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So what would you bring to my sessions...

flagstaffcharli

flagstaffcharli

Jan 6, 2009
65
1
Portland, Oregon
www.chuckcheesman.net
#1
So what would you bring to my session if I hired you to play bass on my record and you could only bring one bass that was going to be recorded direct? I do a singer/songwriter thing a la Jackson Browne/James Taylor ranging from acoustic up to full rock band.

Why do I ask? Because I want to buy a bass for home recording and do some of the easier & demo work myself. I'll probably always continue having real bass players on most of my stuff, but as a guitarist I'd like to at least take a stab at recording my demos. I would running through the same John Hardy pres I use for vocals and guitar.

Thanks for your thoughts!
 
#4
thisSNsucks said:
You're going to hear this a lot in this thread so I'll just come out and say it. Fender Precision Bass.
Click to expand...

Beat me to it! :D

I've played and recorded in a lot of acoustic guitarist/singer songwriter situations, and, for me, a Fender Precision -- with flatwounds (I like GHS Precision Flats or D'Addario Chromes) -- always seems to work best. No need to look further, or to make it any more complicated. (IMO)
 
#6
I bring a whole ton of basses to a session, but for a go-to one size fits all bass I'd either do a Fender (or Squier) Precision or Jazz. With a P-Bass I've found having a Jazz pickup near the bridge is not a bad thing.
If this is for your home studio I'd save some $$ and either investigate the new Squier VM series (I really like the Jaguar personally) or maybe a MIM or Highway 1 P-J configuration.
 
#9
Even in this arena there is still a bit of players preference going on here.

P or J are probably the 2 are the most likely choices.

However what you described is what I do and if I was limited to just 1 bass (but I'm not) then that would be a J bass, without a doubt.
 
#10
Roy Vogt said:
I bring a whole ton of basses to a session, but for a go-to one size fits all bass I'd either do a Fender (or Squier) Precision or Jazz. With a P-Bass I've found having a Jazz pickup near the bridge is not a bad thing.
If this is for your home studio I'd save some $$ and either investigate the new Squier VM series (I really like the Jaguar personally) or maybe a MIM or Highway 1 P-J configuration.
Click to expand...

Well put from one of the biggest pros that contribute to regular threads.

Cheers
 
#11
Absentia said:
A change of socks

... you'll thank me later
Click to expand...

Your'e hired! :bassist:

Wow! I went and brushed my teeth and got 7 replies. No Music Man Stingrays? Isn't what Tony Levin brings?

Yeah, I've been snooping around here for a week and the P-bass seems like popular choice. And I work with a guy who uses a P-bass and it sits in the mix really nice - killer tone too. Of course - if I want that - I could just hire him to play. Part of me thinks i should go for a different option based on that.
 
#12
Versatile smersatile! For a guitarist who doesn't really play bass, looking for a solid instrument to use with demos, keep it simple, IMHO.
Get a P bass. It's dead simple; one pickup, 1 volume and a tone. It's also much more versatile than most Jazzers on here give it credit for. Kinda reminds me of the way some strat or Les Paul players call a Tele thin or shrill, not versatile enough. That is, until they meet a player who actually knows how to get what he needs out of one.
It's been used on countless recordings in countless different varieties and genres of music from the very beginning of the use of the electric bass.
It also sits in a mix really well, and records really well. It's the perfect bass for someone looking for what the OP is. MHO.
 
#13
Since you are a guitar player who will be playing this bass, I would suggest that whatever you get, get a short scale. Your left hand will thank you, since its used to not having to reach quite so much.

As for tone, which a P bass with flats has a WONDERFUL sound, its not appropriate for every song. And since you said just ONE bass, I would have to go with a J bass configuration with rounds, and a comp/limit box and an eq box too if allowed.
 
#15
7 string graphite fretless would be my choice.

I keed. Of course a P or J will do fine, but maybe listen to some stuff you like and find out what was used? A Hofner violin bass, for example, would work well for the music you mentioned. Or a Jack Casady. I mention those two because I happen to like the hollowbody sound. But yes, a P or J would be the safest, surest route. Especially a P. With flats.
 
#16
I would actually bring my Kubicki Ex-Factor, and my Hartke VXL Attack pedal/preamp. I can dial in any sound with that.

Now, if this was a date at a prestigious studio, I'd be forced to bring my Fender Jazz Bass Plus (the one with Kubicki electronics) so that I could dial in just about any sound and when they looked at me they would see "Fender".

Its one of the only reasons I have the JBass Plus. I took my Steinberger Q4 to a session the other day because it has the piezo and they were looking for some standard sound but also needed something with a little more clack. The look on the engineers face when I took that out said it all, and this was a kid somewhat younger then me.

He fought me for about 15 minutes until I sat him down, had me put in direct and I ripped the number for him twice, once with the piezo only and the other with the EMGs only. He bounced the lines together and almost crapped at how good it was.

I told him to loose the "Fender" is the only recording bass and just listen to the player. Yes, a good studio should have something relatively standard around (I lean toward the P) in case some kid comes in with a really low end bass, however every decent bass out there can record well now.

I am always amused that the only reason Fender P and J became studio standards is that for most of the first decade of electric bass they were the only prevalent basses around so that's what most of the pro's had. I remember listening to Carol Kaye about two years ago when we talked on the phone and she told me the only basses around the studios in LA were usually Her and Ray Pohlman's P basses, Joe Osborne's J and a couple of Danelectro "Tic Tac" basses (six strings) that usually were not used for bass but were used for guitar solos and fills.


It's also usually they want you to have a set of flatwounds or a good mute on rounds (because of finger noise) even though today a good set of round wounds can really pull great sound out of many instruments.

So, I'm coming to your house with my Kubicki.

I would say if you are looking for a good bass at a decent price, go MIA Fender J Bass Plus. One in silverburst just sold on eBay for $530 and you can usually get them for around no more then $600. And they have the Kubicki electronics and Lace pickups that you can use in active or passive mode. Very versatile and gives you vintage and modern sound.
 
#19
I actually don't mind the scale length. I had a Ken Smith Burner for a few months and adjusting wasn't so bad. I like to feel like I have a real "big" bass in my hands.

G&L makes basses that are very much like the P-bass. Does Carvin make a P-bass style axe?

Also, I'm thinking passive pups are the way to go. I have a friend here who plays an amazing bass, but it was hard to get good tone (for me) recording his active pups directly. Then he brought by a Carvin with passive pups and we went bass > DI > Hardy M-1 and it was a plug and play situation. Very easy, whuch is helpful since I'm a lowly guitarist not quite as far along the evolutionary trail as most bassists. :hiding: (That's a joke ;))
 

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