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Thought I'd ask bassists for advice

Y

yanick

Mar 18, 2009
13
0
Montreal
#1
Hello dear bassists friends,

Not my first language so please bear with me...

I'm a guitar player/songwriter/producer playing mostly alt country, 70's rock 'n roll, reggae and funk... Althought I've done a few pro recording sessions as a bassist in the past using great equipment (borrowed or rented) I'm looking for a way to improve my home studio setup for really really cheap (my gf is pregnant with our first child and spending money on gear is NOT a popular subject around here, if you know what I mean...)

Since Im really a guitar player I have spent my money on great guitar gear in the past but my "bass" gear kinda suck therefore I cant get a satisfying sound at home...

As it is, my "bass" rig for recording quick demos at home is a "New-York Pro" (it's a p-bass imitation probably as good or bad as a "made in mexico/china fender/squier") plugged straight into M-Box then Ik multimedia SVT Uno as a plugin its allright but i have to spent a lot of time with EQ and comp to make it sound barelly accceptable...

Im looking for a good clean straightforward classic usable bass sound for as little money as possible using what I have as a starting point in other words if you're going to suggest "get a vintage Fender with a '70's svt" you missed the point 'cause If I could afford it, thats what I'd get...

With "best bang for the buck" in mind, Here are a few options Im considering:

A)Investing on better pickups and electronics but is it worth it? Will that make an entry level bass a "decent" bass, if so considering the styles mentionned earlier what pickups would you recommend?

B)I have read GREAT GREAT things on this forum about Sansamp VT bass, will investing on better pickups and buying the Sansamp VT bass get me there?

I know I know Im asking for something almost impossible (great recording tone for almost no money) but I'm sure real bassist opinions and/or ideas can help me get closer...
 
#2
First off, welcome to the TalkBass forums! I hope you find your stay here enjoyable.

It has been my experience that the VT Bass will most certainly help you get the signature Ampeg growl, and even grit, but will not compensate for a bass of poor quality. If you are looking to improve the tone of a bass, I would look first at the pickups and strings if I needed to stay cheap.

To remain on topic, however, if SVT is what you strive for, the VT Bass is an excellent, relatively inexpensive solution that will not replace the sound, but will get you so close that the audience likely couldn't tell the difference (provided you've got some speakers to push that air ;) ).

Hope this helps,

-Sean
 
#4
If you want a cheap bass that sounds good recorded and has some tonal variety, look at the Yamaha BB range. Or for a bit more money, a G&L "Tribute" L2000.

The VT Bass might be a good idea, if you can't find a good cheap software sim, but I'd just use a good-sounding valve preamp (if you have one of those in your studio already).
 
#5
I think with the money you would spend on a sansamp vt bass and new pickups you could shop around and upgrade your Bass and get better results for the Buck. Its hard to make a bad bass sound good know matter what you do to it. look at something like the Yamaha RBX4 A2. It was around 600$ but is being discontinued and you can find them under 300$ right now. It is actually a good sounding bass for the buck. I had a cheap guitar bought top of the line pickups for it...and it still sounded cheap.
 

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