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Warm Tones

B

Bullitt

Feb 12, 2004
15
0
60
Central Indiana
#1
First off, I am new here and thanks for letting me be a part. I have learned alot here already. I knew all my notes and locations from 20 years ago but I am now trying to learn to play and I am studying theory. Wish I had not stopped playing years ago.
Now, I have 4 kids so I bought some cheap gear. The tax check will be coming soon and I want to upgrade both my bass and amp. I want the warmest tone that I can get and I was wondering if the bass or the amp contributes the most to getting the warmest tone possible? What is the best bass in the $500 range that I could get? Thanks for any help
 
#4
The warmest bass I've played is the Epiphone Jack Casady. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

It has a sound that is so warm, you really have to hear one first hand to appreciate it. At about $835 new w/case, it is out of your price range, but I've heard about them coming up on e-bay in the $500 range. While you can use any bass for any type of music, I feel the Casady bass is best suited to C&W, Bluegrass, Grateful Dead, Motown and Beach Boys type stuff.

Yes, I own one. ;)

Welcome back to playing, Bullitt :bassist:

Mike
 
#5
gonna go out on a limb here and say try to find a Gibson Thunderbird. They're 1500 bucks new, but used may yield some good options, as may even going the Epiphone route - epi's getting better by the year it seems. Either way, the passive buckers and mahogany body are sweet and rife with warmth.

Alternatively...
I've become a Warwick man these days because I like the crispness of active electronics combined with the thick woodiness, but the Corvette Standard comes in a passive version and sounds awesome! Plus, it's brand new at $899 most places, so that could be another possibility, especially if a used one pops up.

(better bang for buck on used instruments, no sacrifice in quality for the dollars!)

good luck!
 
#8
I'm going to second what jammadave said about the thunderbird, but I'd like to add that most Gibson basses I've played tend to be very warm. My suggestion would be to look for a used Gibson. I have a 1981 Gibson Victory Standard that's extremely warm, and only cost me $450.
 
#9
By warm, I am talking a soothing "warm" tone void of any of the bite or high metallic sound. Something that is sitting by the fire drinking your fave bourbon warm. Some blues or soul warm. Am I getting my point across? I can't really come up with any musician or song right now but hopefully I have given you a little more insight. I love the feel (and sound) of the low, forever sustaining notes you hear alot in ballad type music.
 
#11
Bullitt said:
By warm, I am talking a soothing "warm" tone void of any of the bite or high metallic sound. Something that is sitting by the fire drinking your fave bourbon warm. Some blues or soul warm. Am I getting my point across?
Click to expand...

Ok, I'm more of a scotch guy, but I think I get you. My main suggestion would be to get flatwound strings.

For me, a "warm" bass is a Rickenbacker with flatwounds (not roundwounds, which add a lot of bite.). A good passive jazz bass is another great option. As another poster mentioned Bartolini pickups (I have 9j4's) are very warm. A lot of warmth comes from the pickup configurations that include one close to the neck.

But I think that the strings matter more than anything.
 
#18
AAAEdaji said:
Which one would you rather put your ass on? I vote the bongo :-p
Click to expand...

LOL me too

As far as the bass goes, get a fender jazz and throw on some flats. Preferably dean markley flats or ground wounds. Bartolini pickups ARE the warmest but some would say keep the fenders. Both would sound great with flats. The new fender jazzes have a button on the knobs that switch to a pbass tone.

As far as a cheap amp, go with Trace Elliot, Ampeg, or Peavy.
 

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