The Stable - What do you play and why?

[Paul New]

68 P
Am Standard P fretted and fretless
SX fretted and fretless jazzes

That’s really it, but I also have the SX 6 string jazz and an Ibanez SR506 to screw around with.

Actually, they are all for screwing around with right now, since I don’t have a gig. This town is knee deep in bass players, all of whom are better than me.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I have only 2. My fretted 6 and my fretless Frankenfretless 6. Why do I play them? I'm a 6 string only guy and I built both to my liking, that's why.

 

[ctmullins]

Mostly homemade headless Ricks.

 

[neil|lien]

I currently own only a Harley Benton MV-4MSB in Shell Pink with GHS Precision flats... because that's all i can afford. I play through a GT-1B multi-FX pedal & an Eden EC10 combo.

 

[FenderBassist]

P and P/J with Fender Flats, P and two P/Js with D'Addario Rounds. 4 strings.

Have owned Rick, Ibanez, Peavy, SX, Yamaha and other brand 4 and 5 string basses, always came back to a Fender/Squier/Clone 4 string. Just works for me.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

Hofners as far as the eye can see.

 

[TheSeagoats]

I have an AP-5 that is just about perfect and can do literally any style of music I've ever needed. It has five strings and active pickups with no preamp so it's easy to dial in a sound with it. I have a red Squier P bass that I bought off a friend of mine and it has a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound in it and it does rock and punk tones perfectly, slightly better than my AP-5 but without a fifth string so it's not as good a swiss army knife as the AP-5. Both wear D'Addario Prosteel strings, 45-105 and 45-135. My third bass is a garbage level jazz style bass that cost me $75 brand new. I have no idea why but I absolutely love that bass and I hope to never have to part with it. It has D'Addario Halfrounds, 40-95, and I used it as a leave at church bass for years until the pandemic started. These days I just use it for noodling but if I ever need a plug and play mellow sound it can do it without any effort. I have a handful of other basses but they're most likely going to be sold at some point, they live at my parents house. Pictures may come later.

 

[tb-player]

Pics appreciated!

I have three electric basses

Sandberg VM5 Why? Piano-like tones & an excellent neck. Plus a pickup configuration that is unlike anything I’ve ever owned.

Bluesman Vintage El Dorado Why? I always need a 4-string Jazz and this is the best one I’ve ever played.

Mike Lull M-5 Why? Simply the best made basses. Active 5, beautiful top, 24 plek’d frets and tone for days.

And one upright (it’s for sale to make room for an Upton build)

1965 Kay M-1 Why? It’s the cleanest Kay I’ve ever seen. Sounds big and plays great. A real workhorse bass. I’m gonna miss it. But the Upton that is replacing it will be epic.

Oh, and my Kala Uke bass. Why? Take a listen and you’ll see. Such big tone in the coolest little bass ever!

 

[IPA]

seems like a lot of folks are omitting the "and why"

why the P bass - P basses are my favorite, and the player series so far has exceeded my expectation

why the dearmond - it was cheap and I wanted to mess around with a 5 string

why the J - because sometimes a P sounds too flat, or I want to do the tone-at-zero thing and I think jazz basses definitely do it better. and the geddy lee is the best looking jazz bass ever.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

So I'm down to four basses, a 2018 MM Stingray Special, Fender Tony Franklin Fretless, Fender USA Geddy Lee Jazz and an Allparts Precision with an Allparts Jazz neck and EMG Geezer pups. The Geddy Lee and Tony Franklin wear Roto 66s, the Allparts TI Jazz Flats, and the Stingray EB Cobalt flats. All four sound uniquely different from each other, yet all four are equally usable as standalone instruments for the music and gigs I play.

In the past I've owned more exotic instruments (Ric 4003, Gretsch Thunder Jet, Gibson T-Bird, Dale Roberts 6-string, Spector Bantam 5, etc), and while they were all wonderful basses they usually stayed home in favor of a Precision or Jazz. I liked looking at them, and I liked playing them, but they rarely went to the gig.

So I have finally accepted that I prefer basic Leo Fender style 4-string basses, and have whittled the herd to these four. I'm curious what other Talkbass members have in their stable and why? Pics appreciated!

View attachment 5012708

I have a Pj and a J

I play both. But, the J more. Because, it has less mids, and the PJ is set up for BEAD.

I just put a set of relentless Js in it a minute ago. So far, I'm digging them.

 

[alex1fly]

P cuz it’s fat. Modified jazz cuz it’s nasal. Squier Bronco cuz it’s easy to get around on and when I heard someone else playing it live I was struck by how good it sounded. 5 string soundgear cuz its clangy.

