Which Bass guitar would you record with

[PleyswethSqwerl]

A lot of people saying "Well, what kind of music is it?"



It's your album, so you tell us what kind of music it is, and whether that musical style determines which bass you're going to use.

What a very smart man who reads things in context. I’ve had people reply what base with the options that (You) have chosen for us. When option six clearly says any bass or miscellaneous base of your choosing. You’re correct it clearly says your album, the music that you play it’s very self-explanatory. However, they will continue to ask or debate which type of music it all depends. The question specifically asks the music that you play. Thank you for pointing that out. That’s very awesome.

 

[JRA]

I’m curious to hear other bassist responses. And, Why? they would choose that specific bass if they could only choose that one.

i'm pretty sure i'd go with a PJ. i like the others, too, but i'm used to a PJ most of the time.

 

[AncientNoob]

I have multiple different bases with different configurations so I don’t have to choose “one to rule them all”. But I suppose to answer your hypothetical, a Jazz would be my go to, but a PJ would run a VERY close second.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

If you all had one bass guitar that you absolutely had to record your album with. Which one would you choose?

1. Precision Bass (PBass).
2. Jazz Bass (JBass).
3. Musicman Stingray.
4. Rickenbavker.
5. P/J.
6. Some other brand or miscellaneous
Bass.

I’m curious to hear other bassist responses. And, Why? they would choose that specific bass if they could only choose that one.

I haven't done a lot of professional recording but I've always used my Jazz Bass. First time was at a Hollywood recording studio in about 1972 with my1965 Jazz bass. The had a hard time mic'ing my Standel amp because it had 4 round ports mounted vertically next to its 2x15" vertically mounted speakers. Cabs back then were just starting to get into bass reflex designs and he couldn't get the sound he wanted quickly, so he had me go direct to the boardt. They knew how to make a Jazz Bass sound good, and they did.

Next time was in 1975 when ATCO asked the group I was playing in (The L.A. Smogg) to make a demo of two of our original songs. I used my'65 Jazz for that. Had the wrong guy sing those songs and ATCO gave us a pass. But my '65 Jazz still sounded good on the recording.

In 2019 I played a 3-hour session at a recording session in a pro studio in Seattle. I was using my 1982 Jazz with maple neck and 70's era pickup spacing (my '65 was stolen in 1976). Too much bleed over between bass and drums so I was handed a DI and they said, "we're going to run you direct into the board. I insisted on using my WTDI instead, which is a DI stompbox with built-in Eden WT preamp. I turned off the compressor and Enhance (shape) controls, ran the bass and treble flat, selected the 500Hz low-mids for the mid control, added a little boost (to ~1:30). The raw tapes of that were the best I've ever heard.

I have to qualify that I had previously discussed with the sound engineer what I had not liked about the bass on their demo that I'd heard. It had what I call "elephant stomp" compression on the bass so the bass had almost no dynamics at all. Told him I needed to have those dynamics in my track. He agreed. He had me listen to the raw tapes at the end of the session and asked what I thought. I said that I heard a little more bass EQ than I'm used to but it was absolutely clear and focused and told him, "I think it sounds great, good job!"

He smiled real big and said that is exactly the sound that I sent him. Said he didn't move any EQ or add any compression, that was exactly the signal he got from my WTDI. All he did was adjust the level in my track. Then both he and the owner of the studio came out to see what exactly I was using. Just that little boost at 500Hz was all my bass needed for a stellar recording. So I'm definitely using my '82 Jazz for all future recordings.

 

[smarthound]

Variax 705. I can get the Precision/Jazz/Stingray/Rick etc sounds out of it as required, and there's a low B if needed.

 

[Gyver]

My current band records its practice sessions, and I have used a USA Geddy Jazz, Allparts P, Tony Franklin PJ fretless and Stingray Special on different occasions. All sound great, but the Stingray has been sounding the best to my ears. My guitar player really likes it as well.

 

[Manticore]

Over the last 30 years I've almost exclusively used an Alembic. That said, last month I used a no-name Asian p-style bass for a recording that turned out remarkably well.

