Not talking here about appearances (which can be deceiving); focused here on:
Tone
As long as I have been playing and as much as I have learned about what goes into creating great tone, it remains an interesting fact that different basses simply have their own voice in the mix.
We have all these discussions (and arguments) here on TB about this wood vs that wood, or does the fingerboard matter, or is it just the electronics, or does the neck construction matter; or .... fill in the this vs that thread. It just strikes me that all these interesting discussions are ultimately somewhat like the nature vs nurture psychology discussion; where, if you've ever actually parented, you realize those are simple poles and that the truth is a very complex space in between.
And, the one thing I can not get past is how certain basses simply have a voice which shows itself in the mix.
I remember an old beat P bass at Elderly Instruments many years ago that simply sounded absolutely nothing like any P bass I've ever heard before, even though it was fitted with totally stock components.
More recently, I became impressed with the combination of Delano JMVC pickups and Sadowsky preamps. I have this combination in a Sadowsky RV4 and decided to retrofit the same components into a Fender Jazz Bass. One of the bands I've been working with is recording all our rehearsals; and I've had a chance to A/B the two instruments. The thing that strikes me the most is that while both sound similar, the RV4 has a certain voice which is readily apparent in the mix. And further, going back and listening to previous clips of the RV4 with the original humbucking pickups, I still hear almost the SAME voice in the mix. Slightly different coloration due to the different pickups; but, that particular instrument has such a strong voice that it pretty much transcends what are quite different pickups.
I find this interesting. It's also kind of a gas killer; from the standpoint that I understand that while builders try to create a certain result, what you get isn't always what you are hoping for. There is just a factor due to a combination of a bunch of elements that differentiates a fantastic bass from a good bass. And that differentiation is hard to predict. The tone factor.
Tone
As long as I have been playing and as much as I have learned about what goes into creating great tone, it remains an interesting fact that different basses simply have their own voice in the mix.
We have all these discussions (and arguments) here on TB about this wood vs that wood, or does the fingerboard matter, or is it just the electronics, or does the neck construction matter; or .... fill in the this vs that thread. It just strikes me that all these interesting discussions are ultimately somewhat like the nature vs nurture psychology discussion; where, if you've ever actually parented, you realize those are simple poles and that the truth is a very complex space in between.
And, the one thing I can not get past is how certain basses simply have a voice which shows itself in the mix.
I remember an old beat P bass at Elderly Instruments many years ago that simply sounded absolutely nothing like any P bass I've ever heard before, even though it was fitted with totally stock components.
More recently, I became impressed with the combination of Delano JMVC pickups and Sadowsky preamps. I have this combination in a Sadowsky RV4 and decided to retrofit the same components into a Fender Jazz Bass. One of the bands I've been working with is recording all our rehearsals; and I've had a chance to A/B the two instruments. The thing that strikes me the most is that while both sound similar, the RV4 has a certain voice which is readily apparent in the mix. And further, going back and listening to previous clips of the RV4 with the original humbucking pickups, I still hear almost the SAME voice in the mix. Slightly different coloration due to the different pickups; but, that particular instrument has such a strong voice that it pretty much transcends what are quite different pickups.
I find this interesting. It's also kind of a gas killer; from the standpoint that I understand that while builders try to create a certain result, what you get isn't always what you are hoping for. There is just a factor due to a combination of a bunch of elements that differentiates a fantastic bass from a good bass. And that differentiation is hard to predict. The tone factor.
