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Swiss Army Basses

Rib 13

Rib 13

Jun 20, 2006
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#1
Im surprised I havent asked this yet. What do you guys recommend for a Swiss Army Bass ( a chameleon that can sound like almost anything?).

If you are reading this and want to know "Why?": theres a lof of players on this forum that have gigging situations similar to my main one - corporate/show/function bands - In these type of groups there is no dead time onstage; the end of one song's last chord is still ringing out and the drummer is already counting off the next song (sometimes they are segued) so being able to switch tones fast on the fly is extremely important

My favorite is still my G&L ASAT (L-2000). Reasons I mentioned in another thread:

Both Pickups dimed in Parallel -- slap bass,fingers, or tapping -- use this setting mostly: like a J-Bass with StingRay-ish qualities (if you think its a Ray, it sounds like it...if you are thinking Jazz, its like it....weird :D)
mid Pickup soloed in Series -- P-bass facsimile, used as needed
bridge PU soloed in Parallel/highs rolled down - used for "faux fretless" technique and for finger-style soloing
mid Pickup soloed in parallel --- used for "faux upright" technique

and this is just scratching the surface

My Carvin BB75 can do some of the above but not as well as the G&L

My Ibby SR-1205 needed a little overall "doctoring" (parametric bump at 8K and a Parametric dip at 800hz because it has the "squonk" usually heard on Ken Smiths and Peavey Cirrus) but it actually does many things well...even its "P-Bass" sound soloing the mid Nordstrand was workable with a lil onboard EQ shaping as well.

So, G&L ASAT L-Series is still my favorite....Any recommendations that can top this? (Just sold my house and I have a lil play money so I need to get another bass now while the wife is good with it LOL ;) )

Thanks in advance
 
#2
The Sire preamp makes them exceedingly flexible. I've heard the MM Big Al is the winner when it comes to being a bass chameleon, I've never had the chance to try one. Then there's that crazy "Game Changer" if you've got $1000s extra to spend on gadgets.
 
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#3
bholder said:
The Sire preamp makes them exceedingly flexible. I've heard the MM Big Al is the winner when it comes to being a bass chameleon, I've never had the chance to try one. Then there's that crazy "Game Changer" if you've got $1000s extra to spend on gadgets.
Click to expand...

The Game Changer has the right idea (Presets) but, many times, I have to make subtle/fine adjustments onstage based on the geography of the room itself..... The Game Changer needs PreProgrammed sounds and its hard to do that unless I know exactly which room Im in and how many bodies will be in that room

Ill check out the Sire -- Ive heard great things about them
 
#4
Rib 13 said:
The Game Changer has the right idea (Presets) but, many times, I have to make subtle/fine adjustments onstage based on the geography of the room itself..... The Game Changer needs PreProgrammed sounds and its hard to do that unless I know exactly which room Im in and how many bodies will be in that room

Ill check out the Sire -- Ive heard great things about them
Click to expand...
They are great basses for almost stupid cheap prices - Fender USA quality at Squier prices, in my opinion. The preamp is crazy good, very low noise, 0 coloration unless you want it, I'd put it on par with the Aggie OBP-3, which is fine company.
 
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#10
Peavey T-40

Here are the controls:

upload_2016-1-13_22-45-27.png


The pickups in the T-40 are almost as strong as the MFD pickups in the L-2000 or ASAT.
 
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#11
I come the background of this type of gig having been in many of these type of bands over the years. That's the reason I have ended up having more active than passive basses. I frequently carry 2 active basses and often these are an Elrick Gold series which is active/passive dual soap bars with a 3 band EQ and an active/passive Fender P Lyte with Bart's and a Fodera 3 band EQ. With these two basses I can cop almost any sound/tone required for almost any type of music.
 
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#12
I'll +1 with Super_Freak. In my experience, the Peavy T-40 is as chameleon-like as it gets. Huge number of varied tones in those heavy (as in weight) basses if you put in the time needed to suss them out. The controls aren't very intuitive, so that can be a challenge until you get your head around what they do and how they interact. But once you do, it's a settings twiddler's dream date.
 
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#14
Rib 13 said:
Im surprised I havent asked this yet. What do you guys recommend for a Swiss Army Bass ( a chameleon that can sound like almost anything?).

