How to approach choosing my bass?

[Kraku]

You may be overthinking it...

First question: how would you rate your technical facility on the instrument?
Second: What's your budget?
Third: What kind of amp/cab setup do you have?

Some expectation-setters:

- There's no such thing as a one-arrow quiver; an Ibanez SG Premium is about as close as you'll get without breaking the bank.
- There's no such thing as a good sounding B. There are ok ones, but to get one that doesn't sound like fart-like, the instrument scale length would be unplayable (think 5 1/2 feet). The best you can do is settle - the problem is physics, not quality. Also, you'll need an amp and cab than can actually reproduce those frequencies. Again, physics.

No specific budget. Whatever the bass ends up being that fulfills my requirements, I'll probably just save enough money to buy it. I try to follow the ideology of "quality over quantity" when it comes to tools. But the problem is that as I'm a beginner, it's hard to tell which tools to spend on. That comes with experience. So I may have to buy a few "duds" and learn from them what I did like and what I didn't like.

I'm using my instruments only in my home studio setup. So my bass goes to YYZ pedal (through various other pedals) and then directly to my mixer and/or audio interface. Then from there to my Genelec studio monitors + sub. So no cab nor miking needed. What I hear is what ends up in the song.

 

[Kraku]

It would help if you state what you actually own and what your budget is.

For the style of music you mentioned, there are two bass styles that come to mind. First, for NiN and Rammstein type of music the ideal would be a P-bass. You also mention RATM, which means a StingRay. I personally don't love the StingRay sound for everything, though for certain songs and genres it sounds fantastic. I think a P-bass will always fit with whatever genre you play.

That being said, I used to own a 5-string EBMM StingRay, and the B-string was really good.

I currently own a 5-string Fender P-bass, and the B-string is mediocre at best. I put in a Nordstrand pickup recently and that really helps it, though.

Sadowsky P/J basses have an excellent B-string, even the relatively inexpensive MetroExpress.

If you are interested in multiscale, and have the budget, I think a Dingwall SP-1 would be a fabulous choice. Otherwise, I'd look for a 35" scale or a Sadowsky as mentioned above.

I currently have my first two cheap basses: Sire / Marcus Miller V3, and Ibanez 305EB. The V3 sounds really good as is. 305EB needs upgrading.

I have no set budget. Whatever the bass ends up being that fits my playing and music, I'll save the money for it and buy it.

I am interested in multiscale specifically because I read that they have been designed to solve the issue with different tonalities of the strings on bass, and also due to longer scale length of the lower strings the B string is likely much better sounding due to physics.

 

[Kraku]

Don't overthink it. Stick with the gear you've got and work on technique. When you get to the point that your instruments are holding you back (which might not ever happen), think about what exactly is holding you back and let that inform your step-up instrument choice.

Currently the poorly defined sounding B string on my 5 string is holding me back. That's why I started thinking all this.

 

[Kraku]

Step #1: Set yourself a budget. The more you are willing to spend, the better an instrument you can buy, in general (this is very controverisal here at TB, many claim their budget basses are better than very expensive ones).

Step #2: Decide 4 or 5 string, based on how you are currently using your 4 and 5. If you are already finding uses for the B string, get a 5.

Step #3: Do not jump the gun, wasting money on something that isn't exactly what you want just because it’s cheaper. Just keep saving your money.

You mentioned there are no good music stores near you…where do you live?

Fairly north up in Finland. The nearest well equipped music store with multi scale basses on shelve is probably 500 km / 320 miles away.

 

[Kraku]

If you are looking for a single bass to cover all possibilities, I recommend a 6 string. I did the 4s and the 5s, but went to a 6er to have every possible scenario covered.

I don't believe that a single bass will cover all the things I want from a bass. That's why I'm trying to figure out what would be a good combination of basses that would cover the stuff I need.

