You Get One Bass. What Is It?

[Count Bassie]

Seriously. When I started I had one axe, and looked forward to playing to the exclusion of anything else. Now I work, raise kids, work on the house, etc... and since I don't play like I used to I've taken to making music my hobby... I play, just not enough, or what I want to.

So I'm trying to get back to my happy place, and have got the feeling that I'm not the only one...

So, what would you pick?

 

[LinusKarlsson]

A MIA Fender P of some sort. All I ever needed.

 

[ThudThudThud]

When I first started playing I had a P copy (Hondo II!!). It was black, with a black pickguard, and a maple neck/fingerboard. I put rounds on it. I remember those days fondly. It made all the right noises, because I learned how to make them on it. Simple, effective, great sounding, reliable.
If I had to go back to one bass, it would be a Precision.
That said, I'm knocked out by the sheer number of sounds available on the Am. Std. Jaguar.

 

[Cowboy in Latvia]

Peavey B-quad. Or if we're going affordable, Lakland skyline 5 string jazz type.

 

[LanEvo]

I could live with just a Jazz or Precision.

 

[SteveCS]

Wal MK1 (Custom) fretless all day long. Every time I play one it's like coming home to an old pair of slippers and a favourite chair. Damn I wish I still had my ProBass.

 

[FrenchBassQC]

I never thought I would say this but I would only need a P-Bass now. Weird since I played Jazz basses type almost exclusively in the past, I still have a Jazz bass but the P gets more action lately.

 

[Crusher47]

I could live with just a Jazz or Precision.

Same here, flip a coin

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

G&L SB-2
Hard not so say an MIA P, but the G&L just adds an extra dimension.

 

[Skybone]

One bass only, assuming that I can afford it and that I can justify it (it gets used regularly), I'd go with a Rickenbacker 4003 (mapleglo or jetglo).

 

[punisher911]

Even though I just got it, my srff806. Only because it will cover more ground than any of my 4 strings. Can do lovely high up chord stuff, go low B if I were to play there, and sound good at everything in between.

 

[ajkula66]

If I had to do some actual work with it - as in recording or playing live - a late 80's Paul Reed Smith. No fancy tops needed - although I wouldn't say "no" to them - just a run-of-the-mill 4-string PRS.

For my own enjoyment, never to leave the house, the EB in my avatar is plenty.

 

[delta7fred]

I played a P for 35 years before TB and GAS and could still be happy with one but would probably choose a G&L now although MM and Fender P come a close second.

As it is I don't have to choose so no decision to be made.

 

[MNAirHead]

Hmmn...

Modulus? or Conklin 7

 

[Antisyzygy]

Seriously. When I started I had one axe, and looked forward to playing to the exclusion of anything else. Now I work, raise kids, work on the house, etc... and since I don't play like I used to I've taken to making music my hobby... I play, just not enough, or what I want to.

So I'm trying to get back to my happy place, and have got the feeling that I'm not the only one...

So, what would you pick?

Probably a G&L L2000 with whatever neck choice I wanted. They come with J, P or vintage P necks, made to order.

The main reason I'd pick a L2000 is that it can cop just about any tone you want. People will say it's not the same as a P sound, or a J sound, but it's close enough that you will slot in the mix in a similar way, and the audience won't know the difference.

L2000 -> Series mode + neck pickup, roll the tone down some -> P bass sound
L2000 -> Parallel mode + neck and bridge pickup -> Jazz bass scoop
L2000 -> Series mode + bridge pickup, roll the bass down some -> Stingray sound
L2000 -> Series + any pickups + preamp on with treble boost, cock the EQ knobs back half way -> Active 2-band EQ dual humbucker bass mode

L2000s also have the preamp that has three modes. Off, On, and On + Treble boost. The very unusual thing about the L2000 is that your treble and bass EQ knobs work passively, so no matter how you have the preamp set all your other controls still work.

The preamp is useful for getting highs back if you have a long cable run basically. You can also use it to boost the output of parallel mode so it matches series mode for output, or use it the preamp for a treble boost.

The L2000 is a versatile work horse with enough tweakability you can get any passive or active sound you want just about.

 

[Eminor3rd]

I could "live with" just about anything, but if I got to choose, it would be my Pedulla fretted 5'er. Covers more bases than anything else.

That said, I have a Bordwell fretless on order. And while it would be strange to go with fretless only, I imagine it would be hard to part with a bass I custom ordered myself.

 

[madjazzbass]

Either the Warmoth P/J that I just "assembled", or any really nice P/J, doesn't even have to be a Fender

 

[InhumanResource]

My modded MIJ Marcus Miller jazz. Others come and go and are sometimes toted as backups, but this is the only one that goes to 100% of the gigs.

 

[Phildevoid]

I too have responsibilities that have reduced my music playing to hobby status. I would get the same thing I picked up about a year and a half ago. Fender American Deluxe Jazz. It is called the Elite Jazz now. For what I play today it is flexible enough to meet my needs and I can squeeze all types of tome out of it. If I need active, I just flip the switch and I am active.

 

[srcTW]

A six string Ken Smith.