Playing in the studio for the first time -- what to do?

[IotaNet]

I recently joined a group -- a small Gospel Ensemble of local guys, including some from my church. It's a cool situation and I'm glad to be involved.

Here's the deal, though -- I just learned that we'll be "going into the studio" in a couple of weeks and I'll be required to learn/play 3 tracks. I'm not worried about being in the studio -- I've been there before, albeit as a Trombone player. I'm also not worried about learning the material -- it is what it is.

My quandary is that I'm wondering about what bass to bring.

I hear lots of stories about "P-Basses work best" and all of that. I'm curious -- should I bring multiple basses? Should I pick my favorite one? (My options are in my signature, btw)

I'm not sure how that works. Anyone have any insights?

[stretchcat]

According to your profile you have a dual humbucker Bongo and a Valenti J bass. I can't imagine not being able to get great sounding gospel bass tracks with either of those basses.

Definitely bring both of them!

[pasta4lnch]

Do you think you will have time to futz around at the session for the best sound (if you don't know, assume no)? Otherwise the bass you think sounds best - maybe lug another for good measure. Any of your basses seem appropriate for the genre. . .

[zachoff]

The best bass for gospel is obviously the opposite of the best bass for metal. There are billions of threads about the best bass for metal so why not search those and pick something that's not listed.

Totally kidding.

A good studio tech will work with whatever you bring. If you're looking for something that will be easy to work with then yeah... A P or a J will probably be "best". Otherwise, pick your two favorites and rock out at the studio! Studio time is fun & the time you spend actually playing will be dwarfed by the time you spend tweaking things. It's a weird thing, that studio.

[Martin89]

The guys that are in the group you play with from church; do they compliment any particular bass you bring for certain songs/etc? I'd probably bring the one you use most with the best response at church... Seems to make sense as all are perfectly good studio basses.

[IotaNet]

Great suggestions all -- thanks for the feedback. I think I'm going to bring the Valenti J (It has a U-Retro preamp and is strung with High-Beams) and the Fender P -- strung with Flats. My guess is that between the two of them, I should be able to get the job done.

Interestingly enough, if I were only able to bring ONE, I would go with the Bongo. Since I have options, I suppose that a P with flats along with a J with rounds ought to do nicely.

[Sonicfrog]

Bring the two that you think sound best. But, if you're not sure which is the right one for the song, ask the guys in the band for their opinion. Assuming money is an issue, only use the one bass for the three songs. Since time = studio cost, taking the time to switch basses for each song will either drive up the cost of the session, or result in less time dedicated to mixing and engineering.