Ash vs. Alder: Seventies Jazz Pickup Position Basses

My Carvin SB5000 and my Fender American Geddy Lee Jazz are heavy ash and alder respectively. My Carvin has to be the most naturally scooped bass I have ever owned while the Geddy has much stronger mids than one might assume on a Jazz with Seventies position pickups. I recorded both videos with a Behringer Keyboard amp/mini PA with its graphic eq set on mid boost. The settings on the basses were meant to accentuate their tonal characteristics. The Carvin was in passive mode so preamp boost would not be a factor. The Carvin had both pickups on full with tone maxed. The Geddy had the bridge pickup soloed with the tone on maybe 10%. One more bit of info: the SB5000 is 10lbs even and the Geddy is around 8.5-9lbs.

 

Yes, the Carvin has Rap video level booty while the Geddy has mids that work great in Rock (surprise) and can get a more Jerry Jemmott with King Curtis or Voices of Harlem tone. Despite the mids, the Geddy still offers a nice version Seventies slap tone too.

 

Life is funny. I am so happy to have my Geddy because it is the Seventies Fender Jazz I have wanted since the Seventies, but my Carvin SB5000 has the most perfect Seventies style active Jazz Bass tone I have ever heard, bar none.

 

I am working on getting a handle on “I’ve Been Working,” a great song from a Luther Vandross’ first album with Marcus Miller on bass, of course. This early Marcus was passive, and the Geddy sounds pretty close, but not exactly like Miller’s ash bodied bass. This is a rough first attempt with a lot of mistakes.

 

It took me a year to look past the body shape and size, but when I did, it clicked with me that is the perfect active J-style bass for me.

 

The fairly heavy ash makes the SB5000 naturally scooped, so it creates the Marcus Miller tone with or without a preamp. The preamp is pretty transparent, so it bass and treble are kept flat, it sounds the same active or passive except it is louder. My American Geddy certainly gets the Seventies Jazz tone, but that alder just has a less scooped character.