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Does a High Quality Bass Improve Our Playing?

#21
Do you mean like when I get an oil change for my car, I think that it runs better? Or like when I lose 5 pounds I think that I look a lot better. Or when I take vitamins I'll live longer. Or when I drink a better beer I'll get better drunk ?

Maybe in our minds we'll think that we play better with an HQ bass. But, probably not.

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#24
A good bass does help, but, just because someone owns a Fodera and another guy is playing a MIM fender it doesn’t mean that the Fodera is going to sound better. It may be easier to play, but the player still has to generate good tone. Tone and playing style is also another personal preference. Some like to dig in and get a bright tone while some like a dark warm tone. A person that’s been playing a few months and plays a Fodera isn’t going to sound better then the person playing an mim and has been playing for 10 years. Nice gear is cool, but not necessary.
 
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#25
In my epxrience the bass you love to play leads to more quality time playing. Yeah, I’m a gear snob, but as soon as I feel that nitro-lacquered p-bass neck in my hands I just dont want to let it go... So, I’d say the feel matters more than the price of the bass itself. Some people find this “mojo” in cheap instruments, some of us will go through years of GAS to get it. Life is too short to play instruments you don’t love, so find one you’d never want to let go :) Just like marriage lol
 
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#27
I use the painter analogy.
Could a great painter make a great painting with low quality paints and brushes? Yes of course. Would he make a even greater painting with top quality paints and brushes? Yes also.
This can apply to carpenters, woodworkers, any artist really. In hands of a master yes it makes a difference. But it doesn’t really go the other way in my opinion. Having a top quality instrument, amp ect won’t make you a top quality musician. But it may motivate you to get there.
I like top quality gear myself. Mostly because it feels right to me and motivates me to take my playing to the highest level I can achieve.
 
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#32
I'm not sure what a "bad" bass is. Even the cheapest bass should have tuning keys, a bridge, and pickups that function. Playability then is a matter of having a proper set up, not the quality of the materials.

- Some of the most expensive basses ever made had neck dive issues.

- A cheap bass and an expensive bass won't sound that different if they have the exact same pickups and electronics in them.
 
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#33
I have a bunch of basses of various qualities. I still have my original Aria Pro II RSB that hangs in our practice space and that I use so I don't have to carry anything to rehearse. I have some mid-range basses like MTD's that I've upgraded pickups in. Then there is my G&L JB-2 that just seems to fit me, that is always in tune even when we are playing outdoors on rainy, cold days (covered!) and that I can dial in my tone with no matter the venue. Quality makes a difference. That said, I sit at traffic light in my beater RAV-4 and smile because my car starts and stops just like the BMW in the next lane. You play what you need...
 
#34
If you can get a bass to set up well and a neck profile that suits you, the rest of the stuff is not as important. Good neck, level frets, good bridge, good hardware. The rest is really subjective. I was always told that sustain is tied to mass, but in my experience heavy and massive is not generally better. Get the neck stuff right, and you'll find it easier to play, and that actually can make you a better player.

One thing that makes a huge difference in tone is the strings you put on. But the rest of it is really up to the player. In a studio application, these minute differences in tonewoods, etc., might be noticeable but I don't think they matter that much once you're in the mix.

Fingerboard, maybe. But that is more a playability issue for me, because harder woods dig in less, so it's a feel thing. I've had rosewood, ebony, and maple. I don't really hear much difference, but I do hear some. Again, it's probably a wash once it's in the mix, though.
 
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#35
Most players can make a cheap instrument sound good as long as it’s set up. As mentioned earlier, it’s more important to have your instrument set up and fully functional. Some of the lower priced instruments are sometimes difficult to set up correctly.. cheaply made and low quality components..
 
#36
I think there is a point of diminishing returns. Really crappy basses are probably going to sound bad and be difficult to play. As you hit a certain cost point, the increased quality/dollar ratio drops off. Sure, they get better, but at a diminishing rate.
Ostie said:
A great player can make a bad instrument sound good, but a bad player can’t make a great instrument sound good. It’s true for all instruments, not just bass.
Click to expand...
Absolutely! I've seen awesome players tear up Squiers, and atrociously bad players on Foderas!
 
