Need bass guitar recommendations (All details inside)

[tunabolt]

Hi everyone! I have a big interest in bass guitars, but have little to no knowledge about the actual hardware. I want to present everything I have researched so far and am interested in and then perhaps you can give me some suggested models to look into.

My favorite genre for basslines would be funk, especially of the slapping variety. To be honest, I just want to specialize in slapping because I love the sound so much. Fingering style sound is important too, but I would prioritize the slapping sound quality for a bass guitar.

I have only looked at random bass guitar demos on YouTube, but here are my favorites so far ranking my favoritest at the top of the list:

1. Warwick Thumb
2. Music Man Stingray
3. Rickenbacker 4003
4. Gibson Thunderbird

Here are some of my favorite bass tunes that I would like play:

Dennis Edwards ft. Siedah Garrett - Don't Look Any Further


Eazy-E - Real Muthaphuckkin G's


Secret of Mana - Steel and Snare


Chic - Good Times


Seinfeld Theme + Transitions


The search for a bass guitar is hard for me because of the overwhelming amount of details. I see bass guitar demos, but the showcasing always vary by manufacturing date and thus have different build quality and parts I'm assuming. I wonder if I would be fine just buying the current year model (if available) or just take a shot in the dark and buy a used model from any year in the past.

Budget is $1500ish, but will reluctantly push it up to $2000 if needed. I highly prefer a 4-string. No need to account accessories or additional hardware since I already have a setup ready to go.

Here is my current setup:

• Universal Audio LA-610 Mk II
• Audio Interface
• Reaper & FL Studio (for monitoring and recording)
• VST collection for effects, tone-shaping, mixing, and mastering
• Studio Monitors + Subwoofer
• Studio Monitor Headphones

I have paralysis from analysis so any insight and recommendations is greatly appreciated!


TL;DR Cliff Notes:

• $1500 budget ($2000 max)
• 4-string preferred
• For playing and slapping funky basslines
• Need recommendations and exposure to similar bass guitars listed

 

[4sight]

Sounds like a Jazz style bass would fit the bill, but I find it hard to believe you wouldn't have heard one in the course of your own research - have you ruled them out for some reason?

 

[tunabolt]

Sounds like a Jazz style bass would fit the bill, but I find it hard to believe you wouldn't have heard one in the course of your own research - have you ruled them out for some reason?

I have no idea what determines a bass to be jazz style to be honest. I saw a shootout video that included the Fender Precision versus a Fender Jazz Bass, but greatly preferred the Precision no contest.

This was the video I watched and among all the basses played, the Fender Jazz Bass was my least favorite. To me, it sounded like it didn't have much "body" for lack of a better word. I found the others to have more rich full-body warmth and I also enjoy their nice twangy presences. Rickenbacker is kinda flat sounding, but I find something very charming about its weird "coming out of an old radio" sound. I think the Fender Jazz Bass sounds good for slap, but I still ranked the other basses higher for slap.

 

[Oobly]

TBH, I'd simply get a Fender American Performer Jazz. Most of the tunes posted have a lot of fingerstyle playing with some slap and pop mixed in. I'd wager a good deal of them were actually played with Jazz basses originally. Except for the Seinfeld stuff, that was a keyboard. And AFAIK, Good Times was played with Precision...

The basses you list, is that by looks or by sound? And are you looking to use it primarily for recording or for playing live, too?

[EDIT] - other posts arrived while typing... In that case, I'd probably go for the Thumb, but... really a personal choice. Also, watch a lot more videos before deciding, IMO that one wasn't all that representative of the best qualities of the Jazz, especially on the slap section. Still, recommendations would change depending on if you're only using it for recording or also playing live [/EDIT]

 

[FunkHead]

There's always room for another StingRay Slapper IMO.

 

[GIBrat51]

For the kind of music you seem to like, I would say;
- Get a Jazz Bass of some kind. Not a "Bass for Jazz"; a bass like a Fender Jazz Bass. Many, many clones of a Jazz Bass, if you don't want a Fender. They would work very well for that kind of music, and if you stick with playing a Bass, you'll get one eventually. Might as well do it now...
- Get a 5 string bass. If you stick with playing a bass, for that kind of music? You'll get one eventually; might as well do it now.
- Get an active bass. For all the reasons listed above.
And, For a 5-string, active, Jazz-style bass, for not a whole lot of $$? You could do a lot worse than a Sire V7 5-string. Solid, well made; looks and sounds good; and, you'd have a big chunk of your budget left, too...