If you are reading this and want to know "Why?": theres a lof of players on this forum that have gigging situations similar to my main one - corporate/show/function bands - In these type of groups there is no dead time onstage; the end of one song's last chord is still ringing out and the drummer is already counting off the next song (sometimes they are segued) so being able to switch tones fast on the fly is extremely important

My favorite is still my G&L ASAT (L-2000). Reasons I mentioned in another thread:

Both Pickups dimed in Parallel -- slap bass,fingers, or tapping -- use this setting mostly: like a J-Bass with StingRay-ish qualities (if you think its a Ray, it sounds like it...if you are thinking Jazz, its like it....weird :D)
mid Pickup soloed in Series -- P-bass facsimile, used as needed
bridge PU soloed in Parallel/highs rolled down - used for "faux fretless" technique and for finger-style soloing
mid Pickup soloed in parallel --- used for "faux upright" technique

and this is just scratching the surface

My Carvin BB75 can do some of the above but not as well as the G&L

My Ibby SR-1205 needed a little overall "doctoring" (parametric bump at 8K and a Parametric dip at 800hz because it has the "squonk" usually heard on Ken Smiths and Peavey Cirrus) but it actually does many things well...even its "P-Bass" sound soloing the mid Nordstrand was workable with a lil onboard EQ shaping as well.

So, G&L ASAT L-Series is still my favorite....Any recommendations that can top this? (Just sold my house and I have a lil play money so I need to get another bass now while the wife is good with it LOL ;) )

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
My Swiss Army bass.

20151115_124632.jpg

My 1988 American G&L L-2000 can do any tone I want, and more. Bought this beauty for only $475, and it's the best $475 I ever spent!
 
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#15
twinjet said:
My Swiss Army bass.

(G&L L2000)

My 1988 American G&L L-2000 can do any tone I want, and more. Bought this beauty for only $475, and it's the best $475 I ever spent!
Click to expand...

Well, good but not quite the ultimate. Missing a string for one thing. As a Swiss Army bass would be even better as a 6 string but you can't buy those. My Swiss army bass is my G&L L2500 fretless. Note that single coil (K-mod) is essential. Mine also has the OMG mod push-pull on tone control. Fretless 5 string gives you even more "tools" than a fretted 4 string. Of course "it's all in the fingers" which means to really take advantage of this some technique development is essential. Got mine used for about $600 at GC of all places.
 
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#17
bassbenj said:
Well, good but not quite the ultimate. Missing a string for one thing. As a Swiss Army bass would be even better as a 6 string but you can't buy those. My Swiss army bass is my G&L L2500 fretless. Note that single coil (K-mod) is essential. Mine also has the OMG mod push-pull on tone control. Fretless 5 string gives you even more "tools" than a fretted 4 string. Of course "it's all in the fingers" which means to really take advantage of this some technique development is essential. Got mine used for about $600 at GC of all places.
Click to expand...
True, I think a 2500 would be great to own, though G&L basses are hard to find (this was the first I'd ever seen in person) round my parts. It blew me away the first time I played it!
 
#18
Sav'nBass said:
I think that any bass with switchable quad coils can fill that job nicely.. or a MM/J or MM/P with a switchable MM pup can also be that bass.
Click to expand...

I think you are close, as long as it's active. I have a passive Jazz copy with a J at the neck and MM style pup at the bridge. The controls are VVT, but with switchpots I each that allow me to get either coil of the MM or both in series or parallel, AND I can have the neck pup either in parallel or series with whatever I've chosen on the bridge pup.

I play passive mostly, but I will admit that the bass I just described would have a wider tonal pallete if it had active tone controls... but I don't need it.
 
#20
J Posega said:
The T-40 is a tone machine, but they're damned heavy if it's a long night with multiple sets.
Click to expand...

I had one of those (a T-40) in my possession for a few months, and I don't have a clue how you guys think this. For modern sounds that bass was a horror show. Not a very good slapper either. For deep, dark, gooey, traditional, thumpy, or whatever I thought there were lots of tones. Past a certain point in the upper mids and highs though and there was nothing there. Hardly IMO a swiss army knife.

This IMO is much more like it:

M940+01+1001.jpg


I'd say there are approximately 4,567 sounds you can get out of that, that you'll never find in a T-40.

Go ahead and get mad at me now :).
 
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