Looking for a bass for worship?

[JenderBazzFass]

Worship bassist here. Just get a precision bass. The Classic Vibes are great. Any one that feels good and stays in tune will do.

The J pickup might be fun to play around with at home and it makes a nice thumbrest, but the P-only sound is the sound you want when you are in a big room and there are a lot of people sharing the sonic space.

The P will never let you down.

A simple preamp pedal with a DI out, a simple compressor like the Keeley Bassist, and a tuner pedal. These plus a P bass will carry you a long long way.

 

[funkinbottom]

I’m currently looking at an Epiphone Newport

Sounds like you prefer short scale. Nothing wrong with short/med scale basses, they're all I play anymore. ( 5 string 31" scale actually) The Newport if a good sounding bass. A Squier Classic Vibe Jaguar (32" scale) is a nice option also.The P/J config is pretty versatile. It seems a lot of the Gospel guy use 5 string basses. If that's a rout you want to go, Ibanez has the Talman TMB35 that is a short scale 5 string. Guys that have them love 'em. All those are within or less than your budget.

 

[Pings Bass]

A lot of folks around here worship the P Bass

/s

 

[fauxtoe]

I think in your situation you need to keep it simple. Use a completely passive bass of your choosing to avoid the inevitable battery drainage problem after someone forgets to unplug it when not in use. I'm going to say a P bass or whatever else you come across that only has a single volume and tone control. I'm guessing that you could be in a situation where you're using players who are not on the more experienced side and would likely use their own gear to begin with if they were, so for whoever might be stepping into the bass playing role on any given Sunday they should have very little they have to worry about. I wouldn't even get a DI that contains a preamp so you have a completely consistent bass to DI to board signal chain. Spend a couple extra $$ on something like a Radial so at least you have something of good quality, and then throw in a BASIC pedal tuner. Don't get a strobe one (even though they're the best, but might be confusing to someone who hasn't used one before), and don't get something that can be easily knocked out of the "it just needs to be able to tune to 440" mode.

Basic, basic, basic. The KISS mentality. Don't overthink it, and make it so whoever needs to use it spends the least amount of time with zero headaches involved. Plug in and GO!

 

[Topkat13]

I got a Dingwall Super J that I worship.

 

[Leigh Semmens]

I've been playing in Churches for centuries (at least, this one and the last one) my experience is that the blokes on sound may not be necessarily used to active basses which means that their eq is usually off. Stay with a passive bass. I'd recommend a 5 string because many of the songs you may encounter might need to be transposed to suit the vocal range of the singers. with a fiver, it means you can move down a few frets without major re-fingering. learn Nashville Numbers (if you don't know then already) and then it matters not what key, the pattern remains the same.

Also head over to the Praise and Worship Band Bassists Club You'll find plenty of experience there.

 

[JamesGrant]

Already loads of good points and suggestions. I’ve a question, I’ve thought about this for years and now have the opportunity to ask!
Are you buying a bass as a church so that your Sunday service bass player doesn’t have to bring their own?
If so, I’ve never understood the thinking. Doesn’t save much/any set up time, any bass player who is a beginner will do a much better job using their own, familiar instrument. Any experienced player will be fine bringing their own, and may well prefer their own. So who is this for - $500 could be spent elsewhere?
Does the church buy electric guitars and acoustic guitars too? Genuinely curious.
Not a criticism, an honest question.

 

[Jack]

I get that you think a long scale bass might be a bit physically big for guitar players making the switch, but if you go short scale then you run the risk of alienating some of the proper bass players, many of whom might have never played a short scale. (They're missing out because short scales are awesome, but I digress.)

Might I suggest a long scale bass but a lightweight one with a thin neck as a compromise? I think the Ibanez Soundgear range is probably the best bet here, they are available from £100-£1500 and they're all great. Alternatively: Yamaha RBX, Peavey Millennium, Schecter Stiletto, Cort GB. Even a Squier Jazz will be a little lighter and less cumbersome than a Fender one.

