Suggestions Please (I know this is dangerous...):

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Caprice or Cutlass.
Fender P.


The Caprice has Jazz size neck.
Cutlass has P / Stingray style neck.
I prefer Caprice but both are very nice.

Pickup a used Caprice or Cutlass on GC used online. Send back if you don’t like it.
I’m sure you’ll find what you like out of one or both of those MusicMans .

 

[Josh Kneisel]

Perhaps a P Bass Special with the PJ combo and active electronics like this:
View attachment 2899489
Or alternatively, a Fender Roscoe Beck 5er if you can find one.

Looks a lot like my MIA P Deluxe (also has the black tapes) with a maple neck instead of rosewood

 

[40Hz]

Copping an upright vibe has as much to do with how you approach and play a bassline as it does with what you play it on. Playing with an upright bass style is 70% of what it takes to make it feel like one.

 

[CereBassum]

If it’s upright sound you want, why not get an upright?

Three reasons:
1) I don't know how to play an upright well.
2) I don't feel like learning how to play an upright well.
3) If I got an upright, I'd have no room for my dog, unless he slept in the upright (doghouse...)

 

[CereBassum]

Playing with an upright bass style is 70% of what it takes to make it feel like one.

IDK - Try playing "upright style" on an empress wood G&L L2500 with the controls dimed...

I've heard some very jazzy players - good solid walking lines - on electrics that sounded crappy to me. But I am a big straight ahead jazz fan/listener so I'm more particular.

But I understand what you're saying - within certain limits I can't argue with that.

Maybe I just want another bass....

 

[Bassbeater]

You need to shift that mitten like a demon to sound like an upright player. Pretend it's really hard to press down a note. Raise your action. Glue your left hand's fingers together. That's JAZZY!

 

[gidbass]

...
A Ric is right out. Way too much treble and/or mud. Potentially you could get a sound you liked, but you would really have to work for it.
...

Respectfully disagree. You can get a variety of tones between treble and mud and it doesn't require that much work...

Plucking hand placement and tone control can yield many different tones. I am speaking from my experience with my 4003.

My .02 of course as I know Ric's have a polarizing response here.

Good Luck OP!

 

[Callused Finger]

Fretless P.

 

[Wfrance3]

Stupid, everyone knows this already interjection, but (FWIW) if i'm trying to cop an upright tone I play right over the bottom of the fingerboard, roll off the right amount of tone and try to play with the meatiest part of my fingers that I can.

Ok, to clarify, when I said stupid, I meant obvious. Truth be told my best “fake upright” advice is a fretless AEB. That actually comes off pretty passable. An EUB would be another option.

 

[callofcthulhu]

But hasn’t that Ric got a Jazz pickup in the bridge position?

Yes, but from the horse's mouth he uses the (stock) neck toaster pickup solo:
Rickenbacker International Corporation - Forum • View topic - Favorite Ric Players

If you look close in the video you can see the selector switch is in the "up" position (solo'd neck pickup)

 

[CereBassum]

You need to shift that mitten like a demon to sound like an upright player. Pretend it's really hard to press down a note. Raise your action. Glue your left hand's fingers together. That's JAZZY!

Maybe I need to smoke a pipe...

 

[CereBassum]

Truth be told my best “fake upright” advice is a fretless AEB.

If Godin made some other color besides those white/natural beasts, I might think about it. Most AEBs look weird to me - just can't bond with that.

 

[AztecViking]

Fretless Ray. Then experiment with string types. I like rounds on mine.

If not a Ray then just fully go nuts trying other types of fretless.

 

[CereBassum]

Fretless Ray. Then experiment with string types. I like rounds on mine.

I'd be willing to give that a try - I'm anti-fretless but I'm also very pro-Ray.

Don't the rounds chew up the fingerboard - or is that just an urban myth?

 

[AztecViking]

Rounds will make a subtle mark on the fretboard but it hasn't affected the sound or playability at all. I don't worry about it one bit since the instrument sounds so amazing with rounds.

To me worrying about that is like getting bent out of shape because your new shoes got a little dirty. If your musical goal is to have an instrument stay in perfect shape then simply never play it. Fretted or fretless.

 

[Yahboy]

Pbass + Tijf344 + play close to neck + .1uf cap + adjust the tone knob.

Hopehelp.

 

[Tony In Philly]

Yeah - we know you like that bass.

When i take out my 2nd mortgage I'll think about it....

If that's the case, then maybe 4003s might be within your price range. Ric-o-sound on the 4003 is overrated anyway. Plus I like the dotted fret markers on the 4003s.

 

[Kmonk]

I'd go with a J. More tone options.

 

[mdogs]

You’re welcome:

Rick Turner Renaissance RB-4FL Natural Satin | Guitar Gallery

 

[Nephilymbass]

I have only one bass right now - a Stringray 4 HS, strung up with GHS pressure wounds, which I love dearly and will not change, no way, no how.

But: Been playing a lot of acoustic jazz material lately, and the Ray is just a bit too heavy and thick on the bottom and doesn't have enough of those nice textured mids that you hear from upright players.

So, I'm looking for a Number 2. I'm not trying to sound like an upright but I'd like to get a little closer, as explained - would be nice if it would be a little lighter than the Ray too, which weighs in at 9.1 lbs.

I prefer a 4, and I'm thinking about these:

• A Standard or A Pro PBass.
• A Standard or A Pro JBass.
• Ric 4003 or 4003s.
• MM Cutlass
• MM Caprice

What do fellow TB'ers suggest? I tend to like more width in the neck than 1.5 - I'm very comfortable with the Ray's neck or a P neck. But if a J gives me the sound I want, that's more important.

(Please no, expensive one-off options or cheapos - I tend to like the brands mentioned.)

When I was playing jazz and big band stuff it was always p bass. The basic mim fender standard will do the trick.