Do you have a "Blues Machine"? Let's see it!

[Neon Blues]

Do you have one? What do you classify as a Blues Machine?

I am generally a Blues guy. Though I play a 5 string Jazz these days, I have long been Precision, Flats and Tubes player, but a few players opened my eyes to the possibilities of 5 strings and rounds particularly in the context of Blues.

Anyway, rocking a Mononeon on the weekend, someone said to me that it makes a killer Blues Machine. Whilst a great sounding bass, I felt it was still just another jazz as I played in passive.

I guess I always saw the Blues as a genre where you could literally plug and play any bass you got and lay it down.

It never occurred to me that someone might have a Bass specifically for the Blues.

Which is probably why I love the Blues.

Anyway, let's see your Blues machines if you got one.

 

[Hot Rats]

Yep, I have this set up DGCF for nothing but the blues.

 

[Dark Horse]

 

[retslock]

Do you have one? What do you classify as a Blues Machine?

I am generally a Blues guy. Though I play a 5 string Jazz these days, I have long been Precision, Flats and Tubes player, but a few players opened my eyes to the possibilities of 5 strings and rounds particularly in the context of Blues.

Anyway, rocking a Mononeon on the weekend, someone said to me that it makes a killer Blues Machine. Whilst a great sounding bass, I felt it was still just another jazz as I played in passive.

I guess I always saw the Blues as a genre where you could literally plug and play any bass you got and lay it down.

It never occurred to me that someone might have a Bass specifically for the Blues.

Which is probably why I love the Blues.

Anyway, let's see your Blues machines if you got one.

Any bass I own can do the job. I play some blues and they all get a run depending on which one I feel like playing on the night.

 

[Neon Blues]

Obviously, I don't want to be judged, so clearly I need a new bass to designate the title.

 

[Sam Evans]

What?! You didn't say it had to be a bass ...

 

[Jeff K]

I used to always grab a P-Bass for blues. But lately my StingRay HH's sound great to me with any music. That 5-way selector switch is excellent. DR Legend Flats on the Burnt Ends (brown) one; TI Jazz Flats on the Raspberry Burst.

 

[George Himmel]

I don’t only use it for blues, but if blues is the gig, I’m probably bringing this one: Japanese Sadowsky Metro RV5-PJ with LaBella LTFs

I like it so much that it makes me forget it’s my #2 bass!

 

[Ghastly]

 

[Manticore]

I play many genres, but the blues the most. Unless asked to do otherwise, I use the same bass. It's been quite a while since I've been asked to use something else...

 

[Ricky Rioli]

I've a bass with a traditional alnico split P pickup and Chromes for playing a genre that's kinda next door to blues. I'm noticing the jump in timbre when going from the E+A half to the G+D half more and more.

I guess that in time my right hand will adapt to cover that jump, but if I were starting from scratch I'd get a bass with a '51 style pickup.

 

[Geepers]

This blues machine is about to be superseded by an even bluesier machine: a fretless Birdsong Fusion with one pickup (neck) and no controls (yup, none). Plug and play and EVERYTHING done with the fingers. PS: LOVE this thread … I hope it lasts forever. BLUES all the way for me!

 

[bassdude51]

"Blues Machine"? I guess, "to each his/her own".

Personally, IMHO.......how can the Precision Bass be topped for "blues machine"?

Blessed to own several "blues machines".

'62 P neck on a '67 P body, 3 tone sunburst and necessary tort guard.

All original 1966 CAR Fender P.

Outrageous silver sparkle DIY P Bass.

Cowboy Blues?

 

[Geepers]

Personally, IMHO.......how can the Precision Bass be topped for "blues machine"?

By a good player wielding something else.

 

[blowinblue]

This bass got the most stage and rehearsal time. Actually, a Blues-rock machine.

M. M.

 

[FrodeVikie]

** NOT Flatwounds!

 

[calypsocoral302]

P-bass: check!
Tort: check!
Flats: check!

Tommy Shannon inspired basslines: check!

 

[Jugghaid]

How did I know this would be a (mostly) P bass thread?

 

[pbassnut]

Do you have one? What do you classify as a Blues Machine?

I am generally a Blues guy. Though I play a 5 string Jazz these days, I have long been Precision, Flats and Tubes player, but a few players opened my eyes to the possibilities of 5 strings and rounds particularly in the context of Blues.

Anyway, rocking a Mononeon on the weekend, someone said to me that it makes a killer Blues Machine. Whilst a great sounding bass, I felt it was still just another jazz as I played in passive.

I guess I always saw the Blues as a genre where you could literally plug and play any bass you got and lay it down.

It never occurred to me that someone might have a Bass specifically for the Blues.

Which is probably why I love the Blues.

Anyway, let's see your Blues machines if you got one.

I got this 1st generation Squier Classic Vibe P-Bass from a guy in Pennsylvania for $300 a year or two after they first came out. He had totally tricked it out with a Seymour Duncan Antiquity II "Sixties Pride" pickup, USA pots & Orange Drop cap, a Gotoh 201 bridge, a Fender USA tortoise shell pickguard, and strung with Sadowsky flats. In addition, he'd had a professional fret level/dress job done on it. I ended up replacing the tortoise shell guard with a mint one to get even more of a surf look and I was going to replace the stock tuners with a set of Hipshot drop in replacements only the stock tuners hold a tune as well or better than any of my other basses so I stuck with them. Anyway, this particular bass plays and sounds as good as any of my many other basses and is particularly good for blues due to its inherent "cheapness" which makes the notes decay quickly. In addition, the Basswood body has a deep tonal character. This one is the sleeper of the bunch as far as my stable of Fender and Fender Partscaster basses.

 

[tpaul]