 

[Pirate Captain]

maybe you can get one as a bass

 

[Thundar]

A used Sire...either the V series for a jazz or a P series for a P/J...they are active/passive and you can find some beautiful ones, lots of choices in finishes...and they have short scales. I have owned 3 of them

 

[2strings2frets]

Skip buying a bass, send that money to a missionary who could use and appreciate it, anyone who plays one will have there own and will prefer to play it. Pedals are unnecessary for worship music IMO. Just get a good DI, if the house has sound use that, it’s what the worshipers will hear anyway. Be careful about dialing in the bass, as any dirt may not be appropriate, you are there to contribute, not stand out. Best regards and blessing’s on your Church plant.

 

[prndltech]

Can’t go wrong with a Mustang bass

 

[Pearly Gator]

My wife is one of two bass players at our church and, being petite, she prefers a short scale bass. She started on a Squier Mini P but now prefers her Ibanez MiKro bass. She tried a Mustang P/J and the 30" scale was too longs for her. I recently picked up a Sterling Short Scale and hope I can coax her into using it. (But I love playing and recording it in my studio.)

The rig at church and home is a Boss GT-1b direct to board. It also has a headphone jack. I made her custom patches on it.

I've been a WT musician every weekend for 35 years and the best sounding bass always seems to have... a Precision pickup in it.

 

[JenderBazzFass]

I have not found active basses or 5 string basses to be useful in worship band.

We should at this point note the differences between worship and gospel, I am talking about worship.

In terms of active basses, very often the sound system isn't great in a church. The speakers may be basic, the room an old retrofit that is very noisy, or the person running sound may not be accustomed to mixing for bass. The simplest way to always sound pretty good is to just use a passive P.

If you're not in a big room and you're working with a sound system that isn't state of the art as is common in churches, the speakers may not even be able to reproduce the fundamental on a 5-string bass. That is 31 Hz, and if you don't have subs you may see speakers labeled with a low frequency range between 40 and 80 Hz. This is just barely enough to reach down to the low E on a 4-string. Yes you'll still 'hear' it, but the sound may be weak and indistinct.

If you need a D below E, you can always tune down. I have never needed the C or B *really*. I found it helpful for songs in E, but living on the low B string in this musical context for me hasn't usually a good thing. It tends to sound overwhelming or annoying. I think this is just because there's too much space between the bass and the rest of the sound, it sounds disconnected or too out front. JMO.

I've tried all these things and they've all been *fine*, but when I started bringing the passive P every week the compliments started again. YMMV

 

[BassBrass]

I worship a Reverend Mercalli 5 which I don't own yet, which is why it's still in the worship (not judgment & condemnation) phase.

 

[el jeffe bass]

I think that you are on the right track with a short scale 4string for guitar players to use when needed. When you get a dedicated bass player he/she will no doubt have a collection of basses that they would rather use. Also you might want to swing by the Praise and Worship section of Talkbass, it’s on the Bassist sub forum usually towards the top of the page. It’s a great bunch of people with a lot of knowledge of P&W music and playing in a worship setting.

 

[Cardsfan85]

Squier classic vibe jazz or pbass into a aguilar tone hammer will let you run straight DI into your board and sound fantastic.
I always buy used.

 

[joeLowB]

I'm a worship bassist and on the board of our church and have been involved in many church plants.

IMHO, I'd save the money entirely and expect a bassist will bring his/her own bass. That money is better spent elsewhere in a church plant. Forget pedals, keep it simple.

If you still feel the need to buy an instrument, get a standard 34", four string, passive bass...Amazon sells a Squire Debut Bass for about $200...I have one, have played it many times in worship, it works fine. The nuance of sound is far less important than melding in with the entire worship band and having a great attitude.

Guard those precious resources. Let the musician be engaged and get his/her own instrument if not owned already. Point said bassist towards that Amazon option.

My 2c, as a guy who cares about these things.

Blessings on your plant!!

.

 

[ElectricBass72]

A 5-string is good for praise music in my experience. Lots of different keys are used.... so the Low B string comes in handy.

 

[Aberdumbie]

Awesome! I play bass in my church and have been thru several instruments over the years. I have landed on the Fender Player Precision bass and cannot put it down. New it is a bit more than your $500.00 investment level and it is not a short scale, but I can assure you that you won't need another bass and perhaps you can find them used. Outfitted with flats, they are the perfect accompaniment to worship music. I play through the mixing board and have a little Ibanez Soundwave that I use as a personal monitor. I just Googled the Ibanez Soundwave and they are super cheap. Good luck!