Bass guitars (err yeah couldn't think of a more appropriate title)

[The Ram]

Hi, I've been playing bass for like a year and admittedly do not know much about the different types of bass guitar. Yeah, I know really bad lol. Fender, Squirer, Rickenbacker are just names to me and I want to know more about these guitars and others as I feel it is useful to do so.

I know that what distinguishes bass guitars from one another is not just the way they look but the tone/sound so don't worry I'm not crazy ignorant lol. I see many people on this forum play different basses, which is great so I'm just asking if you could please do me a favour and post the different types of bass guitars and genres of music they are mainly present in as well as the specific sound they produce and what you personally find to be advantages and disadvantages. I do plan on getting a book on guitars btw in the near future but I thought it would be good to hear what everyone's opinions were. Thanks

[bassist 4 life]

Prolly misread the section.
should be in "Basses"

[WyrdoBass]

Fender= extremely versatile, industry standard. Squier= budget-priced versions of Fender, seen by some as "beginner" basses.

[superfunk47]

It's a pretty general question, but I'll give it my best shot.

On top of the heap for most players sits Fender. The Precision and Jazz basses are arguably the two most versatile designs in the bass world and each can and do fit into literally all styles of music.

You asked about Rickenbacker - they are underestimated for their versatility IMO, but are generally only used in rock.

Gibson is a brand guitarists switching over to bass will ask about because they make great guitars, but this does NOT translate to their bass department. Gibson is pretty widely regarded as the most overpriced niche market in the bass world.

Ibanez is notable for their price:quality ratio. This is why they're so popular. They make nice basses and don't charge a lot for em. Hard to generalize them because they make such a variety of basses.

Lakland makes some wonderful intermediate and pro level basses. Again, their price to quality is very admirable, especially with their Skyline basses.

It's hard to say a whole lot more without a more specific request - those are some notables in the bass world.

[T40Chump]

You might consider doing a search on each of the bass brands you mentioned. You will get lots of threads and information on each. I learned a lot about my Peavey bass doing that. You'll get lots of different opinions and thoughts on the differences.

Of course, the absolute best way to know the differences is to try several different basses, but that's not always practical.

Or, you can just wait it out and see what replies you get here...

Just my 2 cents...

[The Ram]

Originally Posted by bassist 4 life

Prolly misread the section.
should be in "Basses"

Yep, that's what happens when you open too many windows at a time, sorry about that. Thanks for the responses guys I've learnt a bit already. Hope to read some more about other types of guitars.

[Toronto Bassist]

Well, there's different kinds of bass guitars, and there's different brands of bass guitars. Of the different kinds, you have stuff like fretted, fretless, active, passive, 4-string, 5-string, 6-string, 7-string, 8-string, 12-string, solid body, hollow body, long scale, short scale...and probably more that I haven't thought of.

Of the different brands, there's tons...Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, Danelectro, Hofner, Sadowsky, Lakland, Fodera, Peavey, MusicMan, G & L, Ibanez...there's tons. Check out the "Basses" forum, seriously.

[BananaKing]

Originally Posted by superfunk47

It's a pretty general question, but I'll give it my best shot.

On top of the heap for most players sits Fender. The Precision and Jazz basses are arguably the two most versatile designs in the bass world and each can and do fit into literally all styles of music.

You asked about Rickenbacker - they are underestimated for their versatility IMO, but are generally only used in rock.

Gibson is a brand guitarists switching over to bass will ask about because they make great guitars, but this does NOT translate to their bass department. Gibson is pretty widely regarded as the most overpriced niche market in the bass world.

Ibanez is notable for their price:quality ratio. This is why they're so popular. They make nice basses and don't charge a lot for em. Hard to generalize them because they make such a variety of basses.

Lakland makes some wonderful intermediate and pro level basses. Again, their price to quality is very admirable, especially with their Skyline basses.

It's hard to say a whole lot more without a more specific request - those are some notables in the bass world.

+1.

Warwick basses are considered very growly as well and tend to have a more Organic, mid-based tone that is either a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing.