Do I have all the tones covered?

[MrAB4003]

Someone requested pictures of what I have. Here you go…..

Very nice collection OP! I think you have almost all your basses covered.

Ric, P, J, Stingray, modern active 5 string, semihollow / Hofner style, and Gibson are all covered. All you're missing is a fretless bass, something with active EMG pickups like a Spector, and an upright bass.

 

[brianrost]

You need one of these.

Seriously, you don’t need anything else and probably don’t need at least half of what you’ve got already.

The cure for GAS: run out of money.

 

[Wyvern]

You don't need anything but one bass according to a lot of the TBers on here who say that tone is in your fingers. Based on that theory, you only need one bass to get any tone you want. So, get rid of all but one.

Yep, the character is in the fingers, the tone is in the instrument.

Geddy playing a Gio bass will still sound like Geddy, but his tone would be different.

You can hear the difference in basses in his discography, his Jazz gets close on everything, but you will hear a difference between his Wal, his Rick, his Steinburger, his jazz etc.

 

[MrAB4003]

Yep, the character is in the fingers, the tone is in the instrument.

Geddy playing a Gio bass will still sound like Geddy, but his tone would be different.

You can hear the difference in basses in his discography, his Jazz gets close on everything, but you will hear a difference between his Wal, his Rick, his Steinburger, his jazz etc.

Geddy Lee and John Entwistle (RIP) are great examples of this. Entwistle collected as many basses as Geddy has now. Geddy even has one of Entwistle's P Basses! It's in his Big Beatiful Book of Bass. But Entwistle still sounded like Entwistle when he played.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Forget the whole fretless noise. You already have plenty to cover what you need

He did ask

 

[scuzzy]

Wal
Spector with HAZ
Warwick thumb

 

[LowWay]

Agreed! Turner Multi-coils and a Lusithad Double NFP Special would be my choice. Eventually I plan to do something like this with a Warmoth body and faux-WAL it.

Yup. I'm doing 3 of them. I have one done with an Underhill preamp and the Original Voicing. I am doing a second with the English voicing and the Lusithand, and a third with the Gordo Solos and JTEX. I'm also setting all of them up to bypass the on board pre, hit onboard buffers, and send each pickup out seperately to use external filters like SF-2, F1, Frequency Distiller and Passinwind. I'm kinda obsessed with Turner and filters right now.

 

[DJ Bebop]

 

[monsterthompson]

Yep, the character is in the fingers, the tone is in the instrument.

I was about to make a joke about the tone in the fingers, but someone beat me to it. Bravo.


I’ve been thinking about this lately as voice versus accent. I’m not 100% set on the metaphor, but the components (strings, instrument, pickups, amp, etc.) are the foundation of the voice,
and the fingers are the accent. Every person will have a “natural” voice that they can manipulate, and some have practiced how to manipulate it more than others.

As for the OP, a Spector is missing. A 4 string PJ with HAZ or a Euro 5 with EMGs would be worth a look.

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

Some kind of pointy bass for metal?

Just kidding. That's quite a nice array!

 

[Wyvern]

Wal
Spector with HAZ
Warwick thumb

You'd have to have a subscription to yachts monthly to afford a dang Wal.

That's why I got a L2500, a poor man's Wal.

 

[Saetia]

Yup. I'm doing 3 of them. I have one done with an Underhill preamp and the Original Voicing. I am doing a second with the English voicing and the Lusithand, and a third with the Gordo Solos and JTEX. I'm also setting all of them up to bypass the on board pre, hit onboard buffers, and send each pickup out seperately to use external filters like SF-2, F1, Frequency Distiller and Passinwind. I'm kinda obsessed with Turner and filters right now.

Those solos are choice. Been toying with the idea of a passive 2x Gordo Solos.

 

[Thumpin6string]

Yep, the character is in the fingers, the tone is in the instrument.

Geddy playing a Gio bass will still sound like Geddy, but his tone would be different.

You can hear the difference in basses in his discography, his Jazz gets close on everything, but you will hear a difference between his Wal, his Rick, his Steinburger, his jazz etc.

Proving the point that tone is NOT in the fingers.

 

[waynobass]

Dear Sir: You have more than enough basses.
Sincerely,
etc.

 

[buldog5151bass]

You can get a good usable tone for any kind of music with any decent bass. For two decades, I used this bass for rock, jazz (big band and small combo), pit band for musicals, church, and even a little bluegrass. No one complained my tone was lacking.

Nothing wrong with liking shiny objects, but you are just looking for an excuse to buy another bass.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Well, a nice fretless with a softish uncoated wood board, like Pau Ferro, and flats would give you a nice soft organic tone, but you really don't need it for the music you are playing. But I don't see how you can call your list compete until you add one of these, a Dire Wolf.

Hey, it's only $40k as pictured here. A little under $30k without all the inlay work. Totally hand built.

 

[Nebadon2000]

You can get a good usable tone for any kind of music with any decent bass. For two decades, I used this bass for rock, jazz (big band and small combo), pit band for musicals, church, and even a little bluegrass. No one complained my tone was lacking.

Nothing wrong with liking shiny objects, but you are just looking for an excuse to buy another bass.

I can relate somewhat: always only had 1 Bass at a time from '75 to 2000 Fender P 1K+ gigs in cover bands all levels of Classic Rock from Beatles to The Clash/ Sex Pistols and all in between with no conflicts with Band members and with technique and strategic knob turning always had tone I was content with and for me worked with songs and Band: always got positive feedback from those players who's opinion I trusted

I did in 2013 when playing with Band doing 80's New Wave, 90's Progressive and some 2000's Pop
many Female Singers Band had 2 lead Females

I wasn't totally happy with 2001 Fender American P so went with EBMM 25th Anniversary Lead player mentioned he was happier with New Bass so there is that

But players like me are considered 'Dud's' at TB parties

In 2023 bought a Stingray Special because I felt I could get it to work for me for any Music: did use Fender Ultra P in Blues Rock/Southern Rock Band from 2019 to 2022

So I am of no help to OP and now at 71 set in my one Bass at a time ways

 

[Wood and Wire]

• 1999 Fender Squier Precision
• 1960s Kingston Beatle Bass (hollow-body)
• 2017 Fender Jazz
• 1998 Epiphone Les Paul Standard Bass
• 2025 Sterling Sting-Ray
• 2021 Ibanez SR1345B 5-string
• 2021 Rickenbacker 4003

Anyway, I'd be very interested in everyone's opinions on if there's any place tone-wise that I don't have covered.

I'm not seeing any glass jugs of water on that list.

 

[buldog5151bass]

You can get a good usable tone for any kind of music with any decent bass. For two decades, I used this bass for rock, jazz (big band and small combo), pit band for musicals, church, and even a little bluegrass. No one complained my tone was lacking.

Nothing wrong with liking shiny objects, but you are just looking for an excuse to buy another bass.

This bass. I've had it 41 years

 

[Pings Bass]

In my experience playing different styles of music requires more skill than gear. You could play just about any pop-rock style on on your Ibanez fiver.

Is this for work or hobby? If you're looking to work, I'd recommend getting one really decent bass and practicing your butt off. If you're just collecting you definitely need a fretless, a six and an upright.