Fellow TB'ers -- Your Opinion Please. Cheap or $$$?

plangentmusic · #1 10-23-2010, 08:34 AM

I recently recorded a solo CD using several basses. I'd like to know which one you think has the better recorded sound. The price range of each varies thousands of dollars.

So if you will -- check out just a few seconds of a few sections of a video I just posted on Youtube and let me know what sound is closest to what you try to get.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgP1tSGV4e0

Go to :01...1:57...2:08 and 2:35.

It'll take less than a half a minute. : )

They are 4 different basses on the vid and CD.

This should be an interesting "blindfold" test.

Thanks guys . I appreciate it. And thanks in advance for any input or suggestions.

stingray69 · #2 10-23-2010, 08:49 AM

FWIW, I like the bass tone at the very start of the video - it seemed to serve the song the best IMO - very nice warm tone & filled out the bottom end of the song very well. The 2 other tones in the middle of the song seemed to go from very treble-y to very midrangey sounding - didn't care for those as much in the context of the song. I like the tone at the end as well, but that sounded just a hair less warm than the very 1st bass used at the beginning of the song, but still nicer than the tones used in the middle of the song. I'm not knocking the middle-song tones, but I don't think they do justice for the surf-rock style song (nice song, btw!). Hopefully you will let us know what was what before too long.

azzyrazzy · #3 10-23-2010, 09:00 AM

Liked the first best. Precision?

plangentmusic · #4 10-23-2010, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stingray69

FWIW, I like the bass tone at the very start of the video - it seemed to serve the song the best IMO - very nice warm tone & filled out the bottom end of the song very well. The 2 other tones in the middle of the song seemed to go from very treble-y to very midrangey sounding - didn't care for those as much in the context of the song. I like the tone at the end as well, but that sounded just a hair less warm than the very 1st bass used at the beginning of the song, but still nicer than the tones used in the middle of the song. I'm not knocking the middle-song tones, but I don't think they do justice for the surf-rock style song (nice song, btw!). Hopefully you will let us know what was what before too long.

You know your sound! It's the same bass on the first and last song.

I want to wait to reveal what it is though, because I think the results will surprise a lot of people.

plangentmusic · #5 10-23-2010, 11:13 AM

Come on, no one else? With all the talk about what bass sounds best, here's a chance to prove the difference between an $8000 bass and a $300 one. LOL!!!

Go on-- I dare ya! : )

Seriously, any input is appreciated.

Bass-Adrenaline · #6 10-23-2010, 11:23 AM

Considering how easy it is to chage the sound of almost any bass with ease i dont see the point of threads like this. Anything form a simple EQ change what setup/rig is used could make one or the other sound better. If this thread is to show people prefer the sound clips of the cheaper bass more that doesnt mean the bass is even near as nice as the more expensive bass. Doesnt build quality, playability, etc. also have to be taken into consideration. People put way to much focus on tone/sound when its the easiest thing to manipulate to suit your needs.

Ronbeast · #7 10-23-2010, 11:27 AM

I liked the tone of the second one, very straight forward and aggressive.My kind of thing! FWIW I thought all of the basses sat very well in the context of the music but if I had to choose my two favorite they would be 1) the bass at 1:57 and 2) the bass at the very start. IMO.

-Ron

80'sRocker · #8 10-23-2010, 11:38 AM

Nothing night and day here. I can't see huge differences mysef but I'd go w/ the last one

plangentmusic · #9 10-23-2010, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass-Adrenaline

Considering how easy it is to chage the sound of almost any bass with ease i dont see the point of threads like this. Anything form a simple EQ change what setup/rig is used could make one or the other sound better. If this thread is to show people prefer the sound clips of the cheaper bass more that doesnt mean the bass is even near as nice as the more expensive bass. Doesnt build quality, playability, etc. also have to be taken into consideration. People put way to much focus on tone/sound when its the easiest thing to manipulate to suit your needs.

Yes and no. Short of an instrument being ill constructed or defective, even "playability" is subjective. And EQ can only enhance the inherent qualities of an instrument -- it can't alter it.

Dub56 · #10 10-23-2010, 12:26 PM

I personally LEAST preferred the one at 1:57, although I can see it possibly being the most expensive bass. Either that, or just a bass with pretty new strings, or both. It sounded a bit brighter and had more attack, which is usually what I see in a lot of higher end basses, but that isn't to say all high end basses are the same..

I liked the first one, but I think it could possibly cut through a bit more it seemed to get lost a bit on the lower registers, but it did fill up the sound nicely. And the third one was a bit more mid-range oriented but worked well for the more melodic stuff you were playing.

