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Bass advice

A

AstralTraveler

Jun 23, 2004
26
0
44
#1
I'm looking at purchasing a 4-string bass in the near future and I need some suggestions. I want a thick but extremely clear and cutting tone. The type of music I listen to is art rock/prog rock from the 70's-80's and I want to be able to cut through big time in a band situation. I just want to stay away from clankiness and harshness. Any suggestions? :hyper:
 
#3
Get a Peavey Cirrus.

Awesome bass for rock, classic to modern. Meaty, detailed tone that cuts through any mix.

The 18 volt preamp gives you tons of headroom with many tone options.

I bought the Maple/ Alder combination with the Pauerro ferro fretboard.

My rig is a Trace elliot V6 through a Ampeg SVT 4x10 HLN Cabinet.

Also, I really like how the 18 volt preamp drives effect pedals better. The hotter signal really makes my pedals such as a Digitech Bass Synth, DOD 250 Overdrive or Boss CE-3 chorus really come alive.

The Cirrus can be bought anywhere from $550.00 - $800.00, depending on condition.

Cirrus Search
 
#4
AstralTraveler said:
I'm looking at purchasing a 4-string bass in the near future and I need some suggestions. I want a thick but extremely clear and cutting tone. The type of music I listen to is art rock/prog rock from the 70's-80's and I want to be able to cut through big time in a band situation. I just want to stay away from clankiness and harshness. Any suggestions? :hyper:
Click to expand...

Buying Your First Bass

Most importantly I would advise you not to spend too much money on your first bass. Choosing the right bass won’t be easy until after you’ve been playing for a while. Once you have a good year of lessons behind you, you can make wiser choices with your (or your parents') money.

Size

Bass is a large instrument. It can be played with any size hands, but for most everyone it will require some stretching in the beginning that you are not used to. For beginners, it is a little easier starting on a bass that has a smaller neck. If your hands are smaller, go with the smaller neck. If you have large, meaty hands, go with the bigger necks if you prefer.

Tone

I could go on and on about tonal differences in basses, but in the few hundred dollars range the differences aren't that big. Get a bass that has two pickup configurations. Typically there are P-pickups and J-pickups. They are named after Fender's Precision bass and Jazz bass. The P-pickups look like two offset rectangles - one under each pair of strings. The J-pickups look like a long, thin rectangle. Both have their own sound. Also the placement of the pickups affects the tone. A beginning bass with a P-J setup will give you the most tonal variety.

Where was it made?

Most basses are now made in foreign countries. I have taught many beginner students and seen many beginner basses. The poorest quality basses seem to come from China, Mexico, Malaysia and Indonesia. The best quality basses seem to come from the U.S.A., Japan and Korea. This is definitely something you should pay attention to. It is usually clearly marked somewhere on the bass.

4-String or 5-String?

For a long time 4-string basses were your only option. Now there are 5- and 6-string basses. The difference is a 5-string bass has an extra lower string. This allows you to play 5 lower notes than a 4-string bass in standard tuning. This is pretty low! For most styles of music you don't need these lower notes. A 4-string bass can be tuned lower to get two of those lower notes. So you only really gain three extra notes on a 5-string. If you intend to play the hardest heavy metal, you probably do want a 5-string. Those extra notes will be used often.

I think it is easier to start on 4-string. Some of the technique is easier in the beginning and changing over later is not too hard. Also, cheaper 5-string basses rarely sound very good.

What I recommend

For the money, I recommend MIJ Fender basses. They are Japanese made and are very consistent in quality. They sound good, are easy to play and are built well.

What I would avoid

I would avoid store brands such as Rogue and Essex.

5_2_103.gif

TReena
 
#9
Treena Foster said:
Buying Your First Bass

Most importantly I would advise you not to spend too much money on your first bass. Choosing the right bass won’t be easy until after you’ve been playing for a while. Once you have a good year of lessons behind you, you can make wiser choices with your (or your parents') money.

Size

Bass is a large instrument. It can be played with any size hands, but for most everyone it will require some stretching in the beginning that you are not used to. For beginners, it is a little easier starting on a bass that has a smaller neck. If your hands are smaller, go with the smaller neck. If you have large, meaty hands, go with the bigger necks if you prefer.

Tone

I could go on and on about tonal differences in basses, but in the few hundred dollars range the differences aren't that big. Get a bass that has two pickup configurations. Typically there are P-pickups and J-pickups. They are named after Fender's Precision bass and Jazz bass. The P-pickups look like two offset rectangles - one under each pair of strings. The J-pickups look like a long, thin rectangle. Both have their own sound. Also the placement of the pickups affects the tone. A beginning bass with a P-J setup will give you the most tonal variety.

Where was it made?

Most basses are now made in foreign countries. I have taught many beginner students and seen many beginner basses. The poorest quality basses seem to come from China, Mexico, Malaysia and Indonesia. The best quality basses seem to come from the U.S.A., Japan and Korea. This is definitely something you should pay attention to. It is usually clearly marked somewhere on the bass.

4-String or 5-String?

For a long time 4-string basses were your only option. Now there are 5- and 6-string basses. The difference is a 5-string bass has an extra lower string. This allows you to play 5 lower notes than a 4-string bass in standard tuning. This is pretty low! For most styles of music you don't need these lower notes. A 4-string bass can be tuned lower to get two of those lower notes. So you only really gain three extra notes on a 5-string. If you intend to play the hardest heavy metal, you probably do want a 5-string. Those extra notes will be used often.

I think it is easier to start on 4-string. Some of the technique is easier in the beginning and changing over later is not too hard. Also, cheaper 5-string basses rarely sound very good.

What I recommend

For the money, I recommend MIJ Fender basses. They are Japanese made and are very consistent in quality. They sound good, are easy to play and are built well.

What I would avoid

I would avoid store brands such as Rogue and Essex.

5_2_103.gif

TReena
Click to expand...

Yeah! What she said. Dig it! :p
 
#11
What setup did John Taylor he use on Rio, that song...wait, the whole cd has awesome bass tone. Did he play w/ a pick? BTW, I'm gonna go try one of those G&L/G&L Tribute L-2000s as soon as I can, those things are gorgeous..looks promising :bassist:
 
#18
Whafrodamus said:
Amen... A used Ric would be great.. I love my ric.. I use it from everything from Funk, to Rock, to Jazz.. It's a great bass.
Click to expand...

That's what I would recommend - clear, cutting, the slightly shorter scale makes playing a breeze... and the newer 4003s have more bottom end than ever.

And mine can be had for just a leeeetle more than your projected budget... See my "Large Sale of Stuff!" thread in the FS forum. The price on it is somewhat negotiable...
 

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