Best bass for the studio?

[sedan_dad]

You came here for a definitive answer?!?

 

[zubrycky]

Depends.

I collect basses. I know how each one sounds, i know how each one makes me feel. I let the occasion decide which bass I'll use.

 

[31HZ]

For the song, the bass doesn't matter.

Much like the bolt doesn't care if you use a wrench made by Craftsman, SnapOn, or Tekton.

Now if you're looking to be *inspired* by an instrument, well that's a whole other story, and you can go through a hundred or more basses in pursuit of "the ONE".

But this isn't that. You just need something that plays and sounds reasonably well.

The bass doesn't matter.

 

[Rib 13]

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….

There is no definitive answer - its why I usually bring four or five basses to sessions and have different string types available

First, each and every song is case-sensitive regardless of genre but I do have some ambiguous and generalized rules-of-thumb (with a wide margin for error):

For example (imo), P-bass tones work great on many guitar driven styles, Americana, rock, punk, or most retro-sounding songs, etc -- and the string type depends on how much articulation emphasis is needed

However, two pickups a la Jazz I find work better for more contemporary rhythmic genres and keyboard driven songs....and the same string type logic is applied

It should also be stated that MMs sit on tracks very well with different songs based on the individual song itself

If I was to have just one "all around" bass to cover as much as possible with a wide variety, Id suggest a PJ with roundwounds or presssurewounds (the logic being you can always back down and EQ out string zing if you want but you cant add it in if it isnt there with certain flatwounds or tapes)

$.02

 

[BigDrew]

An American Fender Precision and a Fender American Jazz bass. Both 4 string.

This is what most bassist are familiar with and this is the sound that most listeners are used to.

In my experience a PJ is neither a P nor a J…it’s its own thing.

 

[Rib 13]

In my experience a PJ is neither a P nor a J…it’s its own thing.

While I agree that a PJ is its own thing, a soloed P on a PJ is a P......I recently did an experiment on my YT channel to find an actual P bass or P basses in a set of 5 bass recordings with other basses with soloed neck pickups and posted it on different websites, Redit, a few others and RL.....All the basses got votes with no bass being unanimous (interesting, huh?) but the bass that got the most votes for being an actual single pickup P (as of this writing) was the soloed P pickup on my Fender American Performer PJ

Edit: If you want to check it out yourself, click my YT link below and check out the "P-Bass Conspiracy Theories" video...the answer key is posted several videos later

 

[garp]

Gotta cast my vote in the “multiple basses” camp…possibly a 4-string P and a 5-string J, both passive. Maybe Fender, maybe not.

Without question, Sadowsky makes a fine product. But in the context of studio work, I wouldn’t want to limit myself to having just one option. And if you happen to be enamored with the Sadowsky tone, to @Low8’s point, the Sadowsky pre-amp pedal gets you most of the way there.

 

[Teck_Instructor]

Just a suggestion to look into, not an endorsement. How about a custom Enfield ([This invalid link has been removed] If you are looking for one bass to do it all, you can get a bass with super quad pickups that you can select which poles in the pickups are being used. That way both can be split coil, flip a switch for P/J, or maybe HH, next lets try P/H. I have never heard one in person, but they seem to be beloved by all who review them. They also have a custom shop.

I understand no bass can do it all, but this one sounds like it would get close and is high quality.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

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.

Sounds like a good ol' Fender Precision Bass is what you're looking for. I have found that passive basses record best because of the 'purity' of the tone. Lakland makes a nice P style bass. Good luck.

 

[klejst]

P bass.

 

[jnewmark]

Most of the time I get asked to bring a P bass, with flats. I have one with a Jazz neck, and the Fender mute under the bridge cover. Along with this, I typically bring my old SVT-DI direct box. A couple of local studios like the sound I get from that combo. I have used a J bass on a couple of CD's for Soul singer Johnny Rawls, ( I'm Still Around and I Miss Otis Clay ), but most of the time its that P bass with SVT-DI.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

There’s not “a” bass for recording, but there’s a lot of great basses out there as evidenced by the responses.

