How do i choose the right bass?

[MEKer]

Originally Posted by darkstorm

Exactly. No reason to spend 5k for a bass either. Tons of excellent pro level basses available for much much less.

+1000

and be sure to check the Classifieds here on TB. Jezzzusss---you could get a custom Skjold and still have a lot of dough left in your pocket!

[Jeff Scott]

With a budget like that, I'd get a Marleaux (for a European make) or Martin Keith (for the best USA made custom bass), either way you should be under budget so you can buy some ice cream, too.

[Kaspergreenday]

Originally Posted by cdef

OP, since you're in Denmark, be sure to check out what builders like Johnny Mørch, Peder Pedersen, Peter Rahbek, Jacob Reitz and Pierre Dubré Boserup can do for you.

http://www.morch-guitars.dk/
http://www.artist-site.dk/guitars/guitars.html
http://www.rahbekguitars.com/index.php?sid=15
http://www.reitzguitars.dk/
http://www.guitarservice.dk/

Yeah, there are some great builders in Denmark, and especially Rahbek is very active in the Danish forum!

Originally Posted by VanillaThundah

The comparisons to women concerning instruments are always the best for some reason lol...it's mainly because they're so true.

I realize there are a lot of great boutique instruments out there, but it's sort of like online dating. She may have a wonderful bio, look gorgeous, and have all the right tastes/interests...but the internet can't tell you if she has bad breath, is a horrible cook, or sings awfully while shes listening to music. There are some things you just have to experience in person. If you feel like risking the money, the time, and paying for restocking/return fees then try some boutique instruments that you pick out on the web. I've personally had better experiences with basses I've been able to hold myself before I bought. Finding a great boutique bass isn't impossible by any means, they are usually expensive for a reason (they are super well-made), but it's a shot in the dark and you may have spent more than you wanted just to say you have a fancy wood top. For some people brazilian rosewood is a must on their instruments, where some people are fine with indian rosewood instead. It boils down to taste at the end of the day.


What kind of amp do you have? I think that it's better to have a balanced rig as opposed to it being "lop-sided" if you will. Playing a $7,000 Wal through a 15w Acoustic combo is not going to do that bass any justice. Spend $2-3k of your budget on a nice bass and the rest on a good bass rig. Be it Mesa, GK, Markbass, or Eden for solid state...or Ampeg, Fender, Traynor, Orange, Mesa, or Peavey for tube stuff, you could get a monster rig that will define your sound just as much (if not more) than a pricey bass alone can. The most expensive bass guitar in the world will still need an amp

I own an Ampeg SVT-CL, which im very satisfied with, so my rig is actully pretty 'lop-sided' as it is now, atleast in my opinion

Probably a stupid question, but what is the definition of a ''boutique'' bass?

I have always considered buying a used bass, you get more for the money, and you could in most instances resell for the same amount of money. I have always been interested in buying an older bass, since people seem to praise them for the better sound and better craftsmanship, but that opinion is solely based on other peoples opinion, since i have never got around to play one myself (not that every vintage instrument is alike! I'm aware of the diversity ofcourse). What are your opinions on vintage instruments (fx 1970-1980) in general, waste of money or instruments from a better time?

[azzyrazzy]

I predict you will take a long bass journey of a lot of different and not so different basses, and in 10 years time you will end up back with a P, embracing it.

[Kaspergreenday]

Originally Posted by azzyrazzy

I predict you will take a long bass journey of a lot of different and not so different basses, and in 10 years time you will end up back with a P, embracing it.

You'll never know! My immidiate choice would probably be a good Jazz Bass, but i really need to get out and try em' all out! I love the versitality and playability of the J-Bass, but that may just be my conclusion after playing a few.

I love the tone that Chris Squire has in Yes' more progressive era, fx. on Longdistance Runaround. But then again, that tone only fits in a certain amount of genres, and as i mentioned, i'm going for the versatility and playablity. For me, that's just the opposite of the Rickenbacker, but the amount of Rickenbackers, and other, atleast good basses i have played, doesn't exactly serve as a foundation to conclude that. I would also like to get a funky slap tone, and the motowney Jamerson tone. This probably makes for a good reason to buy maybe 2 basses.

