for recording I prefer stingrays. That being said, I no longer any rays LoL. If money was no object though, I would keep a ray around, just a single pickup model, for recording. They are magical, direct to the board.
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Which Bass guitar would you record with
- Thread starter PleyswethSqwerl
- Start date
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,612
- 222,125
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Precision for me. I prefer simple volume and tone, but a solid PJ would be a close second choice for me.
Any of them. I suppose it somewhat depends on the music you're playing. I own a 5 string FSI and a Fender P... I'd feel great about recording with either.
Having all this great basses at disposing, i would record with each one is best for the music in question.
When I was gigging, I recorded all of our demos with an Ibanez Soundgear SR300. I'd probably pick up my current SR300 if I had to do it again. 
Or, I might pick up the custom 5-string multi-scale I built myself. Who knows.
Or, I might pick up the custom 5-string multi-scale I built myself. Who knows.
All depends on the album and the style of music, really.
In the past I've used three different P basses, Steinberger L2, NS Radius CR5 and a German no-name plywood upright.
In the past I've used three different P basses, Steinberger L2, NS Radius CR5 and a German no-name plywood upright.
I didn't own one at the time so I used the studio Jazz bass for a country-rock album I played on in 2000. Similarly I borrowed a Jazz to record on a friend's country songs on a two CD (Rockabilly/Country) set he recorded in 2010.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,612
- 222,125
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
For me personally with the music I play, probably most often I'd use a Stingray or Bongo. It do have a MM Cutlass which is a P bass style and I'd use that as well if it suits the music. Most of what my band plays is prog so the Ray and Bongo suit that better in my opinion.
The one that was the easiest to play for hours and days. The tone achieved on a recording has very little to do with the bass used, and nearly everything to do with the style of the player, and the engineering and production.
My go-to bass for recording is my '69 Fender P that has been modded into a PJ. It's strung with rounds and has a 60's J pickup in the bridge position. It works so well for recording, it's very well balanced and sits in the mix perfectly.
It would depend which instrument I wrote the songs on, and what worked best for the particular production in the studio.
For me, that usually works out as StingRay / Rickenbacker / Precision (in that order).
For me, that usually works out as StingRay / Rickenbacker / Precision (in that order).
Everyone knows that if you bring a fancy bass to the session, the engineer will pull an inexpensive precision bass off the wall for you to play. After that, you'll sell all your gear and only play precision basses for the rest of your career. You'll tell that story every time you get a chance and non-session-playing bassists on message boards around the world will quote it like it's gospel. 
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When I went to a studio in Austin back in 1982 I had just purchased a '78 Stingray Bass for $325. I took it straight to the studio after buying it and it sat in the mix so well that the engineer told me that it was one of the best recording basses that he had heard.
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