Suggested Basses for Metal Subgenres

[MrJack]

Go find a bridge, Troll.

Oh, do shut up. The short scale t-bird is a good bass.

 

[Shinyflavors7]

someone likes Obscura I see.

This Guy!

I support this thread 100%. Basically the only two things in life I love

anyway
Death Metal:You need a long scale five string, tune down, probably one step maybe two. A P/J or P/H set-up is perfered.

Doom Metal: You need good pick-ups and a good amp. Any bass with good tone will work.

Drone Metal:More or less the same as Doom.

Grindcore:Grindcore can be played with anything, but I think it sounds best on a five string with tighter strings and a strong neck pickup.

Metalcore: Metalcore bass doesn't Impress me at all. Just play what the guitarist is playing in a lower octave. The bass doesn't matter.

Melodic Death Metal: You need a long scale five string, I play in standard tuning. string spacing, and neck should be slim for fast fingering and tapping.

Nu Metal: You need something with a good bridge pick-up. Six sting would be good with the mids scooped.

Post Metal:

Prog Metal: Just buy a Bongo

Sludge Metal: See Doom.

Stoner Metal: This one really does need a p or a rick. You need a real classic rock sound.

Thrash Metal: B.C.Rich (or a peavy, anything fast.)

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I dont look like anything special in my thrash band

I've played that stage before!

So, a Signature bass works for thrash?

 

[cjmodulus]

An electric bass with frets.

Jeroen Thesseling would like a word...

 

[Plantbrain]

Seems the player, not the bass, makes the instrument sing.
I'm not sure it matters, many bassist make whatever they have work.

and the fretless comment.......they are awesome for metal, few bother to learn things like intonation and give up. Add some distortion and chorus, oh my my........
Les of Primus........he does manage to "eek by" eh?

I always like hearing something different, going against the grain is interesting and expands the genre.

 

[traben182]

Death Metal: ibanez sound gear (5 string)

Doom Metal: ibanez btb (5 string)

Drone Metal: p bass with rounds

Grindcore: schecter stillieto (4 string)

Metalcore: schecter omen (4 string)

Melodic Death Metal: ibanez sound gear (6 string)

Nu Metal: Ibanez sound gear (5 string)

Post Metal: Rick

Prog Metal: Music man bongo (6 string)

Sludge Metal: stingray (5 string)

Stoner Metal: rick

Thrash Metal: b.c. rich mockngbird




imo

 

[traben182]

btw i play allot of different genres of music from the core stuff nobody likes to jazz and i listen to it all as well.

 

[Blackened Soul]

Death Metal bass

Doom Metal bass

Drone Metal bass

Grindcore bass

Metalcore bass

Melodic Death Metal bass

Nu Metal: Soundgear

Post Metal bass

Prog Metal bass

Sludge Metal bass

Stoner Metal bass

Thrash Metal bass

 

[VeNoM]

Death Metal: Any bass with 34" or longer scale, PJ or J configuration (5 string or 4 string with BEAD tuning)

Doom Metal: Any bass with 34" or longer scale, HH configuration (5 string or 4 string with BEAD tuning)

Drone Metal:

Grindcore:

Metalcore: Anything that doesn't cut through the mix, lol

Melodic Death Metal:Any bass with 34" or longer scale, PJ or J configuration (5 string or 4 string with BEAD tuning)

Nu Metal: Any Ibanez SR piece of sh*t with HBs with totally scooped mids for that awful Korn like sound

Post Metal:

Prog Metal: J bass

Sludge Metal:

Stoner Metal: Any bass with 34" or longer scale, PJ or J configuration

Thrash Metal: Any bass with 34" or longer scale, PJ or J configuration

 

[NKBassman]

I'll play...

Death Metal: anything with EMGs

Doom Metal: Ric or Precision

Drone Metal: Precision

Grindcore: Jazz

Metalcore: Jazz

Melodic Death Metal: Jazz

Nu Metal: Blech. Who cares?

Post Metal: Vintage Gibson Grabber or Ripper

Prog Metal: Ric or Jazz

Sludge Metal: Precision

Stoner Metal: Precision

Thrash Metal: Jazz

 

[cdef]

The way I see it, "metal" is just "rock" by another name, plus a fixation with sub-genres. How is "stoner metal" essentially different from "stoner rock"? And why would you need specific basses for genres that, by the OP's admission, are hair-splitting anyway?

 

[Munjibunga]

Would you be able to elaborate on the differences and unique features that separate each of the named metal subcategories?

Excellent suggestion. BTW, the OP left out Alt Metal.

 

[Munjibunga]

Death Metal: Fodera Matt Garrison

Doom Metal: Alembic Series II

Drone Metal: F Bass BN5

Grindcore: Sadowsky Modern 5-24

Metalcore: Fodera VW Yin Yang

Melodic Death Metal: Jerzy Drozd Legend 6

Nu Metal: Ibanez SDGR 5

Post Metal: Sadowsky Will Lee 5

Prog Metal: Kenneth Lawrence Brase

Sludge Metal: Musicvox Space Cadet

Stoner Metal: Alembic Stanley Clarke Deluxe

Thrash Metal: Lakland Decade

 

[pablomigraine]

I popped in here hoping to see funny pictures.... but sadly...

on a serious note.... I've played in at least half the styles you mentioned professionally.... and My Laklands have covered pretty much all bases quite well.... specifically my 44-02 and 55-02..... nothing those basse cant handle....

that being said... I'm digging my new EBMM Sterling Stealth HS.... also gonna be checking out Sandberg Basses....

 

[calypsocoral302]

Seems the player, not the bass, makes the instrument sing.
I'm not sure it matters, many bassist make whatever they have work.

Generally true, but I happen to believe that some tools are better for some jobs than others.

 

[bryceg2189]

a stringray i guess

 

[Legattabass]

Excellent suggestion. BTW, the OP left out Alt Metal.

Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives - Home

I'll let a more verbose website do the hair splitting for me!

Also Munji, as said in the initial post, if I've missed a genre, add it to your list. I will not underestimate the capacity of a genre to subdivide itself until it loses all relevance...

 

[Legattabass]

If, by "VM TB" bass you mean the Squire Vintage Modified Tele Bass (nothing personal-- I just hate abbreviations), then yeah, I think your pick is valid. If I'm not mistaken, I think I remember reading somewhere that John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin had a Tele bass in his arsenal.

I would just be careful not to cut off too much treble with the Tone control-- round and fat seems to be the Tele bass' game, but Metal requires a certain amount of "bite" in order to cut through the thick layers of crunchy guitar that you will, no doubt, have to compete with.

I did in fact mean the Vintage Modified Precision Tele Bass (gasp, pause for breathing). It comes stock with 1 meg pots, so it actually has a TON of bite with open tone. I'm putting in lower impedance pots so it'll have a bit more mud, but if I lose that bite, I'll reverse it a bit.

 

[seungkoo]

The squier batz maru edition would be awesome! Tell your guitarist to get a hello kitty strat and you guys will be set for life

 

[seungkoo]

In all fairness I just picked up a Warwick vampyre sn and I play in a contemporary Christian band on the weekends and gig with a big band ensemble.