I also love that crisp tone on Mary Mary's Wade in The Water, dont know the bassist, but chech it out, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPMghajj_6A. Great bass line too! NOTE: The bitrate of the video doesn't quite do his tone justice, but you get the point.

[micgtr71]

The best advice I have seen so far here is to decide what you like/dislike about the P Bass...which is a fantastic bass. See if you can bring it into the store with you to compare feel and sound against what you are used to. A lot of basses that people deem "the best bass going" may not work for you. My friend wanted a stingray so bad in the 90s that he could taste it. He finally found a lefty, bought it on sight, and sold it within months because he could not get used to the feel. You need to try them. All of them, or as many as you can. Best of luck in your search.

[thatbassist863]

You can find out what you like and dislike about the P bass. Also decide what type of tone you're going for. Research about basses and how they're made (wood types, electronics, active/passive, etc.). Knowledge is power, better to make an informed decision, then to just try every bass possible and still not know what it is you like/dislike about each one. Another thing is, how many strings do you want? Four, five, six, or more? I have two MIM Fender jazzes (one fretted, one Fretless), but after research and being able to play some, I want a Roscoe six string. I love the feel of the Rosces, slim neck that's extremely playable, good variety of woods to tailor the tone I want, and the electronics to bring out the woods tonality. But that's from my research and what I want in a bass (tone, playability, comfort, and electronics wise). Do some research and reflect on what you want out of the bass your looking for is my best thing I can suggest.

[Trayster2]

Originally Posted by Kaspergreenday

Hi TalkBass!

I have been playing bass for about 4-5 years now, and i am still playing on my humble Fender precision (mexican) bass.

HUMBLE? Really??? Wish I could afford a Fender... even a used MIM.

[mystic38]

There is no way anybody can make that decision for you... if you like the tone of your P bass personally i would go get a USA made custom shop one. Then you would still have money left for a Jazz bass and something more aggressive like a G&L M2000

[unclebass]

Originally Posted by lfmn16

Funny how so many people who don't know squat about this person feel entitled to tell him how to spend his money.

He might make $250,000 a year and $5,000 is nothing to him. Or he might have saved every penny for the last five years so he can buy his dream bass. Either way, he's not asking for financial advice, he wants to know how to make the right choice for him, not for us.

Just my 2 cents, but I would try to find a shop that has a lot of high end basses so you could try a bunch out. I would also read all the reviews I could find on talk bass, call the makers and arrange to try some basses by your final choice before you drop $5k. Better to spend a few hundred dollars on a trip than $5k on a bass you don't like.

Follow your dream and don't let small minds dissuade you!

Instead of ranting, why didn't you read the beginning of this thread? I believe he stated "5K, and that's alot of money for me." I know he may have encrypted it in such a way as to make it difficult for you to decypher, but if you take a few minutes to study it, I'm sure you will be able to see it!!

[Tvrtko]

As about me, I have my limits set - $500 max for any single musical item. Period.

I am not professional musician. I will never be. I don't have purpose to spend a lot of money for my hobby. I have 6 guitars (each from $100-$400) that I enjoy to play (except fretless Brice that I am just plain ignorant to it - wrong purchase).
It's nothing wrong to show off with the guitar. It's like trophy wife. You get it, you deal with it. None of my business. Thank God I don't have any need to show off anything anymore. It's such great feeling being free to enjoy small things in life.
It's "your money - your honey" as it says on the walls of hooker houses in Hong Kong...

[Kaspergreenday]

Originally Posted by Tvrtko

As about me, I have my limits set - $500 max for any single musical item. Period.

I am not professional musician. I will never be. I don't have purpose to spend a lot of money for my hobby. I have 6 guitars (each from $100-$400) that I enjoy to play (except fretless Brice that I am just plain ignorant to it - wrong purchase).
It's nothing wrong to show off with the guitar. It's like trophy wife. You get it, you deal with it. None of my business. Thank God I don't have any need to show off anything anymore. It's such great feeling being free to enjoy small things in life.
It's "your money - your honey" as it says on the walls of hooker houses in Hong Kong...

