Question for Ralph about recording Bass Guitar

I have noticed in many recording sessions, the bass guitar sound is sometime overlooked.

It's usually not until the mix that engineers may find themselves struggling to get the bass to sit properly. Sure, it's got plenty of low end—but does it serve its rightful place in the overall mix? More often than not, the bass plays two significant roles: Musically, it's a foundational element of the rhythm section and sets the groove. Sonically, it may carry most of the low end content in your mix.

Below, Ralph Sutton Lead Engineer of Studio D HOB offer a few helpful tips for getting solid, useable bass tracks.
Start at the source. Is the player capable of playing the part correctly, with good phrasing and conviction? Is the bass set up correctly, buzz-free Ampeg B-15with good intonation? Cool. Once you’ve cleared those initial hurdles, things become pretty straightforward.
Here’s Studio D HOB foolproof “chain is only as strong as its weakest link” method: using good cables no longer than they need to be, plug the bass into a quality D.I. box (I dig Radial and Countryman). Then go from the D.I. to the bass amp. No need for the amp to be huge; for recording purposes, it’s the amp tone—not volume—you’re after. The venerable Ampeg B-15 (pictured below), with its classic “Motown-and-beyond” tone is considered the archetypical studio bass amp.
Mic up the amp with a large diaphragm condenser. Also you can consider miking it with a ribbon mic - just don’t place it too close. Record the D.I. and amp signals through reliable outboard mic pres, I uses Focurite ISA 428's, and consider using just a touch of compression when going to “tape.”
Many engineers insist on tracking bass with no compression, but at Studio D HOB we find that a tiny bit on the way in can allow you to use smaller amounts (with fewer artifacts) when mixing. That said, we don’t recommend EQ-ing while tracking, but keep in mind that it’s generally easier to add low-end to a tinny bass track than it is to add highs or mids, so make sure the tone of the bass and amp are delivering enough mids and high mids to cut through a mix.
Finally, check the phase relationship between the two tracks. Often times, the polarity of one track will need to be reversed to avoid the dreaded "all lows, no mids" effect. Sometimes a device such as the Little Labs IBP can save the day if both bass tracks refuse to combine in a graceful way.
Happy thumping, Studio D HOB!