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Comprehensive Bass Collection

A

AmpegB15

Sep 25, 2010
70
79
#1
If you were putting together a collection of basses covering all of the main bass "sounds," what would you include? My thoughts are the following six (not necessarily these basses, but ones that sound like these):
Fender P Bass (passive with P bass pickup)
Fender Jazz Bass (passive with J bass pickups)
Rickenbacker 4001
Musicman Stingray/Sterling
Hofner or other hollow body (short scale thump sound)
Something active and modern sounding (e.g. Ken Smith, Warwick, Spector, etc.)
 
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#10
Okay...

If you're actually referring to post #3 as corroboration of your list, yes I find it funny. One, because your lists don't match. Two, because I find the idea that the short alternative list that I mentioned are just combinations of either set of three basses equally amusing.

For example, none of either of your groups of three sound like a typical Ken Smith neckthrough without some serious tonal gymnastics. I'm talking about the fundamental sound of each bass and I disagree that they can be distilled to the four basses the two of you mentioned. I have a first year G&L and it doesn't sound like a Stingray... or a P Bass... or a Jazz. It sounds like a G&L.

I don't consider the basses I listed to not be very common main basses. It would not be a stretch for the average bass player to be aware of them. If we're talking people who know absolutely nothing about basses we could list one.

The two six string basses I played today don't sound like any of the four basses mentioned.. unless you're talking an active Jazz bass with humbuckers for one and the other really had a sound of its own.

So we disagree. Some things can't be put in tidy little boxes IMO IME.
 
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#15
Jah Wobble Fan said:
Whenever this question is posed, the minimalists among us reduce the list to three core sounds, namely P, J and Stingray.
Click to expand...
Is a Dano longhorn a P, J or Ray sound?
Is a Hofner a P, J or Ray sound?
Is an Alembic series I or II a P, J or Ray sound?
Is a Thunderbird a P, J or Ray sound?
Is a 1968 Fender Tele bass with a mudbucker a P, J or Ray sound?
Is a Gibson SG a P, J or Ray sound?
Is a Spector NS2A a P, J, or Ray sound?
Is a Lakland Hollowbody a P, J or Ray sound?
The list could go on longer, but my point is that minimalists have a tendency to think small and discount legitimate arguments. I own P, J and Ray basses and they IMHO do not sound anything like the other basses I listed above.
 
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#16
One? :)

IMG_5963.crop.jpg


EDIT - since there are so many likers, here is the scoop on this one. It's a Craigslist special - a Squier I bought for $40 and was in pretty rough shape. Salvaged the body and neck and replaced the rest. This was the first major project I worked on with my son and it got handed down to him about a year ago. The neck rout was done with a chisel and a step bit. The bridge was done freehand with a router that I purchased instead of paying someone to do the work. I didn't know you could buy templates and bearing bits at the time. Hardest part was drilling the headstock to accept full size tuners vs the crappy little ones that came with it. Thanks mostly to talkbass, our skills are a little better nowadays, but this one has a lot of good memories.
 
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