Well that's one way to look at it. The great thing about buying quality music gear: The price stays the same (or even rises if you're lucky) if you treat it well! I don't understand why people could use 1 million dollars on a painting or a Ferrari, but as Jamey Aebersold said: ''Always play on the best instrument available to you'', or something like that atleast I'm not gonna be cheap when i'm gonna buy something i use that much. But i still agree on that trophy thing hehe

[RobbieNuke]

There is the subjective part of deciding which brand/model. This is very personal being mostly driven by budget, image you want to project, aesthetic appeal, etc. If possible, visit several retail establishments that offer a wide selection or bring your own bass for comparison. If you use effects you may want to bring them as well.

After that, the way I do it and recommend selecting an electric bass is like this;

Sit down with it in the acoustic room (or the quietest place) and play it unplugged for about 5-10 minutes. Study the "feel" of the instrument... is it comfortable in the sitting position? How does the back of the neck feel? How do the strings feel on the neck when fretting? How do the frets feel? Is the string spacing comfortable (especially at the nut and at the body joint)? Listen for the tone of the bass as well as for dead spots and the sustain of the notes. Be sure to de-tune/re-tune to evaluate every machine head's feel/quality. 80-90% of my selection is done by this phase.

After the unplugged evaluation it's time to put on a strap and grab a cable... you will now want to test the instrument in a standing position plugged into an amplifier. Does the body/neck position comfortably with the strap adjusted to your liking? Does the bass 'neck-dive' (i.e. headstock dives towards the floor) when you let go of the neck? Can you access all of the upper frets easily? You will need to be very aware of these quirks, especially when performing.

Plug into an amp (any amp will do, but the one most similar to your is best). Just play single notes and listen for sustain/dead spots/string buzz. Verify that the pickups and all controls work properly. Pluck a note and wiggle the cable at the input jack to see if the connection is solid. Turn the amp up louder than normal and let go of all metal parts... including the strings. Is any noise generated indicating poor grounding? There should be no or very little difference in background noise when you grab the strings (I once tested a bass that did not have a grounding wire between the controls and the bridge.... it had a loud hum).

Finally, you may also want to consider trying out a bass you hate or hadn't planned to check out... simply as a comparison. You may discover that it's the perfect one for you!

Once you have made a final decision, visually inspect the entire instrument for any obvious defects (missing/damaged parts, blemishes, etc). Discuss resolving any issues with the salesman/manager... this could effect the final price and/or delivery time. Consider having it set-up (including intonation) with your favorite strings. Inquire about the warranty, as well as any options (color) or accessories (case) that are include or available. >

[Kaspergreenday]

Originally Posted by RobbieNuke

There is the subjective part of deciding which brand/model. This is very personal being mostly driven by budget, image you want to project, aesthetic appeal, etc. If possible, visit several retail establishments that offer a wide selection or bring your own bass for comparison. If you use effects you may want to bring them as well.

After that, the way I do it and recommend selecting an electric bass is like this;

Sit down with it in the acoustic room (or the quietest place) and play it unplugged for about 5-10 minutes. Study the "feel" of the instrument... is it comfortable in the sitting position? How does the back of the neck feel? How do the strings feel on the neck when fretting? How do the frets feel? Is the string spacing comfortable (especially at the nut and at the body joint)? Listen for the tone of the bass as well as for dead spots and the sustain of the notes. Be sure to de-tune/re-tune to evaluate every machine head's feel/quality. 80-90% of my selection is done by this phase.

After the unplugged evaluation it's time to put on a strap and grab a cable... you will now want to test the instrument in a standing position plugged into an amplifier. Does the body/neck position comfortably with the strap adjusted to your liking? Does the bass 'neck-dive' (i.e. headstock dives towards the floor) when you let go of the neck? Can you access all of the upper frets easily? You will need to be very aware of these quirks, especially when performing.

