Will these two basses sound too alike?

[trout fishing]

I guess only I can be the judge of that--I'm sure the guitarists in my band would think a '60s P bass with flats doesn't sound all that much different than a Ken Smith with SS rounds--but:

I have a Fender Mustang: 30" scale, alder body, maple neck, rosewood board, bolt on neck, split coil mustang pickup in the middle position with La Bella flats.

Next month, I will be getting my Serek: 30.5" scale, Mahogany body and neck, ebony board, set neck, single coil (Serek's B90) in the middle position with D'Addario Tapes.

I'm worried they will sound too alike.

Now, of course the smart thing to do would've been to wait and see, but I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. I already put the Mustang for sale on Facebook Marketplace (I've had nice Js and Ps sit on Marketplace for 6+ months, so I thought I'd start earlier) and already gotten a few offers, including one that I probably shouldn't really refuse. Maybe I should just tell them to give me a month? Then again, that's long enough for them to change their mind 10 times.

What do you like? Will they sound very alike?

 

[WayneP]

Have you checked YouTube? I searched “serek armitage 30.5 scale” and found a couple of videos. Only caveat, neither seems to have your particular pickup.





Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Make Your Own Cables: A How-To Guide
Administrator, Official Pedulla Club #45
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My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

 

[trout fishing]

Have you checked YouTube? I searched “serek armitage 30.5 scale” and found a couple of videos. Only caveat, neither seems to have your particular pickup.





Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Make Your Own Cables: A How-To Guide
Administrator, Official Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Heartfield Club #36
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Administrator, Official Pre-Gibson Tobias Owners Club
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

doesn't sound like my mustang, but then again, completely different setup and player.

 

[Metal Sombreros]

Without playing the serek I will say they likely sound different. As always its in the players hands too

 

[Iristone]

Even if they are identical basses, you could change the pickups and strings to get completely different tones. That said, I personally wouldn't sell a perfectly good Mustang so fast...

 

[TeaTime]

We complain about tire kickers wasting the time of sellers. Why is it ok to list something that you're not even sure you are selling?

 

[klyph]

If they sound too much alike, just buy a router and start modding the mustang until they don’t sound alike anymore.

 

[logdrum]

I suggest waiting till the Serek gets there and then wait another month before A/B ing them. I have 2 fretted jazz basses and just their pickups already make them sound different. I record my basses and even the one bass with just string changes, say from GHS Boomers to DR Fat Beams is already a big tonal difference and these are roundwounds. Even with the same strings, the neck fretboard as well as weigh and density of the neck, t already makes these 2 basses, sound different before amplification. You need to listen hard but there is a difference. But on the same token, I can do all my gigs with most of my basses - they are all interchangeable to a large degree ( string count, frets or none and all the other differences ). They all function musically as a fundamental and harmonic instrument first and percussive second.

 

[Bikeguy57]

Why would they sound alike? Other than scale length, they have nothing in common.

 

[cataract]

Just try both and sell the one you like the least. Or keep both. It’s not hard bruh

 

[J Wilson]

Differences in the instruments aside, they will both sound like YOU playing them. How different can they be ? If you want them to sound noticeably different, you may have to approach them differently.

Give me just about any bass and any amp and about 5 minutes, and it'll sound like me.