 

[tunabolt]

TBH, I'd simply get a Fender American Performer Jazz. Most of the tunes posted have a lot of fingerstyle playing with some slap and pop mixed in. I'd wager a good deal of them were actually played with Jazz basses originally. Except for the Seinfeld stuff, that was a keyboard. And AFAIK, Good Times was played with Precision...

The basses you list, is that by looks or by sound? And are you looking to use it primarily for recording or for playing live, too?

[EDIT] - other posts arrived while typing... In that case, I'd probably go for the Thumb, but... really a personal choice. Also, watch a lot more videos before deciding, IMO that one wasn't all that representative of the best qualities of the Jazz, especially on the slap section. Still, recommendations would change depending on if you're only using it for recording or also playing live [/EDIT]

Yeah, I'm still looking through videos. I'm second-guessing myself a lot because the same basses could sound so different from performer to performer due to different amps, preamps, strings, and other parts I might be unaware of.

I will mainly be using the bass for recording, not live. I know I should be prioritizing the sound, but part of me really wants a nice-looking bass as well. I love the sound of the Music Man Stingray, but I think it looks hideous. To me, the Thunderbird in vintage burst feels like a good balance of sound and aesthetic.

I'm at the moment trying to compare Epiphone Thunderbird Pros and Classic Pros with the Gibson Thunderbird.

There's always room for another StingRay Slapper IMO.

Loooove that sound, but not really into how it looks lol.

For the kind of music you seem to like, I would say;
- Get a Jazz Bass of some kind. Not a "Bass for Jazz"; a bass like a Fender Jazz Bass. Many, many clones of a Jazz Bass, if you don't want a Fender. They would work very well for that kind of music, and if you stick with playing a Bass, you'll get one eventually. Might as well do it now...
- Get a 5 string bass. If you stick with playing a bass, for that kind of music? You'll get one eventually; might as well do it now.
- Get an active bass. For all the reasons listed above.
And, For a 5-string, active, Jazz-style bass, for not a whole lot of $$? You could do a lot worse than a Sire V7 5 -string. Solid, well made; looks and sounds good; and, you'd have a big chunk of your budget left, too...

Thanks! I'll look into more Jazz Basses and the Sire.

Why do you think a 5-string so important?

 

[4sight]

Slapping on a Thunderbird is far from impossible, but not all that common... Presumably for a reason, I've never tried.

 

[Warpeg]

Slapping and finger style is also important? I think the first two on your list are right (ie. Thumb and Stingray), but a Jazz Bass needs to be considered as well. T-birds and Ric’s do look good, but they are not normally considered optimal tools for slapping.

 

[abarson]

FYI the Seinfeld theme was done on a keyboard, not a bass.

 

[scottfeldstein]

I second GIBrat51. Get a 5-string active Jazz bass. You can get a decent used one between $600-$1000, easily within your budget. I just bought a '98 MIM Deluxe Active Jazz V for $480 shipped in a hard case.

Also: I would not recommend a Rick or a Gibson. You're barking up the wrong tree there.

 

[Logic_11]

For the kind of music you seem to like, I would say;
- Get a Jazz Bass of some kind. Not a "Bass for Jazz"; a bass like a Fender Jazz Bass. Many, many clones of a Jazz Bass, if you don't want a Fender. They would work very well for that kind of music, and if you stick with playing a Bass, you'll get one eventually. Might as well do it now...
- Get a 5 string bass. If you stick with playing a bass, for that kind of music? You'll get one eventually; might as well do it now.
- Get an active bass. For all the reasons listed above.
And, For a 5-string, active, Jazz-style bass, for not a whole lot of $$? You could do a lot worse than a Sire V7 5 -string. Solid, well made; looks and sounds good; and, you'd have a big chunk of your budget left, too...

"if you stick with bass, youll get a jazz eventually" lol that is sooo true!