I wouldn’t rule out a bass with Lightwave pickups and some kind of amp/cabinet simulator processor. Lightwave pickups are quiet and sort of colorless when it comes to having a specific sound of their own, and a good amp/cab simulator would get you some well known tones quickly, without much fiddling.

It’s not a “traditional” method, but it’s a “flexible” method.

 

[REV]

A big part of the bass sound in the studio is the player and how you play the bass. Yes, a P and a J sound a little different from each other but how you play the instrument means a lot. I would ask what do you plan to do with these recordings you are going to make? Are they intended to make money or are they mostly to work on your songwriting? A decent bass and a good compressor will provide all the bass sound you really need if you are comfortable playing the bass. A Jazz bass plays a little different than a P bass. I struggled with my P bass for years until I put a Jazz neck on it. I usually take a P bass with me to the studio but I also usually take a Danelectro Longhorn bass and the producer will sometimes pick the Longhorn. I would venture if you were to take a Sadowsky and a MIM Jazz into the studio and record them you might hear a difference but after the recording is mixed with all the other instruments the difference would be minimal. The money you save on whatever bass you buy could be put toward a better compressor and that will make a noticeable difference in the sound of your recordings.

 

[vindibona1]

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.

Personally, As great as P basses sound and their history I think a PJ will be more versatile than a P Bass. There are so many genres of music that you play that IMO you need versatility. If you want to spend that much money the Sadowsky seems like the better choice of the two. A 5 string is always an excellent option as "It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it".

Flat wound strings? I would suggest trying Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats. They just seem to bring out the best on my Yamaha TRBX605. In full disclosure, I haven't tried them on any of my other basses as each bass has its own sound palette with other string sets.

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

Best basses I’ve ever recorded with was a 57 cs relic P and a 64 cs relic jazz. I recorded a metal track with the 57 and dead labella flats, still cut through like a hot knife through butter. If I were you I’d pick up a used fender custom shop bass for around $3k and get an origin effects preamp.

 

[BioDriver]

Anything with a passive P. You don't need to spend $3k on something; I've recorded with a Squier P bass and it's sounded great.

Last recording session I went to I brought a P and a (passive) fretless Warwick Corvette. Those 2 covered everything I needed them to.

 

[slagbass]

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.

How about a used Sadowsky 5 string PJ? They come up fairly frequently on TB classifieds. You get the functionality you want with a bit of relicing and save a few bucks all at the same time.

 

[BobDeRosa]

A friend asked me the same question and I recommended getting a Yamaha BB424. He loved that recommendation and left the bass to me in his will.

 

[getBAK]

If this will be the only bass in the studio, you definitely want a 5-string. If you need a Low B/C/D, which are pretty common these days, that's how you get it. Detuning for a song is more trouble than it's worth.

For common recoding, I'll echo that the PJ is the right thing.

The Sadowsky is a work of art, no doubt. BUT I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Yamaha BBP-35. It will do 99% (some would say 100%) of the Sadowsky, for literally half the price. This is the custom-shop made in Japan version.

No matter what you get, buy a good XLR output Preamp to go with it. For recording, this is almost as important as the instrument. A cheap passive DI box will give disappointing results.
PreAmps are a deep, dark hole.... but there's good guidance here Tube Preamp/DI Sound Samples — Noble, Oracle, P-15, Super Stack, REDDI, Tonecraft, Jule...
If you ask me, the Tube Preamp/DI Sound Samples — Noble, Oracle, P-15, Super Stack, REDDI, Tonecraft, Jule...
I is a great spot to 'start' the journey.

 

[ardgedee]

Just build a warmoth custom

It'll cost you around a grand

These days the absolute barest minimum possible Warmoth custom is close to $700 just for neck and body (with the cheapest finish possible on each), or over $1000 for neck, body, and all the parts. Then add in whatever it'll cost to pay a luthier to assemble it. And since the result is going to be a definitively nothing-special bass (maple neck, poplar body, untinted clear finish), I'm not sure why anyone would want that.

If somebody's going to truly DIY it, is ready to paint and finish it themself, and already has a bunch of parts lying around (or has personal connections), Warmoth can be a nice deal. If OP was ready to do that I don't think they'd be posting a thread like this. (OP, if I'm wrong about that, sorry!)