Best bass for the studio?

[rawchuck]

Hi,

I am getting ready to buy my first top shelf bass, which will primarily be for recording. I’ve been going back and forth between J bass or P bass, 4 or 5 strings….

Then I discovered the PJ. I’m looking at a Sadowsky Metroline PJ five string. I’d love to hear what people think of these basses? At $3500-3900 they have a big price tag, but I can swing it if it will really cover all my bases, and be a superior instrument.

on the flip side, I could get a Fender Custom Shop P or J.

Will the Sadowsky do everything well? Or is it more a jack of all trades, master of none? If this is the case, I’ll get the Fender.

hoping for some thoughts….

 

[SteveC]

Sadowsky makes a nice bass. It’s hard for one bass to do it all. I’d say that the passive 4 string P bass is one of the most recorded basses out there. That said, it can’t do EVERYTHING, but it’s darn close.

I’d say if you want to have the most bang for your buck, an active/passive 5 string P/J is probably the way to go. Sadowsky, Fender, there are a bunch.

Now you can read people who will say the exact opposite of what I said.

 

[And I]

What kind of recording do you do? What kind of projects are you working on? Any specific genres? What's your favorite bass out of those you currently own?

 

[rawchuck]

What kind of recording do you do? What kind of projects are you working on? Any specific genres? What's your favorite bass out of those you currently own?

I am mainly a six string guitarist, banjo, and pedal steel player. Over the past few years, I have transitioned from a performing musician to solely doing session work and film scoring. Many times, I find myself working up a bass part on the piano, and using a midi bass sound or relying on others for bass parts. I’ve just decided that it is time to add a bass guitar to my studio to help achieve the feel and tone I want out of my bass parts. I’m not eliminating other bass players from my work, but there are many times when I feel like I can (and want to….it’s fun!) add bass myself. I’ve been making music long enough to know that I want to buy something of high quality the first time. I’ve had squire basses in the past, and they’ve been nice, but I want to treat myself to a nice bass, as it will lend itself to my work immediately, and I’m finally at a place where my schedule of projects allows me to rationalize a nice bass. That being said, I want the best mix of tone /versatility, since I will most likely only buy one bass…hence the interest in a PJ. I play Americana, folk, reggae, country, funk, and jazz. I don’t slap, but mainly play fingerstyle bass. I like the tone of flat wound strings, and I will be running the bass direct.

Basically, I’ve narrowed my choice down to a 59 Fender Custom Shop P Bass reissue, or a 5 string Sadowsky Metroline PJ.

I like the worn in feel of the relic fenders, and generally lean toward classic designs. But I also like the idea of having the extended range of a 5 string bass, and the Sadowsky seems to have a really nice low B, as well as very very nice craftsmanship.

I will be relying on return policies, as these basses are not available to try locally.

 

[And I]

I would want a PJ. You can turn the J pickup off and have a true P sound. You can turn the J pickup on and have a different character.

A 5er offers advantages aside from extended range, but sometimes the low B doesn't record well (especially flats). That said the Metroline is a fine instrument and if properly set up I'll bet it will sound great.

I don't think you can go wrong with either but if it were me and those were my only two choices I'd go with the Sadowsky.

 

[kesslari]

For what you’re describing I’d take the extra versatility of the Sadowsky PJ

 

[bobyoung53]

Hi,

I am getting ready to buy my first top shelf bass, which will primarily be for recording. I’ve been going back and forth between J bass or P bass, 4 or 5 strings….

Then I discovered the PJ. I’m looking at a Sadowsky Metroline PJ five string. I’d love to hear what people think of these basses? At $3500-3900 they have a big price tag, but I can swing it if it will really cover all my bases, and be a superior instrument.

on the flip side, I could get a Fender Custom Shop P or J.

Will the Sadowsky do everything well? Or is it more a jack of all trades, master of none? If this is the case, I’ll get the Fender.

hoping for some thoughts….

If you're willing to go Fender custom shop, why don't you have them whip up a nice P/J either 4 or 5 string with either a P or J neck whichever you prefer? I like J necks better myself. I own a nice Fender Jazz and a couple of Fender P/J's, although I play the Jazz more often I do think that the P/J's are more versatile and with as someone else said shutting off the J pickup they are P basses. I would be willing to bet that there have been many more recordings done with P basses than any other. The J bridge pickup extends it's range, gives it more mids and treble, makes it more audible in the mix. P/J's also have their own sound with both pickups set to equal volume.

 

[Ostie]

Producers and engineers are going to ask for a P bass 99% of the time. Right or wrong, it’s what they’re comfortable with.

 

[themickster]

Hi,

I am getting ready to buy my first top shelf bass, which will primarily be for recording. I’ve been going back and forth between J bass or P bass, 4 or 5 strings….

Then I discovered the PJ. I’m looking at a Sadowsky Metroline PJ five string. I’d love to hear what people think of these basses? At $3500-3900 they have a big price tag, but I can swing it if it will really cover all my bases, and be a superior instrument.

on the flip side, I could get a Fender Custom Shop P or J.

Will the Sadowsky do everything well? Or is it more a jack of all trades, master of none? If this is the case, I’ll get the Fender.

hoping for some thoughts….

You're planning on wasting 1000s. There is no 'best' bass for recording and there are much cheaper, good basses about. I've known owners of Fenders and £/$300 Ibanez SR300E say the Ibby is by far the better. Where smaller brands sell a bass, the big brands sell a name. If you must have a big name on the headstock, write it on with a marker pen.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hi,

I am getting ready to buy my first top shelf bass, which will primarily be for recording. I’ve been going back and forth between J bass or P bass, 4 or 5 strings….

