good understanding of their basses, but most of them don't take the time to fully understand their amps. They are not aware of simple mistakes that they make, which significantly reduce their amp's performance. Fortunately, these common mistakes are easy enough to eliminate. Check the list below to see if you are guilty of any of these amp errors!

1. Pushing It To The Limit: Many people misuse their graphic EQ, not realizing that it could negatively affect their amp's sound and even shorten their amp's life. The most common graphic EQ mistake is to push every slider up to the max. You see, each slider is a volume control for that particular frequency, and by pushing each slider all the way up, you are just making your amp louder. You might as well leave the EQ flat and just turn your amp's volume up. One negative effect of maxxing out your graphic EQ is that you may actually generate noise.

If you are new to a graphic EQ, the best way to get to know its purpose is to level all the sliders at the "0" point, which is usually in the middle of the vertical range. Then, slide the left most (the lowest frequency) up and down as you play. Listen to the way it changes your bass tone. Next, return that slider to the "flat" or "0" position and try the same thing with the next slider. Do this with each slider and pay attention to what affect each slider has to your tone. This will help you realize what purpose your graphic EQ will serve.

2. Sensitivity Training: When you plug into your bass amp, you need to be aware that your bass' signal needs to be at the right level to make your amp sound its best. If your signal is too weak, you will hear hissing and noise. If your signal is too strong, you will hear distortion and clipping. With some companies' amps, it can be hard to balance your bass signal to your amp's input sensitivity. Warwick amps make it very easy to do this, however, because every model comes with an input sensitivity control and a light meter to help you gauge your input signal. When you play your bass, if the input light is consistently yellow, your bass signal is too weak. Simply turning the input gain clockwise will correct this. If the input light is consistently red, you are overloading the input. Turn the input gain control counterclockwise to correct this. You will know you have the right input level when the input light is consistently green. (Note: it is ok to have the light turn occasionally yellow or red. You are just looking for the majority of your playing to fit into the green area.)

3. Getting High Is Bad:Players who own small combos will sometimes elevate their amps, thinking that this will make it easier to hear. The problem with this is that combos are usually designed to couple with the floor to produce better lows. When you raise an amp off the floor, you will hear the highs better, but your overall tone will be thinner and quieter. (Keep this in mind when you are practicing in an apartment and you don't want to bother your neighbors.)

4. Apples And Oranges: Players new to the bass commonly make a mistake when it comes to speaker cords and instrument cables. The mistake is that they think the two are interchangeable. Many years ago when I was in music retail, I sold an amp to a guitarist who later complained that it sounded bad. When I went to his practice studio I was shocked to see that he was using a 30-foot speaker cable, and a cheap one at that! Without boring you with technical details, speaker cables are for use to connect amps to speakers, and guitar cords are used to connect your bass to your amp. And never the twain shall meet.

5. Asking Too Much From Too Little: When I was teaching bass in Arizona a few years ago, one of my students told me that his new amp sounded great in the store, but was terrible when he jammed with his friends. I asked him what kind of amp did he buy and he told me it was a combo that had a single 8-inch speaker and a screaming 25 watts. When I told him that his amp wasn't designed to be used in a band setting, he replied that his guitarist had a 25-watt amp and it sounded fine. The mistake my student made was that he didn't understand the difference between bass amps and guitar amps. The higher frequencies of the guitar are easier to hear over the sound of drums and bass. They also need less headroom. Bass amps, however, need more power to be able to be heard. I have talked to several road managers, engineers and soundmen, and they all agree that bass players need 4 times the power that the guitarist has. (For example: You will need 200-watts to play with a guitarist with a 50-watt amp.) The more power your amp has, the cleaner your tone will be, even at lower volumes.

These five mistakes are just a few that I have run across throughout my life. If you feel that your amp is not performing at its best, and you have eliminated the five mistakes listed above, then do not be afraid to contact the dealer who sold you your amp and ask them to go through your rig with a fine-tooth comb. Who knows? They may find a $25 remedy that will restore your million-dollar tone.

If you have any questions regarding this column, please feel free to email me at DaleT@danabgoods.com.

Stay Tuned!