Best Bass for Blues?

[lowdownwalt]

SWEET looking 62 RI

Great pics. looks like you guy's are havin fun!

Thanks

 

[Tom Howland]

For me it's a P-bass with flats.
Thru a tube amp.

 

[Baird6869]

No doubt!!

When does the G.A.S. end?

A few months ago for me when I realized that out of the 100's of basses I have tries/owned over the years, owning a pair of Sadowsky 4 and 5 stringers is likely all I will need for the forseeable future.

 

[Steve Clark]

Play the bass that sounds best to your ears. I've used my NS Design, my Sadowsky, my Rob Allen and even my Roscoes. Your Fender should be just fine for the gig. Sounds like you are falling into the TB GAS trap which is why I have what I have.

And you've got the 62 RI and the Sad pre fot pedal. You're good to go.

 

[dangnewt]

FWIW - I rented the two Stevie Ray Vaughn DVDs playing at Montrose Festival. In the earlier one, Tommy Shannon was playing a P-bass, in the later one, a J-bass. IMHO - that's a pretty good indication that you can't go wrong with either.

 

[Mastermold]

FWIW - I rented the two Stevie Ray Vaughn DVDs playing at Montrose Festival. In the earlier one, Tommy Shannon was playing a P-bass, in the later one, a J-bass. IMHO - that's a pretty good indication that you can't go wrong with either.

Tommy Shannon says on his website something to that effect, that you can't go wrong with a good Fender (P or J), but lately he's been giggin live with a Music Man.

 

[Stumbo]

If you're seriously concerned about tone, your Shuttle has plenty of options. Maybe get a bass player buddy to give a listen at a gig and make some tone changes with the amp to see what it can do.

If you're just G.A.Sing for another bass, by all means, get one. Just don't sell the '62 RI. If you like the JBass neck, an option would be to get a PBsss with a JBass neck on it. Or maybe a Jazz Bass with a PBass neck pickup and a Noiseless bridge pickup.

Be sure and put some big, heavy flats on it if they're not on there already. And that suggestion about dampening the strings is a good one. Back in the day, strings weren't changed very often so they were dead, fast decay and thumpy. Hey, Thumpy is a good name for bass or speaker box or head name. I wonder if it's trademarked.....? No trademark found. I claim it.

 

[dangnewt]

Tommy Shannon says on his website something to that effect, that you can't go wrong with a good Fender (P or J), but lately he's been giggin live with a Music Man.

That is good to know. I play blues with a Peavey Millennium and I always felt unsure every time I would pan to the bridge MM-style pickup since I haven't been playing that long and I don't trust my ears as much as I should. But if Tommy Shannon is out there with a single humbucker MM, then I will pan to the bridge with renewed confidence.

 

[pedro]

I already own a Fender 62 reissue Jazz which does the job for blues and I'm thinking of upgrading pups to the Stan Hinesley "Hot J's".

Also thinking about a Sadowsky MS5... MV5 or Lakland 55-02
Which are the better for Blues?

Choices....

Save your money you already got it.

 

[Jared Lash]

I'd say Fodera.

But that's only because it's hard to think of something more ironic than using a $6000 bass to play the blues.

FWIW, the best tone I've heard in a blues band came from a Lakland Decade (the one with Darkstars) and flats. A pricey bass for playing the blues, but it did have a fantastic sound.

 

[WoodyG3]

I've seen Nathan East play some great blues with Clapton on a six string, modern Yamaha with round wound steel strings. You don't have to play with a "traditional" type of instrument, it's mostly about what you are most comfortable with. I play more blues than anything else, and I play Jazz basses of some sort almost all the time. It works for me.

BTW, if you decide you don't want that '62 reissue, I would be happy to give it a new home!

 

[Kenny Allyn]

Any bass will work ... I have used RICs and Spectors and several basses with the Dark Star pickups.


But I guess these are the main two either a 68 P bass with flats or my 73 Jazz with Fender 7150 Nickel rounds

Amps I have several one being a Genz 6.0 and I like it with my Max 212 cabinet (2x12) or I'll use a MB LM II with two MINIs 1x10 each.

... Oh and blues purist cringe but I use a pedal board too,

 

[Guest043]

I already own a Fender 62 reissue Jazz which does the job for blues and I'm thinking of upgrading pups to the Stan Hinesley "Hot J's".

Also thinking about a Sadowsky MS5... MV5 or Lakland 55-02
Which are the better for Blues?

Choices....

a '62 fender J would do it just fine for me..

 

[zombywoof5050]

Fender Precision.

 

[Snakeman1066]

FWIW - I rented the two Stevie Ray Vaughn DVDs playing at Montrose Festival. In the earlier one, Tommy Shannon was playing a P-bass, in the later one, a J-bass. IMHO - that's a pretty good indication that you can't go wrong with either.

Ha i play the best of both worlds when we do SRV and other contemporary blues covers....

I Gig a P/J...lol I nudge the J just a little hotter than the P pup with flats and it sounds great!!!! tone knob just a hair above halfway!

seriosly though i think ANY bass would do the job....I have used my double P configured B.C. Rich on a few county and Honky Tonk gigs just to prove a point.....

 

[mobis.fr]

you propably want to spend a lot of money , but give the squier telecaster bass a try! it sounds very nice for the little money...

 

[bassist4dalord]

Put some flats on that Jazz and save $1,500 over buying a new bass!

 

[Funk 'N' Stein]

I've found there's no better blues bass than the Fender Precision. Lots of other basses can come close, but the P-Bass tone really owns the blues.

Ne'er a truer word was spoken!

 

[Funk 'N' Stein]

Tommy Shannon says on his website something to that effect, that you can't go wrong with a good Fender (P or J), but lately he's been giggin live with a Music Man.

While I agree that Fenders sound best for the blues (P just nudging out the J by a whisker) the stingray is also a great choice.

I use a 3 band; I roll the treble off to get rid of the sizzle, bump the bass just a tad past centre to give it a little more oomph and back the mids off just a hair to get rid of the grease.

There you have it...great blues tone

 

[41.203Hz]

What do you mean by blues? There's blues, and then there's blues. Acoustic, electric, country, urban, ...?

I have three very different basses and all are usable for blues (Epi Jack Casady, a Jazz, and an old Gibson Ripper). The choice will affect how I approach the song but all of them work just fine.

Blues is mostly in your head and in your hands.