Warm sounding bass

Look for a Reverend Rumblefish. It will deliver what you need. I think there still may be a few blems at Reverend's website www.reverenddirect.com and there are usually a couple for sale on evil bay.

 

Washburn Force 4 with Fender Nylon Tapewound strings if looking for a four string. In a five string I am still working on that. But it is active only.

 

Wood selection can help - my alder/rosewood bass is warmer than an ash/maple one I used to have.

 

Strings can drastically change the tone of a bass. If you're trying out new basses at a store, chances are the strings might still have that new "zing" to them.

Just by playing a bass for a week or two, my nickel plated strings get really warm sounding. If you have a tone knob, even better.

A good standard for a warm bass would probabaly be a P-bass strung with flats. If you don't like the feel of flats, try the Fender 7150 pure nickel strings. They're warm right out of the box. GHS boomers start out kind of bright, but warm up pretty fast.

I really think strings effect the sound of a bass as much as a pickup change can.

 

Mahogany is my choice of woods for warmth. Good luck finding a bass for that money with a mahogany body. Theyre not really that rare but theyre definitely not very popular.

 

Maybe my definition of "warmth" is different from yours, but for me, I think my Fender Jazz Bass (alder body, rosewood fingerboard) strung with TI Jazz Flats has a very warm, natural sound to it. I love the fat, warm tone I get out of it.

 

I like the warmth I get from mahogany too. I just picked up a Schecter Elite 5 with a mahogany body and maple top. Definatly has some warmth to it, but I think the EMG-HZ pickups in it aren't very rich in the midrange department which is where you really feel the warmth. I've found that passive basses usually feel warmer and more natural too.

 

The warmest bass I've heard specially recorded was Rick Turner Renaissance RB4. Maybe it was the active piezo pickup or the chambered body or both, but it was one of the warmest basses I've heard.

You can buy those basses used for about $850 US

Cheers

 

i'm sure if you ask a hundred people what "warm" SOUNDS like, you'll get a hundred answers...

i always thought mahogany was very midrangey punchy and not as "warm" as alder or ash.

i'm confused about "woody" too.
when i play a bass that has electronics that are transparent and really let the tone of the wood shine through... that's woody to me.
(as opposed to zingy or aggressive electronics)

 

Looks like you need a Pbass...

 

Warmoth does mahogany bodies at reasonable prices, have a look in their Showcase where they even have some chambered ones which, apart from being lighter, are supposed to have an even warmer tone. Add a neck, pickups and hardware and I think you can stay in the ballpark of your budget.

 

I think you have many options... Jazz or Preci with flats, Reverend, Epiphone Cassady, Lakland Skyline Hollowbody, just try what will fit to your hands.
Good luck in searching.

 

Ditto. Nothing warmer.

 

Er... universal answer: A Precision bass with the tone rolled off.

 

get a mahogany Gibson if you really want a warm sounding bass. nothing else compares, imo.

'teen

 

What about a semi-hollow?

 

yes, my Jazz bass with basswood body and TI flats is as warm as it gets without losing note definition all together. I like the alder body too..it seems to have better articulation on the string attack then basswood.

 

Try the Epiphone Jack Casady bass. That is my definition of warm and woody.