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#38
I think sticking to one bass has a greater effect than playing on a nice bass. I do think a nice bass will help fuel you, but may not in itself make you better, I think that is always up to how much work you put in.
 
#39
Zeus_Mutation said:
Hi,

I'm hoping to get feedback on sonic truths of bass materials and parts.

So, I've always struggled with gear and the perception of sonic quality as it equates to pricing/materials. I'm mainly a drummer. I strongly believe in using the highest of quality cymbals while drums can be of significant lessor quality and still sound amazing. Never have I heard the opposite though...

I play a Squier Matt Freeman P w/Steve Harris Seymour Duncans & upgraded pots. I started with a Squier Affinity Jazz pack. I also dabble on guitar... lucky enough to land a top-o-line Stratocaster. This has every bell and whistle Fender enthusiasts like to boast about. The fit & finish are exceptional. Its acoustic properties are gorgeous... and it feels amazing. This guitar has me asking...

With a bass... can anyone honestly hear a sonic difference between an Adler & Basswood body? At bass frequencies, does the body wood actually make a noticeable difference? I'm suggesting no.
I do think mahogany sounds different. I do think maple/rosewood sounds different than maple/maple.
What about bridges... one high mass versus another... if equally balanced and weighted... which tech is a difference maker?
Tuners, as long as they stay in tune right?
How about the nut. Does nut material create a noticeable sonic difference?

I think if vacuum tested and scientifically analyzed the numbers could say so... yet, I can't help but think... could we ever notice that in a live band setting? I mean with so many tone shaping tools outside of the instrument and being you can choose pickups from wherever. Without getting detailed on music genre and allow generalizing... would anyone notice a Fender custom shop versus a Squier sonic differences? Would anyone know any name brand versus an entry level by sound alone?

So, my fancy Fender... it so nice I'm careful every time I touch it. Kinda not fun... my Epiphone Les Paul is not as concerning but I'm mindful. Squier, although appreciated. I'm never careful and its available for anyone to handle. My question becomes does having a higher quality bass actually add to my playing or limit it? IDK.

What have you decided? If you play a $2k bass... how carefree with it are you? If you play an entry bass what bothers you most about it if anything?

If it matters I'm playing through a Mesa Boogie Prodigy Four: 88 into a Bergantino 4x10 & Mesa Boogie PH 2x10

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Two different points here. The first is playability, the second is tone. Will an expensive bass be more playable (i.e. just feels ‘right’ in your hands) than a cheaper bass? All depends on the set up plus a couple of quality control factors. If (for example) you like a P neck with flats and super low action, a fast neck (so not sticky against your palm) and frets that are where they should be (no sprouting etc) then a $200 bass with all of those things (plus good neck balance, comfortable body shape etc) is going to feel pretty much as good in your hands as a $3000 bass.

IME, once a bass is set up properly, the difference (in playability terms) between cheap and expensive is in durability and reliability. My Sandberg fiver (bought secondhand... could never afford new) remains in tune for ages and all the parts have a hefty solid feel to them... it’s a bass for a lifetime. By contrast, my Ibanez SR fiver (can’t remember which one, but one of the low budget Soundgear models) looked great but went out of tune if I sneezed at it and the knobs and switchgear had a cheap and brittle feeling to them (perhaps my perception only, but I wouldn’t want to rely on them every day for years). Net effect is I love picking up and playing my Sandberg every day but never really took to the Ibanez and sold it.

Whether an expensive bass SOUNDS better than a cheap bass is highly questionable IMO. A great player can make pretty much any bass sound good providing it has been set up properly. And from the audience’s perspective in the context of a mix or on stage, I think the tonal difference between cheap and expensive is negligible once player/amp/pedals/FOH etc etc are taken into account.

Also... I don’t get too precious about my basses. Like all instruments, they exist to be played, and in the messy ol’ real world, sometimes stuff happens. I try to look after them, but expect the occasional ding or scratch. That said, I am much more cautious about my horns, because what for a bass would be a small cosmetic ding, for a $7,000 Selmer tenor sax is potentially a ruined gig (lots of delicate parts to bend or snap) and a very expensive repair.....
 

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