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Basses that every player should have in their toolbox:
- Thread starter In Absentia
- Start date
+111111111111111111111111
Just like Fender is synonymous with bass, A-holes are synonymous with TB.
Disagree with the bolded bass bigtime. Real niche bass that only a few can make sound great. When it's great, it's great, but the majority of bassists sound way over the top on a Stingray.
I've owned all three of those basses at one time or another, and they all came up short for my needs due to poor versatility, too few strings and frets/stops, crude ergos, lousy balance, excessive weight, too many dead spots, limited range, and/or generic tone.
Too each their own, but I have absolutely no interest in relying on the same play-it-safe mass-produced icons as tens of thousands of other players. Seeking out comparatively unique handmade instruments with careful attention paid to wood selection and electronics has been extremely helpful in developing my own voice.
I think that's the main argument towards having a "must have bass". People are looking for what they know and a sound they want by what they've heard. (Perhaps not personally but in band/recording situations)
Just my .02 cents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by biggs1249 View Post
fender sucks
Quote:
Originally Posted by bassninja7 View Post
+111111111111111111111111
If only it was that simple. Our Righteous Minds were "designed" to...
--- Unite us in teams
---Divide us against other teams, and
---Blind us to the truth.
The OP posted valid question, if you had a toolbox and wanted to fill it with basses to the cover majority of musical styles a P or J type instrument would be sufficient and it has in the past and probably will in the future.
It doesn't matter if its a Fender or a copy, but the Fender couldn't hurt either and I would also add the RIC
Originally Posted by biggs1249 View Post
fender sucks
Quote:
Originally Posted by bassninja7 View Post
+111111111111111111111111
What a great thread this has become
Because no topic can go more than 2 pages without it becoming a Fender argument, a Jeff Berlin flamefest, an active vs. passive war, etc.
Seriously. Nobody wants to hear these opinions. Negativity brings this whole forum down. Positivity is what makes it the pleasant, useful resource that it is.
I'm sure everybody here would appreciate if you helped to keep it that way.
If only it was that simple. Our Righteous Minds were "designed" to...
--- Unite us in teams
---Divide us against other teams, and
---Blind us to the truth.
The OP posted valid question, if you had a toolbox and wanted to fill it with basses to the cover majority of musical styles a P or J type instrument would be sufficient and it has in the past and probably will in the future.
It doesn't matter if its a Fender or a copy, but the Fender couldn't hurt either and I would also add the RIC
I'd say a Conklin 7 string double neck fretted / fretless like John Turner. Why? Its like the leatherman of basses. You could pretty much show up to any gig with that and, assuming they let you on stage, cover just about any gig with it. Fretless sound like Jaco? Yup, CLaypool in Primus, Yup, Messugah? Yup, Dream Theater, Yup. So, there you go, if you only have one bass, make it a big one!
Yea thats what I used to think too till I opened my mind and gave them a chance. And every time I plug in my '95 Fender P Special ('Cowpokes' Rule
) that first note makes me just stand there stupid and grinning like a fool for a moment at its power and sound and its total 'bad@ssed bassness'.As for essential basses in the players toolbox.....mmmmm I don't think Ive had enough exposure to all that is out there in bassguitar land to really give a valid suggestion. But uhm going by what I have, I'd have to say a good P or J or in the case of my Cowpoke, a good P/J hybrid...and last but not least, everyone needs a Peavey T40 in that toolbox.
or a Peavey Dynabass...or a Peavey Foundation...or a Peavey Cirrus.......Did I mention a good Peavey in that toolbox?
- Oct 17, 2006
- 731
- 21
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Aguilar Amplification, Dunlop/MXR
+1. A fretless of some sort....changed my approach to and appreciation of the instrument greatly.
The dig at the versatility of the 'big 3' basses in this thread gave me a hearty chuckle (I'll concede the rest of the points, I want better ergo/more frets/lesss weight too). A StingRay, while always sounding like a StingRay is a very versatile bass, capable of nice thumping lows, scorching highs (A step above screaming, because DAMN do a lot of the MM basses have a strong treble boost), and it sits very well in a variety of mixes, and is one of a select few production instruments whose sound can easily be picked out in a track. A Jazz Bass works much the same way, especially if it's an active J-bass.
The versatility in a P-bass is very different, however. String it up how you want, amplify it how you want, it's still a P-bass. The versatility comes from the P-bass sound being compatible with every style of music I've ever encountered. It fits in Country, Rock, Reggae, Jazz, all flavors of Metal, the list is endless. It's such a well established type of bass that it's wormed its way into every style. It will fit into any genre, dead LaBella flats with a hard pluck gives you Motown (Jamerson), fresh flats with a light touch and a sizzling amp gives you metal (Steve Harris). Runner up for great rock tone: overdriven P with roundwounds played with a pick.
And yet, after all that defending of these basses, the only one I own is a J-bass, and it's not even a 'real' one. It's a Mike Lull M5V (so much sweeter than a Fender, even if the new MIA's are awesome). Eh, maybe I'll run into the right P5 one of these days.
The versatility in a P-bass is very different, however. String it up how you want, amplify it how you want, it's still a P-bass. The versatility comes from the P-bass sound being compatible with every style of music I've ever encountered. It fits in Country, Rock, Reggae, Jazz, all flavors of Metal, the list is endless. It's such a well established type of bass that it's wormed its way into every style. It will fit into any genre, dead LaBella flats with a hard pluck gives you Motown (Jamerson), fresh flats with a light touch and a sizzling amp gives you metal (Steve Harris). Runner up for great rock tone: overdriven P with roundwounds played with a pick.
And yet, after all that defending of these basses, the only one I own is a J-bass, and it's not even a 'real' one. It's a Mike Lull M5V (so much sweeter than a Fender, even if the new MIA's are awesome). Eh, maybe I'll run into the right P5 one of these days.
If I only needed one bass id say the ibanez K5,... sure it cant do stingray and P sounds but can do pretty much anything else asked of it...
and then I went and got a OLP MM2 to try and put a bit more into the stable :scowl:
all things considered, the only other bass I think I would want is a fretless jazz,... and maybe a real stingray but thats expensive
and then I went and got a OLP MM2 to try and put a bit more into the stable :scowl:
all things considered, the only other bass I think I would want is a fretless jazz,... and maybe a real stingray but thats expensive
Agree with the addition of a fretless. I use a P, MM Ray (30th Ann.) J and a fretless J
To the OP pm me regarding PT.
Thanks,
Rev. Cornelius
I think it really depends on your situation. Are you in a band, or a hired gun? Studio guy doing album projects? Jingle work?
As a "hired gun" type, you'd do very well to have a P with flats, a P with rounds, a good 5 string, a nice fretless (perhaps a 5 string fretless), and something different/quirky, ala Hofner or Danelectro.
In 27 years of making a living playing bass I've never been asked to bring a Musicman. I've also never been asked to use a "house" bass. I have been asked for all of the basses I mentioned though.
As a "hired gun" type, you'd do very well to have a P with flats, a P with rounds, a good 5 string, a nice fretless (perhaps a 5 string fretless), and something different/quirky, ala Hofner or Danelectro.
In 27 years of making a living playing bass I've never been asked to bring a Musicman. I've also never been asked to use a "house" bass. I have been asked for all of the basses I mentioned though.