Then I discovered the PJ. I’m looking at a Sadowsky Metroline PJ five string. I’d love to hear what people think of these basses? At $3500-3900 they have a big price tag, but I can swing it if it will really cover all my bases, and be a superior instrument.

on the flip side, I could get a Fender Custom Shop P or J.

Will the Sadowsky do everything well? Or is it more a jack of all trades, master of none? If this is the case, I’ll get the Fender.

hoping for some thoughts….

I’ve been gigging and recording with a Fender PBj for the last 18 years. I’ve had zero complaints or suggestions to use another bass.

Keep in mind, I grew up in the time when you heard an electric bass, odds are it was a Fender bass. IMO, it’s a great sounding bass and at age 69, I’m not looking to change. But it’s certainly not the only brand of good sounding basses.

The best advice is to try to play as many basses that you can. Be patient in your search. Always keep in mind the type of music you like to play. Ask yourself, “Will this bass fit the bill”?

Good hunting, and best wishes.

 

[Malak the Mad]

@rawchuck; I'm gonna go out on a limb here and ask, "Is a Warmoth build out of the question?" Even after buying all the fiddly-bits of hardware, electronics and any associated guitar-tech fees (assuming you don't do your own installations, wiring, etc...), you'd have a made-to-order instrument at a considerably lower cost than anything you've mentioned before, possibly even in a fraction of the time a Custom Shop takes. Plus, depending on the electronics/pickups suite, "versatility" is well within reach.

 

[Alessandro Cruz]

In my honest view, there's no such thing. The "best bass" can be any bass you're comfortable playing and good enough to provide the tone desired for the recording.

Could be a P-Bass? Yes.

A Jazz Bass? Sure...

A Music Man? Course it can.

A Frankenstein-parts bass? Why not?

Don't let yourself be limited by "standards".

Most of the best recordings ever made used several different basses, and I've heard NO ONE ever complaining about it.

 

[micguy]

Producers and engineers are going to ask for a P bass 99% of the time. Right or wrong, it’s what they’re comfortable with.

If you've just time travelled back to 1959, and are filling in for Jamerson on a Motown gig (good on you, you must have serious chops) where there the is no EQ on the console, maybe you'd get that reaction. I've been playing live and recording since 1977, and not once has anyone said I needed a P bass, nor have I ever owned a Fender. Now you have me wondering - are all those gigs I've played just figments of my imagination? Bottom line: That's an old wive's tale, without any real validity to it in the post 1960's world.

Does Sean Hurley play a P bass a lot of the time? Yeah, but that's his schtick - he is the "P bass (with flats(and a mute)) guy" at this point in time, and he sounds very good doing it. But even he takes several basses to every session, because he knows that isn't the right sound a lot of the time.

If you want to know what bass to get for recording, get one with a wide range of sounds, so you have a chance at getting the sound needed at the time. If it has a neck pickup, and you can solo that pickup, that's close enough to a P even for the one old codger you might run into once in the next 20 years. We have EQ nowadays, if he needs to tweak it a bit, and he's any kind of engineer, he can do it easily.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hi,

I am getting ready to buy my first top shelf bass, which will primarily be for recording. I’ve been going back and forth between J bass or P bass, 4 or 5 strings….

Then I discovered the PJ. I’m looking at a Sadowsky Metroline PJ five string. I’d love to hear what people think of these basses? At $3500-3900 they have a big price tag, but I can swing it if it will really cover all my bases, and be a superior instrument.

on the flip side, I could get a Fender Custom Shop P or J.

Will the Sadowsky do everything well? Or is it more a jack of all trades, master of none? If this is the case, I’ll get the Fender.

hoping for some thoughts….

Just build a warmoth custom

It'll cost you around a grand


Or, build a Sandberg custom. It'll cost you around 1800, but be freaking amazing when you open the box.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Get the Sadowsky

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Hi,

I am getting ready to buy my first top shelf bass, which will primarily be for recording. I’ve been going back and forth between J bass or P bass, 4 or 5 strings….

Then I discovered the PJ. I’m looking at a Sadowsky Metroline PJ five string. I’d love to hear what people think of these basses? At $3500-3900 they have a big price tag, but I can swing it if it will really cover all my bases, and be a superior instrument.

on the flip side, I could get a Fender Custom Shop P or J.

Will the Sadowsky do everything well? Or is it more a jack of all trades, master of none? If this is the case, I’ll get the Fender.

hoping for some thoughts….

Get the Fender Precision! You’ll be glad!

 

[Old Fart]

.......You can turn the J pickup off and have a true P sound....

This is only true if the P-pickup is in the exact same location as that of a Fender Precision. On many PJ basses, the P-pickup is moved at least slightly closer to the neck, compared to a Fender Precision. My Fender Precision Deluxe is like this, as is my Tony Franklin Fretless. They cannot sound like my '04 Am Std P, '63 AVRI or E-series Japan P.

 

[CryingBass]

So if you are recording 1 type of sound/genre, that's the type of bass to get. If not, things get complicated/infinite.

IMHO if your budget is for 1 bass guitar, there are several top-end makers/models out there that can actually do a lot of different sounds/tones in 1 package, without the need for effects. And they are not cheap. Need more flexibility with 1 ax? Add effects - but good effects to cover a lot of different sounds/genres are not cheap in total.

Several PJ's I believe are a compromise. A straight P would be the "most popular choice". Add effects to taste, when needed. Or budget for multiple basses and join the brotherhood of Talk Bass Crazies!

Look at the Marleaux line. NOT cheap, but some models are very versatile. And clients will not be displeased...

Good luck with your quest!

 

[CryingBass]

For instance, a Marleaux Votan. YMMV

 

[wysiwyg248]

Here is my 2001, cuts thru the mix like a pair of scissors on paper. Older Fenders are great, but you need to play them to see how they sound. Sadoskys are more consistent in that regard.
A five string is an excellent choice.