If you talked with guys selling basses at guitar stores, they'd tell you that Fender was pretty much dead - they wren't selling. By the early to mid 80's it got bad enough that Fender itself would have agreed - they had shut down their American production in response to dismal sales; all they were selling was imported Fender Japan stuff.
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Bass for each style
- Thread starter Bexuga
- Start date
If you talked with guys selling basses at guitar stores, they'd tell you that Fender was pretty much dead - they wren't selling. By the early to mid 80's it got bad enough that Fender itself would have agreed - they had shut down their American production in response to dismal sales; all they were selling was imported Fender Japan stuff.
Whatever bass you have works for whatever style you want.
I've recorded country albums with a Wattplower and punk songs with an Ibanez Sound gear.
Yup, so much is down to prejudice and perception. Flea used a Wal on Blood Sugar Sex Magick, Paul Simenon used one on Give ‘Em Enough Rope, Lee Gorman used one on most things, Bruce Thomas from The Attractions used one on Elvis Costello’s Punch The Clock and Paul Raven from Killing Joke used one on Night Time... so even the most un-genre bass can rock a particular style!
Perhaps for the player of the bass - yes.
Listeners have zero clue.... They know they just need to have a low frequency foundation upon which the music sits.
I play 4 different basses for 4 different styles of music.
Upright for bluegrass and acoustic jazz / jams.
Jazz for playing funk, blues and rock.
Mod Q5 for going deep into improv and psychedelic (the B string is key.)
Fretless - for ballads, jazz and places where lyricism and vibrato get a chance to breath.
No one has ever really asked me about any of my basses while I play them.
Listeners have zero clue.... They know they just need to have a low frequency foundation upon which the music sits.
I play 4 different basses for 4 different styles of music.
Upright for bluegrass and acoustic jazz / jams.
Jazz for playing funk, blues and rock.
Mod Q5 for going deep into improv and psychedelic (the B string is key.)
Fretless - for ballads, jazz and places where lyricism and vibrato get a chance to breath.
No one has ever really asked me about any of my basses while I play them.
Your wording was "everything before 1980" was a Fender. I wasn't disagreeing that a lot of it was, I was disagreeing with "everything". I was alive for that era (I'm 63), and playing bass during some of it myself. The first electric bass I ever saw in person (somtime in the early 60's) wasn't a Fender - it was an Ampeg "baby" bass. The first bass I remember seeing on TV would have been a Hofner on Ed Sullivan's show - you may know that one as well. Yes, Jame's Brown's bassist on the TAMI show played a Fender, but Bill Wyman (the guy playing with the band that went on AFTER James Brown (which scared them to death)) played...well, he never played Fenders. I think that one was a Framus.
I use my #1 P/J for everything Modded wiring to get a bunch of tone Plus its got a switch to isolate the Pups! I also have an active G&L if I ever need something Really different than the std!
I think we may be talking past each other in regard to what we are trying to express. Feel free to stand on what you’ve stated. I’ll stand on mine as well. But if you wish to continue, how about we spare the rest of the board while we quibble and use the PM function of the board?
Makes me think of the Brand New Heavies’ Brother Sister album, where Andrew Levy is holding a P bass on the cover (but used a Sting Ray for most of the tracks). From the same “scene” there was Incognito’s Tribes, Vibes & Scribes album where many assumed the bass used on all the tracks must have been Randy Hope-Taylor’s Jazz (when most of the tracks actually contained no live bass).
LOL....MIA passive Jazz Bass does it all. Of course, that's all I've played since 1966 with the exception of my "no-name" 5-string when I need to access below a low E string. It's worked for me!
I think our points have been made - I see no reason to quibble on or off line. Have a good day!
Bit of devil's advocate, but those guys all have very signature sounds. Imagine Michael League trying to impersonate Marcus Miller...even if the playing was identical, League uses a P with dead flats and MM uses bright rounds. The difference in tone would be fairly stark. While any bass can absolutely work for every situation, some basses definitely excel in certain genres.
Never say never.
Bill Wyman's Fender Mustang bass recently sold at auction:
"Julien’s recently hosted the massive Property From Bill Wyman and His Rolling Stones Archive auction, and the three-day event didn’t disappoint, with a new world record set for the most expensive bass guitar and guitar amp sold at auction.
That bass was a 1969 Fender Mustang with a Competition Orange finish, used by Wyman on the Stones’ concerts and recordings in 1969 and 1970 and exhibited at the O2 Arena Rock Exhibition in 2010. It sold for $384,000."
That bass was a 1969 Fender Mustang with a Competition Orange finish, used by Wyman on the Stones’ concerts and recordings in 1969 and 1970 and exhibited at the O2 Arena Rock Exhibition in 2010. It sold for $384,000."
Most basses can work with all styles. I like to designate different basses for my different bands / gigs. For my country band I play a 1969Telecaster Bass. For my Skynard Tribute band I play a 1973 Jazz bass and a Gibson Thunderbird. For blues gigs I have a 1955 P-bass. For my singer - songwriter backup gigs I have old 1963 P-bass. But, I do that jsut for fun, a P-bass (Telecaster) bass works for all. Even the Jazz and Thunderbird work for all.
I’d suggest some basses are better suited than others for certain genres. But that said, I think virtually any bass can work for any genre in the hands of the right player. There is no “best for ______” when you get right down to it. Because your basic 4-string split coil bass can be - and repeatedly has been - used with every genre of music over the years with good results.
I’m always amazed just how little we bass players actually need to get our job done competently and sound good in the process. Sure. We all want nice things. But we don’t really require a lot of ‘nice’ or ‘things’ to play bass in a professional and workmanlike manner.
I’m always amazed just how little we bass players actually need to get our job done competently and sound good in the process. Sure. We all want nice things. But we don’t really require a lot of ‘nice’ or ‘things’ to play bass in a professional and workmanlike manner.
99% of what I play is jazz. For that I use a fretless Ibanez SRH500F (hollowbody). For the few times I am playing anything else, usually funk or r n b, I play a fretless fender Jazz or a fretless P. I agree with others who have said that the feel of any genre is in how you play, not necessarily the bass.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I like to have basses that have a distinctive tone ... like a Rickenbacker or a thunderbird or a p-bass or a jazz bass etc ...
I also like having a bass with octave strings, and a fretless.
and passive and active basses
and short and long scale
and basses with maple and rosewood fretboards
I also like having a bass with octave strings, and a fretless.
and passive and active basses
and short and long scale
and basses with maple and rosewood fretboards
BobDeRosa
Commercial User
- May 16, 2012
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You're right--some of these guys are identified with certain types of music and the instrument of choice fits the role. But I believe Jeff Berlin uses his Cort whether he's playing rock or blues or fusion or straight-ahead jazz. Same with Jaco. The one example I regret leaving out is Nathan East, who uses his Yamaha 5 string for studio and new headless 6-string when he's traveling, just because it's lighter and shorter to fit in an overhead compartment.
