Keep playing and find a neck you like best. I bet if you play guitar the neck you end up with will be the same profile as your guitar.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Newbie bass player questions
- Thread starter MackTheKnife84
- Start date
The sound is almost all about the pickup type, the pickup placement, and strings. So yes, that is easy. Those of us who venture down the tone rabbit hole do indeed try a number of pickups. Favorite P bass pickups here on TB include (among others) those by Aguilar, EMG Geezer, Nordstrand, as well as some made by Fender. Buy the precision body you are most comfortable with and then if you want, play with pickups and strings. Strings make a huge difference and are the easiest thing to change out.
You can find Precision Bass Specials (usually in PJ configuration) with Jazz necks (more ergonomic, faster) for under $1k here and on Reverb. I have one and it plays beautifully and sounds fantastic.
I put Fender Pure Vintage 63 pickups in mine, and love the tone I get with La Bella DTB 760FL flatwound strings. You might also change the tone capacitator, I installed a wiring harness with a 0.1uF capacitator.
In my experience, this might not even be necessary, the Player Precision comes with a decent pickup. String choice may make more of a difference.
while playing in person is helpful, different strings - or sometimes newer strings - can completely change the sound of any bass to the point where you might not guess from hearing it that it's the same bass. and changing pickups can also give a bass a totally different sound, but sometimes you have to find the right pickups. when a bass feels great to play, i don't let the sound get in my way - i have several cheap basses with pickups that made them sound stupendous.
Well, let the search begin, and welcome! Something to remember. You are playing instruments in a shop that have stock (usually crap) strings on them. No matter what you choose a "good" setup for you is important. New strings immediately can bring a dud sounding bass to life. It all (setup) matters greatly how any bass feels. Initially, it's about the neck yes. But, the rest is equally important as to how you get along with any bass and what the end results sound wise will be. Good luck.
1. Being new, the tone you generate now will not be the one you can generate in the future. It is technique, not electronics
2. Coming from guitar, you might want to start with and stay with short scale. 30" can be very comfortable for a guitar player. I'm a bassist and exclusively play short scales
3. Do not think playing bass is just guitar a note at a time. The entire mentality of playing bass is different. You are rhythm, the choices you make are rhythmic, the notes you play are there to guide and enhance the rhythm of the song.
2. Coming from guitar, you might want to start with and stay with short scale. 30" can be very comfortable for a guitar player. I'm a bassist and exclusively play short scales
3. Do not think playing bass is just guitar a note at a time. The entire mentality of playing bass is different. You are rhythm, the choices you make are rhythmic, the notes you play are there to guide and enhance the rhythm of the song.
Go to a store and play everything you can. Coming from guitar, you should know what profile and ergonomics you like, so it should make it easier to tell what you prefer even with a poor store model set up and strings. These can be adjusted later.
Remember to keep an open mind … find something you like and go for it.
Bass is an incredible journey.
Don’t be surprised if you like more than one sound.
Our opinions evolve over time.
Bass is an incredible journey.
Don’t be surprised if you like more than one sound.
Our opinions evolve over time.
I definitely will have at least two precision basses, and two jazz basses down the road.
I have about 20 stringed instruments already, I love how each sounds and ays different
Then getting that Player Bass, which was unbeatable in terms of playability, and later installing the Vintera II pickups, might be the most logical way to approach my problem.
Can you help me find those 50s Vintera II pickups? I searched online but couldn't find them for sale.
When starting out, many times learning what kinds of profiles you like evolves. I would suggest you always practice and rehearse as you perform for best instrument & gear use feedback to what works for you long term.
'Expect your own demands of an instrument to change slightly or drastically. There's no wrong answer to what works for you personally.
So, if you swap out a neck, keep it around for a while as you get good at setting up, and tweaking a basses action, and string preferences change, you may actually find the original neck width/feel it wasn't the issue.
Welcome to TalkBass.
This is what I was thinking; get the most comfortable instrument. Spend time with technique, strings, EQ and setup. Then consider pickup swap if you still can’t get where you want.
good luck and enjoy the ride!
There is an EBay seller—The Stratosphere. They carry the 50s Vintera P bass Tim Shaw pickup. It either comes with the complete harness or complete pickguard. though.
I found that the Seymour Duncan SPB-1 comes pretty close to the Tim Shaw but opinions may vary.
Since you're into some Fender basses already, I strongly recommend that you keep an eye out for some G&L's near you that you can possibly sit with and try out. I'm not just talking about the U.S. built models - many of those are wonderful and G&L domestic builds offer different neck profiles - but the "Tribute" import line might just be be the best bang for the buck available to us these days.
I went through a G&L thing a year or two ago looking for a lighter and more modern alternative to my heavy old passive Jazz. When I came across a used Tribute M-2000 at a store for a GREAT price, I brought it home and enjoyed the extended honeymoon. Then I went a little crazy and found a really nice U.S. made M-2000 in the used inventory at Guitar Center (Oh, how I do love an ebony fretboard!!).
Long story semi-short, the Tribute was no worse for me in terms of sound or playing than the premium U.S. model, aside from the Tribute being about a half-pound heavier than the American M-2000. I simply can't deal with instruments over 9.0 lbs. anymore, but just about every time I look over a G&L Tribute, I have to stop and think it over. Their guitars are fantastic, too. I have a Tribute S-500.
I returned the U.S. made G&L and enjoyed the Tribute for a while, until my guitar pal asked to buy it. Now he's loving it, too.
Fershur. When I tried the Guild B-301 I bought last November, at the store (my local SA) I knew there was potential in it but the very old strings (maybe as old as the bass - 1978) had very uneven response and was deader than a doornail - anyone got pics of one of those?). When I brought the bass home and put new EB Hyper Slinky round wounds (40-100) on it the bass became an amazing tone machine, quickly becoming my favorite bass. About a month ago I replaced those strings with my set of 40-95 Chromes that I bought in '03 and love the tone even more (the EBs were a bit on the too bright/harsh end of the spectrum, actually, for me, as I always rolled the tone control down about halfway with them).