 

[PleyswethSqwerl]

Variax 705. I can get the Precision/Jazz/Stingray/Rick etc sounds out of it as required, and there's a low B if needed.

View attachment 5093348

I’ve never seen this place before I’ll look into this

 

[Bass-ball]

option No. 6 citessome other brand or miscellaneous bass){emphasis added} Thus leaving you the option to chose one that’s not on the list or one of your own personal favorites.

Ah, ok. Well in that case, I'd still probably go with the single H Stingray

 

[carsbybigd]

Alembic series 1

 

[Mastermold]

If you all had one bass guitar that you absolutely had to record your album with. Which one would you choose?

1. Precision Bass (PBass).
2. Jazz Bass (JBass).
3. Musicman Stingray.
4. Rickenbavker.
5. P/J.
6. Some other brand or miscellaneous
Bass.

I’m curious to hear other bassist responses. And, Why? they would choose that specific bass if they could only choose that one.

For the last album my band recorded, I played a '57 Kay Pro hollow body for every song except one where I used a '64 Fender P-bass.

For the album before that, I recorded it entirely on a '59 Kay Speed Demon.

For the album before that, I used a '67 Gibson EB-2 for about half the songs and a '08 Fender Jazz for the rest.

For the album before that, mostly used a CS Fender P-bass.

Fenders work well for most recording projects IMO, but really it's dependent on what sounds you're going for.

 

[Pirate Captain]

Status Graphite

 

[Todd LaCasse]

If you all had one bass guitar that you absolutely had to record your album with. Which one would you choose?

1. Precision Bass (PBass).
2. Jazz Bass (JBass).
3. Musicman Stingray.
4. Rickenbavker.
5. P/J.
6. Some other brand or miscellaneous
Bass.

I’m curious to hear other bassist responses. And, Why? they would choose that specific bass if they could only choose that one.

Sadowsky any model but preferably NYC PJ 5.

 

[Hounddog409]

If you all had one bass guitar that you absolutely had to record your album with. Which one would you choose?

1. Precision Bass (PBass).
2. Jazz Bass (JBass).
3. Musicman Stingray.
4. Rickenbavker.
5. P/J.
6. Some other brand or miscellaneous
Bass.

I’m curious to hear other bassist responses. And, Why? they would choose that specific bass if they could only choose that one.

Originals.....i have my sound. That sound is used on most tracks. Part of the bands sound.

That means my Ric.
Not goin to just randomly pick a bass.

 

[bigjames]

If you all had one bass guitar that you absolutely had to record your album with. Which one would you choose?

1. Precision Bass (PBass).
2. Jazz Bass (JBass).
3. Musicman Stingray.
4. Rickenbavker.
5. P/J.
6. Some other brand or miscellaneous
Bass.

I’m curious to hear other bassist responses. And, Why? they would choose that specific bass if they could only choose that one.

#5. PJ. Because that is what I use now as my go-to for recording. I feel like I can get enough P and enough J from it to get the best of both worlds.

 

[bigjames]

Sadowsky any model but preferably NYC PJ 5.

Ha! Same. NYC PJ 5 for the win. It is my go to now.

 

[steveinohio]

Stingray set flat. I’m glad I don’t have to make that choice though.

 

[bigjames]

If you all had one bass guitar that you absolutely had to record your album with. Which one would you choose?

1. Precision Bass (PBass).
2. Jazz Bass (JBass).
3. Musicman Stingray.
4. Rickenbavker.
5. P/J.
6. Some other brand or miscellaneous
Bass.

I’m curious to hear other bassist responses. And, Why? they would choose that specific bass if they could only choose that one.

I will add, in my experience, depending on the room you are in, the engineer, the producer, and whether people know your name (e.g. Flea, Victor, Les Claypool, etc.), it might be an uphill session with anything besides #1, #2, or #5.

 

[Dabndug]

Context is everything. If I'm a hired session player, whatever my employer wants me to play is fine. If it's my project, an early/mid '70s Rickenbacker. They bring out the best in my playing.

 

[Grinderman]

Depends on the song. Even assuming a P bass, as an example, there could remain a question of which P bass.