 

[brianrost]

The why is easy, I like playing them and they are useful for the kind of gigs I do. In the past I have bought basses for a particular gig and then sold it when the gig ended.

I have six bass guitars left. Four of them are vintage and would be impossible to replace. I gig two regulalry, one not very often and one is for busking. The other two are 5 strings

 

[Tim Skaggs]

‘87 Peavey Foundation S
‘98 Carvin LB75
Jazz parts bass (Seymour Duncan Antiquity pups, Fender ‘62 reissue Jazz Bass neck & Hardware, Edenhaus body)
Precision parts bass (Seymour Duncan Antiquity II pup, ultralight tuners, Fender Standard Jazz neck)

 

[Pings Bass]

I play bass. The instruments I play bass on change from time to time, and I'm not all that picky. They just have to take a good medium action set up and have a solid signal.

I've posted pics of my instruments before, but none of them are all that special. They all play pretty good and produce useable tones.

Lately for electric I'm favoring an ibby fretless 6. And still nothing compares to the feeling (literally feeling) of playing my '38 Kay upright with a bow.

 

[Maxi Funkl]

I have 4 or 5 basses I play the most. I have more than that but 1 is on its way to be donated SR500. My T-40 has been its case for decades. My 1st real bass emotionally attached I've been tempted to sell it but its still here.

My Charvel PJ IV get played the most because of its neck and is on my rack. Bought it because I didn't own a P bass in any format and absolutely fell in love with neck. Then I'd say it's my Sire 2nd gen V7 love jazz basses its also on the rack. Bought it because I wanted an active Jazz bass to compliment my MIJ Geddy Lee. Then it's a toss up because I can't tell you which 1 play more My Stringray Special's 4HH OR 5H. Bought the 4HH because I wanted to treat myself to a high end production model touched one in GC it was love at 1st site even though that bass was beat up. I bought the 5H after trying out the BFR 5H fretless the craftsmanship of that BFR bass was impeccable. I didn't like the Squire 5HH I had which has since be moved on to a younger cousin. I wanted get a 5 I liked and would play mission accomplished. They're both kept in cases unless being played.

On the rack my Geddy Lee MIJ when I want straight forward passive Growl, SR375 Fretless when I want something absolutely different lately it gets played the least but things go in cycles.

 

[Todd Hamby]

Stingrays!

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Stingrays!View attachment 5013364

And I know why!!

 

[ChetChetney]

I’ve migrated to vintage Fender P basses - mid 60’s are the ones I prefer. I currently own 3 of them. I’ve been through a bunch of basses from Fender CS, Fodera, Lakland, Sadowsky, and G&L. All of those were great basses, but I’ve realized I truly connect with the simplicity, tone and feel of Precision Basses. The mid 60’s have added mojo that I just cannot replicate elsewhere.

My current 3 basses are:
1) 1963 P Bass Sunburst, all original, 8 lbs 5 oz, Labella Flats, med pickup height

2) 1965 P Bass Olympic white, all original, 8 lbs 13 oz, TI Flats, low pickup height

3) 1966 P Bass Sunburst, all original, 8 lbs 2 oz, TI Flats, high pickup height

Between these 3, I get all of the tones I want. I did have rounds on the ‘66 but I just have no use for their tone and feel anymore and the high pickup height gives me a bit more top end brightness and more output. Leo nailed it 60 years ago in my opinion.

 

[Gyver]

Stingrays!View attachment 5013364

I'm really liking mine, especially now that I'm getting used to the preamp. I recorded with it for the first time this weekend and it sounded soooo good!

 

[Gyver]

My response, copied/pasted from the last (?) time this question came up ...with one new addition:

Modulus Quantum-6 SPX - 6-string tuned BEADGC, EMG J-type pickups, ACG/East EQ-02 filter-based preamp, Kahler bridge, coco bola top on alder body, bolt-on graphite neck, built for me in late 1988 (preamp was retrofit in 2010)...this is my main bass, and the one that I -- and the musicians who hire me rather than just "a bass player" -- feel best represents my individual voice.

Modulus Quantum-6 TBX - another 6-string tuned BEADGC, EMG soapbar pickups, EMG BQC 3-band preamp, graphite neck-thru construction. It's a 1996 that I picked up second hand a couple years ago when I realized if my main Modulus was lost or stolen or damaged I'd be SOL. Doesn't actually sound like the SPX; it actually sounds better! Incredible sounding instrument. Huge.


I don't have any family portraits of the whole collection all together, but here are a few select pics:

I have often considered getting a Modulus, they sound fantastic.