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Thinking about upgrading for college jazz band.

#21
I'd also say ... put in a J pup ... I replaced the stock single coil in my P/J and installed a Fender 55 Split Coil pup in my Hot Rod Precision ... I usually prefer J style basses ... but they don't get that 'P' bass sound ...

but , a straight P won't get that J sound ... a P/J is a nice mix ... I installed the split coil so it will be nice and quite without the single coil hum ... ( the P pup is a Split Coil .. ! )
 
#22
I think the gestalt here is good. I would hold off on a new cabinet, but might invest in a good micro head that will work with their 115 or 410 (where did the 410 come from?) and then if you want to buy your own think seriously on a good 212. You get 90% of a 410 (or more depending on the 212 and 410) for much easier schlep.

I also agree with putting the J pup back into your bass and then sitting tight with that until once into the gig, see what you really need. A 5-string may be all you need instead of a 6, or you may fall in love with the upright.

Definitely start looking into the signal chain for the upright. Getting those set up for amplified work is non-trivial. I mean it's not the end of the world, but it will take some thought and probably some kind of preamp to process the piezo signal before going into the amp, and maybe some parametric or notch filter EQ to help bust feedback/wolf tones/bad room nodes.
 
#23
How's the school's pa setup? if you're going to be running through it, a 210 cab might be the ticket, or a 115. it's just a thought, nothing more, I've been in a position before where I had only a 410, and with a good head it was difficult to set up, it overwhelmed the basically acoustic band I was in, and dynamics were difficult. It wasn't a matter of turning down so much as the amount of air being moved, a 210 would have given me more room to work with. I had a Hartke 3500, and a Hartke xl410, it really never fit the bill. If you went with an 8 ohm 210, and had an amp that could go to 4 ohms, you could add a second equal cab as needed, and have quite a bit more flexibility, the second cab could be added later, when funds are available. it's also so much easier to move 2 210's.
 
#24
Wow! Thanks for all the advice everybody! I really appreciate it. I do have a few more questions though, related to the advice you guys have given me.
1. On replacing the Acoustic with a Fender Rumble 500 combo - isn't this generally not advised? Mixing speaker sizes I mean. It should be different because it's a combo, no?
2. Even though the school is providing an upright, I'm thinking that getting my own would be nice. Where would I start?
3. @static0verdrive I've thought about a fretless before, but would it bridge the gap between an upright and an electric? There is a fretless ESP PJ bass for $350~ at my local music store, I really like it, but would it be worth it?
4. About replacing my J pup, would I have to match the impedence? My P pup is a Tonerider P vintage P pup rated at 10.6k (fantastic pup BTW). I've found that the GFS overwound J is closest at 10k.

To clear up some stuff:
I did love playing with the six string bass, but my problem is that the only time I use the B string is when we played Uptown Funk (our finale). I never used the C string. The only reason I used the 6 string was because it was set-up for a low action with roundwounds - perfect for the slap-and-pop parts of Uptown Funk and for nailing that tone. Otherwise, I use my PJ minus the J for other songs, it's set-up with heavy flatwounds with a nice mid-height action. @Matthew_84, He's the reason why I picked up the bass :D.

Also, the book we're using in the HS Jazz Band is the same one I'll be using in college. They actually provided them! We'll be using the same next year (in my freshman year). I've looked through the entire book, and never did I see any note below the standard tuning of EADG. The highest I've seen that I'd have to go is a D on the seventh fret of the G string. As of now, I don't really see the use of a six string, even though they are nice! :thumbsup:
 
#25
1. Mixing driver sizes can be a gamble - combo changes nothing. I (and many others) avoid combos. Having a head and cabs gives you more options, whether or not you upgrade. For instance, I have a cheap speaker in my practice, a small cab where I rehearse, and a good cab for gigs. This way, I just have to carry around my bass and 6 pound head.

2. For upright questions, ask over on the other side - they know more.

3. Unless you plan to keep your Squier as your main bass, now is not the time to buy a fretless. Remember, what you are looking to buy will be your main bass.
 
#27
Fender Rumble Club | Page 275 | TalkBass.com
Check out the Fender Rumble Club. There are a lot of folks there using a 500 combo to great effect.

As for mixing drivers, it's a mixed bag. A 210 is going to move as much air as a 115, more or less. They'll both manage a similar amount of power in similar ways.

To a head and separate cabs being more versatile than a combo + cab, I'd say not. You'll always need at least a head and a single cab, which is the same as a combo provides. I'd rather schlep one thing instead of two if given the option.

Right now I run a Rumble 500 head into a Carvin 410 and it works well. I bought the head because I needed one and money was tight, but if I had to do it again I'd probably go combo.
 
#28
HankHillWaluigi said:
I've thought about a fretless before, but would it bridge the gap between an upright and an electric? There is a fretless ESP PJ bass for $350~ at my local music store, I really like it, but would it be worth it?
Click to expand...
My teacher talked me into fretless with a few sentences and letting me try his. WOW. :thumbsup: They aren't nearly as difficult as you expect; in fact, within a week, in accordance to what he told me, I actually find it easier than fretted. Less tension is needed to sound a note cleanly, you can have a fairly straight neck / med-low action, if you aren't in the best place you'll be flat or sharp but you won't get an AWFUL fret buzz noise, and so on.

You can but maybe shouldn't slap a fretless because you can eat away at the fingerboard down near the body. YMMV. I bought a fretted jazz for slapping / heavy stuff but in the end I really only ever use it for slapping as I've fallen so hard for the fretless I use it for heavy stuff too. :bassist:
 
#29
buldog5151bass said:
Unless you plan to keep your Squier as your main bass, now is not the time to buy a fretless.
Click to expand...
Depends... I thought the same thing but my teacher said I'd just be taking that much longer to get started & practicing on the fretless, which helps get you going on proper technique and ear training, much of which can be transferred to double bass whenever you're ready.

Unless you really are splurging on your final, REAL, higher-end bass, a $300 fretless isn't breaking the bank and you can keep your current bass for any fretted stuff. Plus this way you can find out now without spending too much what you'd like your expensive / real / final bass to be (fretted vs fretless).
 
#30
I think if the guy is playing in the college jazz band, likely he should have a better main bass. I played in jazz bands through high school, college, and now, and never used a fretless other than an string bass. OP, maybe you want to speak with your director in college and see what he/she is going to want.

Just afraid if you are going to be playing with any rock bands up there, you don't want to be stuck with just a fretless.
 
#32
To the OP I'd say:

Of course you are you and must decide, but if it were me, I'd not buy any 4 string or a Fender because the upright is available. I'd make the electric push what they can do expressively namely ERB and for me probably fretless (though I prefer a fretless-fretted matched pair). This gives you a modern setup that pushes the envelope of expressive possibilities. To give you an idea, of my collection the electric bass I'd reach for would be my Alembic Epic 6 string blank plank fretless. Probably a bit out of price range even used, but that's my idea of the kind of bass that I'd want. There are quite a few 6ers with a similar vibe in your price range (Tune, ESP LTD, Ibby etc.) The fact that you borrowed a Peavey 6 string already is some kind of hint.

Since the Upright is doing the Fender thing, if I wanted to buy my own upright I know exactly what my choice would be. It would be a 5 string upright! Again out of your price range but gives you a handle on how I'd think about this stuff.
 

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