Calling all Bass Players....HELP

[pabloman]

If your trying to call a bass player you will have to do it at his mom's house. He won't have a phone and is probably living there anyway  :icon_jokercolor:   

Seriously though the Squire stuff is nice. I too am a NARB but I played on a lot of different basses when I worked at the music store. The Schecter stuff was my favorite because it was fast and clean. The modded P Bass is really the way to go. You can lay down a thick groove and still jump up when need be.

 

[Unrepresented]

If you're a GnR fan, then you'll want a jazz bass with a PJ pickup configuration. That's what Duff used for all the classic recordings.

 

[J-Building]

I've got fours, fives, and sixes, and I still want more basses.  :help: I find the fours unplayable now because the low B has proven so useful to me.  Being able to reach down to those lower notes is a real boon to anyone's playing in my opinion, as it throws in some nice variation.  My main player is a Yamaha RBX-JM, but on occasion I'll pick up my Ibanez SR655PB because the neck is so darn comfortable.  Just try out whatever you want at the store, and whatever feels good, buy it.  I have fairly large hands, so a lot of basses feel comfortable for me.  What does it for me is string spacing, which has to be fairly narrow for me to like the bass.

 

[Corey P.]

NARB, as well. Though I currently have more basses than guitars. :blob7:

I'm NARG but have played mainly guitar lately...  :dontknow:

I agree that the new VM Jaguars are a great value and offer a lot of versatility for the price point.

For me, I prefer 5-strings mainly for reasons mentioned: having more notes in each position, plus it gives you plenty of versatility if you happen to play with folks who tune down a lot.  String-wise my progression has basically gone Hohner Jazz Bass copy* (4) > MIM P Bass** (4) > MIM Jazz V (5) > Ibanez SR605*** (5) > EB MM Stingray (5) > Fender/Warmoth Geddy Lee Jazz (4) > Warmoth Jaguar (5-String Deluxe)

* Now in parts in my basement
** Sold to a friend who won't sell it back
*** Got forgotten/snagged after a gig

So all-time I've owned 3 4-strings and 4 5-strings.

With the 4-strings, I think the P-bass did about everything you want a bass to do, but as mentioned a PJ setup gives you the versatility to get most of both sounds, which is something the VM Jaguar offers.  The Precision is wider at the nut, and i prefer both that spacing and the more baseball bat-like profile of its neck.  MusicMan now has the Sterling by Musicman line, too, which are priced in the mid $500 range, and though I haven't played any, if the quality is consistent with OLP, they're very good basses for the money as well.  Personally, I'm most apt to get a P-Bass next for both comfort (I have large hands) and covering the range of sounds it does.

Of the 5's, the Ibanez had the nicest slim spacing and probably the most consistent neck, but crappy electronics, and playing the Stingray was great for a long time, but ultimately can really only do the Stringray sound, and it also left me wanting a slightly wider spacing.  The Warmoth is a great marriage of both the specs and aesthetics I want, along with exotic woods that simply aren't an option on any basses I can touch for the price I paid, but it took playing all the other basses I've had or tried to know it was what I wanted.

TLR - I vote for a MIM P-Bass or VM Jaguar.

 

[drewfx]

I would say, that for someone on this forum at least, you should make sure you get something with a 34" scale and one of the standard Fender style neck pockets, so you can replace stuff with W parts piece by piece down the road if desired.