 

[BassBrass]

my best B strings are on 35" scale basses: Lakland 5501, Jackson X Series Spectra Bass SBX V (black sparkle) and Schecter Stargazer. The best 34" scales B is Yamaha (either BB or TRBS) I also have a MTD LK that's med scale and It has a good B, also Mark Bass Gloxy has a great B. Personally I'm not interested in multi scale, they look alien. Headless I would consider though. btw, both the Jackson Spectra SBX and Schecter Stargazer are not bolt-on necks, either one piece or set, the Lakland is just a superb piece of ash/maple that was obviously selected and well built, it's also fairly light, around 8.8 lbs

 

[Medicine Man]

They just quit making them, but G&L L2500 (USA or tribute) has a solid B string and very versatile electronics. I used to use one all the time for playing variety covers to be able to switch between vintage and modern tones. Often a deal on the used market. I would also like to add that having the right amplifier and cab often solves "weak B string" issues. Most people are better off upgrading their amp than guitar collection.

 

[Pings Bass]

Currently the poorly defined sounding B string on my 5 string is holding me back. That's why I started thinking all this.

If you want to buy instruments, I'm not here to discourage you. But I'm suspicious of the contention that any modern entry- to mid-level bass guitar is going to hold back a second-year student, unless it is damaged or defective.

A teacher would want to know more about why a student feels an instrument is holding then back. Is this opinion based on them personally playing other 5-string basses? Is it possible they may be struggling with the more-nuanced touch required to play a larger, lower-tension string? Beyond finger technique, is there some ear training required to grow accustomed to distinguishing pitch below E1? Is there some setup needed on the instrument? This is where private lessons dramatically outperform YouTube.

It's quite common for a student to fall into the trap of thinking a better instrument will make them sound better. They are often surprised how good their instrument sounds in the hands of a teacher, and disappointed when their own playing sounds no better on their teacher's professional instrument.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I'm fairly new to playing bass. I started playing bass about half a year ago and just a week ago started "that" well regarded online bass course, which shall remain unnamed so no-one can accuse me of being an advertisement plant for any company.

So. I currently have a 4 string Jazz clone (single coils) which feels fun to play in general. I like it when playing finger style and thumbing & plucking feels great also, as well as it sounds great for my use.

I also have a 5 string (humbuckers) with much tighter string spacing. There are some issues with its sound, including its lowest string not having as tight sounding low end as I would like it to have. The 5 string feels fun to play finger style, and OK when thumbing & plucking. I seem to have use for the B string quite often, so that is a nice feature.

So all this got me thinking how I could choose the minimum amount of electric basses to cover all my needs because I don't want to have a huge bass collection:
- I would be playing thumbing & plucking very often.
- I need the B-string for softer finger style and for playing with a pick very often.
- I need the B-string for thumbing and plucking occasionally.
- The B-string needs to produce tight and well defined low end.
- The sounds should be usable in industrial-metal and industrial-rock type of music. Think of Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, Rage Against The Machine.

The first obvious thought that came to my mind is buying a 5 string with about the same string spacing as my 4 string jazz clone. But would the much wider neck cause trouble for thumbing & plucking when the B-string needs to be muted with the fretting hand thumb, or by some other means? Will the wide neck cause some other issues for that kind of playing style? Also having the extra string probably makes playing feel very different, regardless of the string spacing?

Also the need for a better sounding B-string pointed me into the direction of multiscale basses. So that's one extra variable in this equation.

So I guess the ultimate question here is that should I ditch the idea of owning any 4 string basses and just get two multiscale ones with 5 strings each: one with wider string spacing for thumbing and plucking and another with shorter string spacing for finger style + pick playing? Pickups for each bass would be chosen for their respective playing styles: single coils for thumbing & plucking (wider string space) and humbuckers for finger style + pick playing (shorter string space).

Or maybe one bass should be a multiscale 4 string tuned to BEAD as standard and with the same string spacing as my Jazz clone?

One big issue here is that I don't have good music stores anywhere near me where I could test such basses. So I would probably just need to do my research without trying them out and order online and hope for the best. That is one of the reasons I'm asking here what I am potentially missing and what things would be a good idea to take into consideration.