**lowendfriend** · #11 10-23-2010, 12:40 PM

I liked the sound with Telstar....deep, rich and bomp to spare.

plangentmusic · #12 10-23-2010, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowendfriend

I liked the sound with Telstar....deep, rich and bomp to spare.

That wasn't among the choices, but thanks. Glad to hear it worked. I think so too.

On that song I used a Squier CV jazz. A VERY punchy bass that just needs a little low end pump around 80hz. $299

And BTW: that was all recorded on Garage Band, so it's hardly "high end studio magic" at play.

kesslari · #13 10-23-2010, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plangentmusic

You know your sound! It's the same bass on the first and last song.

I want to wait to reveal what it is though, because I think the results will surprise a lot of people.

If you have an underlying goal to surprise a lot of people, it's really easy to make a cheap bass sound great and even easier to make a great bass sound lousy, or just mediocre.

Not biting. Sorry.

plangentmusic · #14 10-23-2010, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kesslari

If you have an underlying goal to surprise a lot of people, it's really easy to make a cheap bass sound great and even easier to make a great bass sound lousy, or just mediocre.

Not biting. Sorry.

There's nothing to bite at bro. Why would I purposely make a bass sound lousy on a recording I'm releasing? That makes no sense. It's all the best sound I could get.

Selta · #15 10-23-2010, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kesslari

If you have an underlying goal to surprise a lot of people, it's really easy to make a cheap bass sound great and even easier to make a great bass sound lousy, or just mediocre.

Not biting. Sorry.

Big +1. "Studio Magic" can go so far and make things sound entirely different. I can make my G&L sound like a total POS if I wanted, or do some work and make my SX sound pretty damn sweet (not that it doesn't on it's own).
Also, this is very subjective as it's just tone. You like things I may not and vice versa. I've found that the more spent on a bass there's a return on woods used and attention paid to details in the build process - something that won't come through in a recording.

I also, am not biting.

plangentmusic · #16 10-23-2010, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

Big +1. "Studio Magic" can go so far and make things sound entirely different. I can make my G&L sound like a total POS if I wanted, or do some work and make my SX sound pretty damn sweet (not that it doesn't on it's own).
Also, this is very subjective as it's just tone. You like things I may not and vice versa. I've found that the more spent on a bass there's a return on woods used and attention paid to details in the build process - something that won't come through in a recording.

I also, am not biting.

I think you're missing the point bro. This wasn't meant to fool anybody.

I'll repeat -- I tried to get each track to sound as good as possible. I'm proud of them all -- including the guitars and drums, which I also played. But since my main instrument is bass, that's where I wanted the most feedback.

I can't understand why anyone would be so eager to get dismissive and negative.

Anyway, on the first and last track , it's a 20 year old 62' re-issue P.

At 1:57, it's a Fodera.

On track 2 it's the CV.

The rest is a Squier Deluxe J.

SnakeKappele · #17 10-23-2010, 03:45 PM

The first one for sure.

plangentmusic · #18 10-23-2010, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnakeKappele

The first one for sure.

It's funny -- I never recorded with the P before and I'm finding it really works. Plus a lot of people react to it. Interesting -- since isolated, it sounds like a bland, flat, low mid, dull sound.

But there's something about it.

Tusec · #19 10-24-2010, 10:18 AM

Wow, cool songs and love those guitar tones. What can you reveal about your guitar rig? Is that a real reverb tank or an effect? What kinds of guitars? Twangy oddballs like Mosrites and Teiscos or something more conventional?

RE the bass tones, I agree with the others that the first song is the best. That's how bass should sound. I'm a guitar guy who picked up bass not long ago and it has quickly become clear to me that there is something fundamentally "correct" about P bass tone.

plangentmusic · #20 10-24-2010, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tusec

Wow, cool songs and love those guitar tones. What can you reveal about your guitar rig? Is that a real reverb tank or an effect? What kinds of guitars? Twangy oddballs like Mosrites and Teiscos or something more conventional?

RE the bass tones, I agree with the others that the first song is the best. That's how bass should sound. I'm a guitar guy who picked up bass not long ago and it has quickly become clear to me that there is something fundamentally "correct" about P bass tone.

Thanks.

Well, yeah, there's a reason the P has been around so long. And that's a great P. Those old re-issues (essentially vintage versions of vintage versions) are sweet. (Or maybe it's just really broken in).

All the guitar parts were played on a Squier CV 50's strat.

Everything was direct into Garage Band using the preset programs -- but of course, I used a lot of tricks to tweak things -- but no external gear or added software except for a BBE sonic maximizer in a few spots.