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one bass to rule them all!!!!

#22
To me if there was one bass it would be my 1998 Fender Precision with added Jazz pickup, then you get the best of both worlds, a meaty Precision sound and a cut through jazz pickup to help with the tone and attack. But, and yes there is almost always a but, I have owned many basses (230+) in my 30 years of playing. I prefer the Fenders over all the Fodera, Alembic, and Ken Smith basses I have owned (53 to be exact between those 3 companies. They are neat basses, but not suited for my liking as the only bass.
 
#23
youll find loads of basses that are *almost* perfect for you, but theyll all let u down somwhere... long neck means more notes but the intonation goes, fretless sounds better but is harder to play, alembics are all amasing but cost $$$$$..... the list goes on.

go for many quite good basses and one main one that you splash out on that sounds best to you... but the "perfect bass" is a lie...
 
#26
smgleitch said:
So for the first time in my life I have more than one bass. I actually have three at this point. I have nothing really special but three good basses.
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Monogamy works well in Marriage if you make the right choice the first time, but with a bass, I don't know? Of course I have three electrics (or at least I will have) and a double bass... none of which are very high end basses. I like playing them all for different reasons and at different times. It maybe just me, but certain songs just sound right with one bass, but not the other. Is there really a single bass that can carry that wide of a range? I don't know?
 
#28
if you can live with just a fretted bass, then I think you can have just one bass. If you play fretless though, it is damn near impossible unless you don't have any gigs that require a fretted. While I've covered tunes on a fretless, there are some tracks that just don't work so well. So I'd amend to say the goal is two basses to rule them all - one fretless, one fretted. I had that setup for 10 years. Then GAS reared its head, but truth be told I was ready to shake things up. Now I'm at four but am thinking of selling two, but then adding one or two more. Not sure why...because I can? Well, actually I have specific tone goals that I need to fulfill with different bands. And I want to have some diversity.
 
#29
I do 95% of my work on one 5 string, I have a back-up 5 that seldom gets used. I started on a basic Jazz and it was my only bass for quite some time. Playing many styles of music(Jazz,Punk,Funk,Surf & everything in between)I got pretty good at adding/subtracting between the pick-ups and using my hands to manipulate the tone. Not having a 3-band EQ for so many years is probably the reason I can get by with a single bass, and I use a preamp with no EQ, just a master volume/drive situation with the option to blend between Tube and SS. Also, it happens to be a rediculously versatile bass with hot pick-ups and an 18V pre, but able to put out very warm, passive-like tones as well.
I did pick-up an old 75 P a few years ago, it was too good of a deal to pass-up. I'm trying to work it into the fold here and there.
 
#31
It is so different now than when I was playing in a college band. Back the I had one because that is what I could afford. Now (not like I am rich or anything) I can afford a little more. Still not in the boutique bass market, but able to buy what I like. I have a Warwick corvette frettless a Warwick stream standard and a squire vm jazz. I probably play the jazz the most which is funny because it is the cheapest, but easiest and most comfortable. Just can't shake that feeling that I should at this point in my life I should have one of those basses that I always lusted over when I was young. Kind of like I think I should have an ampeg tube head and 810 cab even though i have no need for it. It is funny how the more I read these posts the more the GAS sets in and the more i think I need something awesome. Probably just wishful desires from someone who has been waiting too long to get that dream bass and rig.
 
#33
Eric Swaim said:
To me if there was one bass it would be my 1998 Fender Precision with added Jazz pickup, then you get the best of both worlds, a meaty Precision sound and a cut through jazz pickup to help with the tone and attack. But, and yes there is almost always a but, I have owned many basses (230+) in my 30 years of playing. I prefer the Fenders over all the Fodera, Alembic, and Ken Smith basses I have owned (53 to be exact between those 3 companies. They are neat basses, but not suited for my liking as the only bass.
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a nice Precision with a jazz pup added, that's it.
 
#34
IMHO, There will never be "one good bass". I think there's very little number of musicians who can settle to just one instrument. I think, over time, everyone changes. Their taste, preference change. Today you may like thumb. Who knows? Tomorrow you may change your mind.

I've been playing music for, I don't know, 13-15 years. Even though, I wasn't one of the successful musicians. But, I think I'd done it all. I've bought and sold almost 100 guitars and basses, varied from very cheap to very expensive. I still can't find the one instrument that rules them all.

At the end of the day, I just play what works for me. Sometime it's expensive bass, sometime it isn't. But more expensive bass will have advantage on the building quality and materials for sure.

So, don't sell your old bass. Just save more money to buy the fourth one.
 
#36
smgleitch said:
...So what do you think. Anyone ever sold it all for the one perfect bass. If so what did you buy. I'v got GAS for a Warwick Thumb. Have not played one yet although I do own two wics and know that I love them.
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Sold it all for a Warwick Thumb NT4, ended up with a Spector NS4CRFM though and never looked back. I occasionally miss the Warwick sound, but the Spector is ME and this specific bass has earned incredible sentimental value.
 

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