• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

which bass did it for you

what were the others?

why?
Lakland, Smith, Modulus, Sadowsky, too many to name. The feel of the neck on this bass, the sound, the playability, the looks and the extreme light weight all play into it. I also picked out the top in the old Roscoe shop when I was there to pick up a 6 string they built for me - my first made for me Roscoe. This is my 2nd. It’s the only bass I have any more. Wish I had the Roscoe fretless 5 I had built. It would be a toss up betweeen the two.
 
I love both my Yamaha BBN and my Fender P-bass clone- their tones are so much different that I can't say that either one is better than the other.

What I can say is that they each have definite musical voices-

The Yamaha has more of a Jazz and Ricky got together and had a baby Prog-bass tone. It also is great for "lead style" playing, ala Chris Squire and my own "fake guitar parts" style of overdubbing when i'm in the studio.

The P-bass is has a sound that is just what it sounds like it should be- a P-bass tone that excels at the classic rock 'n' roll and blues. I'v used it in home studio for some aggressive hard rock stuff too.

As Jaco was fond of saying, "I have four kids, and NONE OF THEM are my favorite!"
 
For me, my Classic Vibe 70's P-Bass with Fender Custom Shop '62 pick up and Fender 9050L Flatwounds. Sounds, plays and feels so nice.
20171211_111811.jpg
 
my first 1000$ bass that my father bought me after 2 years of playing a crappy Fender MIJ ... a Yamaha BBNEII5 that I still have 18 years later

Then it was a pair of Carvin LB76 one fretted and one fretless that I had 10 years before I sold them last year

Then I bought a Carvin Icon 6 fretless that I still have 5 years later.

I bought a Warwick Thumb BO6 that I have for 2 years now but I'm trying to sell them.

2 or 3 months ago I bought 2 EBMM. A sterling 4 and a Stringray 5.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nateh415
My players at the moment are a MIA Fender Jazz, EBMM Bongo, and a heavily modded Billy Sheehan Yamaha. I forget the model number on the Yamaha, it’s an out of production model that’s less flamboyant than the current Attitudes, I think they were trying for a more traditional mass market take on that design. In any case, it’s quickly becoming my favorite. The pickups are a DiMarzio Will Power in the neck and an EMG Geezer in the middle, and the thing just kills; with both pickups cranked it has a nice, smooth, deep low; if I want some more midrange bite and growl I just back off on the neck pickup a bit. The thing plays like a dream too, not quite as beautifully as my Bongo but pretty damn close.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nateh415
Ibanez tmb301
Fender P (spb3s) Fender SS Flats
Fender P with a jazz neck (CS62s)
Fender jazz (cs 60s)
2012 EBMM sterling 4h
2016 EBMM stingray 4h

Everyone has super slinky strings except the one P.

Today the jazz won in a big big way. Played it through my new portaflex right and it was sawweeeetttttt
 
  • Like
Reactions: nateh415
'77 Music Man fretless with old flats from the '80's at the earliest (possibly original strings)
'96 G&L fretless with old flats from the '90's (the original strings)
'76 Musicmaster with Steve Harris signature flats (but about to get LaBella .109 flats)
'90's MIJ '60's RI Precision (modded with electronics and AVRI neck) with LaBella 760M flats
Recent AV '64 RI Jazz with LaBella 760M flats
Recent AV '58 RI Precision with LaBella 760M flats

The AV '58 wins the day. I've been playing it exclusively for over a month now. Killer bass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nateh415 and PWRL
1998 Warwick Streamer LX
2011 Fender American Special Precision (modified)
2012 Fender MIM Jazz with QPs
I do own an 84 MIJ Squier P, but it's being borrowed long-term by a friend.

But the winner this weekend is of course the new one, the 89 Fender USA 62 RI Precision. Although, I rotate them pretty regularly. The MIM Jazz is not to be taken lightly, and often comes out as my weekend go-to bass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nateh415 and N4860
I was never a P bass fan, even as far back as when I first started playing, in the mid 80’s. I then had a guy wanting me to do occasional studio work for him but he insisted on using Fender Precision basses for recording. I got him to compromise with me and told him that I would get a P bass built but didn’t want a Fender. He said that was fine. I then had this bass built for me, a custom shop P bass from K B Guitars. In all of my basses, I use Nordstrand Audio pickups and absolutely love them. I had heard one demo before of the Nordstrand NP4a pickups and really liked them over standard or vintage P style pickups. As a result, I put them in this bass.

I’ve now had this bass for maybe a year or a little less? I have to say, after playing this bass, I have really come to like it and even like Precision basses overall, in general. After playing this one, I have really loved the simplicity. I don’t have to worry about batteries and can leave the bass plugged in when not in use. I now have 1 other in production right now and will then have a third soon thereafter. The one being built right now is white, and will have a tort pickguard and rosewood fingerboard. The following one will be in lake placid blue with a white pickguard and all maple neck and fretboard. Someone on here, made a post about a lake placid blue Fender Precision bass and after seeing it, the color gave me a bad case of g.a.s. for one.

After those other 2 get built, then I am going to have at least 2, 5 string basses built as well. I’ve never heard a 5 string P bass before so I’m still not sure if I will have a 5 string P bass built for me or not? I’m thinking with them, of doing a single humbucker in the bridge, and then a P style pickup in the normal P style position in the body and then have an active/passive pre amp from Nordstrand Audio put in so on them, I can have the versatility of going back and forth or blending the sounds you get from basses with humbucker and P style pickups.

I have to admit though that ever sense having this P bass built, I haven’t hardly even touched any of my other basses. I now get why these basses are so popular and when others say Leo Fender got everything right, I now get it.

AB4CB3C2-AF84-4349-805B-1681150BEDDC.jpeg

835DB6E4-3B4D-4C4A-821C-55141B61EB7D.jpeg
 
Last edited:
I only have two electric basses so it's not that difficult to cycle through them, but today the winner was my L-2500. I rarely take it out anymore, as the LB-100 (passive p-type) is a much better fit for my current band. I took it out today just to noodle around some stuff unrelated to my band, and I'm falling in love all over again. With both pickups on, I feel this bass really sounds like its own thing. Heck, I'm almost entertaining the idea of trying to find a L-2000 (same bass, 4-string version)...

 
  • Like
Reactions: nateh415

Latest posts