Different Basses for Different Things

[Gervais Cote]

Pretty straight forward for me :

P bass : hard rock, alternative rock and a few disco songs

J bass : smooth jazz, many disco songs, blues and dance songs from David Bowie

But quite honestly, the p bass as per my avatar on the left could do it all if my budget was limited.

 

[PNC]

I love this subject topic. I have 3 basses, the electric guitar in the photo is something I’ve been slowly learning as I am a bass player first. I feel that different brands/models indeed have there best fit for certain styles of music. But, being that there are no rules in the creativity of the language of music, you can use which ever bass model/type you want for any style of music. It’s the individual artists decision to which bass has the sound or “voice” they are looking for in their head. It’s fun to experiment! My three basses in the photos:
• 2006 Schecter Elite Diamond Series 4 string (my main bass)

• 1970’s Travis Bean 4 string

• Spellbinder Mando Piccolo Stanley Clarke Edition 4 string

I do notice however, that each of these basses when played, automatically make me play differently because of there own unique characteristics they offer in both tone & feel. For example the Mando Piccolo bass automatically makes me want to naturally play more of a jazzy/orchestrated style although it’s fun to add some fuzz to it . Actually to my surprise, a little bit of distortion fuzz with some treble in the mix with the piccolo sounds freakin awesome and fun to play! Experiment and have fun!

 

[PNC]

Here are better photos of two of them! The Mando Piccolo Bass was a wedding gift from my dad. My dad actually taught me bass growing up. Miss him.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

I have 4 basses, not counting my wife’s L-2000.

L-1000 (#1 since 1983)
Fretless FSO jazz (lots of recording with in on the last few years, synth soundtrack music, etc)
Jack Cassady w/flats - mostly just at home, olde school vibes.
Short scale EB-3 copy strung piccolo, tuned CGcg

Funny thing: I recorded a tune with a real McCartney/abbey kind of sound with my L-1000 and later thought to replace it with a track played on the JC. Zero real difference. I kept the L1K track

 

[the general]

All my basses are a jazz configuration since that's the sound I like best. The only bass that was bought to fill a specific sound is my Warwick.

I have been looking at P basses and Stingrays lately to expand my sound options a bit though. I don't really need another bass but I think it would be fun to have another bass to tinker with.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

For me, different things go with different strings. The different strings need different pickups, and the rest of the bass exists to put the strings and pickup on.

Flats, alnico pickup: mellow
Steel rounds, Dimarzio pickup: aggressive
Nickel-plated rounds, MFD pickup: perky

Ideally, the rest of the three basses would be identical, but fate seems uninterested in being that helpful.

 

[BooshBass]

Here are better photos of two of them! The Mando Piccolo Bass was a wedding gift from my dad. My dad actually taught me bass growing up. Miss him.

That Mando Piccolo Bass is so awesome. Did not know this existed. To all the people saying any bass can do anything, well I don't think your Stingray can do Mando Piccolo.

As someone whose probably next favorite instrument after bass is mandolin, this Mando Piccolo bass is something I would absolutely love.

 

[Jefenator]

I pigeon hole the bass guitars mostly to justify buying more.
There is some truth to it. I like a 4-banger for rocking out, active 5-string w/ rounds for contemporary, flats for old-school, hollowbody just for something different, fretless, ABG, etc etc etc
But I also find that music is music; if an axe sings sweetly in one genre, it will work in others as well – within reason.

 

[PNC]

That Mando Piccolo Bass is so awesome. Did not know this existed. To all the people saying any bass can do anything, well I don't think your Stingray can do Mando Piccolo.

As someone whose probably next favorite instrument after bass is mandolin, this Mando Piccolo bass is something I would absolutely love.

Thanks! I really love it! The sound is so beautiful! My dad asked if they would replace the original tone knobs to the wooden bass clef knobs and asked if Lieber and Stanley would sign the bass. Definitely my favorite bass! Here is a link to wear you can purchase one! Mando Piccolo - Lieber and Clarke | Lieber Guitars

 

[Stylee Mousse]

Nickel-plated rounds, MFD pickup: perky

That's my favorite place! Although I did Rotos for the 80s.

