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The Most Versatile Bass? You'd Be Surprised

#21
I have owned a lot of basses of the jazz type..I like them, but to me besides a P bass, they were the basses that suffered the most from "sameness".
I agree about the G&Ls being more versatile than a J bass, especially the L-2000. I have sold all my Js and now only own G&Ls. Who knows, I might change my mind someday, as is it prone to change often.
 
#22
I don't like JJ basses, so they aren't versatile for me at all. I much prefer a pair of soapbars with a good active preamp. Gives at least 3 distinct tones to work with. The reality is that most any articulate bass can support most any song/genre. Whether it is "optimal" is often mostly in the mind of the player. But since the mind is part of the player, it is usually worth something to have the player feel good about what they're playing...
 
#23
plangentmusic said:
Yeah, because all the interest i get in these conversations makes me rich.

Seriously, do you HAVE to whizz on the thread just because you can't think of anything else to say?
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Some people like a lot of attention. *shrug*

And to answer your question, I did say something else.
 
#24
G&L's huh? In the context of a band situation, can the audience really hear (or care) the difference between series or parallel or humbucking or single coil? I mean really?

If you add 'affordable' and 'bare bones' in the mix', I say a Jazz bass is the most versatile. Sorta a 'pocket knife' of basses.

Just my opinion (from a guy who added Audere pres to his basses). Take it with a grain of salt.
 
#29
plangentmusic said:
I've been at this for a loooog time and own and have owned many basses. At one time I sought the one bass that would do it all , but of course, no one bass can be ALL basses. I now have "settled" on several, each with their own vibe.

But it got me thinking...

Which bass can actually give the most sounds that are applicable to the most situations.

My answer -- the good old jazz.

Here's why;

Even a bass geared toward having several sounds, like a MusicMan, may have many different tones, but there's still a "sameness" to them. A J however, has 4 distinct, usable tones.

The rear pu, has the classic midrange growl. With a pick, it gives an aggressive bite. The front pu's have a smooth fat tone. With a treble boost, the front gives a great slap sound. And you never have to worry that the sound is too weird or unique. It's as classic as it gets.

Naturally, there are lots of basses that implement the split pu philosophy, I just think it's interesting that with all the advancements, the instrument that is considered so "basic" can actually be the most eclectic. No?
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I concur.
 
#30
As about me, TUNE TWB 53 works almost anything I need. Plus, Acoustic 330 amp and I am all set. I can emulate almost any bass sound in Universe.

Yamaha BBG5S is close by. But it has some small limitations, that TUNE does not have.
 
#32
bassbenj said:
We hear this crap here all the time.
There are at least TWO things here that none of the dogma repeaters ever bother to notice. One is that there is MUSICAL versatility and then there is SONIC versatility. Total confusion between the two.

[/rant]
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Quite a rant. I've taken a little offence over this reply...

Tone is in your hands isn't it? Unless you play with a frying pan....

I wasn't stating anything as solid fact in regards to bass design or architecture, merely a distillation of my knowledge... and I've played a LOT of bass (and basses) all over the planet. Some of the basses I've owned have a lot of switches and tonal options, but ultimately I've always found a tone that works and stuck with it....after all, I'm a bass player, not a switch-and-knob-demonstration-guy.

Granted, there is a lot of versatility to be had with advanced electronics and switching options, and I've found advantage with all of these....I've even built a couple of pre-amps and I wire all my basses, so your "knobophobia" argument is out the window in my case.

My apologies if I offended anyone.....:rolleyes:

And bassbenj, not all bass players are less than yourself.
 
#33
plangentmusic said:
Tell you what -- don't post. Then I'll get less. And you'll save yourself some embarrassment.
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Thanks for your concern, I'll let you know in the unlikely event I'm embarrassed.;)

I disagreed with your OP, but you basically ignored that part. That's part of the issue with your threads. I'd expand on that, but don't see a reason to bother.
 
#34
GregC said:
Thanks for your concern, I'll let you know in the unlikely event I'm embarrassed.;)

I disagreed with your OP, but you basically ignored that part. That's part of the issue with your threads. I'd expand on that, but don't see a reason to bother.
Click to expand...

Oh, I don't expect you think you're embarrassing yourself.

Disagreement is fine. It's the dumb pointless stuff that's, well, dumb and pointless.
 
#36
Versatile bass, what is that? 1. A bass that can vary a lot with different sounds/tones and onboard eq's? If that's the case then a Jazz clearly isn't the most versatile.

2. Is versatile bass a bass that has a inherent sound that can fit in many situations? If this is the case, a P might be it, even though after criteria 1, it can't measure up to many/most competitiors.
 
#37
I find the most important tone changers to me is my fingers and where I play from bridge to neck. I can drastically change tones from song to song or in different parts of the song. Personally I have more luck with my Lakland than Jazz in Versatillity of tone. Maybe I will revisit the Jazz on this. Thanks For everyone's input.
 
#38
I think there is a difference between sonically and musically versatile.

Musically, for me, it'll always be a P-bass. I've used for for everything. Its hard to get a bad sound of it.

In terms of the most usable tones you can get out of something? My first thought, in terms of common place things, is a good active jazz bass. The realistic part of me who has played and owned far too many basses says an L2000. It does the Stingray, P-bass, and Jazz thing and so much more. Its just a little aggressive for my tastes where I currently don't own one.

As for not having a bass with a lot of knobs to that one poster, I know how to use those knobs. I personally prefer two or 3 knobs so I can dial in something quickly and then dial it back mid song. I also find the more knobs I have on a bass the more I tend to tweak the **** out of them.
 

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