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Swiss Army Basses
- Thread starter Rib 13
- Start date
I have a 2004 Jazz - it is very very versatile and is definitely the proto-type Swiss Army bass - but it doesnt do everything near as good as my G&L ASAT (See basic list in my OP)
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I also have a T-40 that I hardly ever play
The T-40 is versatile and can get a wide variety of sounds that G&Ls, Jazz Basses, etc can NOT do because of its pickup arrangement ( it can do both Ric and Alembic facsimiles very well which is why I keep it around). However, it cant get the tight Jazz-like punch associated with basses with pickups in a bridge/mid position. The "faux" fretless setting isnt the best, the neck pickup is right in the damn way for many slap players including myself, and its way too heavy
...It is a Swiss Army Bass for Rock situations, but not a good choice in situations like mine (wide variety nu and classic Top 40, primarily dance, nu and classic pop,classic funk, lite jazz, some rock and modern country sprinkled in)
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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:
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
That looks interesting......Neck Pickup looks like its right in the way for slap....Ill have to investigate: thanks
My Carvin BB75 is a splittable MM/J (it also has a Peizo system but I find that useless and keep it rolled off)...... I agree with you: As mentioned in my OP, it does do many things very well: With MM split, its Jazz Bass setting is excellent and its "faux fretless" is decent....It just doesnt do everything as well as the G&L because the MM is wired in Parallel, not Series like a True MM which is why soloing that MM pickup in dual coil mode makes it sound nothing like a Stingray..... I am going to investigate a Series/Parallel switch mod for the MM that was recommended to me in a different thread that puts the MM in StingRay ballpark
- that could be a huge game-changer....
....because I play mostly 5 String these days with corporate function acts, it does get a lot of playtime although my Ibby SR 1205 actually has a wider tonal palette (and, yes, this is surprising to me too)
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I'm usually not one to preach the gospel of fender, p bass j bass blah blah blah and all that.
But look into a nice fender P J combo.
But look into a nice fender P J combo.
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:
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
Not mad at you at all. Big Al is a total tone monster. And MM makes some great instruments. No two ways about it. My only issue with it is that (to my eyes) its looks are as ugly as sin. And I've only played one for maybe 30 minutes all in. So I'm not experienced enough with one to offer a legitimate recommendation. (I try to only suggest things that I have a decent amount of personal experience with.)
And as far as a T-40 goes, why do I think that way?
I'm thinking that way because I AM I'm a dark, gooey, thumpy, traditional sort of tone person. So there!
For the record, you can get some very "modern" sounds out of a T-40 if you have a good amp.
Which brings us to slap style playing.
Slap...yeah...slap...
As far as slap goes...I must confess to it being a deliberate blind spot for me for about the last ten years. I'm completely tired of it. And I have zero interest in doing it anymore - even if chicks dig it. Because (IMO) it's become an even bigger cliché than those old 80s "doo-doo-doo" Disco drum sounds. And I want it all to stop. Just stop.
But that's me. (And there's nothing wrong with slapping. I just don't want to do it - or hear it that much anymore. YMMV. And I'm good with that. So you slappers can all put down your torches and pitchforks. And while you're at it - Get off my lawn!
)Besides, if slap's your thing, virtually any solidbody bass built in this century will give you that just fine. So...maybe it's easiest to pack a brand new PBass along with a T-40 and know you have all your bases covered if you're a slapper.
You should always bring two basses anyway. Either as a backup for when you're playing live, or because you're going to be asked to play a PB sooner or later if you're in the studio.
I know, I know...
But either way, it's still true. Like it or not, Leo's legacy prevails.
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+1...A good Jazz Bass with a flexible string, like pressuewounds, etc along with a good pre-amp/eq and some compression. You should be able to nail many different tones.
Ah! I guess I'm "fortunate" in that regard. I don't play covers that much these days.
And...I don't get to play out that much because of it either.
Hmm...
What's wrong with this picture?
P.S. I don't have an issue with you playing slap. I'll still think you're a fine person even if you do. Sometimes we have to compromise some of the minor principles we hold dear if we want to keep a steady job. There's no fault or foul in doing that.
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Can't believe I didn't think to mention them, I'm a big T-40 fan as well, was my main player last time I was gigging (ok, long time now, but still...)
Yeah, I'm in the same boat, have to start "getting out there" again.Ah! I guess I'm "fortunate" in that regard. I don't play covers that much these days.
And...I don't get to play out that much because of it either.
Hmm...
What's wrong with this picture?
Own 2 T40's, a G&L L2000, AND a BB75.....according to this thread I and the swiss army bass master! 
I've always been able to get everything I could ever need out of my Combustion.
Active/Passive switching, Series and parallel on the pickups. Pickups are really dynamic so you can use your hands to tweak the tone. I really don't need anything else... but I have other things.
Active/Passive switching, Series and parallel on the pickups. Pickups are really dynamic so you can use your hands to tweak the tone. I really don't need anything else... but I have other things.
Smooth_bass88
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L Ā K L A N D 494, 5594, 4402, a d 5502. You got P, J and StingRay tones plus a 3 band EQ with selectable mids, runs on a single 9 volt. And the whole thing can be defeated by pulling up the volume knob. Try one with Duncans!!
My Yamaha BB1024x is my swiss army bass. Its a PJ bass and the pickup selector switch makes it easy to deal the sounds I need. I can get a great P-sound out of it with the neck pick-up selected, or a more "round" sound, more modern and slap friendly with the selector in the midle position with both pickups. Or, for a more jaco sound, I can choose the bridge pickup and get a really great tone for finger playing. The tone knob also has a good range so I can fine tune the sound for any type of playing situation.
If teamed with a good compressor and a preamp, you can go to any gig and just ask "what are we playing tonight?" and know that it won't let you down.
If teamed with a good compressor and a preamp, you can go to any gig and just ask "what are we playing tonight?" and know that it won't let you down.
I guess generally I'd be thinking about 5-string basses with 3-band active eq and two pickups, and ideally an active/passive option w/ passive tone knob. If the pickups have different coil options, then all the more flexible. All of these would provide a pretty wide range of sounds, but vary perhaps in the quality with which they hit or mimic the sounds of specific other basses. I have a custom 5-string in such a configuration and I get much mileage out of it.
Laklands, Carvins, 2- or 3-pickup Music Man basses, G&L 2500 series, etc. all seem to fit the bill here, and many others.
If I had to cover keyboard bass parts from, say, the '80s, I might want to have a bass synth pedal, too.
Laklands, Carvins, 2- or 3-pickup Music Man basses, G&L 2500 series, etc. all seem to fit the bill here, and many others.
If I had to cover keyboard bass parts from, say, the '80s, I might want to have a bass synth pedal, too.