Plug into an amp (any amp will do, but the one most similar to your is best). Just play single notes and listen for sustain/dead spots/string buzz. Verify that the pickups and all controls work properly. Pluck a note and wiggle the cable at the input jack to see if the connection is solid. Turn the amp up louder than normal and let go of all metal parts... including the strings. Is any noise generated indicating poor grounding? There should be no or very little difference in background noise when you grab the strings (I once tested a bass that did not have a grounding wire between the controls and the bridge.... it had a loud hum).

Finally, you may also want to consider trying out a bass you hate or hadn't planned to check out... simply as a comparison. You may discover that it's the perfect one for you!

Once you have made a final decision, visually inspect the entire instrument for any obvious defects (missing/damaged parts, blemishes, etc). Discuss resolving any issues with the salesman/manager... this could effect the final price and/or delivery time. Consider having it set-up (including intonation) with your favorite strings. Inquire about the warranty, as well as any options (color) or accessories (case) that are include or available. >

That was very usefull info, thanks alot!

[tradernick]

Originally Posted by Kaspergreenday

I love the tone that Chris Squire has in Yes' more progressive era, fx. on Longdistance Runaround. But then again, that tone only fits in a certain amount of genres, and as i mentioned, i'm going for the versatility and playablity. For me, that's just the opposite of the Rickenbacker, but the amount of Rickenbackers, and other, atleast good basses i have played, doesn't exactly serve as a foundation to conclude that. I would also like to get a funky slap tone, and the motowney Jamerson tone. This probably makes for a good reason to buy maybe 2 basses.

I also love that crisp tone on Mary Mary's Wade in The Water, dont know the bassist, but chech it out, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPMghajj_6A. Great bass line too! NOTE: The bitrate of the video doesn't quite do his tone justice, but you get the point.

Can someone who's more of a tone geek than me give him some info here? This will give him better information than our opinions about this or that bass.

Jameson played a Precision, right? Did he play with flatwounds? I remember reading that he didn't change his strings that much.

The term 'boutique' just refers to any equipment maker that has a small operation focused on (usually) one very specific piece of gear. Sadowsky isn't really a boutique operation anymore, IMO.

[tradernick]

Originally Posted by unclebass

Instead of ranting, why didn't you read the beginning of this thread? I believe he stated "5K, and that's alot of money for me." I know he may have encrypted it in such a way as to make it difficult for you to decypher, but if you take a few minutes to study it, I'm sure you will be able to see it!!

Welcome to TB!

I hardly call that post a 'rant'. Maybe you haven't been online long enough to see a true rant. I agree with everything he said.

Arriving at the site and dissing someone right off the bat looks a bit trollish to me....

Lastly, spellcheck is your friend. If you're going to troll someone, have the courtesy to spell correctly.

[mystic38]

I dont see how the OP was asking for your judgement of his value system... or his wife.

Originally Posted by Tvrtko

As about me, I have my limits set - $500 max for any single musical item. Period.

I am not professional musician. I will never be. I don't have purpose to spend a lot of money for my hobby. I have 6 guitars (each from $100-$400) that I enjoy to play (except fretless Brice that I am just plain ignorant to it - wrong purchase).
It's nothing wrong to show off with the guitar. It's like trophy wife. You get it, you deal with it. None of my business. Thank God I don't have any need to show off anything anymore. It's such great feeling being free to enjoy small things in life.
It's "your money - your honey" as it says on the walls of hooker houses in Hong Kong...

[bassdog]

To me it depends on what you are after tonaly and/or dream about having. If you want Fender, 5k is a nice bit of money to be able to spend on a vintage bass. A friend of of mine just spent around that on a gorgeous '69 J that is his dream bass. You could get a custom Fender style bass too. That's decent money for a nice boutique bass. What looks good to you? What is your vibe? modern multi string? What is the tone in your head, so to speak? Mine is Jazz and Precision bass sounds mainly. You?

[Emibass]

Take a look at these:

http://www.adamovic.nl/

http://www.accuracybasses.com/

[Tvrtko]

Originally Posted by mystic38

I dont see how the OP was asking for your judgement of his value system... or his wife.

Because, I have rare view in this place. It might wake up someone ashamed to admit spending too much money just because it's trendy...