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Best Bass for Playing With A Pick

this is like asking..
what type of girl is best for kissing? :cool:

One with full lips, active tongue...amorous, experienced.

But of course, buying one online without playing one first, you just never know so it's best to actually have them in your hands and try them for yourself...and try as many as possible until you find the one that feels just right.

Now if only there was a store where I could go try them all out. ;)
 
I can play any bass with a pick which I use 99% of the time, but because I play with my palm on the bridge and my three non-pick-holding fingers dangling below the bridge, I greatly prefer basses with the electronic controls down away from the bridge like the Stingray or the P. Even on a Jazz with the angled control panel, I will tend to brush my fingers against the volume knob turning it down slightly during a song. Many basses have knobs right below the G string which really get in the way.
That said, I would really recommend forcing yourself to learn at least a basic finger style that would allow you to fake your way through the rest of a song if you were to drop a pick during a song.
 
If you are searching for a bright, aggressive tone you should check out an old Gibson G-3. They have a great high-end growl, similar to a good 70's Jazz Bass at a fraction of the cost. An example would be Mike Dirnt's tone on Green Day's "Long View."
 
I would think that one should try and get as proficient as possible with a variety of techniques. I originally played with a pic but now play more fingerstyle. For me when I play with a pic I prefer narrower string spacing but this would be subject to each individual. There are some thoughts that shorter spring spacing may make it harder to slap. Since I am quite awful at slap it is not a real issue for me. Best to try a variety of models. I ended up with a EBMM Sterling, but there were other variables as well. Good Luck
 
I am a very rare user of picks, although I once used them strictly. However,I use a pick on my Epi EB-0/Sg whatever it is strung with fender flats. Sounds pretty cool to me, though I can't say its better than a P bass to my ear. Probably a little to specific a sound to work with as many types of music as the P would.