Many moons ago I bought an identical clear blue '83 L-1000 from my little brother. It sucked next to mine and I couldn't countenance it. It was much heavier and had much less cutaway. It seemed such a plan to me, identical backup bass. Gigged and toured a lot for the next decade with no backup bass with zero problems.

 

[BooshBass]

I pigeon hole the bass guitars mostly to justify buying more.
There is some truth to it. I like a 4-banger for rocking out, active 5-string w/ rounds for contemporary, flats for old-school, hollowbody just for something different, fretless, ABG, etc etc etc
But I also find that music is music; if an axe sings sweetly in one genre, it will work in others as well – within reason.

With in reason is key. Nobody wants a guy with a Mando Piccolo bass in a death metal band.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

My stingray special does not work for gypsy swing. I use a fretless jazz bass with flats and a fat, sharp jazz pick for that style.

When I play hardcore punk, I am not going to use a jazz bass. I hate jazz basses for punk...especially a fretless. I guess you could overdrive it, but imo, It has got to be a P bass or Stingray for hardcore.

I am not familiar with any other brands like Ibanez, etc Music Man and Fender is all I know. YMMV.

Just throw some stickers and duct tape on a Jazz. Instantly punk capable.

 

[JRA]

TRUTH: any bass, any music, any gig, and the bottom line = you only need one!

just because we want to rationalize our ""* doesn't mean that we couldn't get by with only the essentials: one instrument!

i like having bunches of stuff/choices, but i could do it with one...one ax, one rig, whatever. anyone can do that.


* what we have, how we do things.

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

Just throw some stickers and duct tape on a Jazz. Instantly punk capable.

Thats what I don't get though; The common stereotype of punk is a thin pick and whatever garbage goodwill bass you can muster up. I take offense to that and so does my $2,000.00 Stingray .

I am not saying you averted to this but; Punk is not all p.o.s. basses, piercings, tattoos and blue hair, laying in the gutter with needles on the ground. Some of us take it with a touch more refined discernment...or is it discerning refinement?

I stick by what I said, Jazz basses suck for punk and hardcore.

 

[BooshBass]

Thats what I don't get though; The common stereotype of punk is a thin pick and whatever garbage goodwill bass you can muster up. I take offense to that and so does my $2,000.00 Stingray .

I am not saying you averted to this but; Punk is not all p.o.s. basses, piercings, tattoos and blue hair, laying in the gutter with needles on the ground. Some of us take it with a touch more refined discernment...or is it discerning refinement?

I stick by what I said, Jazz basses suck for punk and hardcore.

Really pissed off that I didn't buy the Matt Freeman Squire when it was $350.

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

Really pissed off that I didn't buy the Matt Freeman Squire when it was $350.

Damn, that is pocket change indeed.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

I stick by what I said, Jazz basses suck for punk and hardcore.

Tell Klaus from Dead Kennedys and Darryl. From Bad Brains that their basses suck for punk and hardcore!?

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

Tell Klaus from Dead Kennedys and Darryl. From Bad Brains that their basses suck for punk and hardcore!?

I guess, if thats the tone you want, its all good. I just think you can get more growl out of a 4HH MM and meaner grit outta P's.

 

[rickdog]

Other than going to an occasional open mic, I have a fretless and fretted bass every time I go out to play. There's enough variety in the music I play to justify switching to the right bass for a song. I have only one fretless, but several nice fretted basses.

Other than the very first bass I owned (an EB3 that I just couldn't bond with), I've hung onto every bass I've acquired. I have a rule: if I buy a new bass, it has to differ significantly in some way from all the others. That really slows down the purchases.

With all that, I still don't have a P-style bass (am I going to be banned for admitting that? ). I keep my eyes open for a cheap P - played an early '80s MIJ Squier Precision last year, a very nice instrument that would have suited me perfectly but it wasn't for sale.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

With all that, I still don't have a P-style bass (am I going to be banned for admitting that? ). I keep my eyes open for a cheap P - played an early '80s MIJ Squier Precision last year, a very nice instrument that would have suited me perfectly but it wasn't for sale.

Buck the trend, RD! You know, I don't have any tattoos and have never been inside a strip club (or owned a P) and I'm cool with keeping it that way.