• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

How have your tastes changed?

#121
Wow, interesting thread. Waaaaay back when I first started, I was chasing the 1990s punk bass tone, which meant a P-bass played with a pick. Later it was all about getting a piano-like slap tone. Nowadays I'm all about the extended range of a 6-string, playing fingerstyle, sticking with fundamentals and mids with treble rolled way off, and I'm considering trying out tapewound as a way to split the difference between rounds and flats. I spent my youth trying to show off and be flashy, now I just want to get deep in the pocket and groove.
 
  • Like
Reactions: funkinbottom
#123
Started with a Fender Precision. Moved to Carvin 6's, Conklin 7's, then Clement's, and no Fender 4's in the '80's, '90's & early 2000's.

Went from a high of 9 basses, recently sold most of them and now I'm down to two - a Fender Precision 4 string fretted with flats and my upright. I see myself adding a fretless and a Jazz with rounds - someday - but for now I'm set.

Back to basics, enjoying playing and life's pretty good!

John
 
#125
fermata said:
It's been interesting seeing how my bass tastes have changed over time--how about yours?

Then: short scale
Now: medium scale

Then: semi-hollow body
Now: solid body

Then: neck pickup and dark, fundamental-heavy tone
Now: middle (even slightly bridge-ward) pickup and articulate, mid-rich tone

No change: limited neck taper, narrow string spacing at bridge

No change: flat wound strings
Click to expand...
Yes, Instead of Panther Pi$$ and Swill I now drink Merlot, Scotch and Irish, but not together.....

Just joshing..... :-)
 
#128
Then: funk, jazz, slap, fingers, tapping, progressive musicianship thinking. Rounds and actives

Now: still have passion for the above but now its more in the backseat.....still Rounds and Actives but also like playing rock and heavier styles now and also currently integrating a pick....laying down a simple and solid line of 8th notes is fun with the right drummer
 
Last edited:
#129
Then(1971): Passive, 4 string. Bought a used Jazz bass for $100(still gets play on occasion) and was my only bass until...

Almost now(2016):Active, 4 string. Bought an active bass. Wow, it took this long to try active electronics, love it.

Now(2018/19): Due to hand issue started playing short scales. Still play the 34", but mainly 30". Also realized after a million years, "Hey I like 5 strings"
So now days, almost exclusively, I play my short scale active 5 string. I occasionally play the others when the mood strikes.

Oh, I guess the other change that has occurred, is having/wanting only one bass, to now owning six basses. Three 30" scale. An active 5er, , and two 4's, one active. The other three are 34" scale, 0ne active, two passive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JoshS
#131
Played a 4 string passive P-Bass for years. Got a 4 string active and liked it ok, prefer passive though. Went to a 5 string Lakland active bass and after the break in period, became very accustomed to having that B string. Switch back and forth from time to time but always come back to the 5. Just got a Fender Pro V passive bass and love it. Still got the 4 string active P-Bass, just in case. Also still have the Lakland 55-94 but it's listed here for sale.
 
#133
Not too much really. Always been a 2 pickup, active, mostly 5 string kind of guy for the last couple decades. I like Bartolini. I like flat necks. I have played Genz Benz/Genzler amps for decades.
 
#135
I played most of all the solid basses for years,then one day i wanted a change so i bought a double bass.I sold my basses the same day and have never looked back.I now and again miss some playing styles i can not do on upright,but over all i'm a happy camper.
 
#136
Absolutely. I used to play a 5-string Jazz bass and loathed playing with a pick. Now I use a P-bass and a Music Man clone (a Dean Hillsboro), play with a pick, and use effects pedals when I can. I also prefer a punchier "mid-boosted" sound now, whereas before I preferred a scooped mids tone with a lot of bottom end to it.
 
#137
Not much. Still a P/J guy, still Fender and white/tort is my favourite go-to livery. I’ve owned and played a fair variety of basses but I stick with what I like.

Oh, I also own a short scale, black, hollow body, dual hum bucker bass so not all plain vanilla!
 
#138
No real change in preferences since I had a clue as a bass player (sometime in the late 1970s) and could discern different tones, necks, styles, strings, and wasn't just trying to get to the point I could even pluck a string and have anything good come out.

I've always favored the Fender Jazz Bass and a bit later, the Stingray (thanks to a few very good players of the time who used them). I've never cared much for the sound of flatwound strings. I've never liked overly harsh tones and overly aggressive playing (think Korn here) or overly active hi-fi sounding basses (unless it is Marcus Miller's tone).

On the other hand, I've always had a bad case of GAS as well, so I've been willing to try new basses (TONS of them)... but in the end, I always seem to gravitate back to Fender J-basses, Stingrays, and Mustangs. I suspect that will not change, because I've had $6000 boutique basses that I've dumped and gone back to a $600 Fender Jazz. At this point I have A Fender Custom Shop 60 Jazz, a Fender Adam Clayton Jazz, a Fender mexi PJ Precision, and a Stingray (Ray34). Pretty happy for now until GAS hits again. But as I said, it's always been about the J-bass and Stingray for me. No change there. Just wish there would be a change in my tendency toward GAS. :banghead:
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back