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Which Bass guitar would you record with
- Thread starter PleyswethSqwerl
- Start date
honestly, whatever is most comfortable for you and sounds best to your ear at the time. most listeners wont notice the difference and one mix and master is done, the distinctive characteristics of most of those different pickups will be muted anyway.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,013
- 1
- 31,727
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
The one that sounds the best.
Generalizing isn’t really useful here. Pick up two examples of anything in your list and they will sound at least somewhat different.
Generalizing isn’t really useful here. Pick up two examples of anything in your list and they will sound at least somewhat different.
- Jul 7, 2010
- 3,383
- 2,311
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- Endorsing Artist for: Duncan Pickups; Line6, Hipshot, GHS Strings, Somnium Guitars
The one I have, because it's my voice. you never hear people asking singers to change how their voice sounds. 
I don't love the ergonomics of the Ric but I find that mine records wonderfully into a mix.
Depends on the band/style.
In my case I’d “bass” the decision on my own technique too. Slap/pop feels more natural on a Ray or J to me, for example. Muted picking feels right to me on a P or a Ric maybe.
OR maybe I bring a Juno 88 just to melt the TB servers.
In my case I’d “bass” the decision on my own technique too. Slap/pop feels more natural on a Ray or J to me, for example. Muted picking feels right to me on a P or a Ric maybe.
OR maybe I bring a Juno 88 just to melt the TB servers.
If we were recording our original music, then I would use whatever bass I used when rehearsing/arranging the song. In my case, a Wilkins PJ5 (either with flats or stainless) or a Ray 5HH. If recording for someone else, I would ask if they had a preference. But if only one, the PJs would get the call as they just cover so much ground.
The one you play best, properly set up and with good strings.
Did a session for singles for an album with a name producer who circulated a screed about intonation to the band that said “bring properly intonated guitars and basses or you will pay me to fix them for you on your dime before recording a note”. Good man!
Did a session for singles for an album with a name producer who circulated a screed about intonation to the band that said “bring properly intonated guitars and basses or you will pay me to fix them for you on your dime before recording a note”. Good man!
I've been recording with a 6-string fretless Ibanez the last couple weeks that does pretty much everything I want. Except hard rock. I got out the j for the rock numbers. So I guess I fail this hypothetical.
Are you going out later and performing Live?
Then I would choose the one you are most comfortable when performing so you don't have a hard time recreating the studio mix.
Yes, I know many musicians have studio-only instruments but they also have multiples of the same thing as back-up.
Then I would choose the one you are most comfortable when performing so you don't have a hard time recreating the studio mix.
Yes, I know many musicians have studio-only instruments but they also have multiples of the same thing as back-up.
These 'which is best for recording' threads, for me, always come down to this:
- If it's my record/recording, then I'm playing the bass I like to play the most and dig the tone of (in this case, I'd probably go with my G&L M-2000 because I love everything about that bass).
- If I was being paid to record on somebody else's album, I'd play whatever the producer or artist wanted me to play.
I'd probably take my SUB 4 with Duncan Blackout preamp and my Sterling Stingray 4, unless of course I happen to be having a fiery romance with some hot little bass I just hooked up with! 
But, ultimately, I'd probably wind up using the studio's house bass because it's already dialed in and the engineer would like me to. 
The Bar Band Bassman
But, ultimately, I'd probably wind up using the studio's house bass because it's already dialed in and the engineer would like me to. The Bar Band Bassman
D
Definitely P-bass if I can only choose one . It needs to be passive though.
The choice of bass (and strings!) for recording will depend on the song/genre though. As a rough estimate I probably use:
70% passive P-bass, usually not a Fender, flats or rounds.
20% Höfners or similar vintage European hollowbodies, mostly with Pyramid Golds.
5% Danelectro long scale with TI Jazz Flats.
3% some kind of EB-bass with pure nickel roundwounds.
2% all the rest.
When thinking about it I'm actually surprised that I don't use my J-basses more but a P-bass always seems to work better for me.
I should probably also mention that the bass I've used most often lately, a Yamaha BBP34, is actually a PJ but I never, ever use the bridge pickup so always I think of it as a P-bass.
The choice of bass (and strings!) for recording will depend on the song/genre though. As a rough estimate I probably use:
70% passive P-bass, usually not a Fender, flats or rounds.
20% Höfners or similar vintage European hollowbodies, mostly with Pyramid Golds.
5% Danelectro long scale with TI Jazz Flats.
3% some kind of EB-bass with pure nickel roundwounds.
2% all the rest.
When thinking about it I'm actually surprised that I don't use my J-basses more but a P-bass always seems to work better for me.
I should probably also mention that the bass I've used most often lately, a Yamaha BBP34, is actually a PJ but I never, ever use the bridge pickup so always I think of it as a P-bass.
I used to record with a P bass (because it's all that I had at the time) but switched to a Gretsch Junior Jet (2 PU model). The Gretsch tone to me is very neutral and sits in the mix well and both pickups are useable.
