Finally Arrived at a Simple Question: Which Bass?

[BassMan-101]

I've been playing about 47 years, and I've done a few things that have been, for me, notable. I'm a bass player when I'm being my happiest, still finding my way, and will always be a bass player.
I'm looking at being 65 in a month or so, and I'm (again, or maybe still?...) asking myself: which bass? After years of trying out, guessing, concluding and asking again, through injuries, changes in styles and pursuits, skill sets and inspirations/seeking for inspirations, yadda-yadda... the stuff we all do... Well I've got this motley collection of useable sticks. But shouldn't I have that one that's my always-go-to, my Excaliber, blah blah blah? Maybe I just haven't made my music important enough? Maybe I see it as secondary to working and "having a life", and being something that my 'peers' see as justifiable?

I've got a neck-thru Epi Thunderbird,
a 2013 Sterling Ray 34ca (because a MM is too expensive),
a fretless mod Westone,
a Chickenbacker (used to have a Ric...),
a nice Fender knock-off built and given to me by a luthier friend I've known for 20 years,
and there's a '96 Tobias Growler sitting here a friend has offered to sell me.

I could let all this go for one that came along and fit me like a custom-made glove. The Stingray sounds great, but it's 11+ lbs. The neck on the Tobias is like warm butter on Teflon... but the Tobias sits a little funny, but not the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird sits perfectly- but is a long bass and tight spaces are tough. The Fender knock-off is light as a bag without bricks in it and sounds good, but the neck is too fat front to-back, and slows my left hand down just enough to be disappointing.
Right, nothing new here, life isn't perfect and what you get good at is dealing. I'm just trying to make that field of dealing a little narrower, so I'm venting here- though all this complaining makes me feel like a fragile, fussy poster child for some brand of lithium-based med... lol.
Oh yeah- when I was given the Fender type knock-off (branded the "Two Face", behaves like a P *or* a J, not a P/J. Interesting idea and a very nice bass actually! There's a story behind it, another post maybe), I had to promise 1) to play it, and 2) that I would never sell it. I may have to sand that neck down a bit to keep my part of the bargain... and I've been looking into that.
So if you've read all this, you're either feeling it or you need a life. Lol! But there's my post for the day. I'm one step away from gathering it all up and selling/trading for something that will give me buyer's/seller's remorse for a couple months, then find I've done the right thing. It's all about the process.

No need to reply, but please do if you have something that needs to land on your keyboard... but I'm just putting this down somewhere so I can see it, and either feel silly or inspire a move. Hope this hasn't wasted your time.

You don’t need a quote unquote go to bass. What I would recommend is go find a place where you can just try a ton of basses, figure out what you like and don’t like.

 

[pyrat56host]

I was resolved to the "get a good Precision bass and forget it" old saw (which I did)...and for a while it seemed like perhaps all those platitudinous folks were correct. On a whim I bought a BONGO...and BINGO! The comforts and sounds have ended my quest. But that's just MY story. Hopefully you'll find a pleasant finale to yours~

 

[Count Bassie]

Are you shooting for a bass that has a partial fretless neck or you want a fretted and fretless of a bass

I have begin to consider putting together a double-neck bass, fretted and fretless. I think they have to be separate.

 

[Count Bassie]

You don’t need a quote unquote go to bass.

OH YES I DO!!!

 

[Count Bassie]

I’m not a good or serious player, have played with various other amateurs over the years. I’m not too picky with instruments, I’ll play whatever shape and size. But by now, for me, a precision bass guitar with flatwound strings is what works best.

This will always be a good formula.

 

[Count Bassie]

Play the Tobias, and only the Tobias for a month or so.

That and the Thunderbird are my favorite necks at this point.

 

[JIO]

You don’t need a quote unquote go to bass. What I would recommend is go find a place where you can just try a ton of basses, figure out what you like and don’t like.

OH YES I DO!!!

 

[Zooberwerx]

I've been playing about 47 years, and I've done a few things that have been, for me, notable. I'm a bass player when I'm being my happiest, still finding my way, and will always be a bass player.
I'm looking at being 65 in a month or so, and I'm (again, or maybe still?...) asking myself: which bass? After years of trying out, guessing, concluding and asking again, through injuries, changes in styles and pursuits, skill sets and inspirations/seeking for inspirations, yadda-yadda... the stuff we all do... Well I've got this motley collection of useable sticks. But shouldn't I have that one that's my always-go-to, my Excaliber, blah blah blah? Maybe I just haven't made my music important enough? Maybe I see it as secondary to working and "having a life", and being something that my 'peers' see as justifiable?

I've got a neck-thru Epi Thunderbird,
a 2013 Sterling Ray 34ca (because a MM is too expensive),
a fretless mod Westone,
a Chickenbacker (used to have a Ric...),
a nice Fender knock-off built and given to me by a luthier friend I've known for 20 years,
and there's a '96 Tobias Growler sitting here a friend has offered to sell me.

