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Versatile Basses!

#21
I know this isn't what you wanted but here goes. ANY bass in the hands of someone with versatile HANDS and EARS can cover ANY genre, even with just a straight DI on the back end.

That being said, I play a Fender Roscoe Beck Signature. It has two big passive humbuckers that can be split to single, run in series, or run in parallel. There isn't a single tone that I want that I can't get between that bass and my hands and/or a pick. It cops a P pretty well, nails a J, does a solid MM, and even does the neck position mudbucker thing really well.
 
#25
This:

M940+01+1001.jpg


Hands down.

And I've owned more than my share of versatile basses including a Streamer Jazzman, MIA P deluxe, MIM P deluxe, a few American made Peavey's, a Stingray HS, a few Bongos w different pickup configs, and a custom bass with a MM and P pickup. When it comes to being versatile, the Big Al destroys them all.
 
#26
Lukc said:
What's a good bass that can sound good in different genres? Both soft and more bluesy stuff.
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My #1 choice would be a Music Man Sterling single H. #2 would be a Music Man StingRay single H.

They don't have a million different tones like, for example, my G&L L-2500 with single coil option. But, the few different tones they have, combined with different string choices and playing technique mean that, in my opinion, they usually sound awesome in pretty much any genre.

In fact, I would contrast this to some other basses that have a million different tone options. Where you just about CAN'T make a Sterling H or StingRay H (or a P bass) sound bad in a mix, those other basses with all those tone options can easily be made to sound bad in a mix - and since most bassists seem to dial in the tone that sounds good to them on stage, which is often not at all what would sound good out in the audience, they often DO sound bad in a mix.
 
#28
Versatile tone:
Basses with 2 pickups tend to be more versatile than basses with only 1 pickup, solidbodies are generally more versatile than hollowbodies, and an active preamp with a passive switch can give additional versatility.

Versatile looks:
Pretty much anything that isn't overly pointy or gimmicky.
 
#31
Roy Vogt said:
Not a cheap option, but an Alembic Series I comes to mind.
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YES!
On the slightly cheaper side. Alembic's Signature Electronics are crazy versitile! they have a sweepable low pass filter for each pick up (single coils in my case), so you can cut, or add the highs for each pick up. basically tuning each pick up individually. then you can blend the pickups to get the exact tone you want. Further more, each pick has a "Q Switch" which will add a boost right at the cut off friquency for the low pass filter, giving you more attack. it sounds like the purcussion effect on an organ.

amazingly versitile. I play in two bands, one playing rock in bars, and another doing weddings and shows where i play modern pop, classic Italian waltzes and polkas, 70's disco, and motown, 80's and 90's rock.... everything. and the bass fits it all!

this is literally the best bass i've ever heard. even compared to foderas, Ritters, elricks, ect.
 
#32
Lukc said:
I know fenders are awesome but I want to hear some of the alternatives.
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There are no alternatives. When you say "bass guitar" that is the same as saying "Fender". All other bass instruments are posers and not even basses.

Which is why I usually don't play a bass, even though Leo did design the G&L L2500. The jury is still out as to whether it is a "real" bass or not.
 

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