 

[SkuttleFunk]

If your trying to call a bass player you will have to do it at his mom's house. He won't have a phone and is probably living there anyway  :icon_jokercolor:

actually you'll have to call a guitarist to take the bassist a message because the bassist has got more working gigs than can easily be handled while the guitarist is sitting home watching syndicated reruns of 80's sitcoms  :cool01:

as one who's held the bottom for over 25 years now, played tons of different 4/5/6-string basses, and builds custom basses as part of my income ... I highly recommend a 4-string P as your first bass. it's near impossible for you or the sound guy to mess up the tone, leaving you to learn how to play simple, tasty bass lines that groove (and don't sound like a frustrated lead guitarist playing an octave lower)

after all these years I find I play more P than anything else. a P simply cuts it, sits in the mix like nothing else, and always sounds good together in a mix setting (but not necessarily so much by itself)

all the best,

R

 

[baskruit]

As a bass player, I suggest a halfway point.  Buy a used Squier bass, preferably a Precision Bass Special (also has a J pickup) or any non-Affinity model Squier bass.  You can set these up to be decent enough, but if the *meh* neck bothers you, you can get a Warmoth neck and make it a very playable bass.  I've found the pickups to be tolerable, though I replace them with a Fender Original 62 P pickup (60 bucks or so) for my students. 

You can always upgrade the body eventually, too, if you get seriously into playing the bass and it bothers you.  I prefer the Squier Precision Bass special bodies to American Fenders.  It's Paulowina, and sounds great.  Even replacing the neck, hardware, tuners and pickup(s), you'll be into it less than 500 bucks (if you can score a decent Squier for ~100).  And, you can build it piece by piece, replacing parts as you find good deals. 

Make no mistake, a decently set up cheap bass is 85% the bass of a 2k bass.  Customize it to your needs and tastes with top notch parts, and it's every bit as good without a name pedigree.

-Mark

Excellent advice. My main axe has a Squier body and a Warmoth neck too.
And 4 or 5 strings? I've played bass for 19 years now. Started on 4, switched to 5 after a few years but two years or so ago I went back to mainly 4, just because it feels better to me. It's all about preference.

 

[greywolf]

depending on your hand size  A P bass or J bass are hard to beat .

As far as fretless .. while  I learned on my Jazz fretless 25 years ago ( still my  main bass)  it is a more significant technical challenge to get your intonation spot on.  When youdo , nothing compares to it's vocal quality.

 

[swarfrat]

Fretless is a lot like brain surgery or handgun skills. It takes as much work to stay good as it did to get good. Definitely not a bicycle kind of skill. And not for NARBs

 

[tubby.twins]

Fretless is a lot like brain surgery or handgun skills. It takes as much work to stay good as it did to get good. Definitely not a bicycle kind of skill. And not for NARBs

I've got to disagree on this one.  I started on fretless bass fairly early in my transition from guitar, and even though it took a lot of work it was very rewarding.  Not all fretless bassists need to sound like Jaco Pastorius or Gary Willis.

I know of a few professional NARBs who play fretless bass.  David Gilmour has even played fretless on a few Pink Floyd tracks over the years.  It's achievable.

 

[Cagey]

David Gilmour has even played fretless on a few Pink Floyd tracks over the years.  It's achievable.

I don't have a dog in this race, but David Gilmore is hardly your average player. I'd say he not only has a good ear, but a pretty good grip on stringed instruments.

 

[AutoBat]

David Gilmour has even played fretless on a few Pink Floyd tracks over the years.  It's achievable.

I don't have a dog in this race, but David Gilmore is hardly your average player. I'd say he not only has a good ear, but a pretty good grip on stringed instruments.

Boy can play a mean pedal steel too!

 

[Corey P.]

He learned and played sax for his last solo record, too.  It's pretty much exactly what you'd think Gilmour playing saxophone would sound like.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

Hey guys I have decided that I am going to start learning bass. So I am in the market for one....But the issue is I have no idea what to look for....I would love to build a Gecko but dont have the funds to put down. so what bass should I get for around 500 bucks? Could possibly go higher...

so what do I look for??

4 string or 5?

frets or fretless?

active or passive?

brands?

woods?


  any help would be great guys!!!

Well, I decided I wanted a bass to just mess around with and last year my wife picked me up one of those Squier "Affinity" J-Bass gig packs for Xmas.  Now, before you jump to the conclusion they're garbage, they're actually not.  No, they're no American Standards, but they certainly don't embarrass themselves.

