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Which bass? Advice needed

M

Mooooooo

Feb 1, 2006
58
0
#1
Hi all,

I need some advice to get me going. I play the bass and I'm also a lead singer in a band. Think early U2 meets My Bloody Valentine and early Cure. I used to play a guitar but had to switch to bass a year ago. My first bass was (and is) an '82 Fender Musicmaster. It's a fun instrument to play and but when we recorded I had to borrow something that sounded better which happened to be a vintage Mustang.

Now I'm considering buying a new instrument and I'm kind of lost. I'm hesitant to buy another short-scale because I already own one and Mustangs look almost the same as my current bass, although it might be an opportunity if I find something really original.

I'm definitely aiming for a better sound and as good of a playability as with my Musicmaster. Looks also mean a great deal to me, I want a beautful bass.

I really, really like the looks Rickenbacker basses but I'm not sure that it would be easy to play this huge thing and sing and move at the same time. Fenders? Jazz, Precision... I really don't know. I would appreciate any advise. What if I bought a Rick? Which ones are the best? Year, model? I would also like to have as little trouble with truss-rods.

Thanks in advance for your help! :bassist:
 
#2
as little as possible problem with truss rod? play your way through whatever Fender MIA you can get your hands on. they have graphite rods going inside the neck to keep it stable, you could also go for Status Graphite or Modulus basses, but they are PRETTY expensive...

Geddy managed to play rickenbackers fine and move around and sing, so, why shouldnt you ;)
 
#4
with that kind of music, a Fender Jaguar bass would fit the bill for looks and sound. Trust me, I know, I play stuff very influenced by early Cure, but I use a MIJ P-Bass. Actually, a black one with maple fretboard and black pickguard. Think Simon Gallup's one from 17 seconds and Faith era! :D
 
#6
Well.. I love the looks of the new Jaguar but the dealer whose opinion I value a lot as he got lots of experience said that he wouldn't recommend the Jaguar bass to anyone. I don't know.. That's the second time I hear that although the reviews I read were all pretty good.

Do you guys think that Rics are not suitable for this music? I never played one so I can only judge by the sound of the recordings like Stone Roses, Primal Scream, Beatles..
 
#7
dude, read around here. people love the jaguars... but otherwise, a p-bass is perfect for punk and post-punk... but funny thing is, there was this awesome band from Boston in 1996 called fade, and the bassist was the lead singer, and he used... a Rickenbacker! And an MXR flanger, that's key as well, when I can afford it I will get one!
 
#8
i toyed with a Jag at the local guitar center. Very capable instrument. I wouldn't trade in my Geddy Sig for it, but I'm a J-bass kinda guy. I think that the Jaguar might be something you want to look into. Easy to dial in all sorts of wonderful fender tone. And for your music, that sounds like what you're looking for.
 
#9
A Rickenbacker has single coil pickups and I would go with a 4003 model. The bass is similar in tone to a precision bass with the neck pickup by itself. With both pickups it is like a precision with more treble bite. I think if you like the look of the Rickenbacker, go for it!! They ARE a bit expensive, but WELL worth the price. As far as singing and moving, I don't forsee any problems, the biggest change is going from a 30" to a 34" scale, but you will be doing that anyway with most basses.
 
#12
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I told our drummer about my Ric G.A.S. and he went like "please don't do it, Rics have so much hi end, you will butcher our spacial and bassy sound, Rics are for punk rock".. Is he right or more like full of it?
 
#13
"I told our drummer about my Ric G.A.S. and he went like "please don't do it, Rics have so much hi end, you will butcher our spacial and bassy sound."
I've had 2 Rickenbackers, a '73 and an '80 and yes, they do tend to have a hi-end/midi sound to them, but tweaking the eq and the low end on your amp and/or effects can produce thundering piano like lows. That being said, go for a Fender P!;)
 
#14
I don't get it when people say the Rics don't have enough bottom. My 4003 shakes the nails loose from the floor, and I'm only using 150 watts cranked up to "4" at the most! Running through a Peavey 15 and a Crate 18" with 2- 10"s. Plenty of earthshaking lows!:bassist:
 
#15
Found this bit of an interview with Paul Simonon

Your tone changed significantly around that time, too.
Roundabout the time of The Clash I got a Rickenbacker, but I didn’t like it—the sound was too thin and I tended to throw it around. Then I got a Fender Precision and that felt right, but Jesus Christ, it weighed a ton. I used whatever I could get hold of to cushion the strap, because after running and jumping around the stage for an hour I’d have serious burns on my shoulder.
Click to expand...

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#16
Well, on the Warwick side of things, I would suggest to try out a Ash Bodied Corvette Standard. Ash bodied Warwicks are actually pretty light. The Corvette is rounded and smooth, I've always thought Warwick's body designs were easy to move around with because of that. No hard lines like Fenders. The ash body should give a a smooth and mellow high end, nothing too harsh. The bottom end will be tight and growly.
 
#18
it's not a signature model, he is said to play the baron-h and the ultrabass. the ultracure is robert smith's signature model GUITAR. There is the Hellcat VI, but that's a six string bass created with input from Robert Smith (basically a Bass VI).

Screw the warwicks and rics for your kind of music (although simon played a ric on the pornography tour), and get a nice Precision.
 
#20
I would not get a Ric for the style of music you descrtibed above. Ric's are awesome, but they do have a naturally aggressive tone. You could work to tame it, but why buy a bass with that sound if its not the sound you're after. I agree with the earlier about a Fender P. That was the first thought in my head when reading your music styles. Maybe a P/J for a little more versatility.
 

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