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What impact does each component have to the bass as a whole?

DBFIU

DBFIU

Guest
Jun 29, 2014
199
37
42
south florida
#1
Hey people I have a question I know you can answer.

The bass as a whole is composed of a few major components. Bridge, body, neck, head, strings, pickups.

OK, If you wanted to get the biggest change in overall sound quality or tone, which component would you change and which one after that and so on and so forth until you have built an entirely new bass?

Assuming you were to build a bass from scratch and buy all the parts separate, what is the approximate percentage that each individual piece has on the quality as a whole.

Are there some things that no matter what you do the bass will sound like a-s-s?

For instance, I have a rogue 5 string, which is like a 200 dollar bass. It sounds ok, not terrible. If I had to change one single component on this bass to boost sound quality, what component would it be?

I don't intend to do this, I am just curious what each parts contribution is just for future reference.

Thanks,

- D
 
#2
i guess first its the pickups.. its always the pickups.. then the bridge, keys, electronics.. according to me the biggest sound difference comes from replacing the neck.. then the pickups.. i don't know many people who have replaced the body. there is a slight change in tone with any replacements..
it can be different for different guitars/basses eg. i was freaked out by how much the sound of a les paul changed when the tuners were replaced
 
#3
I would say 1) String type (round, flat, etc); 2) Pickups; 3) Construction (solidbody, hollowbody, neck-thru, etc); 4) Bridge...
Also, much of the sound quality is in your hands, by that I mean, how you physically play the bass.
 
#6
It's a fine question and definitely worth of consideration, but I would replace "Hey people I have a question I know you can answer." with "Can I please have 50 different answers to this question that will eventually devolve into a debate about whether tonewood matters".

In my opinion, strings -> bridge* -> neck* -> pickups/preamp -> body

Having been tinkering with basses for a couple of years now, I don't think there is a simpler and more dramatic change you can make than the strings; conversely, if the strings aren't right, nothing else will be. I list bridge so highly not because I think bridges have different ones or that high-mass vs low-mass is important or anything like that, but because the quality and adjustability of the bridge will determine the playability of the bass, and that's essential for good feel and tone. Neck for the same reason. Then pickups, which I think is pretty self-explanatory. Body, I have yet to hear anything, words or music, that convinces me that the body wood is a major, important part of tone; many will argue tooth and nail that it is, but I just don't hear it.

So, strings, the ability to adjust those strings properly, then the magnetic field picking up the vibrations of said strings, then everything else.
 
#7
1: playing style

2: strings

[would insert amp here but being the bass forum I am guessing it is not included]

3: pickups

4: I don't know from this point on.

I believe wood makes a difference but it is so minute you cannot tell unless identical instruments with different body wood are a/b'd. In some examples there is even none at all, but I've heard ones where there are. Probably less than 3 times though.
 
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#12
It's all pretty fuzzy and generalised of course (i.e. nearly impossible to measure or quantify) but if we're looking at 'units of change' per dollar, strings would win hands down IMO.

Then probably pickups, and then preamp (maybe the other way around if you're adding a preamp to a passive bass).

After that, I'm gonna say hardware. Not the materials, but how well the bridge/tuners/nut/etc. do their jobs. You can have the fanciest woods on the planet, but it's always going to sound rubbish if it doesn't stay/play in tune.
 
#15
In my opinion: Strings - > pickups/preamp - > neck/fingerboard - > bridge - > body

Also, the overall structural integrity of the body+bridge+neck will also have a huge impact on overall sound and playability. The more rigid that "system" is, the less string vibration energy is lost, which greatly effect sustain, and probably some harmonics.

Also a huge difference in the condition of the strings. (ie: 6 month old heavily played gunky roundwounds compared to fresh clean rounds.)
 
#17
I have witnessed first-hand how strings can make or break a good rig.

I gave a Squier Standard Jazz (a pre-cursor to the Classic Vibes) a pickup upgrade at the same time I put on some D'Addario light flats (95's). I figured the thinner strings would lend a little more "growl" to the overall sound. The "overall sound" I got was dull, dull, dull.

I figured there was something wrong with the bass since I was getting plenty of volume from pickups. I was seriously considering getting rid of the bass, but just before I set out to sell it, I had a brainstorm. Y'see, around that time I'd discovered the new Ernie Ball Cobalts and I really dug what they did for another of my bass' sound. So, I decided to swap out the strings to see what would happen.

The results were astonishing!! Suddenly, I was getting the tones and output I wanted! :wideyed:

From then on to today, whenever I hear someone wants to get a different sound or they're contemplating a potentially expensive upgrade, I always recommend they try a couple of different sets of strings first.
 
#19
Essentially, your "tone" comes from who you are, which translates 100% to how you handle and play your bass. Finger technique is absolutely individual, as is the audio feedback loop through your personal ears. I would agree that strings make the greatest difference, since they are your immediate interface. After that, any active boosts/cuts of frequency band, then pickup type and placement. The rest of the hardware and woods won't figure as much.
 
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