Your Axe

BassNoob1 · #1 12-30-2010, 08:28 PM

I just have a pretty straight-forward question. What is/are your main bass(es)?

juicenra4ever · #2 12-30-2010, 08:31 PM

i go back and forth between MIM fender jazz and epi eb-3. neither break the bank and they both have a special place in my heart.

BassNoob1 · #3 12-30-2010, 08:35 PM

Cool, my main/only bass is a Squier Precision Bass. I've only been playing for half a year, so that's all I have right now. I'm saving up to buy a new, better bass in the future, I'm looking at either the Standard Precision Bass or American-Standard Precision Bass V. I really wanna try out 5 strings, but American-Standards are expensive, and unfortunately, there's no 5-string Standard P-Bass AFAIK.

juicenra4ever · #4 12-30-2010, 08:58 PM

when i was a wee youngster i started out on a team bass, bought from a small music shop down the road for under $100. great for learning and i near tore that thing apart for about 5 or 6 years during which time i learned the bass and i were meant to be. went to GC, got a fender jazz like my here JPJ and never turned back. played that thing for about 8 years before i got the epi about 3 months ago to try something with different tone and style. i love the tone control on it and i am trying to get a gibson because i just love the feel.

moral of the story: listen to your favorite bands, read reviews, and, most importantly, play a lot of different basses at the stores around you to try and find what sound you like. a bass is a big expense for us guys with little cash and when you get one, it becomes a part of you. the two buying experiences i have had, took me at least 3 months to pull the trigger because i wanted to make sure that i tried everything out there (that was in my price range). countless trips to the store.

good luck and let us know what you settle on!

Snarf · #5 12-31-2010, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassNoob1

Cool, my main/only bass is a Squier Precision Bass. I've only been playing for half a year, so that's all I have right now. I'm saving up to buy a new, better bass in the future, I'm looking at either the Standard Precision Bass or American-Standard Precision Bass V. I really wanna try out 5 strings, but American-Standards are expensive, and unfortunately, there's no 5-string Standard P-Bass AFAIK.

I gotta tell ya, the 5 string American Standard P's are absolutely fantastic. The ones I've played were nice and light, had great thumpy tone, and just responded great overall. I actually went and got a 5 string 2008 MIA jazz, and it really doesn't stand up to the P in terms of weight and neck comfort. The positioning of a P pickup as well is just money.

ilovenofrets · #6 12-31-2010, 05:39 PM

Right now, my main axe is my 1986 Ibanez Roadstar II RB-850. Love it!!!

BassNoob1 · #7 01-01-2011, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snarf

I gotta tell ya, the 5 string American Standard P's are absolutely fantastic. The ones I've played were nice and light, had great thumpy tone, and just responded great overall. I actually went and got a 5 string 2008 MIA jazz, and it really doesn't stand up to the P in terms of weight and neck comfort. The positioning of a P pickup as well is just money.

I actually tried a five-string for the first time last night. I can't say I like it. The main reason I wanted one was for more room to improvise with, but I couldn't really integrate the extra string very well. I'm thinking of sticking with four strings now.

cybersnyder · #8 01-01-2011, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassNoob1

I actually tried a five-string for the first time last night. I can't say I like it. The main reason I wanted one was for more room to improvise with, but I couldn't really integrate the extra string very well. I'm thinking of sticking with four strings now.

Do a search for Todd Johnson's floating thumb technique. That should help you deal with muting.

Stick_Player · #9 01-01-2011, 06:58 PM

1984 fretless Yamaha BB5000, strung E, A, D, G, C.

Johnny Crab · #10 01-01-2011, 07:02 PM

Greco Les Paul clone with the 3 chrome thunderbird pickups.
Made for a short time about 13 years ago, setup is V-V-V. Tonal variations come from which pickup(s) are on, their volume level(s), and your hands/how you play.
Tone chameleon.

the byronic man · #11 01-01-2011, 07:02 PM

'78 Rickenbacker 4001 and a Fender Prophecy II. Different uses for different situations.

BassNoob1 · #12 01-02-2011, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybersnyder

Do a search for Todd Johnson's floating thumb technique. That should help you deal with muting.

Muting wasn't the problem, I just wasn't really able to integrate the fifth string into anything that I'd ideally play. That and the B string was so loud that it didn't really sound that good at all to me.

4StringMonster · #13 01-05-2011, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassNoob1

I actually tried a five-string for the first time last night. I can't say I like it. The main reason I wanted one was for more room to improvise with, but I couldn't really integrate the extra string very well. I'm thinking of sticking with four strings now.

Will you sell me your 5 string bass axe?

adamnitti · #14 01-05-2011, 01:58 PM

when i'm performing with my band or in other jazz/fusion settings:

curbow retro II prototype 5
warrior custom 6
yamaha trbIIp 5

when i'm on sessions:

'64 jazz
'57 reissue p bass
'77 jazz
'00 stingray 5

alembicguy · #15 01-05-2011, 02:04 PM

Alembic Stanley Clarke or a 1962 Fender Jazz.

Tmoney865 · #16 01-23-2011, 08:58 PM

Noob,

I hope I can perhaps help your focus.

My Dad was a Bassist. He has a 5 Sting Kay and still plays to this day. It is a high C 5th. I think it was a Freddie Jackson Model, or someone Jackson...married to Ella Fitzgerald.

I followed him when I turned 9 years old.

Coming from the Double Bass Violin (DBV) your thought is actually towards a Higher tone.

Bass Guitar (BG) does not actually make the same range of tone to the DBV per string length. String circumfrence (guage) is smaller also.

Adam went to GA State Univ. studdied for 1 year. I was there years before him and the teacher Peter Hennes continually made fun of my Mocking Bird and the cut away, to which I told him if I changed the Bass it would be a 5 string tuned like a Guitar 1 octave down.

So being a DBVer in thought, I was thinking higher like yourself. So it is not just you.

Mr. Hennes suggested the Low B and a High B.

So as you can see, we DBVers think higher and not lower, but Guitarists and BGers, they think lower.

While I got made fun of for a year, only to return on year 2 to the teacher sporting the second to last Ken Smith 6 of 1985 leaving John Pattatucci to take what was left, I neither got to handle the instrument I helped inspire my College Teacher to pursue, nor did I get a 6 String until 2006.

I do not and have never owned a DBV, but I own two 6ers both are Ibanez BTBs, both are Bolt On necks.

I also own 2 5ers, and they are Bolt On BTB's.

Action is 2mm on the low B and 1mm on the highC or G depending on the instrument.

This is a different world from the DBV, and the Low B on the fretless works well in getting a closer copy to the DBV beyond the 5th position because of the thicker string.

Thinking higher like a DBVer, you might want to go to the 5 String, have a custom nut cut, so you can go to the High C, instead of the Low B.

Peace, Blessing, and Bass