I could let all this go for one that came along and fit me like a custom-made glove. The Stingray sounds great, but it's 11+ lbs. The neck on the Tobias is like warm butter on Teflon... but the Tobias sits a little funny, but not the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird sits perfectly- but is a long bass and tight spaces are tough. The Fender knock-off is light as a bag without bricks in it and sounds good, but the neck is too fat front to-back, and slows my left hand down just enough to be disappointing.
Right, nothing new here, life isn't perfect and what you get good at is dealing. I'm just trying to make that field of dealing a little narrower, so I'm venting here- though all this complaining makes me feel like a fragile, fussy poster child for some brand of lithium-based med... lol.
Oh yeah- when I was given the Fender type knock-off (branded the "Two Face", behaves like a P *or* a J, not a P/J. Interesting idea and a very nice bass actually! There's a story behind it, another post maybe), I had to promise 1) to play it, and 2) that I would never sell it. I may have to sand that neck down a bit to keep my part of the bargain... and I've been looking into that.
So if you've read all this, you're either feeling it or you need a life. Lol! But there's my post for the day. I'm one step away from gathering it all up and selling/trading for something that will give me buyer's/seller's remorse for a couple months, then find I've done the right thing. It's all about the process.

No need to reply, but please do if you have something that needs to land on your keyboard... but I'm just putting this down somewhere so I can see it, and either feel silly or inspire a move. Hope this hasn't wasted your time.

I buy stuff for "future Riis" (currently 67 and feeling every day of it) and go for the extreme. Three purchases over the last 2 years...all 8 lbs and under, headless, and two are 32" scale.

What's your budget?

Riis

 

[Count Bassie]

Let's say maybe $2G
32" scale is interesting, but I've become a diehard 34" player. I had an EB-0 early on, had an SX 32" a couple years ago. But the 34 feels right. Now if I just had hands like Stanley Clarke...

 

[BassicJazzy]

Are you shooting for a bass that has a partial fretless neck or you want a fretted and fretless of a bass

Scary thought. I know Ibanez makes one, but.......why?

 

[Count Bassie]

Scary thought. I know Ibanez makes one, but.......why?

Cause it's fun!

 

[iqi616]

Keep looking but don't sell anything until you find "the one".

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

I don't cook solely with pepper. I don't groove solely with p-bass. I am definitely a "variety is the spice of life" kinda guy. I will say that my tastes have varied over the years. Heading towards 71 and have a bass on order and a custom build waiting after that. YMMV.

BBB

 

[Count Bassie]

I buy stuff for "future Riis" (currently 67 and feeling every day of it) and go for the extreme. Three purchases over the last 2 years...all 8 lbs and under, headless, and two are 32" scale.

What's your budget?

Riis

2G... I hadn't quoted your comment, so don't know if you saw my first reply.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

The Tobias is the closest to a Grail bass that's within reach at this point. I've been at it for 47 years and played almost everything except a few high end things like Jaydee and Status... I know what works mostly. So I've got that going for such a goal.
But my Thunderbird is always a go-to, given a choice. And the sound of the Stingray is a favorite... I may even end up building something.

What is it about the Thunderbird that makes it your go-to? The sound?

 

[Count Bassie]

What is it about the Thunderbird that makes it your go-to? The sound?

It sits comfortably on me, for one thing. I have the upper strap button attached to the back of the neck heel, and often put the lower part of the strap over the face of the body across the lower bout. This stabilizes it, holding it against me, and it just sits there where I want it.
The neck is pretty Jazz-like, and I don't think it's got as much taper going toward the bridge as a Jazz, so it's a little easier on the right hand.
The sound depends on the pickups, the Thunderbird family has a lot of configurations depending on brand (Gibson or Epiphone, Greco, Hamer, etc), but my Epi Classic Pro has the Thunderbucker+. They're fairly aggressive, but also retain a lot of low end, so it's a matter of approach and how you set your amp for how much round, mids/punch, growl, etc you get.
I've come off a three song set at a local jam night and had said to me, "Thanks for restoring my faith in the Thunderbird", meaning I guess that it didn't attack him with snarl, but sat in the pocket and made the song go. It's got personality, but it's not bi-polar, lol.
It feels good to play. It's a very *playable* bass with a good setup.
If you haven't tried one of the more recent Epi or Gibson birds, I would highly recommend it. You might run into one that choose you, as we say.

And all that talk about neck dive? Fenders are generally just as bad... Make sure that top strap button is at the back of the neck heel.

I can play this in any setting, and after some people get over the "uh-oh, here comes Mr. Heavy Metal", they realize it's a musical instrument and they can still dance, or even talk, if they want to.

