I've switched from guitar to bass in my wedding band and it looks like I will end up staying on bass. I feel like I still haven't found the best bass for me. I am thinking of selling some of my guitar stuff to get another bass. I have been using a beat up 90's USA Fender Jazz bass that I got from someone here. I like the tone of it fairly well. It isn't the most comfortable neck but I have gotten used to it. Anyway would love to try something with a different tone. Can ypu tell me what different brands sound like. Musicman, Carvin, Warrwick? We are playing mostly Kool and the Gang, Commodoores, Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, etc. Give me some ideas. I know I'm all over the place with this, but just want to see what is out there besides Fender.
Different tone? You could try out a multi-effect signal processor like Boss or DigiTech to get different tones.
Jazz is pretty flexible with regard to tone. Also, IMO it is a very comfortable neck, more so than the P-bass, Stingray, and definitely Warwick. If you like a thicker/wider neck maybe one of those would be more comfortable for you. I think you need to get to a GC or something and see what works for you first.
What type of neck do you think is going to fit your comfort level more? Thick and chunky? Rail thin? Wider nut (1.625" or 1.75" perhaps?) or keeping down around the 1.5" of the jazz? The best bet would be to try a few different basses at a GC or similar (and taking into account that there's usually going to be crappy setups on them) or if there's a TB GTG in your area, you might be able to attend that and try some basses that are off the beaten path from the mega-store usuals. What kind of tone do you want to achieve? The songs you list tend to have a more vintage type tone, but if you look at more modern basses with active electronics, you might be able to not only cop those tones but open yourself up to a wide variety of playing. There's a lot to consider. Edit - Also, coming from guitar, you might want to check out some short/medium scale basses (30-32" scales) to see if those feel better as well.
Danolectro 63 is a pretty groovy, classy looking thing, it is also very versatile and not very expensive. It is a bit of a neck diver, but, other then that its very nice. Also, the super long neck will take some getting used too. They usually come in redburst or sea foam green and always have a white pickguard, also, they are a bit hard to find.
The Fender Jazz is one of the most comfortable bass necks available. If that is still too big, maybe try an Ibanez SR soundgear. There are many models of SR basses, at a wide range of prices. I like their feel and hardware, and the build quality is fine, but IMO the pickups and preamps are lame.
Lakland 44-02 or 44-60. The necks on both are like butter. The 44-02 can cover all your bases. The 44-60 is simply a wonderful playing jazz bass.
Congratulations on the move. I can't talk highly enough about Music Man. I love these basses and they have really good customer service. The quality of build is top notch and I prefer them over Fender and other American made brands. Out of the Music Man family, my favorite is the Bongo. It will literally let you do any and everything on it.
Geez, Dan! You still haven't settled on a replacement for your Fender Jazz? Seriously though, if you haven't already done so, and if you have the time, pick a day you have off and take a walk through all your local guitar shops. Try out as many models as possible, take notes (so you don't get 'this' mixed up with 'that') and see what feels and sounds best. Any brand-based advice will have varying degrees of "fact vs. experience vs. opinion". Given a fair selection to try out, only you and your hands and ears can decide what's the best fit for you...and maybe your shoulder too if a bass' weight is still an issue. If weight is still an issue, definitely try out some short-scale basses. A 1.5" nut with a 32" or 30" scale length will probably be the lightest and fastest you'll find. I know many of us has said it before, but it does bear repeatingÂ…in the hands of a guitarist, a short scale instrument will likely feel more familiar and comfortable.
As tmw2011 mentioned above, what is it about the Jazz Bass' neck you do not like? What do you think is needed to make for a more comfortable neck for you? Once we know this we can provide more informed suggestions for an instrument. All the rest above are just mentioning their personal favorites.
Yeah, going from guitar to bass is an adjustment. When I fist made the change, the reach between frets and strings felt huge. Now my hands don't fit on that tiny little guitar fretboard. I wouldn't go with a short scale or super thin neck, I'd just take some time to get used to the full scale bass neck if I were you. Meanwhile, as others have said, trying out as many different basses as you can would really help you more than anything else. It's a lot of fun, too.
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