fullrange bass brought to mind an article that I had written and posted at ThePerfectBass.com a few years back. Here's a copy of that article as I think it's applicable to this discussion. Peace!
In life, there are a few things that are constants...gravity, taxes, and the fact that all musicians get "The Fever". You know what The Fever is, it's the uncontrollable urge to buy new gear! Sometimes it's a new amp, sometimes it's effects, sometimes it's recording equipment. But, it's seems that often times the one piece of equipment that is the hardest to find is a new instrument.
Finding a new guitar is a tough job! There are so many choices out there, and a ton of factors influence our decision of what instrument to choose. I'd like to share with you some of the criteria that I have used in that past to decide on my personal instruments and what product lines we carry here at TPB.
It's important to understand that choosing a bass guitar is a very personal decision, and the evuation criteria for everyone will be different and very subjective to personal tastes. But there are some characteristics of a guitar that we should all pay attention to when choosing our weapon. So let's get to it...in order of my personal level of importance, here are the top 6 things to look for in a new bass:
<b>1 Feel</b>
Ther first thing I notice when I pick up an instrument is how it feels in my hands. Usually I'm sitting down, so how the neck and fretboard feel is the first thing that makes an impact. Sometimes I forget, but it's important to stand up and play the guitar with a strap on also. You have to be comfortable with the guitar in your hands. It has to "fit" you!
The guitar is a very intimate instrument and you must feel good when you hold and play it.
I personally like a medium to heavy-weight guitar. The weight of an instrument tells you a bit about it's character, and a little pull fron the guitar gives me a sense of power and solidness that I can't explain. Probably because a denser wood gives you more sustain and a crisp clear tone, and the weight lets me know that I will be able to produce a strong sound when I reach down to play that first note.
The guitar has to feel good to you! Don't settle on an instrument that just sounds good! If you want to progress as a player, you have to practice. I want to have a desire to practice! Having an instrument that feels good when I play definitely makes me want to pick it up as often as I can!
<b>2 Playability</b>
Playability...so what is playability? I'm no Victor Wooten, and I practice hard to continually progress as a player. If you're the Woo, I'd be willing to bet that you'd be able to pick up just about any bass and shred! But if you're an average player and working to get to that state of Woo...then you need a bass that is conducive to your playing style. One that you feel confident on, and that seems to compliment the way you position your hands and move on the fretboard. You should feel at home on your instrument.
<b>3 Tone</b>
When you're picking out your bass, the sound of the instrument is going to be a huge factor. A lot of professional musicians that I know have several instruments that they use depending on the style of music they are playing. Others, have one primary instrument that they use for all applications.
There are many aspects of a bass that affect how they sound including body woods, neck woods or materials, pickups and electronics. The type of music you are playing will likely be a factor in determining the tone you look for as well as what simply sounds good to your ear.
Be careful here also as what sounds good to you on stage isn't always what sounds good to your audience.
<b>4 Versatility</b>
Personally I like an instrument that can hang with me across several genres. My primary gig these days is playing at my church. At our church, we play everything from Rock to Funk, so having a versatile instrument is important.
For me the pickup and electronic configuration contributes a great deal to versatility. My personal preference is either Soapbar style or Jazz pickups and 3 band electronics. This is clearly a personal preference, but there are many options available from passive electronics to active with up to 4 bands of on-board EQ.
While tweakability is important and contributes to the overall value of the instrument to you as the player...BE CAREFUL! Too many controls can leave you tweaking yourself into bad tone.
<b>5 Quality of Construction</b>
If I am about to spend my hard earned cash on a bass, I want it to last! Look for tight seams, quality hardware and electronics, good finish work, and just solid quality contruction in general.
Most of the time, you can pick up a few instruments back to back, and without playing a note, know which instrument has a better fit and finish within moments. Quality construction means durability and is a component of the equation that there is really no replacement for.
<b>6 Design</b>
Now we all know, especially us rockers out there, that when we get on stage we want to look cool. And I am not afraid to admit it...I want to look cool! Not to mention when players in the room come up to me and say, "Dude! Sweet bass!!" (Usually I folow that up with, "Yeah and I know where you can get one!
")
The look has to be there and can either instantly turn you on or off. I've played some amazingly ugly basses that played great, but since I didn't identify with the look of the instrument, I continued my search.
<b>The Wrap Up</b>
These are just a few of the evaluation criteria I use when choosing my instruments and the ones you see here at TPB. There are probably a hundred other factors that are in any purchasing decision not the least of which may be price, but hopefully this will help give you a 3rd party perspective on your next investment. The main ingredient needs to be your satisfaction with how the bass performs and how comfortable you are playing it! We're all different, so make sure you evaluate your next bass carefully and by your criteria and the sound you are searching for personally!
If you think we can help you with that, get int touch! We're happy to help!
Thanks for reading and Keep It Low!
JB
How are you going to find your perfect bass? 