As you can see there are many moving variables which I'm trying to figure out how to sort into order of importance so I can make some valid decisions. Help would be appreciated from those who have been through this type of dilemma before.

If I can make one suggestion. The most fool proof way to get the bass of your dreams is to get your hand on it before buying.

 

[Topkat13]

If the two you have work, why do you need another one?

 

[Koshchei]

No specific budget. Whatever the bass ends up being that fulfills my requirements, I'll probably just save enough money to buy it. I try to follow the ideology of "quality over quantity" when it comes to tools. But the problem is that as I'm a beginner, it's hard to tell which tools to spend on. That comes with experience. So I may have to buy a few "duds" and learn from them what I did like and what I didn't like.

I'm using my instruments only in my home studio setup. So my bass goes to YYZ pedal (through various other pedals) and then directly to my mixer and/or audio interface. Then from there to my Genelec studio monitors + sub. So no cab nor miking needed. What I hear is what ends up in the song.

Ibanez GWB205 would be my suggestion. Unless you're like me, where you get sucked into Rickenbackerland, the GWB is a bass you can grow with, is immensely useful and versatile, and can cover just about anything, from technical death metal to jazz to pop. The string spacing is a bit tighter, and it is a fretless (you can make a fretless sound like fretted, but not the other way around), but it's an instrument that you'll still be discovering new colours with in 20 years, and will still be a monster instrument even if you decide to ditch the industrial for a few years to learn to play like Jaco.

And if you hate it, you can resell it for virtually the same you paid for it - they really hold their value for some reason.

 

[Nuisance]

because I don't want to have a huge bass collection.

You lost me there.

 

[Yahboy]

I'm fairly new to playing bass. I started playing bass about half a year ago and just a week ago started "that" well regarded online bass course, which shall remain unnamed so no-one can accuse me of being an advertisement plant for any company.

So. I currently have a 4 string Jazz clone (single coils) which feels fun to play in general. I like it when playing finger style and thumbing & plucking feels great also, as well as it sounds great for my use.

I also have a 5 string (humbuckers) with much tighter string spacing. There are some issues with its sound, including its lowest string not having as tight sounding low end as I would like it to have. The 5 string feels fun to play finger style, and OK when thumbing & plucking. I seem to have use for the B string quite often, so that is a nice feature.

So all this got me thinking how I could choose the minimum amount of electric basses to cover all my needs because I don't want to have a huge bass collection:
- I would be playing thumbing & plucking very often.
- I need the B-string for softer finger style and for playing with a pick very often.
- I need the B-string for thumbing and plucking occasionally.
- The B-string needs to produce tight and well defined low end.
- The sounds should be usable in industrial-metal and industrial-rock type of music. Think of Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, Rage Against The Machine.

The first obvious thought that came to my mind is buying a 5 string with about the same string spacing as my 4 string jazz clone. But would the much wider neck cause trouble for thumbing & plucking when the B-string needs to be muted with the fretting hand thumb, or by some other means? Will the wide neck cause some other issues for that kind of playing style? Also having the extra string probably makes playing feel very different, regardless of the string spacing?

Also the need for a better sounding B-string pointed me into the direction of multiscale basses. So that's one extra variable in this equation.

So I guess the ultimate question here is that should I ditch the idea of owning any 4 string basses and just get two multiscale ones with 5 strings each: one with wider string spacing for thumbing and plucking and another with shorter string spacing for finger style + pick playing? Pickups for each bass would be chosen for their respective playing styles: single coils for thumbing & plucking (wider string space) and humbuckers for finger style + pick playing (shorter string space).

Or maybe one bass should be a multiscale 4 string tuned to BEAD as standard and with the same string spacing as my Jazz clone?

One big issue here is that I don't have good music stores anywhere near me where I could test such basses. So I would probably just need to do my research without trying them out and order online and hope for the best. That is one of the reasons I'm asking here what I am potentially missing and what things would be a good idea to take into consideration.

