One bass that does it all well? P, J, Ray?

[shizoz]

I own a couple of jazz basses, but would love to add a p-bass and a stingray at some point, for no other reason than that I really like the sound, and variety is the spice of life, right? But I am curious and thought I would go to the wealth of knowledge that is TalkBass!
So, is there a bass guitar that is versatile enough to do a p, j, and stingray well? I know that there are many, e.g. lakland, that incorporate the pickups of a jazz and ray, and allows you to blend or solo those to your liking, but how well do those basses really mimic their predecessors? What about a P/J config? Anyway, just wondered your thoughts?

The funny thing about it though, is that even if there is a bass out there like this, I probably wouldn't buy it, even if it was cheaper than owning multiple basses. There is something about having a bass that just does its thing really well.... Something my wife will never understand!

 

[jfh2424]

L2000.

 

[Chrisk-K]

So, is there a bass guitar that is versatile enough to do a p, j, and stingray well?

A bass with the J/MM pickup configuration does a p, j, ray pretty well (eg. Lakland 44-02). Ultimately, you want to own all three!

 

[paganjack]

A Warwick $$ does a nice impersonation of those basses. IMO it gets a modern jazz and Ray pretty much dead on, and the P tone is about as close as you can get without having an actual precision pickup in there.

 

[shizoz]

A bass with the J/MM pickup configuration does a p, j, ray pretty well (eg. Lakland 44-02). Ultimately, you want to own all three!

Or maybe all 4!

 

[crispygoat]

A bass with the J/MM pickup configuration does a p, j, ray pretty well (eg. Lakland 44-02). Ultimately, you want to own all three!

+ 1

You might want to check this video out:

But like Chrisk says, in end, you'll want to own all three instead of one that "does" all three.

 

[Hot Rats]

I gotta say, I am impressed with my Dingwall Afterburner 4 string. Great P, Jazz and MM ability. One bass and it does them all well. Close enough for rock-n-roll anyway.

 

[shizoz]

A Warwick $$ does a nice impersonation of those basses. IMO it gets a modern jazz and Ray pretty much dead on, and the P tone is about as close as you can get without having an actual precision pickup in there.

Funny, I own a Thumb NT, but always considered it to be kind of 1 dimensional in terms of tone. I love it, but I think it definitely does it's own thing as well.

 

[BioDriver]

G&L L2000/ASAT, Lakland 44-02, EBMM Stingray HS, Fender Roscoe Beck, and Fender MIA P Bass Deluxe up to last year's model.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

What about an EBMM Big Al SSS? It will cop a pretty good P (centre pickup in passive), it can get some of that StingRay magic (rear two pickups in active) and can do a Jazz-ish sound (neck and bridge in passive). And if you solo the neck pickup, you get a real fat bass sound too.

 

[droskobass]

Sandberg California JM or PM... total vesatility active passive coil splitting etc...

 

[Big chicken]

L2000.

+1

 

[4Mal]

L2000 - it's own thing. A very good thing but it doesn't really mimic those other that well. Still a very good bass...

44-02 - maybe with new pickups and preamp. it's far too polite stock.

and J, P, Ray ... then add piezo to the list. If you do acoustic music at some point, nothing does it was well as a well equipped piezo bass.

My two main gig machines for electric environments are PJ's . I don't really need the 'ray thing for what I do... Country, Rock'a billy, surf, roots rock, blues stuff. A well done PJ just does it for me there...

 

[shizoz]

What about an EBMM Big Al SSS? It will cop a pretty good P (centre pickup in passive), it can get some of that StingRay magic (rear two pickups in active) and can do a Jazz-ish sound (neck and bridge in passive). And if you solo the neck pickup, you get a real fat bass sound too.

Yeah, the Big Al is pretty impressive in terms of tone, I figured it would get brought up, but dang that thing is ugly! IMO of course

 

[Soundchaser11460]

G&L L-2000,That's why they call it "The Swiss Army knife of basses"

 

[BassBob1]

the lakland skyline 44-02/55-02 (i assume the 4-94 and 55-94 too but i've never played a U.S. Lakland) The 55-02 i played i felt does the MM and Jazz pretty well and of coarse has its own sound. I didn't think i did a p well even with some time eqing it. It still sounded like a soloed jazz neck pickup to me.

 

[Murphys Law]

Someone already brought up Sandberg. PM or JM. could be nice.

But seriously: every 2-Soapbar modern Bass with splitting capability and an active preamp can be shaped to sound like that

 

[Emm9T]

 

[fitani]

 

[shizoz]

Emm9t... That is awesome! LOL!