Simple basses

[Charlzm]

So, when I started playing bass, having tons of pickups and controls and things seemed like the best thing in the world. Tons of tonal variety, active preamps or pickups, what-have-you...but now, as I've become a performing musician and done more semi-pro work, even a simple J-bass setup stresses me out! Having more than one pickup and knob (well, maybe two if you include tone but that isn't like necessary) seems superfluous and too busy now. I guess I'm becoming an old geezer...ha ha. Maybe eventually I'll ditch electronics entirely and go back to upright Have you guys had similar experiences? Or am I just weird?

Over time, I find I use knobs less and less. Volume and tone all the way up, both pickups on full all the time (I have no single pickup basses). I prefer passive as well.

 

[Holdsg]

as it states in my sig, I like variety.
so sometimes that means a bass with lotsa knobs, (or better yet, lots of different basses).
but yes, there is something quite satisfying about a good p-bass.

 

[JimmyM]

Give me anything and I'll make music with it.

 

[HardNHeavy]

your weird


but i feel ya...simplicity is the key.....2-3 knobs max

 

[GroovyBassist]

Overkill ^^^

 

[maeda]

Honestly the more I play the less I want to deal with any of that stuff. Just let me plug in and go. Some gigs do require a lot of versatility tho and being able to dial in different tones is nice, but 80% of the time I would prefer just a pickup and a volume knob.

 

[acleex38]

My main bass for nearly everything is the fretless in my profile pic. One pickup, one knob. DRASTICALLY easier for me to find the right tone for me or to correct (using the almost-as-simple EQ on my Quilter BB800).

Too many choices confuse me.

My next bass (another Birdsong, in-process) will be have the p-bass pickup config. I asked about going with just a volume knob, but Scott@Birdsong recommended against it. I trust him, so I'm following his lead.

 

[Gringo Basso]

With the kind of music I play live - I always have tone & volume set to 10, so I don't need knobs.
I really like the few basses I've seen that only have a kill switch and nothing else - I'd go for that.
In a studio setting, or if you're playing a variety of music - you may need a couple of knobs, but 5 knobs and 3-4 switches?

 

[lucas303]

With the kind of music I play live - I always have tone & volume set to 10, so I don't need knobs.
I really like the few basses I've seen that only have a kill switch and nothing else - I'd go for that.
In a studio setting, or if you're playing a variety of music - you may need a couple of knobs, but 5 knobs and 3-4 switches?

My Ibanez Mikro 5-string currently has only a kill switch. Pickups wired in series direct to the output jack.

 

[fermata]

Just for clarity: there is a difference between the pickup being wired straight to the jack and knobs turned to 10.

In my experience, without a bit of loading, pickups get pretty harsh and spiky. (If that's your thing, great! If not, read on.)

If one wants no knobs but wants the bass to sound like it does with all the knobs at 10, all it takes is a resistor between hot and ground to match the collective value of the pots one's removing. For a typical P-bass, it's two 250K Ohm pots, so a 125K Ohm resistor between hot and ground would provide the same load while eliminating the knobs. Or if one just wanted to keep the volume knob but ditch the tone knob, replace it with a 250K Ohm resistor (or whatever value matches the pot being replaced) between hot and ground. (An easy place to put the fixed resistor is across the output jack.)

 

[Jigmay]

If your wife ever wants to send you mad, let her buy you an Alembic Series bass, and lock you into a room until you've learnt all the tonal variations possible.

This made me laugh! I have a Pbass with Series I electronics and, after all the fiddling, there is really only one setting I like and I just keep it there.

 

[bassdude51]

Simple is best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Element Zero]

I understand, but I don’t share your sentiment. After 25 year of playing and amateur gigging, I QUITE enjoy being able to dial in specific tones for specific songs IF NEEDED. My main bass has a number of pickups options and eq.

For the most part, I’ll run NECK in single coil, both pickups in single coil, and both pickups in humbucker. Sometimes a song really calls for an aggressive tone. Let’s take Don’t Stop Believing as an example. To my ears, a simple P bass tone or a J 2 pickups tone doesn’t work well to mimic the original recordings bass tone (sorry I don’t know who actually played bass for journey then. Randy Jackson?). I’ll run bridge pup in humbucker and give a little boost to the mids and treble and play over the bridge pickup. Sounds pretty close to me.

 

[bassliner50]

I enjoy playing my Precision basses. The silver knob closest to the neck adjusts the volume. The silver knob farthest from the neck controls the tone. What else could I possibly need?

 

[jd56hawk]

So, when I started playing bass, having tons of pickups and controls and things seemed like the best thing in the world. Tons of tonal variety, active preamps or pickups, what-have-you...but now, as I've become a performing musician and done more semi-pro work, even a simple J-bass setup stresses me out! Having more than one pickup and knob (well, maybe two if you include tone but that isn't like necessary) seems superfluous and too busy now. I guess I'm becoming an old geezer...ha ha. Maybe eventually I'll ditch electronics entirely and go back to upright Have you guys had similar experiences? Or am I just weird?

My number one bass is an L2000.
I seldom change it from my preferred setting, but...

 

[ThudThudThud]

To echo the Vulfpeck (referencing the Joe Dart Signature Musicman bass - which has one volume control):
You don't need more controls, you need more practice.

 

[troy mcclure]

give me a P bass with the tone full on and a volume pot.

 

[6Bass101]

So, when I started playing bass, having tons of pickups and controls and things seemed like the best thing in the world. Tons of tonal variety, active preamps or pickups, what-have-you...but now, as I've become a performing musician and done more semi-pro work, even a simple J-bass setup stresses me out! Having more than one pickup and knob (well, maybe two if you include tone but that isn't like necessary) seems superfluous and too busy now. I guess I'm becoming an old geezer...ha ha. Maybe eventually I'll ditch electronics entirely and go back to upright Have you guys had similar experiences? Or am I just weird?

My son is 14 and has been playing bass for a couple of years now. About a month ago he asked me to remove the preamp from his bass (SR300) and wire both pickups to a single volume knob. I warned him that he wouldn’t have as much tonal variation, but he decided to give it a shot. Joke was on me. He can still get all the sounds out of it and he loves the simplicity.
So I’d say it’s not because you’re getting old. (14 isn’t old, right? )

 

[boombloom]

Nothing more simple than a Wishbass. "Paintbrushes for musicians." Wood, tuners, pickup, Corian. Volume knob.

 

[timendous]

Vol/Tone Jazz Bass
Vol/Tone P Bass