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What makes a bass great?
- Thread starter Joe Nerve
- Start date
Its a personal question...what makes a meal great? What makes a car great? Its an opinion.
That said, to me what always stands out about music is a great performance. A bass is great when it doesnt get in the way and it inspires me. Right now a carl thompson inspires me in every way
That said, to me what always stands out about music is a great performance. A bass is great when it doesnt get in the way and it inspires me. Right now a carl thompson inspires me in every way
To me, it’s 80% setup and 20% components.
The setup can make or break even the best instrument.
To say it’s the player that makes the bass is a cop out/non answer IMHO. A good player can make themselves at home on any instrument as long as it’s set up well.
The setup can make or break even the best instrument.
To say it’s the player that makes the bass is a cop out/non answer IMHO. A good player can make themselves at home on any instrument as long as it’s set up well.
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. Or that I'm going deaf
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
There are some times I need something different than my old standby, but I always come back.
Oddly enough, I was told when I have a different bass the parts seem differently played, which is why I picked that particular bass. What is really weird, is that when I only have my regular favorite, it surprises them it still sounds the same.
I'm thinking that I use the different bass to come up with the part, which sounds different and then figure out how to play it on my favorite.
Sort of like composing something on a guitar versus a piano.
Sorry I can't be more clear.
I would have commissioned a Rick clone with a D tuner on it.
I agree that the player makes the bass great but, not from the just from the playing ability.
The player chose the type of bass, strings and all the other components and settings on the bass. Then chose the amp, cabs, EQ settings or IEM's. Then maybe added some pedals. Then found that all these things are different when playing alone, in the mix or at different venues.
If very lucky, the player was able to find "the sound" that made the bass great.
There are two problems with this process. The first is documenting or explaining what "the sound" actually is. The second problem is perhaps the greatest..."the sound" one looks for can change from day to day, week to week and so one.
All this is just MHO from lots of reading on TB forums and classifieds. To some, the journey is more fun than the destination and the vendors are certainly enjoying it
.
The player chose the type of bass, strings and all the other components and settings on the bass. Then chose the amp, cabs, EQ settings or IEM's. Then maybe added some pedals. Then found that all these things are different when playing alone, in the mix or at different venues.
If very lucky, the player was able to find "the sound" that made the bass great.
There are two problems with this process. The first is documenting or explaining what "the sound" actually is. The second problem is perhaps the greatest..."the sound" one looks for can change from day to day, week to week and so one.
All this is just MHO from lots of reading on TB forums and classifieds. To some, the journey is more fun than the destination and the vendors are certainly enjoying it
.
Kind of like asking what makes a woman or man great.
If you get along well, find him/her endlessly fascinating, can't keep your hands off her/him , and people tell you the two of you are good together, why keep looking for the next greatest thing?
If you get along well, find him/her endlessly fascinating, can't keep your hands off her/him , and people tell you the two of you are good together, why keep looking for the next greatest thing?
@Joe Nerve is it possible that the bass is just not all that complicated? That we obsess over the sound of an instrument that imo is meant to be felt as much as heard.
Folks complicate stuff here endlessly, and I'm into it.... But at the end of the day, to do the job, you need need to push low freq. Every bass I've ever played could do that.
Folks complicate stuff here endlessly, and I'm into it.... But at the end of the day, to do the job, you need need to push low freq. Every bass I've ever played could do that.
I took an arc over my time. I steadily worked towards more and more complex rigs, the technocrat thinking in me driving things: Obviously, some serious bass thru a hi-fi nerd rig would just have to be better than a PBass thru some average amp. Obviously ! !
So now I went over the hill and I'm back at the bottom on the other side. Well, technically, I suppose the fancy nerd rig was better, but I spent so much time obsessed that it took a lot of the fun out of it.
So now, somehow my VM Squier PBass Five makes perfect sense for me now. One pickup, passive. A volume and a tone knob. Nothing exotic in the least. The only thing I have to think about is playing well. Now to find the right amp that likes it, with just a few tone knobs. No graphics, subharmonic generators, or other technical stuff I don't need. Just tone, with as few controls in the way as possible. If it would plug right into the back of a power amp, I'd be tickled.
