Ok, school is virtually over, and I'm gonna get a full time job. I plan on saving up for a killer bass setup. Currently, I have an Ernie Ball OLP bass (around $400) which is pretty awesome for the price. I want something better though. I was thinking about getting one of the following: A Tobias Toby PRO-4. I hear that Tobias basses are awesome, and the only player I've heard that uses one (the guy in ben harper and the innocent criminals) gets a nice, rich tone out of it. The problem is that I don't have the chance to try one out. A Washburn AB10. I get to play my teachers AB10 every now and then, and its really nice. Its suprisingly easy to play, and it has great tone. Its the only acoustic bass I've ever gotten to play, so I don't know how it compares to others. I'm not limiting myself to one of these basses, these are just the ones that have cought my eye. I played a P-bass, and I didn't like it for some reason, so there's no need to suggest it. Bassically, I'm willing to go for more strings, but I'd rather stick with 4 at the moment. I want a versitile sound with roaring lows, a rich, warm mid and tweeting highs. Price range doesn't really matter, and I'd like it to look good, and a little different. Any sugestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I hate to break it to you. but that toby pro you are looking at is a gibson tobias.. its not the same as the original pre-gibson tobias basses. And the bassist for ben harper i'm pretty sure plays on an MTD bass.. which is made by micheal tobias of course... But if your choices are between the two basses, I would go for the Tobias... But you can only order them from musicyo.com and you won't be able to try before you buy..... and I've read many reviews about this bass. and i have heard that the preamp in this thing is really weak
Or, get a REAL piece of the MTD action with an MTD Kingston or Heir! The Kingstons go for less than 450, and are killer basses.
If price range truly doesn't matter (or matters only above, say 2k), then I'd say you should explore your options a little more. What do you like in a bass- Tone-wise, wood-wise, construction-wise, electronics-wise? For example, I like neck-thru, active basses with two pickups (for blending versatility). I like a really good slap tone, so I'd get a Bart or Basslines contour switch setup. Now, if you can answer those questions, you can narrow down your list considerably and probably get a lot of good recommendations. Also, everybody has a top price they'll pay, so you'll need to figure out what yours is.
TOBIAS. between the two u showed in that post, DEFFO the tobias. I dont care if its after gibson, it still makes a beautiful sound for the price you pay......i could go on..... go here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54242&highlight=reccomendation *sorry for my annoying enthusiasm*
I haven't played the Toby Pro/active, so I can't comment on that, but the passive lower end Toby's are good for the money. However, if it's true that price is not that much of an issue, you definitely need to explore a whole lot more than that. If you weren't locked in the 400 - 500 range, but were inside say, the $1000 range, there are an awful lot of cool possibilities.
Try hard to find and play on an MTD Kingston;very good bass especially for the price. If you can spend a little more the Lakland Skyline is also a winner,but the one with US electronics is a lt more money than the one without (55-01 $699,55-02 $1119.)
if you're "willing to go for more strings," i suggest you go "more than four" as soon as possible. i'm not trying to sell you a 5 or giving you an ultimatum, but i personally think that it will be easier for you to learn how to play a 5 (or whatever...) early on instead of playing for years on a four and getting so accustomed to it that switching to a five (which you seem to be playfully curious about doing) later down the line will be harder to do. any back-up on this? btw-brendan plays (and apparently endorses...) an mtd kingston 5. off topic: nice to have ya posting here (again)!
I'd like to weigh in with a suggestion. Have you thought of a Peavey Millenium or Cirrus? Great basses, but pricey if bought new.
Well, duh ! It's a lot tougher to play when you're standing in front of it (The bass, I mean... not the chalupa)
Believe me, if I did eat chalupas with any regularity, Forida would be a cesspool of stink, bile, and...wait, nevermind, too late!
Oh i didn't see where you said price wasn't a problem.. you want something that looks good and... different you say... well.. umm.... hows about... a..... umm... Elllllllrick? I'm sorry I can't help it I love these basses
heck, you were able to hold down the bottom WHILE YOU WERE PASSED OUT! kudos to you, brendan (and phil, your singer, for randomly strumming open strings as you lay on the floor with your bass by your side).