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What makes a bass great?
- Thread starter Joe Nerve
- Start date
I've had a few basses over the years.The ones that speak to me are the ones that play comfortably and have *that* sound. It's that amazing combination that is greater than the "sum of the parts" where the bass just seems to play itself. I personally like a low-mid heavy sound, so I typically play a P. I have played Js but haven't bonded with one yet.
My current go-to is a 2009 MIM P that I have done a lot of mods on (pickups, tuners, pots, etc.). I know that sounds like a lot, but the bass had great bones from the beginning, a smooth, comfortable feel, even if the stock sound was just Ok. With the upgrades I have it all in that P, playability and sound!
My current go-to is a 2009 MIM P that I have done a lot of mods on (pickups, tuners, pots, etc.). I know that sounds like a lot, but the bass had great bones from the beginning, a smooth, comfortable feel, even if the stock sound was just Ok. With the upgrades I have it all in that P, playability and sound!
Ive got a $100 bass that I prefer playing but don't cause it needs new pickups.Every time I play with my Stingray 4HH I'm thinking about that $100 bass.Why,I have no idea.May have to break down and get a set of pickups as a Christmas gift to myself.
What I do when I find a bass I like:
I buy a few more to have around “just in case.”
I buy a few more to have around “just in case.”
You answered your own question in the first paragraph, but not for nuthin', short answer: The Musician. (offer void if said bass is an absolute POS.)
I think Beethoven would have sounded heavenly on a Mattel plastic keyboard, but we all know that's not possible because Mattel hadn't become familiar with plastic yet.
Did you know that's John Lennon playing the piano in Ob La Di Ob La Da? And to think Freddie Mercury gave himself guff because he felt his keyboard skills were rudimentary at best. . but I digress.
I think Beethoven would have sounded heavenly on a Mattel plastic keyboard, but we all know that's not possible because Mattel hadn't become familiar with plastic yet.
Did you know that's John Lennon playing the piano in Ob La Di Ob La Da? And to think Freddie Mercury gave himself guff because he felt his keyboard skills were rudimentary at best. . but I digress.
It takes me considerable twiddling and tweeking to get all my basses to sound the same. THAT'S irony.
I try to rotate thru all my basses show to show, but always have a P-bass with me.
Every once in a while I forget about a bass for an extended period, pick it up again, and remember what I loved about it. I have a Spector that get forgotten like that, and it's a great bass.
I have a 50th. Anniv. Jazz that I should love, but no amount of tweeking gets it to play just right. Lovely bass, probably going on the block.
My cheapest bass, a RumbleKat is one of my best playing.
I'm kinda Schitzophrenic about my basses, but I know I could live with just an alder/maple P, and be done with it.
I try to rotate thru all my basses show to show, but always have a P-bass with me.
Every once in a while I forget about a bass for an extended period, pick it up again, and remember what I loved about it. I have a Spector that get forgotten like that, and it's a great bass.
I have a 50th. Anniv. Jazz that I should love, but no amount of tweeking gets it to play just right. Lovely bass, probably going on the block.
My cheapest bass, a RumbleKat is one of my best playing.
I'm kinda Schitzophrenic about my basses, but I know I could live with just an alder/maple P, and be done with it.
I'd say it's all what feels good to you and I mean on every level. Physically, financially, emotionally...etc. The basses I own are all with me because I have a connection with them and they feel/sound good to me. I've found that cheap or expensive instruments can sound good. Hell, I use a Synsonics Terminator as a recording guitar. That thing is stupid cheap and sounds great to me.
You're on the right path because it's your path.
You're on the right path because it's your path.
Does it feel good? Does it sit in a mix the way you like? Winner.
I stopped chasing the unicorn a few years back and don't feel the least bit bad about it. There's a few bass types I'd like to purchase (a hollow body, a Rick), but they aren't needs. I like playing what I have and people like listening to what I play. That's winning as far as I'm concerned.
I stopped chasing the unicorn a few years back and don't feel the least bit bad about it. There's a few bass types I'd like to purchase (a hollow body, a Rick), but they aren't needs. I like playing what I have and people like listening to what I play. That's winning as far as I'm concerned.