So I suppose I'd have to say the best bass/amp combination for me is minimalist, and will just stay out of the way and let me just play for the joy of it. My techno-snobbery is gone. Just my own opinion for my wants and needs.
So now I went over the hill and I'm back at the bottom on the other side. Well, technically, I suppose the fancy nerd rig was better, but I spent so much time obsessed that it took a lot of the fun out of it.
So now, somehow my VM Squier PBass Five makes perfect sense for me now. One pickup, passive. A volume and a tone knob. Nothing exotic in the least. The only thing I have to think about is playing well. Now to find the right amp that likes it, with just a few tone knobs. No graphics, subharmonic generators, or other technical stuff I don't need. Just tone, with as few controls in the way as possible. If it would plug right into the back of a power amp, I'd be tickled.
So I suppose I'd have to say the best bass/amp combination for me is minimalist, and will just stay out of the way and let me just play for the joy of it. My techno-snobbery is gone. Just my own opinion for my wants and needs.
My take is......feel.
As I play different basses I find that I adjust my style to the tone the bass is making. It still sounds like me however. I've just never been able to shake that handicap.
I can see build quality being a part of it but I find that to be limited to neck feel and fret work. I still can't hear how tight the neck pocket is or the state of the finish. The right bass for you is the one that feels right. For you
As I play different basses I find that I adjust my style to the tone the bass is making. It still sounds like me however. I've just never been able to shake that handicap.
I can see build quality being a part of it but I find that to be limited to neck feel and fret work. I still can't hear how tight the neck pocket is or the state of the finish. The right bass for you is the one that feels right. For you
Probably right about a cop out cause we all know that the only reason Marcus and Victor are able to play so well is that they have instruments that are setup. Without a setup or low action it would be a buzzy mess. It would be a hard “Lesson” for Mr Wooten. Get the humour.
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
If the instrument in question INSPIRES you to pick it up, practice on it, drag it to gigs, and try to live out your musical dreams... then it’s a great bass.
Doesn’t matter if it’s a cheap bass played by a world-renowned virtuoso or an expensive bass played by an unknown bedroom player, if the instrument in question inspires the player to make music, it’s a great bass.
Doesn’t matter if it’s a cheap bass played by a world-renowned virtuoso or an expensive bass played by an unknown bedroom player, if the instrument in question inspires the player to make music, it’s a great bass.
The Mustangs have a secret sauce.
It’s two parts fun, one part quick cornering.
And an extra aura of candy-like allure.
I have no clue, Joe.
I have about 15 basses, some I've owned for 30+ years. They all play and sound great, which is why I bought them. My awesome Drake customs could fit in both of the bands I'm in, but they are very expressive in tone and voice -- I don't know to define that -- and they go best with the Americana band that features slide, acoustic guitar and banjo.
My cheapies, like my TMB100 and more Fenderish basses gonwell in my grungier blues/rock band with the Paul Reed Smith through a pedal board.
As long as I can afford them -- and they were all cash bought -- Ill keep them.
Turns out there are many perfect basses.
I have about 15 basses, some I've owned for 30+ years. They all play and sound great, which is why I bought them. My awesome Drake customs could fit in both of the bands I'm in, but they are very expressive in tone and voice -- I don't know to define that -- and they go best with the Americana band that features slide, acoustic guitar and banjo.
My cheapies, like my TMB100 and more Fenderish basses gonwell in my grungier blues/rock band with the Paul Reed Smith through a pedal board.
As long as I can afford them -- and they were all cash bought -- Ill keep them.
Turns out there are many perfect basses.
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
The more you play, the more you understand technique, the more time in general you spend on an instrument on a daily basis, the more you know about your instrument. It requires no special devotion to discovering new philosophy about the meaning of bass in life, answer "42", arrangment of atoms in universe and all other jazz.
You will know. You will feel it, end of story, basta, punto bella.