When I got it the action was a bit high but after lowering the action a bit and adjusting the truss rod, it played pretty nicely.  It's most certainly worth the $200-$250 she paid for it, and it doesn't sound half bad, either.

If you do decide to go that route, just make sure to inspect the instrument first.  I've found that some of the instruments in those gig packs can be hit or miss; nothing so much regarding playability but maybe some cosmetic blemishes such as uneven finish on the backs of the necks, a strange "scar" in the neck wood, etc.

One of the main things I did notice about the Affinity series was that the P-Bass sounded really muddy while the J-Bass sounded pretty clear, hence the reason I asked for the J-Bass.

Anyway, go check'em out.  I know this isn't an answer to your questions but I figured I'd throw ya a bone.  It's cheaper than $500 and you might find it suits your needs.

 

[swarfrat]

The Yamaha BBN II series are great instruments that have very low resale value. I have a BBN-4f and a BBN-5, both of which I'm trying to sell locally, and just not getting any interest at a price to make it worth selling. (I mean the case is worth 1/3  what I'd asked, maybe I should sell the cases separate)

 

[AprioriMark]

Fretless is a lot like brain surgery or handgun skills. It takes as much work to stay good as it did to get good. Definitely not a bicycle kind of skill. And not for NARBs

I've got to disagree on this one.  I started on fretless bass fairly early in my transition from guitar, and even though it took a lot of work it was very rewarding.  Not all fretless bassists need to sound like Jaco Pastorius or Gary Willis.

I know of a few professional NARBs who play fretless bass.  David Gilmour has even played fretless on a few Pink Floyd tracks over the years.  It's achievable.

I agree, though my caveat with fretless playing is always, "if you're not going to play it regularly, don't bother." I've played upright and fretless bass since I was 11, and if I take a few weeks off due to work or more guitar playing, my intonation suffers.  Not my ear, mind you, the muscle memory in my hands.  If you're going to play bass sometimes, start on a fretted.  If you intend to only ever play fretless when you do play bass, don't even buy a fretted bass at first.  If you're playing bass a lot, try both.  If you don't mind that it's a lot more work with subpar (as related to what you hear in your head) results, buy a fretless to play casually.  Just make no mistake here, fretless bass is a dedication.

-Mark

 

[Cagey]

I've never heard that before, but I don't know any fretless players. Still, it makes sense. You don't get any help from those setups, so my guess is you'd better have your ducks in a row or nothing's gonna be right.

 

[SkuttleFunk]

and if your intonation is lacking, you use poor technique, and/or your note choice is immature or ... ummm ... self-pleasuring ... your suck factor is impossible to hide by even the most bass hating soundtech

playing fretless is an informed decision backed up by extreme woodshedding

many players think they're great fretless players ... exactly like all of those people auditioning for American Idol believe they're great singers

all the best,

R

 

[Cagey]

Speaking of "American Idol"... how is that show still on? I watched it once, and it was like OMFG! It's only a stone's throw from "The Gong Show", but with more abuse. Yet, it's extremely popular. What demographic does it serve? Do the people who watch it imagine they could do better? Do they just want somebody to make fun of? Do they think it's a pathway to fortune and fame? Are they envious? What? I don't get it. I'd rather watch paint dry while having my balls pounded flat with an 8lb sledge.

 

[drewfx]

Speaking of "American Idol"... how is that show still on? I watched it once, and it was like OMFG! It's only a stone's throw from "The Gong Show", but with more abuse. Yet, it's extremely popular. What demographic does it serve? Do the people who watch it imagine they could do better? Do they just want somebody to make fun of? Do they think it's a pathway to fortune and fame? Are they envious? What? I don't get it. I'd rather watch paint dry while having my balls pounded flat with an 8lb sledge.

AFAIK, it's basically a show for tween girls - and people who share their taste in music.