What's your most versatile bass? (Include Pics!)

[Jared Lash]

My Stambaugh 5

P and PJ tones along with pseudo Stingray tones and a range in between along with a great preamp.

 

[jd56hawk]

Maybe the only bass I'd own two of.

 

[malthumb]

Sorry for the thread resurrection but this thread was namechecked in the Versatile Stingrays thread so I thought, "Why the heck not join in"...

For my most versatile I would name-check my Mark 1 Wal 4 String. Some folks think of Wal as just sounding like 80s Geddy or BSSM Flea or just like Justin (all of which they do) but they have so much broader a tonal palette than that. I've played so many genres (folk to pop, rock n roll to heavy rock, funk to jazz, nu-soul to reggae, worship to function bands) with this bass and it has always had a whole range of sounds which were easy to find and sat beautifully in the mix.

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One need not apologize when one posts pics of tasty Wal.

 

[Bassworship1]

My most versatile is my Custom Devon Modern J5 that has Nordstrand DC pickups and Nordie 3 band preamp. The added Vintage tone control for passive and coil tap switch for Single coil, Series, and Parallel for each pickup allows me to have any tone I need. Best bass I've ever owned. I have another Custom Devon almost finished that I expect to be just as good or better.

 

[malthumb]

....
As for me....all but one of my basses are dual pickup active basses, so they are all very versatile (the exception being a '78 Ray). So my most versatile would likely be the one with the most knobs .
In all seriousness, it is my most versatile bass.

2000 Alembic Mark King Deluxe / Series II 5-string.....

I’ll still stand by my Alembic 5-string being my most versatile, but something happened this week that moves another one of my basses further up the ladder.

I’ve recently started playing with a horn-focused group that does a lot of Motown and Chicago (band, not city) type stuff. I had been alternating in rehearsals between my Music Man Sabre and my Fender AmDlx P5. The P5 has a Sadowsky preamp installed. At one of the last rehearsals, the battery crapped out. So, I pulled up on the Active / Passive switch, tweaked the volume up a bit, biased it to the P-pickup and tweaked the tone filter a bit. Totally different bass. For the first time in my playing history a P-bass tone from my fingers that I actually like. I hear other players’ P-bass tones that I like, but whenever I have played a straight forward P-bass, I’ve always found the tone to be too dull or muddy. I think I’ll keep using this bass and this setting with this group.

2005 Fender American Deluxe Precision 5-string

• malthumb
• Dec 26, 2016
• fender

Picture taken at hotel in Beijing, China

 

[T-Funk]

My Fender American Elite Jazz V is my most versatile bass:

 

[kkaarrll]

@JEDI BASS might be making it

 

[Pandastylebass]

My Lakland Skyline 5501. It has a Nordstrand Preamp and pick-ups. It can do some many tones!!

 

[Nedmundo]

My G&L USA M-2500, both for its fifth string (my others are fours) and the huge array of tones available with the blend and EQ. I normally use a fairly narrow tonal range, but the M was great for a musical that required a much wider range, and it was fantastic in a cover band that did some reggae, pop, folk, rock, etc.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

G&L, the Swiss Army Knife of basses. No bad tones available.

 

[theduke1]

Since 2006

 

[GlassToMouth]

I'm glad I'm not one of the only ones who's addicted to so much variety of tonal options. Even though on most gigs and rehearsals, I only use one or two different settings. After swapping the stock Kiesel humbuckers and preamp for a pair of EMG TWX's and EMG BQC system, I get eight different pickup configurations in addition to the 3 band EQ. I really enjoy the push/pull volume pots on each pick up. 1st pic is before the mods. The rest are after.

My Kiesel Vanquish multiscale 4 string.

 

[Farrin D]

I actually need to update mine, I no longer have my Fender Dimension, but now an Ibanez ATK805E. Now this bass is truly versatile! A nice Stingray sound, a modern Jazz tone, a tone of its own, and the neck pickup is quite nice. If only it had an active passive switch...

 

[Farrin D]

My most versatile is my Custom Devon Modern J5 that has Nordstrand DC pickups and Nordie 3 band preamp. The added Vintage tone control for passive and coil tap switch for Single coil, Series, and Parallel for each pickup allows me to have any tone I need. Best bass I've ever owned. I have another Custom Devon almost finished that I expect to be just as good or better.
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Maaaannnnn Devon basses have caught my eye recently, they look beautiful!

 

[MrLenny1]

My 27 year old Pedulla Series II 5 string.
Versatile because I dropped an Audere Pre amp in it and
can bring it to beer joints and jam sessions without worrying too much.

 

[JEDI BASS]

@JEDI BASS might be making it

Ha!! We shall see how it turns out. I still need to buy a decent router, P pickup template, and decide on the right split P pup.

 

[ThudThudThud]

The Fendowsky

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I like it!

 

[bobyoung53]

This is a picture from the internet but mine is identical, Fender American Hotrod Precision bass. I am not afraid to bring this bass to any gig. I put La Bella Deep Talkin' flats on it and it sounds damn good!

 

[ThudThudThud]

No pics, but my Am. Std. Jaguar is so very versatile. PJ, series/parallel, active/passive, switched pickups.

 

[theduke1]

This one too since 2009 but it’s a 97 model