Bass for metal

[Right_Butterscotch64]

I think they picked up a new Water Ghoul at some point. The drummer is obviously different too unless he drastically changed his posture and playing technique. Great band though and lots of nice overdriven bass on Opus Eponymous (and all their albums for that matter).

That's a good theory and I hadn't thought of that.

 

[PortlandBass77]

First one of these in a while.....

 

[cheechi]

i use one of these in my speed metal band, highly recommended!

Invalid Link Removed

with a different headstock i would buy that.

 

[Helaskold]

Warwick Streamer/Corvette/Thumb, Ibanez ATK/SR, or Spector would be worth checking out.

 

[BurningTheAltar]

Save some cash and get this. You can't get more metal that DEAN. For real.View attachment 837726

Though it's only got a single pickup, I picked up a Dean Metalman Z on sale for $169 at Guitar Center. I love this thing!
(Ps-the paint isn't stock)

 

[Binary1]

Did I say that a Fender P was useless for metal?
No. I never said that. Don't put words on my mouth.
The OP asked about playing leads like Cliff, who was a very different player than Steve Harris. A P bass has its place but its high register tone is crap and the joint is bad for quick work above the 15th fret.
I'm trying to help the OP based on his criteria.

Oh, OK.

Yeah, those P basses are terrible for higher-register Metallica stuff.

 

[Doner Designs]

Not sure if this is a serious thread or not, but if so it's worth noting that strings, amp and pedals will have a bigger impact on your tone than choice of bass. It's fun to own a few different ones and learn about the nuances, but in the end a lot of it comes down to what feels comfortable and what is an acceptable look for you and your band (the fashion aspect). P bass, J bass or dual humbuckers will all get the job done just fine (in terms of tone).

Make sure to allocate plenty of your budget to the amp and cabs. In my opinion, anything under 500 watts is a practice amp and if you are playing metal you probably want 1,000+.

 

[Michael B]

Not sure if this is a serious thread or not, but if so it's worth noting that strings, amp and pedals will have a bigger impact on your tone than choice of bass. It's fun to own a few different ones and learn about the nuances, but in the end a lot of it comes down to what feels comfortable and what is an acceptable look for you and your band (the fashion aspect). P bass, J bass or dual humbuckers will all get the job done just fine (in terms of tone).

Make sure to allocate plenty of your budget to the amp and cabs. In my opinion, anything under 500 watts is a practice amp and if you are playing metal you probably want 1,000+.

You forgot about Pickups.

 

[sgtpepper]

Warwick Corvette $$

That's what you're looking for.

 

[angrychair]

get a spector euro4lx, used even, a late model with tone pump. They are great for all metal. I had two Warwick $$ Corvettes, a 4 and a 5, and both were just not my thing.

 

[Selios]

Hey responders, could you please READ the OP's statement ALL the way through.

He said he wants to play in the style of Cliff Burton. @Andersr123 can correct me if I have this wrong, but to my mind that means he is looking to take a lead every once in a while. He also explicitly said 24 frets.
Do Fenders have 24 frets?
Is any Precision style bass, Fender or not, known for its quick high register playing easy access to the high frets?
Does the bass player for Ghost, Steve Harris, or the bass player from Elder play shredder solos like Cliff did?
Why don't you try to help him find the answer to his question and find the right tool for the job, rather than try to convince him that your ill fitting idea is the best one.

I understand what you're saying but I would still suggest a P bass. Robert Trujillo plays a lot of Cliff's lead stuff in the old tunes with a Nash P bass and his live tone is killer. If the OP wants 24 frets and has 2000 dollars to spend, he could certainly get something custom like a Warmoth build with a 24 fret neck. In that case, I would still suggest considering a P bass sort of configuration, because I personally have had the best results playing metal with a P, just in my personal experience. They have a nice thick tone (and so did Cliff) and don't start sounding thin and wimpy as you play higher up on the neck. Nice warm even tone across the whole board with plenty of that characteristic P bass grunt in the upper mids which is great for both finger and pick playing in metal.

And either way, the choice of bass is definitely not important. All anyone needs for metal is any bass that is properly set up, good technique, and good amplification plus whatever effects the player plans on using.

 

[wintremute]

Like so many others have said, you can get the sound you want with the right effects/strings/pickups/etc, so what you should do is find a bass that is very comfortable for you to play.

Having said that, I recommend Ibanez, or a Warwick Vampyre.

 

[Binary1]

Is any Precision style bass, Fender or not, known for its quick high register playing easy access to the high frets?

A J:



A P:

 

[Michael B]

Sounds like a great bass for metal.

 

[Binary1]

Sounds like a great bass for metal.

This is a J, but yeah, the P and J are. Some won't acknowledge this because it would mean their original blanket statement was wrong, and apparently that's too much trouble.

 

[Strung_Low]

Another vote for Spector Euro 5lx...or what about Sandberg? I think they're made in Germany

 

[Seiki]

fretless > fretted for metal

end of thread, but was a good discussion

 

[Strung_Low]

I've heard somewhere that Sire makes excellent basses for the money

 

[Seiki]

Warwick: German Pro Series Corvette with double Humbuckers, Bolt-on neck, any of 7 color options. About $2,100 in the USA for a 4-string, $2,200 for a 5-string. Probably less in Norway.

To be honest the Warwick Corvette Rockbass $$ is just as good as the pro line, just different wood. Same quality, same sound, 5/12 the price

 

[SongySan]

Bongo 5 HH. That's the best bass for metal under $2K.