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Seriously need help with a P bass --- which one???

#42
MrRobert said:
I'm not sure the OP is looking for a lecture on price vs value. It's his or her choice as to what bass at what price is appropriate.
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It's not even necessarily a lecture of price vs. value. It's that many of the most iconic indie rock records weren't made with some boutique bass. They were made with pawn shop instruments that had God knows what strings on them and someone just played it with a pick through whatever Peavey amp was cheap at the time. Just getting a bog standard Fender at a modest price range might actually sound better and fit better for the kind of music we're talking about, than a custom boutique job with some weird headstock that a lot of people are suggesting.
 
#43
Mrevol said:
Hmmm I have to disagree that just any bass will work. I have recorded a lot of bands and there's been some great basses that just sound amazing, sit perfect in mix, with just a di. Cheap basses usually take a lot more tweaking to get close as the more tried and trues. There is a difference in my recordings from a squier to a vintage fender. Now if your looking for character then yes, a squier or arias etc... could be awesome. This also takes a good player tho too. I have a kramer spector and my friend has a Korean one and there's a big difference in the recordings of both. They both have the spector sound but the kramer just sounds more rich and harmonic. I can bet a nice fender compared to a squier would be the same.

Plus, more players like to see good gear in a studio then a squier or epiphone :)
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Kim Deal is "a good player" now? I think she has a style that is about as garden variety as people seem to detest on TalkBass. She only played 8th notes and downstrokes. Her unwillingness and inability to play anything else. I'm not calling her a bad bassist. I'm saying that it didn't take much skill to make her Aria sound fine.

Like I said, any P Bass or Stingray. Get the one that you like the most and don't obsess over sound too much. Doing so might make your bass sound too much like a high end instrument, and indie rock doesn't sound like that.

As much as I love Lakland basses, Lakland basses are the basses that successful musicians who got famous using other basses, usually Fender, switched to years after becoming famous.
 
#44
honeyiscool said:
Kim Deal is "a good player" now? I think she has a style that is about as garden variety as people seem to detest on TalkBass. She only played 8th notes and downstrokes. Her unwillingness and inability to play anything else. I'm not calling her a bad bassist. I'm saying that it didn't take much skill to make her Aria sound fine.

Like I said, any P Bass or Stingray. Get the one that you like the most and don't obsess over sound too much. Doing so might make your bass sound too much like a high end instrument, and indie rock doesn't sound like that.

As much as I love Lakland basses, Lakland basses are the basses that successful musicians who got famous using other basses, usually Fender, switched to years after becoming famous.
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I get what your saying but a lot of bands that come into my studio don't have the balls to sound raw/punk/indie. They want to sound slick and big. This also applies for the rock bands too. That's why I'm looking for a bass that records great and sounds amazing rather then a character piece.
 
#45
Well, I didn't quite realize that the bass isn't just for you, but that it's for other people to play through in a studio situation.

You ever consider a Sting Ray, then? A Precision is great but what do you do when you need a little something different? Sting Ray has the EQ and many of them have a 3-way switch to dial in exactly how you want it to sound like. Also, most bands don't have a Stingray-like. Most people probably will come in with a Fender.

For $1,600, I'm sure you could somehow get a Sting Ray and a modest Precision.
 
#48
Not everyone feels that way. Everyone who owns one and loves it feels that way. I have a G&L SB-2 and I think it is the best P I have experienced. I ABed a Fender CS P with a MIM and would have take the MIM hands down over the CS. I think there will be a noticeable difference between an american p and a Lakland, but whether that is better or worse depends on your hands/ears. I haven't played one though I am sure they are fantastic. I will say though, that every Lakland I have played was just kind of meh to me. They were solid, but nothing about them made me feel like they were worth the price. Just my 2c.
 
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#49
Most indie bands play less expensive instruments simply because they can't afford more expensive instruments, not because less expensive instruments fit some ideal or the sound of indie rock. When I played in bands of those types I played whatever I could afford, but I was always trying to get the standard vintage fender P bass sound. The only reason I didn't use a vintage fender is because I couldn't afford one. We all do that to some extent, right? I have no problem with somebody spending $6k on a custom boutique instrument or $200 on a squier. I don't care. But the OP has stated where his interests lie and I think it's a bit insulting to get on a soapbox and 'educate' the OP on why he should spend less or more on something than YOU would, or say 'Kim Deal used a cheap Aria so that should be good enough for you.'
That's all. It's more about giving advice asked for and less about educating someone or expressing frustration that people want different things than you think they should.