1. Play-ability/comfort/ergonomics whether practicing or up on stage.
2. Aesthetic. Is it sexy? Do you look at it and want to pick it up?
3. Tone. How does it sound with your amp, with your pedals, DI straight to the board, solo or with the band?
These are different for everyone and anything from a $100 find to a $10,000 custom build might fit the bill for you.
2. Aesthetic. Is it sexy? Do you look at it and want to pick it up?
3. Tone. How does it sound with your amp, with your pedals, DI straight to the board, solo or with the band?
These are different for everyone and anything from a $100 find to a $10,000 custom build might fit the bill for you.
It’s ALWAYS been the bassist that makes a bass great. PERIOD. No matter how high end the bass is, it will not be great with a bad bassist playing it.
(And I do realize this isn’t answering your issue)
(And I do realize this isn’t answering your issue)
I agree with this, and would add that really great bass players of a variety of musical types (Jaco, Jamerson, Vic Wooten, Rainey - not to mention URB jazz players) basically play one bass all the time. There's something to be said for finding one that fits you best and works for your sound and not varying from it, except for unusual tonal requirements. But IMO you can get almost any sound that you want out of one bass, most of it is in the hands of the player, with a little occasional help from amp or bass eq.
Like you I've gone through many basses, at this point I have a P bass with flats and an upright electric. I can cover everything with those two. Also a fretless electric BG, but just as a backup to the upright.
Imho if the ergonomics are suitable and the sound works in the kind of band setting you find yourself in, then it's "right" if your technique is sound.
I play a lot of 60s-80s rock/soul/blues/reggae/country material (and current equivalents, sound-wise), so my P basses with either rounds or flats work perfectly in the trio/quartet settings I find myself in. The sound of the basses (for me) shine in a mix more than when played solo.
EDIT: granted, a Jazz bass with flats and neck pickup only might sound better for reggae, but I can make it work with a P
I play a lot of 60s-80s rock/soul/blues/reggae/country material (and current equivalents, sound-wise), so my P basses with either rounds or flats work perfectly in the trio/quartet settings I find myself in. The sound of the basses (for me) shine in a mix more than when played solo.
EDIT: granted, a Jazz bass with flats and neck pickup only might sound better for reggae, but I can make it work with a P
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This is so subjective. What makes it great for one might be 'meh' for someone else.As the years go by and the basses pile up in my closet, I have to humbly admit that I no longer have a clue regarding this.
I think I finally get it when I see someone playing an OLD, no name POS and being completely content with it. While sounding great at the same time.
When I first started playing bass, all basses sounded the same to me, and I'm starting to feel the same way again. Admittedly, that might have a lot to do with the fact that for the past 2 years I've been using IEMs... and well, all basses are pretty much sounding the same
I own far too many basses and I'm reluctant to sell because I feel like I'm going through some sort of temporary insanity here. I therefore thought I'd open the topic up to conversation. And to add a little to what inspired this post...
The last bass I fell head over heels in love with was my Rickenbacker. I can't put a D-tuner on it, so I don't use it with my current band. Since then I've purchased TMB 30, A Caprice, a Jazz, a Mustang, and most recently dropped a big fat chunk of dough on a Huntington 3.
I play all these basses at my gigs, and whenever I'm not playing my Mustang, I wish I was playing my Mustang. And this is going on for a while now.
I paid $400 for that Mustang, new.
I can't lie to myself anymore and felt I needed to make that admission openly.
What's going on here?
Help me please to understand
Plus your tastes and mood changes that effect this as well.
So, to keep this on a positive 'note' (see what I did there) I'll ramble on for what makes a great bass to me...
- Tone when all settings played flat
- feel of the neck and fretboard
- resonating against body (especially on ABG)
- is the look pleasing to your eyes
- ease of overall playing and comfort
- no fatigue when playing/practicing for a long duration
- good weight that you can handle for required duration of play
- lastly, does it get your endorphins flooding into your blood stream like runners high on a good night of playing (a good friend told me this once when asked about why he plays even when the pay isn't that good)
$100 used to $2,700 new. I can't comment on things like playing at a paid gig. I have my basses in a rotation because I like all the nuanced differences from short scale to 35" extended scale, Hollow, Semi, Solid, Chambered, ABG, fretted, fretless, 4, 5 and 8 string. So considering this rotation I can't even nail down this 'low-ded' question (I did it again) with a nice straight answer simply because I really like to keep things fresh and interesting for me as it keeps me from losing interest. YMMV
