Best bass for studio work

[skortch]

Now I want to upgrade my bass. I write mostly R&B, Soul and Country while doing some old Motown covers. What type of bass should I be looking at for recording purposes. I need something with not a lot of fret noise, thats for sure and low hum if thats possible.

I'll look into that also. I have 4 basses now. 1) The new Fender Player Plus Jazz I just dropped $1300 on 2) The Korean Ibanez ATX clone 3) My Harley Benton JB-75MN NA Vintage Series and 4) my old Yamaha RBX 250.

That's definitely a great start.

For Motown, try putting flatwound stings on your Yamaha RBX250. Alternatively, you could try soloing the front neck pickup on your Jazz with flatwounds while rolling off the highs - studio legend Joe Osborne used that setup. That would at least get you in the ballpark.

The RBX is a decent bass as are most Yamaha Taiwanese instruments. I have a RBX 360 model I picked up for cheap for playing gigs while experiencing some back problems. (They tend to be a pound or three lighter than the Fender equivalent.) Components on the lower-priced models tend to be a little cheap in quality but serviceable, though you could always shop for a quality pickup replacement. I'd probably stick with the stock bridge and tuners.

The Jazz is a great choice! Not familiar with Ibanez ATX - do you mean ATK? The ATK is similar to a Music Man Stingray, which would be my suggestion for a different style bass. If a Stingray is too $$ you could always look for a cheaper Sterling version made in Indonesia. (In parallel pickup mode there should be little or no noise.)

Only other bass suggestion for a different sound is something in a Gibson or a semi-hollowbody like a Hofner or something. At this point it might be best for you to listen to different recordings and pick out bass tones you like. Chances are you can get very close with your current stable; if not, this forum can help you nail the sound. Get a 5-string if you like those low notes below E...

 

[SixtyCycleHum]

Hi again ladies and gents. I am a musician that did at one point do a lot of gigging but I find myself now doing almost all studio recordings and songwriting. I finally upgraded and got the Fender Strat that I always wanted and my studio recordings are definitely much better. Now, I want to upgrade my bass. Since I was never a regular bass player I never put any money into that other than an old 25 year old Yamaha 4 string and a cheap Harley Benton bass.

Now I want to upgrade my bass. I write mostly R&B, Soul and Country while doing some old Motown covers. What type of bass should I be looking at for recording purposes. I need something with not a lot of fret noise, thats for sure and low hum if thats possible.

Thanks

Jessie

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you would be looking into something with a split coil arrangement. Something with a nice fat neck and simple controls.

Damn. This bass has a name. I just can't think of it.

 

[Guygrooves]

I've got a nice USA Fender Precision for sale on here if you're looking for that upgrade.;-)
Industry standard... And it may be the only standard P on here currently. Take a look and beast wishes!

 

[GrapeBass]

As most people recommend, a P-bass is probably the easiest to work with sonically in the studio whether it be with flats or half-wounds or full on rounds.

 

[ZedLepp]

Since I got my Variax I don't record with anything else.
It's dead quiet and has a huge tone pallet to work with.

 

[Rich Fiscus]

I'd definitely look to your Yamaha first. In fact, before changing pickups, I'd look at strings. If you still aren't happy with the sound, change the pickups next.

I'm a big fan of the Taiwanese Yamahas from the 80s and 90s. They're much better basses than you'd expect from budget models of the time. My primary bass for several years, and my backup today, is a made in Taiwan BBN5 II. Other than shielding, it didn't need any modifications to be a perfectly good bass for recording.

 

[chris_b]

My guess is a Precision bass with flatwound strings and some foam by the bridge. That set up has worked for the last 60 years and will probably be around for the next 60.

 

[Flatfoot94]

Get that thing set up and drop a new pickup in it and it'll be a really good P-bass substitute. Seriously. If it's playable and in tune, spend $100 on a pickup and put it to use!

I have an RBX 300 that I’ve owned since buying it new in 1987. I immediately put an EMG active pickup in it. Great sounding and playing bass for the modest investment. I played it on the road (I’m a gospel player) for 34 years, drug it in and out of the heat and cold and it just performed - stable as a rock. I recently bought a Stingray Special 4H after years of wanting one, and while it’s clearly in a different league, I wouldn’t hesitate to play the little Yamaha anywhere again. I don’t have much recording experience with it, as our recordings always involved studio players, but I simply wanted to testify that mine has been a great bass for the money.