LECTURE OVER!
;)
 
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#53
Not to rock the boat...but I've played/owned a ton of basses over the past 30 years. So far, my favorite "P-Bass" has been the Yamaha Attitude Limited. For me, the ergonomics are perfect, neck stability is the best of any bolt-on I've ever played, and build quality and hardware are top-notch. The tone captures everything I love about split-coil P-Basses, with the added option of dialing in even deeper/smoother lows with the EBO-style neck pickup.

Unless you absolutely must have a Fender script logo on the headstock, it's hard to do better.
 
#55
As you can see from my avatar I am in Love with the G&L LB 100. I have a 63 Fender that is great but the G&L is my go two bass. There is a beautiful one in the classified. Go to You Tube and checkout The Bass Whisper video with a comparison of several P Basses
 
#56
Fit4pain said:
As you can see from my avatar I am in Love with the G&L LB 100. I have a 63 Fender that is great but the G&L is my go two bass. There is a beautiful one in the classified. Go to You Tube and checkout The Bass Whisper video with a comparison of several P Basses
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You have a link to the video. I can't seem to find someone comparing multiple p's
 
#57
In that price range you will have a lot of great options.... My recommendations may be (probably are) already addressed but here they are in no particular order..

1. G&L LB-100- Positives: Made in the USA... choice of neck profiles Many appointments you won't get with other companies (6-bolt neck, awesome G&L bridge, better ergonomics, huge choice of colors)... the bad side is if you get a lot of options you will max out your budget which I don't feel is really necessary if you're just wanting a P bass for some sessions and as a backup instead of using it as your main player... also you will be waiting a little bit, so if you need a Precision immediately this may not be a viable option... decent but heavy case included

2. Carvin P bass- Positives: Made in the USA, graphite reinforced neck, also multi-laminate necks available Your choice of colors and wood as well as fingerboard radius (which could be a huge deal if you want super low action) solid Hipshot hardware available in a 5 string (not something I care about but a lot of people do).... the potential negatives mirror that of the G&L... if you go nuts with options you could spend unnecessary money on a piece you dont plan to use much and you will have to wait while it is built... no case included (you have to buy one for extra when you complete your order unless their policy has changed recently)

3. Fender USA Std - Made in the USA Positives: graphite reinforced neck with the narrower P nut width and taper,great for the classic P sound,good pickup, good price point, easy to find accessories, immediate availability, available in a 5 string...Negatives: varying quality (I wouldn't buy one you can't try out first. Limited color options (not really a big deal)... Fender customer service is pretty inconsistent... includes very nice hard case

4. Lakland Skyline 44-64- Made overseas (Korea I think?) Positives: good price point (well below budget), addictive neck profile, option of a jazz neck (on the 44-64 Custom), really comfortable neck regardless of dimensions, Lakland has incredible customer service and quality control is second to none with immediate availability, 5 string available (5 string only has graphite reinforced neck)... Negatives- no reinforcement on 4 string neck (i dont see this as a big deal... none of those 60s P basses that everyone clamors for have reinforced necks)... hard to get some accessories such as pickguards... extremely limited color options wuth the standard 44-64 but the 44-64 Custom comes in some pretty cool LTD finishes no case included

5. Reverend Fellowship Bass- Completely different from any other P style bass aesthetically... made overseas... Positives- VERY good quality control and customer service. Well below budget.. 12 in neck radius (slam that action!) multi-laminate neck that is very stable, similar bridge to the G&L, set neck (not sure if this is a positive but it is an option you wont find in any other production level P).... Negatives: Neck dive (Reverend is notorious for it... it isnt too bad and can be fixed with Hipshot 1/2 inch tuners for about $100) .... case included

If you want to go full custom, I have a great luthier that will build you a bass that is Fender Masterbuilt quality (I know that's big talk, but believe me) for well under your price point but the negative is that since he does EVERYTHING by hand, you will wait about 3-6 months depending on his workload.

Out of everything, I honestly think that if your going to the store to play a bunch and see what you like the Fender USA std is the way to go... If you;re in a remote area and have to order online, I would go for a Lakland Skyline hands down.... just because you have $1600 available doesnt mean you need to spend it all... both of these options are great for your purposes and come in way below $1600
 
#60
I was at guitar center and played a couple. Might be just the one I played but I kinda enjoyed this fender american special with a flat finish they had more then the normal Americans. What is up with the "special" series? Same as a normal standard or cheaper? What's going used rate on these too so I know I don't overpay.
 

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