For those who have numerous different jazz basses...

[sikamikanico]

I'm sure color-->tone connection is more of a case of listening with ones eyes, but I do wonder if there could be some difference in the way the finish is applied (besides the idea that different finishes might be used for different woods)... It seems to me that a burst could have less paint on, to leave the wood showing in the middle... So there might be a difference, though negligible in light of other factors...

 

[Dean N]

You're all wrong. It's all in the clay dots and then later in the block inlays. They make the strings vibrate with the best energy for that perfect Fender Jazz Bass sound.

 

[micque]

My psychologist prescribed me some nice little pills that made all colour bass guitars sound like green ones, my life is much better now, realy !

 

[RJC1811]

Bursts definately sound the best, starting with two tone sb as the best overall. You lose a lot of clarity when you get into colored bursts like blueburst and greenburst. On the other hand it takes killer technique to handle a blackburst.

In solid colors red sounds the best to my ears followed by black. White runs a spectrum all it's own. Artic white is too sterile but olympic white, mmmm now there is a tasty sound!

Speaking of tasty, the blue m&m's are unquestionably the best, red are great, the brown are passable but I throw the yellow ones out, yech!

 

[JWMurrayJr]

Bursts definately sound the best, starting with two tone sb as the best overall. You lose a lot of clarity when you get into colored bursts like blueburst and greenburst. On the other hand it takes killer technique to handle a blackburst.

In solid colors red sounds the best to my ears followed by black. White runs a spectrum all it's own. Artic white is too sterile but olympic white, mmmm now there is a tasty sound!

Speaking of tasty, the blue m&m's are unquestionably the best, red are great, the brown are passable but I throw the yellow ones out, yech!

 

[stringthrough]

I'm embarrassed to say I've not considered a bass' color as a factor of how it sounds. I must now seek a Jazz bass colored as this bass so that it can properly cover all frequencies.

 

[mpdd]

jazz sacrilege - sometimes i convince myself that my sb-2 is a j so i don't have to buy another bass

 

[Wolfhound32]

Ok so for those who have numerous or a couple that consist of sunburst AND a different color, such as plain black or red etc---- can you hear a difference in tone between each due to the finish? Numerous cats seem to have and swear by the sunburst option..is there a reason besides asthetics? Brightness, warmth, punch etc..

As the late, great, Les Paul once said:

"People hear with their eyes"

 

[Wolfhound32]

This thing is kind of long but if you're on talkbass I can only assume you have lots of free time like myself. I think you need to hear this as much as I did.

Fabulous video! I enjoy talking gear as much as anyone here, but that's just such a small part of the enjoyment of being a bassist
Required viewing for sure!

 

[DigitalMan]

These two jazz basses are both black but they sound nothing alike whatsoever . What am I doing wrong?

 

[AcridSaint]

These two jazz basses are both black but they sound nothing alike whatsoever . What am I doing wrong?

View attachment 851499 View attachment 851500

You need the block inlay colors to match if you want these basses to sound the same.

 

[DigitalMan]

You need the block inlay colors to match if you want these basses to sound the same.

Thanks. I was wondering it if was that or the pickguards.

 

[Herbie Chesnutt]

Ok so for those who have numerous or a couple that consist of sunburst AND a different color, such as plain black or red etc---- can you hear a difference in tone between each due to the finish? Numerous cats seem to have and swear by the sunburst option..is there a reason besides asthetics? Brightness, warmth, punch etc..

Hilarious.

I have a 3tsb and a black and maple. The sunburst is fretless. Both have different pups and different strings. I favor different pups, wiring is slightly different in each, and I eq them differently. The finish, wood, and neck construction, IMO, has no effect on their tone.

Sorry, someone is effing with you.

 

[Herbie Chesnutt]

my frankensteined 5 string jazz basses are quite different from most other jazz basses and from each other. one is active and one is passive.

That EVH one makes my nipples hard. Thanks. Makes shaving the hair around them safer.

 

[Spirit of Ox]

My sunburst bass sounds better because it has a higher quality wood. It's made from ash and it has a more open sound due to the woodgrain. My alder bass is a little more compressed sounding. Keep in my that tone is subjective.
Some players like a tighter compressed tone since the ash basses tend to be more barky in the upper mids.

 

[Matto1349]

Well, you know what they say, when it comes to tone, EVERYTHING needs to be taken into account.

I think the major difference in tone has to do with the logo on the headstock. My Fender sounds far superior than my Squier. And its all about those labels. The shape of the F adds a lot more sustain and midrange punch.

 

[D M C]

I know. Squier paint sucks. MIM paint sucks. Only American paint has good paint tone.

Edit: I mean tone paint.

 

[Flaked Beans]

 

[mikeluch]

Really???

 

[Matto1349]

I know. Squier paint sucks. MIM paint sucks. Only American paint has good paint tone.

Edit: I mean tone paint.

I took my Squier to a luthier and had him grind the logo off and put a Fender waterslide in its place. Huge change in sustain.