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What bass would suit my studio?

N

NordLead

Sep 17, 2009
53
0
#1
I'm not a bass player at all, I'm a guitarist. But hey, bass can't be THAT hard :smug: I want a good studio bass, something that sounds good on recordings. I won't use it TOO much, just for writing and recording, but I'd rather invest some cash into one and get something decent. This will be mainly to just supply bass to my music, nothing special. Let me describe what I'm looking for, but bear with me because I have no idea what I'm talking about :p

I need something that doesn't make too much 'PLOPFLAPPLUNKPOP' when playing it (sounds like loose strings?). No popping, no slapping, just something that sounds very clean and warm. Something that will fill everything out in a mix and be used as an accompaniment instrument rather than something that sticks out too much.

- all throughout

These are good examples. Just a standard, slick, clean bass sound.

I was thinking a Spector or Warwick or something. I want to try and limit what I spend to somewhere under $1000. I wouldn't mind getting used at all if it meant getting a better bass :)


What do you think? And thanks for your help.
 
#3
Hmm... A Spector might be close to the sound you're after, but Warwick's have a very "woody" sound IMO. I love their sound, but it might not be quite what you're looking for.

If you're looking for a studio bass and focusing on more guitar driven/metal stuff, you could also try an Ibanez Soundgear. Despite their reputation, they're not JUST for metal (I played one in church for a while :D lol).

If you're really looking for a good all-around studio bass, you can't beat a good Fender American Standard Jazz or P-bass. Precisions are good all around basses (they've been used for decades, after all), while Jazz basses have good growl and can get a bigger variety of tones.

If you're just looking for something to lay in scratch tracks, you could get Mexican Fenders... They're still good basses and you could get one of each new for not much more than your $1000 budget. Find used ones and you could get them both for under $1000 for sure. :)

5sg.
 
#8
If you can spring for a Warwick Thumb (Bolt-on is cool), go for it. They're fantastic basses for heavy music, as they combine the low-mid thump of a P bass but have a more articulate top end. They're very distinctive - but in the sort of music you're into that's not a bad thing - and sit nicely in the mix.

c-
 
#9
Hi NordLead.

To echo what others have stated, play every Fender Precision Bass that you can get your hands on until you find the one which chooses you.

Next, match it up with a Tech 21 VT Bass, which is an Ampeg B15-N, a studio staple, and SVT simulator that is enjoying a large and growing popularity here on TalkBass. ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed])

(Please note: This will flatten the VT Bass learning curve: VT Bass frequency response plots.)

Now add a good DI box like the popularity here on TalkBass, or the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], or its two channel version, the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] (for additional use with stereo keyboards & effects etc) and there's your bass recording set up.

BTW. Another option in choosing a recording bass would be to contact some pro studios and ask them if they use a Fender P----or, just check out any album jackets printed since Dwight D. Eisenhower was president of the United States...
 
#18
Give yourself a little versatility and go for a Fender Deluxe Precision.

In saying that, I did some unplanned recording at a friend's studio the other week and used a $200 no-name (at least not one I can remember!) chinese-made 5 string that he had sitting around. Once it was through the eqs and modelers it could have been a 50s P bass, sure it didn't play like one, but what I am saying is IMHO the type of bass matters less than how you record and play it!
 

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