 

[BklynKen]

"if you stick with bass, youll get a jazz eventually" lol that is sooo true!

Complete opposite care for me. I had a Jazz, then got a Thunderbird and lived happily ever after. Happily sold the Jazz. Don't miss it at all.

 

[GIBrat51]

Yeah, I'm still looking through videos. I'm second-guessing myself a lot because the same basses could sound so different from performer to performer due to different amps, preamps, strings, and other parts I might be unaware of.

I will mainly be using the bass for recording, not live. I know I should be prioritizing the sound, but part of me really wants a nice-looking bass as well. I love the sound of the Music Man Stingray, but I think it looks hideous. To me, the Thunderbird in vintage burst feels like a good balance of sound and aesthetic.

I'm at the moment trying to compare Epiphone Thunderbird Pros and Classic Pros with the Gibson Thunderbird.



Loooove that sound, but not really into how it looks lol.



Thanks! I'll look into more Jazz Basses and the Sire.

Why do you think a 5-string so important?

It depends on your definition of "important". For the kind of music I play, a 5-string isn't important at all, and is pretty much a total waste of time. But, I'm firmly stuck in the early '60s - late '50s world of Rock n' Roll. For more modern music - like, what you like? A 5-string will let you play notes - easily - that would be much harder to play on a 4-string; and would often require you to down tune it, as well. Modern music has a much wider sonic range than what I play; it's just much easier to play it on a 5-string. However, if you just want to record, and not play live? You might not need the active circuits for that; in fact, they can be a detriment, as they can make processing your sound harder. But, unlike my Alembic here - which is active or nothing - you can turn the active pre-amp off in the great majority of them, and play in passive mode. Which you would probably prefer for recording... as for Epi Pro vs. Gibson T-Bird? Lots of love for the Epi in the T-Bird club here, and the price is certainly right. I have a Gibson T-Bird, myself. But, a large reason is because Epiphone doesn't make lefty basses - and Gibson does (once every other blue moon)…

 

[GIBrat51]

Complete opposite care for me. I had a Jazz, then got a Thunderbird and lived happily ever after. Happily sold the Jazz. Don't miss it at all.

Ahh, but you had one - and that was my point. I, OTOH, have never had one - but, I have a suitable substitute - for me. The Dimarzio "Twin J" pickup in my Kramer Duke Special can be split into a Bridge-only Jazz bass (does it very well, too). Or I can split it into a P-Bass split-coil p/u; does that very well too. I usually just leave it there; looks kinda freaky to have a P-Bass sound come out of that headless thing...

 

[scottfeldstein]

I have been in groups where the 5-string wasn't required as such, but the style certainly lent itself to reaching down into that low D or C. I have been in other situations where the gig absolutely required it. Like when I played in the pit for James and the Giant Peach.

If you're playing straight ahead rock music from the 50s, 60s, and 70s you don't need a 5-string. If you're doing anything outside of that, you might.

 

[Gizmot]

I wouldn't buy a Jazz bass (or any other Fender, truth be told). Of the basses on your list, the Warwick and the Rickenbacker have the most unique sounds and will deliver what you're looking for. The MusicMan is also a good choice, since it has active EQ, I absolutely wouldn't get a Thunderbird because you'll need some mids and highs that will cut through and those won't do it.

What me and others here think is incredibly unimportant - - get out, listen and feel all the basses you're interested in and get the one that speaks to you.

 

[BklynKen]

View attachment 3648767 Ahh, but you had one - and that was my point. I, OTOH, have never had one - but, I have a suitable substitute - for me. The Dimarzio "Twin J" pickup in my Kramer Duke Special can be split into a Bridge-only Jazz bass (does it very well, too). Or I can split it into a P-Bass split-coil p/u; does that very well too. I usually just leave it there; looks kinda freaky to have a P-Bass sound come out of that headless thing...

I only had it because it was my first real bass and I liked the way they looked. Plus it was available left-handed.

 

[Pings Bass]

stingray

/thread

 

[Oobly]

Interesting... Will post more when I have a little more time, but in the meantime, I'd recommend you also check out the G&L L-2000 and SB-2 models.