As you can see there are many moving variables which I'm trying to figure out how to sort into order of importance so I can make some valid decisions. Help would be appreciated from those who have been through this type of dilemma before.

Wow .... Your willing bass guitar couldl be quite expensive which meet your request.....

But Dingwall SP1-5 may work for you.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

If you were a Stuart Zender caliber cat you would not be here, so I am confident the following can be useful to you:

You already have what you need!

Let a great bass technician setup and intonate your instruments and spend at least one hour per day to develop your muscles, tendons and nervous system. A year from now (assuming you did the work) you'll have too many specific items on your wish list to worry about how you'll pay for it.

Hire a good technician to teach you instrument maintenance and setup, ASAP!

You'll hear this exact same advise from many posters here; though, this is not what a budding new gear slut wants to hear ;-)

 

[Kraku]

If the two you have work, why do you need another one?

Because the lowest notes on the B-string sound like "that's a note" instead of "That's note X". That's just one issue with the bass, but the most important one. And according to internet that is exactly what too short scale on B-string sounds like.

 

[Kraku]

You lost me there.

I intend to get rid of the bass I don't like.

 

[crazycloud]

Currently the poorly defined sounding B string on my 5 string is holding me back. That's why I started thinking all

Why do you assume it's the bass? My SR375, basically identical to your 305, just with a maple body sounds great with a stainless steel Dunlop tapered B.

Like you, I live in a remote area, so I'd suggest trying Newtone Strings from the UK - they're very customisable.

 

[OnlyFlats]

I was in a very similar position 25 years ago. I had 2 basses, a great 4 string and a 5 string I was disappointed with because the string spacing was just too tight for me at the time.

What I REALLY WISH I had done was discover that a standard 4 string could be setup in BEAD. Back then I just didn't know that was possible.

I recommend you get yourself another 4 string to set up in BEAD. Hide your 5 string under the bed for a few years. You'll improve your playing and adaptability over time and be better positioned to handle the tight 5er in the future.

There's plenty of BEAD threads here, including the club thread. You'll likely need a guitar technician to setup the instrument for BEAD initially. You'll also need to get thicker gauge strings with enough tension on the low B so it can be tight and defined (look up online string tension calculator).

The BEAD club thread has many TBers who do this. I have 2 basses setup in BEAD, a multi scale and a standard. My multiscale isn't significantly better, just different. Personally I believe the pickups matter the most after string gauge, when it comes to a tight and defined low B. I don't hear that opinion often around here though.

If you don't have access to someone locally who can properly setup your instruments, then that's the training you'll likely need to do. Instrument setup matters. Find someone who can do it or DIY

All the best with playing heavy stuff, that's what I'm into too.

 

[crazycloud]

^^ Could not disagree more.

Put the 4 away, play only the 5.
If the tighter spacing is an issue for you, spend time woodshedding until you get it right, and learn to play it as a 5, not as a 4 with an extra string; there's a difference. There are plenty of physically big guitarists who manage to finger pick and that's way tighter (usually 10.5mm). Same with slapping - it just takes some practice and adaptation.

@Kraku play whatever is most comfortable to you. My comment in this poet is simply for perspective. Most people will try to get you to play / use what they do, not what might be best for you. I prefer 6s, but I'm not suggesting you get one.

 

[Kraku]

^^ Could not disagree more.

Put the 4 away, play only the 5.
If the tighter spacing is an issue for you, spend time woodshedding until you get it right, and learn to play it as a 5, not as a 4 with an extra string; there's a difference. There are plenty of physically big guitarists who manage to finger pick and that's way tighter (usually 10.5mm). Same with slapping - it just takes some practice and adaptation.

@Kraku play whatever is most comfortable to you. My comment in this poet is simply for perspective. Most people will try to get you to play / use what they do, not what might be best for you. I prefer 6s, but I'm not suggesting you get one.

I like the 5 string for regular finger style playing. For thumbing it feels a bit too tight, but I'm sure with couple of weeks training I probably will adjust to it.