Most versatile bass?

[dpbass613]

Fender Roscoe Beck 5, does every fender sound you could want in one bass.

 

[EskimoBassist]

Gotta be a G&L 2500 or a Fender Jazz

 

[BassClef 2010]

I'm plenty versatile on my fretless Jazz!

 

[Tampabass]

As chance would have it, I was at a jazz bar this past Saturday and witnessed a bass player with an old Stingray (single pup with the bridge mutes). Damn right I'd be takin' a Stingray to a jazz gig! It sounded (rather "he" sounded) simply amazing. Tone like an upright through a Mesa Walkabout Scout. Very traditional sounding. Just shows you how wrong it is to stereotype.

+1 I played my old Stingray on many jazz gigs

 

[M.R. Ogle]

G&L's all the way.
There's a LOT of sonic territory in those 2000's and 2500's. I do not believe there's anything in that price range that delivers anywhere near the available palette of sounds.

 

[Linkert]

My Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass with Lundgren "Vintage Jazz" pickups.

 

[cellkirk74]

A EBMM Big Al would probably hit the spot.

What he said!

Or maybe a EBMM Sterling 5 HH.

 

[MikeBass]

Fender Roscoe Beck 5, does every fender sound you could want in one bass.

G&L's all the way.
There's a LOT of sonic territory in those 2000's and 2500's. I do not believe there's anything in that price range that delivers anywhere near the available palette of sounds.

+1 to both the above posts!
The RB-V is a SMOKIN' bass.

But maybe gotta trump the price range/tones with a used Guild Pilot Bass... just sayin'

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I'd have to agree with many of the above; the versatility is with the player.

But, if I had to pick out a few basses that had several different sounds:

- EBMM Big Al
- Fender Roscoe Beck
- A dual pickup EBMM Stingray, Sterling, Bongo or Reflex
- Dingwall Z3

 

[zachoff]

My most versatile bass is a Peavey T-40. I'd prob say a Fender Jaguar would be the most versatile, but I don't own one.

 

[duderasta]

5 string passive Jazz bass.

Only bass I've ever heard that does everything.

This is my go-to bass for pretty much everything...

 

[Batmensch]

Knowing what a bass/rig can do, can do well, and can't do can be worth a lot, but that's most understanding on the musician's part.

Looks aside, most basses can handle most types of music. There are far less exceptions of a bass that won't work, given reasonable EQ and know how.

+1. This kind of thread isn't all that much use,IMO.
To me they always seem to end up with posters just recommending their favorite bass that they either own or have owned. Hardly impartial.

 

[tekhedd]

The bass I go to for cover gigs is my Ibanez ATK. It just has the one pickup but it does amazingly well on anything from P-like tones to scooped-mid slap.

That said, my vote would also be for the G&L L2k. I just don't happen to own one.

 

[spade2you]

+1. This kind of thread isn't all that much use,IMO.
To me they always seem to end up with posters just recommending their favorite bass that they either own or have owned. Hardly impartial.

Meh, musicians tend to avoid being very objective. Never understood that. Still, it's funny when you hear suggestions from someone who has played a handful of basses at best.

While active electronics seem to be frowned upon, the right pickup+pre combination can often work wonders to help fake other tones. While one bass will never do it all, a nice active bass can fake a lot of stuff.

 

[daofktr]

My Lakland 55-94 with flats does everything I need. I just landed a house gig...four nights a week, tyvm!...and this bass is a big part of my hiring--it makes me forget how much I suck!

 

[Mrdak]

All you need is a good P bass.

 

[Swimming Bird]

Ibanez Soundgear 885.

 

[vitaobass]

If you were playing in a band that played covers in all genres and could only play one bass, what would it be?

I play in this kind of band.
I already owned Active basses like Fortress and Sterling, all 5 strings. But now i found my way with a american standard fender 5 string passive jazz bass!!!
Wen i want to do something more active i just turn my preamp pedal on.

 

[dvh]

Knowing what a bass/rig can do, can do well, and can't do can be worth a lot, but that's most understanding on the musician's part.

Looks aside, most basses can handle most types of music. There are far less exceptions of a bass that won't work, given reasonable EQ and know how.

+1. This kind of thread isn't all that much use,IMO.
To me they always seem to end up with posters just recommending their favorite bass that they either own or have owned. Hardly impartial.

Agreed. The gamut of basses already mentioned proves both of these points...

 

[T-MOST]

Smith and Sadowsky basses. They've never met a gig they didn't like.