Do Basses Fall Into Categories?

[Nev375]

Yes.

But also no.

 

[basseux]

I have two bass categories, my basses and the basses of others.

 

[bassliner50]

Basic species:
Passive or Active
4 string or Other.
Everything else is sub species ie: long scale, short scale etc.

 

[Turnaround]

Maybe not so much fall into different categories as stumble.

 

[sethlow3]

I personally think that precision, jazz, musicman, etc… is a little too simplistic at times.
As someone said the other day on here, they all basically sound like a bass guitar to an average listener.

However, where I think a lot of listeners can DEFINITELY tell a difference is
1.) fretted
2.) fretless
3.) acoustic bass guitar
4.) upright

In each of the four of these categories you can get many different instruments from low priced to high custom with crazy bells and whistles.

For the most part each of these categories has a unique set of not only sounds but genres they are commonly found in, weights, techniques, etc…

It’s only after that initial decision that the player chooses P, J, Rob Allen, German Carved, Tacoma Thunderchief, etc…

 

[Mr_O'B]

You know what, there's no need to comment on this post. I see there is a ton of Googlable info out there right at my fingertips. I just posted here without searching for what I asked because I was already on this site for my previous post. I'll just read all the info and watch the videos of the already publicly available information. I'd delete this post if I knew how, but I don't see that as an option under the edit tab.

I own a custom bass, Fender jazz basses x2, Sterling By Music Man and a parts Squier precision bass.

Go out and play different basses an watch a ton YouTube videos.
Stop worrying about categories, and figure out what you like.
All five of my basses sound and play differently an are all keepers, because they are my preference!

 

[dave64o]

Definitely go to local stores if you have them. However, based on what I see in the stores around me, there are a decreasing number of “better” basses in them. They seem to mostly carry beginner and budget instruments and it’s hard to find even USA made Fenders, let alone any higher priced instruments. They can order them, if they’re in their warehouses, but they don’t stock many. That was less true when I was first starting to play 20 years ago. But over time that seemed to change.

Another way to do what you want is to simply buy and sell used basses for a while. I went to a store t obuy my first bass, played what they had, and ended up with a Mexican made Fender Jazz Deluxe 5. I had that for several years and it got me started but then I started buy and selling used basses, each time comparing what I bought to the couple of basses I had and then deciding which to keep and which to sell. It took several years to get a mostly stable collection but I got there. Doing that let me try a lot of basses and learn more about what I liked and, buying used, I almost always got my money back when I sold it.

You definitely have to be patient to do it that way, especially if aesthetics factor into your decision, too. They do for me. I want basses that are well made, fit my personal ergonomics, sound the way I want, AND also look the way I want. I want it all.

But, for the first few basses, Jazzes and Precisions are safe bets. Even if you find out you don’t like one or the other, buying them used to start off will ensure you get most of your money back if you decide to sell.

But, other than that, here are some other considerations:

• Scale length – basically how long the string is from the nut to the saddle. The most “standard” size is 34”, but you can find 35” and all sorts of variations that are close to that. Then you can find short scale, which are often 30”. They’re neither better nor worse, just different. Obviously, the frets are closer together but the tone is often different. Another variation is multi scale, where the lower strings are longer than the higher pitched strings.
• Solid body vs. Semi hollow or Hollowbody – The hollowbody basses often have a “woodier” tone than a solid body and many will tell you that different body woods on solidbody basses sound noticeably different. Sometimes they do and other times they don’t because other things color the tone of a bass as well.
• Fretted vs. fretless – I wish I could play fretless, but I’ve owned three fretless basses and ended up selling two and converting one to fretted!
• What kind of strings are on it? Roundwound strings are probably more common, having a round wire wrapped around the core. They come mostly in stainless steel outer wraps, which are often relatively bright and they sound generally changes more over time (gets less bright). The other common type is nickel plated steel, which generally have a warmer tone that’s less bright to start off and they generally change less over time compared to stainless steel. Then there’s flatwound strings, which have a steel ribbon wrapped over the core and are often thumpier and less bright than roundwound strings, and can literally last decades before they get too dead sounding to play anymore. Those are just very broad generalities and there will be variations and outliers in each of those categories. But, at least strings are easily changed so you’re not stuck with one set – you can try different strings on the same bass.
• Also look at how flexible the strings feel to you. I prefer relatively stiff feeling strings, but others prefer a looser feel. Again, this is a preference that is easily changed without having to sell the bass.
• Tonal variation - a multi-pickup bass will likely have more tonal variety than a single pickup bass but, do you like the tones it has? Also, how easily can you find the tones you like – some basses, like a G&L L-2500 have extensive tonal controls but learning to effectively and quickly get the tone you want takes time to learn. A single pickup bass is simpler to adjust but, does it have enough variety to suit you? Also, a “passive” bass usually has just a tone knob that rolls off treble as you turn it down. A bass with an “active” preamp (needs a battery) will often have a lot more tonal variation but then you have to learn how to adjust those controls. Some will argue that batteries are a risk on a gig because it could run down and they’ll never risk playing an active bass. I and many others say that they’re blowing that way out of proportion and that there are very simple ways to prepare for that, including buying a bass that has an active/passive switch!

