Multiple Tones in One Bass?

[Tuned]

Originally Posted by hdracer

I just bring 2 basses.
The guitar players change guitars, why can't I change basses?

The sound tech in me advises against this. With PA reinforcement the low end changes enough from bass to bass regardless of how even it sounds at the bass amp. I switch between fretted and fretless, but the change is drastic enough that I wouldn't want them balancing the exact same anyway. But if the PA is set up for a Rush Rickenbacker, it'll be night-and-day heavier when you pull the P bass out. Sure you'll make adjustments at the bass rig, but for example if the sound tech insists on pre-EQ DI and is having a smoke when you switch...

[mjac28]

Originally Posted by Johnny Crab

This and either the Line 6 BPXTLive or the HD500 but ONLY IF you want to be able to have invisible roadies change your bass and amps at the click of a switch or 2. Clank to mud or thud in a few seconds.

+1000 I haven't put this thing down since I got it sounds incredible.

[lowphatbass]

Originally Posted by 18reisd

haha, i guess i may be just gassing. The thing is that my p has labella flats on now and while they are amazing for what they do, it's hard no matter what technique i use to get a geddy or entwistle sound from them. i may just switch to rounds.

Hearing this I would recommend grabbing a Jazz or G&L and throw some rounds on there. Keep the P with flats in the mix as well.

Another thought may be to pickup a pedal that has can boost the treble and maybe add in a bit of "hair" to the mix for when you need a more aggressive tone.

Also Entwistle's technique was pretty unique, more or less "slapping" down on each note. It's not easy or comfortable for a lot of bassists. Using a pick makes sense but takes a fair amount of technique as well. It's not an easy challenge, but a fresh set of rounds will help-out a lot.

[bootsox]

Peavey T40's tone circuit is one of the most versatile around

[kellyrojo]

Your p is enough but the g n l is an awesome beast with booku tones

[king_biscuit]

Originally Posted by 18reisd

Hey All,
I was just wondering what versatile bass would be for the music i play. My band plays a variety of different cover tunes and genres and my passive p bass can't cop every tone i need, and i dont want to haul multiple bass to a gig. We play everything from The Who, to The Beatles, to Rush, Radiohead, The Police, Pearl Jam, Zep, Frank Zappa, Stevie Wonder, Janis, etc... I'm looking to spend around 1250$ but i can push up to 1500$ or more if need be.
Go!

I would think a properly amplified P bass could handle all of that easily. At any rate, any multi pickup bass is going to offer more tonal variety than a passive P bass. How about an active Jazz, or a two (or three) pickup Musicman?

[Rockin Mike]

Nobody said Spector yet but they are very versatile. With my Euro I can get anything from a P-bass to a Rickenbacker and a lot more.

[Rockin Mike]

Originally Posted by wmheilma

Don't rule out two basses so quickly. Get a padded gig bag that holds two of them, put another stand in your road case, and there you go.

Only a P sounds like a P, but a P only sounds like a P. (Did that come out right???)

If you get a double bag make sure it's a very strong one. I have heard people say that the regular $40 gig bags are great for a single bass, but the double version of the same bag has problems with seams splitting and handle falling off.

[Stumbo]

It's great to have a bass that can get different tones by selecting switches and turning diiferent knobs which I can do with my '82 Ibanez Musician P/J active/passive switch, 3 band eq. and blend control. I also use palm muting and play with a pick or fingers. The problem is that all this can only go so far in copping tones that can be distiguished FOH on a consistent basis and with the abilty for quick accurate changes.

+1 for pedal modelers, programmable eq's, and the MM Big A/Line 6 with push button selections that get a tone instantly and accurately enough.

[exmaxima1]

Originally Posted by RoeyHaviv

Most of Zappa's bassists used a P bass

One of Zappa's more famous bass players, Scott Thunes, played a koa-wood Carvin LB90. I had one just like it, installed EMG soapbars, and it was like butter to play. One of my favorite basses that I should never had parted with....

[Misty Mountain]

I find I can get almost anything I need out of my Peavey Cirrus.

[edbass]

The most tonally versatile bass I've had is a Godin Shifter I bought a couple of months ago. From burpy to thumpy with a 5 position switch and pull switch tone control.
Also, very natural and organic sounding as compared to active tone circuits or that canned, artificial tone of modeling devices.
I ordered and bought it “blind” (couldn't find one to play anywhere) and found it to indeed sound very much like the You Tube clips I based my interest on, and was also very pleasantly surprised by the level of workmanship and fit and finish for its price point.

[boyet]

A Bongo 5HH.

[Joe Nerve]

The big al is the most versatile bass I ever played. And while I'm a big Warwick fan (own 2, owned 5), when it comes to versatility they don't cover anywhere near the ground of any MM I ever owned. I had a streamer jazzman for a while, and even with all the control I was given there was a very limited range of sounds within the bass itself. As I've said in other posts, I feel the range on the tone controls of the Warwick go from 1-3, while the pots on the MM go from 1-12. There's just a lot more you can do, and without it getting too boomy or sizzly. I love a lot of the stuff warwicks do, but they stick very much to their personality, almost IMO becoming 1 trick ponyies. Definitely not the case with the big al or any other multipickup MM I ever owned. Big al gets an extra plus from me because of the active passive option that also gives you a tone control.

[Joe Nerve]

Originally Posted by bootsox

Peavey T40's tone circuit is one of the most versatile around

Not my experience with the one I had.

[Lublin]

Lakland 55-02. Swiss army knife of tones.

[bootsox]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

Not my experience with the one I had.

You don't know how to use it then. That treble bleed circuit and the phase switcher make a killer tone control.

[ggvicviper]

G&L L-2000/L-2500 I say.

[spector_boogie]

Diversity = J+MM. Lotta options. Is what I used in my last cover band.

[Joe Nerve]

Originally Posted by bootsox

You don't know how to use it then. That treble bleed circuit and the phase switcher make a killer tone control.

When I had one it was only briefly, and I was still kinda new to bass, so I can't and won't argue. If what you say it true, then there may be one of those things in my future. I liked it a lot at the time, but just for old school stuff. Remeber not being able to get a slap tone out of it fer nuthin, and I can get a slap tone out of ubass. Again, that might be attributed to the amount of experience at the time I had the one I did. I'm a peavey fan, and that bass is a tank.