 

[bylar13]

It sits comfortably on me, for one thing. I have the upper strap button attached to the back of the neck heel, and often put the lower part of the strap over the face of the body across the lower bout. This stabilizes it, holding it against me, and it just sits there where I want it.
The neck is pretty Jazz-like, and I don't think it's got as much taper going toward the bridge as a Jazz, so it's a little easier on the right hand.
The sound depends on the pickups, the Thunderbird family has a lot of configurations depending on brand (Gibson or Epiphone, Greco, Hamer, etc), but my Epi Classic Pro has the Thunderbucker+. They're fairly aggressive, but also retain a lot of low end, so it's a matter of approach and how you set your amp for how much round, mids/punch, growl, etc you get.
I've come off a three song set at a local jam night and had said to me, "Thanks for restoring my faith in the Thunderbird", meaning I guess that it didn't attack him with snarl, but sat in the pocket and made the song go. It's got personality, but it's not bi-polar, lol.
It feels good to play. It's a very *playable* bass with a good setup.
If you haven't tried one of the more recent Epi or Gibson birds, I would highly recommend it. You might run into one that choose you, as we say.

And all that talk about neck dive? Fenders are generally just as bad... Make sure that top strap button is at the back of the neck heel.

I can play this in any setting, and after some people get over the "uh-oh, here comes Mr. Heavy Metal", they realize it's a musical instrument and they can still dance, or even talk, if they want to.

This sums up my Thunderbird experience pretty well. Once I stopped approaching it as a "Fender Style" bass from an ergonomic standpoint, I have been able to have it be super comfortable to play.

I will say, the the 2014 model I have has a very nice neck. I had a 2006 T-Bird and sold it because I did not like the sunburst color. The neck of the 2014 is slimmer and according to Gibson has a "vintage" profile. I put Lollar pickups in mine and replaced the bridge with a Babicz, 3 point replacement. Maybe see if you can find a later 2014-2020 Gibson T-Bird and see if that improves on what you like or not?

 

[overit]

Put everything away in the closet and just play the Thunderbird for a while. Kinda sounds like that’s the one other than your comment about tight spaces. Unless you’re comparing it to a headless, don’t think it takes that much more space than any other long scale bass. I had a 2014 Gibson and it was great for many things and ergonomics were not bad, wearing it the same way you do. Maybe that and a fretless and you’re good.

 

[Count Bassie]

Put everything away in the closet and just play the Thunderbird for a while. Kinda sounds like that’s the one other than your comment about tight spaces. Unless you’re comparing it to a headless, don’t think it takes that much more space than any other long scale bass. I had a 2014 Gibson and it was great for many things and ergonomics were not bad, wearing it the same way you do. Maybe that and a fretless and you’re good.

I do tend to go at more than I should all at once. When I learn a song I often end up finding I'm working too hard at it, the bass line is usually simpler than my efforts.
When I write an original line I often have to winnow it down to something more digestible.
If I were born 29 years earlier I might have been in a prog band.
Anyway, yeah that's interesting.
Been into the fretless for the cover band.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

It sits comfortably on me, for one thing. I have the upper strap button attached to the back of the neck heel, and often put the lower part of the strap over the face of the body across the lower bout. This stabilizes it, holding it against me, and it just sits there where I want it.
The neck is pretty Jazz-like, and I don't think it's got as much taper going toward the bridge as a Jazz, so it's a little easier on the right hand.
The sound depends on the pickups, the Thunderbird family has a lot of configurations depending on brand (Gibson or Epiphone, Greco, Hamer, etc), but my Epi Classic Pro has the Thunderbucker+. They're fairly aggressive, but also retain a lot of low end, so it's a matter of approach and how you set your amp for how much round, mids/punch, growl, etc you get.
I've come off a three song set at a local jam night and had said to me, "Thanks for restoring my faith in the Thunderbird", meaning I guess that it didn't attack him with snarl, but sat in the pocket and made the song go. It's got personality, but it's not bi-polar, lol.
It feels good to play. It's a very *playable* bass with a good setup.
If you haven't tried one of the more recent Epi or Gibson birds, I would highly recommend it. You might run into one that choose you, as we say.

And all that talk about neck dive? Fenders are generally just as bad... Make sure that top strap button is at the back of the neck heel.

I can play this in any setting, and after some people get over the "uh-oh, here comes Mr. Heavy Metal", they realize it's a musical instrument and they can still dance, or even talk, if they want to.

Nice that you found a way for the Thunderbird to work for you! It certainly has a rock'n'roll look, but a good sounding bass is a good sounding bass.

Dingwall's take on the Thunderbird, the D-Roc, is surprisingly ergonomic for that general shape. I think if I were to go Thunderbird, that would be my choice.

The Ian Martin Allison Lull has the Thunderbird pickups in a Jazz bass format and it sounds great. I mean, just about anything he plays sounds great, but that one is particularly nice.

I remember seeing a live video of Slash & The Conspirators with Todd Kerns on bass playing a Thunderbird and it sounded really good.