Anyway, those are just some things to consider. Some may argue that I missed things or that those things aren’t true in every case and I agree. But I was making generalizations to help provide some basics to look at, try, and evaluate. There are lots of exceptions to what I said in the paragraph above.

It sounds like a lot up front and it might be. But, honestly, sticking with, and I hate to use the term, a “standard” bass in the beginning will get you a decent, playable instrument that will not only gives you a good platform to learn to play on, but will also help you refine your tastes for the things I mentioned above. I love both Jazz basses and Precision basses, the most “standard” basses out there, but I prefer Jazz basses (still own two Jazzes, but am selling my Precision). However, my main players are a pair of Musicman Stingrays, which are basically FSO’s with their own specific features and sound, and another Musicman bass, a Big Al, which is definitely NOT an FSO!

 

[B-Mac]

Hey all! Some of you may instantly recognize me from another thread that just wrapped up. If not, I thought I'd start a new thread on the topic that one showed to be the next step in my journey. Rather than go on and on there, I thought I brand new thread just about this new direction is the best way to go. Here's what I'd love to understand and some context:

I really don't know much about bass guitars. I have a Squier Classic Vibe '70s P bass, and I have no idea what it's build quality is, how I'd work on it myself, nor even what work it actually needs. I understand there are plenty of written and video tutorials to learn how to set up your bass correctly, and I plan on doing all of that. However, things like some or all of the frets being all different (and incorrect) heights and what to do about that, as well as other build quality issues are things I'd rather avoid by purchasing a bass that is well built, and then I'd learn how to set it up myself and double check that set up at the seasons change.

On top of that, I don't even know what bass I should be owning. I've only owned a Fender Jazz, a Squier Jazz, and now this Squier P bass. So far, I like the sound of the P bass the best, but I really don't know if this is what I'd choose if I really knew what was out there.

So, the advice I have gotten and will follow is to drive to the Sweetwater super store in Fort Wayne and take my time playing as many basses as I can out of the same amp I have at home. Why then am I posting again here for advice? Well, because I'd love to go in there armed with some basic knowledge of how basses are categorized. I imagine there are categories, right? For instance, I'd imagine they can be categorized by the type and number of pickups they have. Are there any others? I do see specs on neck thickness, width, shape, ect, but is that a category to know about? Also, once I settle on a short list of basses I love the sound and feel of, how do I determine if that particular bass is a quality build? Would this be something the guitar tech would have to determine for me? What are even the telltale signs of a quality constructed bass over a poor quality one?

Anyway, that's about it as far as I can tell. If you can immediately see other considerations for me to be aware of, please voice them! What I'm ultimately hoping for is to have a bass in my hands whose sound and feel I love and I know for sure that I'm playing one that has quality construction and is set up correctly. I can't wait to have that! Thanks in advance.

• Active (2-band, 3-band, 2 position mid switch, 3 position mid switch)
• Passive
• One pickup, two pickups, three pickups
• Multi-scale fanned fret
• Extended Scale
• long scale 34"
• medium scale 32"
• short scale 30"
• sub-short scale < 30"
• guitar scale 23.5" to 25.5"
• Uke bass
• Slab Body
• Chambered Body
• Hollow Body (arched top & arched back, arched top & flat back. flat top & flat back) & thinner body variants
• Semi-Hollow Body (arched top & arched back, arched top & flat back. flat top & flat back) & thinner body variants
• Sealed Hollow Body (arched top & arched back, arched top & flat back. flat top & flat back) & thinner body variants
• Sealed Semi-Hollow Body (arched top & arched back, arched top & flat back. flat top & flat back) & thinner body variants
• Acoustic Bass guitar (like Acoustic Guitar, but bass neck) & thinner body variants with solid woods or laminated woods or a combination of both
• fretted
• fretless
• lined fretless
• 4 string
• 5 string
• 6 string
• 8 string octave course
• 10 string octave course
  
• 12 string 3 string octave course
  
• 12 string 2 string octave course
• 15 string 3 string octave course
• 15 string 2 string octave course
• 8, 10, 12 string or more non-octave course
• ultra expensive boutique
• ultra expensive custom
• expensive
• upper mid price
• mid price
• lower mid price
• low price
• mod platform price
• neck dive bass
• light bass
• heavy bass
• balanced bass
• Natural (coffee table)
• flame
• quilt
• Painted
• Basswood
• Alder
• Ash
• Maple
• Mahogany
• Many other woods
• Basswood with top wood
• Basswood with ultra thin wood veneer layer
• Through neck
• Set neck
• Bolt-on Neck
• Various size frets

More flavors than Baskin-Robbins.