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RADICALLY DIFFERENT sounding basses

Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

TalkBass' resident Bongo + cowbell player
Nov 10, 2000
6,935
155
59
Bucaramanga, Colombia, South A
#1
Hi everybody.

Last night I had my first gig with both my Bongo and my Rickenbacker 4003 and I must say that I'm really happy and proud of having such high quality and different sounding instruments. What made me feel the best is that both instruments are completely different animals tonewise. The glorious Bongo can't replicate that nasty (in a good way) Ric snap while the Ric can't emulate that perfect slap tone from the Bongo (just two examples of the many differences between these beauties).

So right now I'm curious about which other basses would you put in a list as "radically different" sounding. What I mean is, for instance: If you want a P-bass tone, you need a P-bass. But I think that many basses can approximate the P tone by soloing the neck pickup. It's been said that "nothing sounds like a StingRay but a StingRay", but again, you can get close to that tone (at least with the Bongo).

Or putting it in other words: Let's say you want to build your perfect bass arsenal (right now I feel I got it
yahoo.gif
) and the only condition is: None of them can sound close to the other. Which ones would you choose? Thank you in advance for your input!

P.S.: Fretted and fretless are totally different instruments by nature, so please don't mix them. Thank you again!
 
#2
This seems to be a bone of contention with a few people (and I have no idea why), but I think that Warwick and MM fit the bill you describe. Dark and musky tone as opposed to snappy and powerful. I just wish the W had the same string spacing as the MM.:(
 
#4
xring said:
I just wish the W had the same string spacing as the MM.:(
Click to expand...

A bit off topic, sorry, but Warwick's adjustable bridge can do just that.

AFAIK, SR4s and Warwick 4s are both 19mm spacing, but the Warwick will do ±1.5mm.

SR5 spacing is 17.5mm, Warwick can range 16.5mm ±1.5mm (I have my Streamer Jazzman 5 set to a very comfortable 18mm).

Back to the topic in hand, for a spectrum with no overlap, SR, active Jazz and passive P would do it for me.
 
#5
RavCat said:
A bit off topic, sorry, but Warwick's adjustable bridge can do just that.

AFAIK, SR4s and Warwick 4s are both 19mm spacing, but the Warwick will do ±1.5mm.

SR5 spacing is 17mm, Warwick can range 16.5mm ±1.5mm (I have my Streamer Jazzman 5 set to a very comfortable 18mm).

Back to the topic in hand, for maximum versatility: P, Jazz and SR will mean you're not short of any particular tone, IMO. Add a Rick and a Warwick to that lineup, and you've got the complete spectrum.
Click to expand...

I have to respectably disagree with the above. Without getting too close to the edge of the fretboard, I could get my FNA Jazzman5 to 17mm spacing. This also took the bridge saddle very close to not being seated in the bridge slot on the B and G. I measure the SR5 @18mm. Enough to make a big difference to me. I hated to, but had to give up the Jazzman.
 
#6
Alvaro Martín Gómez A. said:
Or putting it in other words: Let's say you want to build your perfect bass arsenal (right now I feel I got it
yahoo.gif
) and the only condition is: None of them can sound close to the other. Which ones would you choose? Thank you in advance for your input!
Click to expand...
This is probably not rocket science but what the heck ...

Necessities:
1) P-Bass
2) J-Bass
3) Stingray

Next Steps:
4) Ric
5) Custom-built
 
#7
xring said:
I have to respectably disagree with the above.
Click to expand...

xring, I feel I must apologise:

On closer inspection, my G-D spacing is 18mm, and the rest of my strings are spaced 17mm. This pushes the saddles to the extreme of the bridge grooves, without overhanging. I don't own an SR5 myself, so I used specs found online.

I can fully appreciate that the variation in these values can make all the difference. I know from experience that Warwick do not make a broadneck version of the Jazzman basses.

I'll double-check my facts next time :)
 
#8
I think Wal Basses have the most distinct tone.

People are always blown away by me saying "That's a P-bass" or "Thats a Stingray" then they go check it and that's what it is.

I guess it's a bass player thing? Cause I definately couldn't tell you the sound difference between a Tele and a Strat.


-Mark
 
#9
RavCat said:
xring, I feel I must apologise:

On closer inspection, my G-D spacing is 18mm, and the rest of my strings are spaced 17mm. This pushes the saddles to the extreme of the bridge grooves, without overhanging. I don't own an SR5 myself, so I used specs found online.

I can fully appreciate that the variation in these values can make all the difference. I know from experience that Warwick do not make a broadneck version of the Jazzman basses.

I'll double-check my facts next time :)
Click to expand...

No prob.:) I just tried sooo hard to get it spaced wide enough for me, it bummed me out not getting there.
 
#12
The Ric and Bongo are pretty far apart on the tone scale. Of course, neither one sounds like a Jazz bass or a P-bass, either.

I've got a pretty big tonal variety right now, but I still lack a 'ray and a P-bass. The Bongo has a great sound, but there's no mistaking it for a Stingray, either.
 
#15
Mark Wilson said:
I think Wal Basses have the most distinct tone.

People are always blown away by me saying "That's a P-bass" or "Thats a Stingray" then they go check it and that's what it is.

I guess it's a bass player thing? Cause I definately couldn't tell you the sound difference between a Tele and a Strat.


-Mark
Click to expand...

Yeah, I seem to be able to tell what bass is being played in a song, as long as its a more well known brand. Although, the P bass tone is very easy to recognize, I can also pick up a stingray well too. Rics are very distinctive too, but I guess you can listen to something and think it's obvious, when it's actually something uncommon. Vice versa too (I always thought the Coheed and Cambria bassist played his Spectors in studio, but he plays a Geddy).

Strat and Tele? That's easy, strats sound- like a generic guitar... that's because they are the essential guitar. A tele will just sound a bit different... brighter maybe, smoother, etc.
 
#17
That's cheating! I'll argue with that. :)

The Line 6 as a bass does not sound wildly different from any other unless you turn the silly Synths on. In fact, its sole purpose is to sound LIKE other basses. I played one at GC a few days ago and thought it was an impressive attempt at a Swiss Army Bass, but it wasn't sharp enough with any of its blades to be as good as the originals.
 
#18
I've got a Warwick Streamer Stage I strung with roundwounds, and a JV Squier Precision with TI flats. Strung another way I could probably get them to sound more like each other than they do now. Can't see a reason why, though. I like the variety.

To my modest collection I'd like to add:

* a short scale hollow body (a Starfire, Epiphone Rumblecat, or something else along those lines)

* a Bass VI-type of instrument (I've had my eyes on the Schecter Hellcat Bass VI lately...)

That would give me a few more sounds to play with, methinks.
 

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