Seriously - is there any difference between bass guitars?

[Wolfman Sack]

I've always used synth bass on most of my tracks since they weren't your rockier type of stuff. But now I need one for - well, rockier type stuff.

Bass to me has always seemed like a frequency, and not much more. Big heavy strings and a pickup.

I'm a guitar player so I get the idea of different woods used, pickup types, body styles making a difference in sound. But then again, guitars are a lead instrument. Once a mix is done, bass fills out the low end but in most songs you don't go - OOO, listen to that bass tone! It just fills it out down there.

Unless you're like, Billy Sheehan or something I guess.

Can someone convince me I need to drop the $ on something other than a lower end Epiphone bass? Has buying a more expensive bass ever done anything for you or your mixes?

[AGCurry]

We bassists obsess needlessly about gear just as more as you guitarists do.

And, just as with guitars, you will spend the most money on the last 5-10% of whatever it is you desire.

But all basses don't sound the same, and they definitely are not created equal.

So, my answer is that you shouldn't get a low-end Epiphone, but neither do you need to get the high-end instrument.

Being a confirmed Fender man, my advice is to pick up a used Fender Precision or Jazz. There are some great ones made in Japan. Heck, there are some pretty nice ones made in Mexico. Shouldn't cost much.

But don't buy an Epiphone. Gibson/Epiphone have made some nice guitars, but they are not noted for great basses.

[mjau]

In my experience, cheap basses usually suffer from at least one of a number of common problems - they have poor intonation, poor sustain, are difficult to play, and difficult to keep in tune.
That said, if you're just low-passing the thing to get something that reinforces the kick drum, you can get away with a lot.
FWIW, I once played an epiphone sg bass that kicked some serious ass with a fuzz pedal. I think it was pretty cheap, and the reissued Danelectro basses are also cheap but sound pretty cool, in a very non-conventional sense.

[Hee-man]

Your music will dictate your bass needs. However, a well setup, well played Fender P-bass (even a cheaper Made In Mexico version) should be sufficient for 95% of your "rock" needs. Whatever bass you get, make sure that there aren't any deadspots on the neck and then take it to a shop for a professional setup.

More important than the bass is the bass player. Paul McCartney played most of his famous basslines on a cheap hofner bass with a ton of compression. James Jamerson played almost all the Motown hits with a single finger ("the Claw") on his P-bass with insanely high action and completely flat-wound strings.

Bass can and should be more than the fundamental support for a wall of guitars!

[AGCurry]

FWIW, I once played an epiphone sg bass that kicked some serious ass with a fuzz pedal. I think it was pretty cheap, and the reissued Danelectro basses are also cheap but sound pretty cool, in a very non-conventional sense.

If you're playing with a fuzztone, you're not really performing the function of bass.

And, yes, the Danos can sound cool in a non-conventional sense. But I'd say if you're buying one bass, you're usually not looking for non-conventional.

[mjau]

a well setup, well played Fender P-bass (even a cheaper Made In Mexico version) should be sufficient for 95% of your "rock" needs.[/b]

Amen...I put a '61 reissue pickup in a MIM precision, and I love that bass now.

[inverseroom]

I've got an MIM Deluxe Pbass Special, and I love it.

Dude, they are very, very different from each other. Go out and play a bunch!

[sethmeister]

Get thee a P!

[Wolfman Sack]

Ok, I'm all over the P bass......thanks for the advice.

Didn't mean to bag on any bass players out there, I'm just the idiot guitar player so I speak from that POV.

[The Real MC]

Not all basses sound alike. As any guitar player knows, the wood in the guitar affects the tone, as does the construction.

Case of point - I owned a Gibson RD Artist bass for years. Very solid sound but there were some styles that did not sound right on it - it can't do slap-n-pop.

Then I found a really good MIM Jazz bass - much better for slap-n-pop and a nice bark to the tone. And the transient of the string vibration was notably different from the Gibson - the Gibson had a nice steady decay, while the Fender shorter more complex decay. The Gibson also had way less fret noise when glissando up/down the neck.

Gibson was maple body maple glued in neck, Fender is alder body maple bolt on neck. The wood and construction play a large part in the sound.

Both have their places in music and I kept both for a while. Interestingly the Gibson was better for detunings, it could really put out a solid note in the subsonic range.

The Gibson was finally displaced by this Alvarez six string bass that was a nice combination of the solid tone of the Gibson and the bark of the Fender. The Alvarez is maple body bolt on maple neck with a real nice low B that doesn't sound flubby, a common fault on 5/6 string basses.

Gibson generally doesn't make a good bass, although the RDs are becoming desirable like the Thunderbird basses. PRS tried to make basses and they sounded worse than Gibsons (I've played a couple PRS basses). It's all really how the sound of the guitar fits into the music you're doing.

And don't expect processing to get you the bass sound you want. The old adage still holds - garbage in, garbage out.

[thunderboy]

If you're playing with a fuzztone, you're not really performing the function of bass.

Oh, give me a break.

jt

[mjau]

FWIW, I once played an epiphone sg bass that kicked some serious ass with a fuzz pedal. I think it was pretty cheap, and the reissued Danelectro basses are also cheap but sound pretty cool, in a very non-conventional sense.

If you're playing with a fuzztone, you're not really performing the function of bass.

Awesome, thanks for the advice. I'll remember to let Melvin Gibbs know that if I ever bump into him. Jack Bruce, too. Oh, and I'll dig up John Entwhistle, just so I can tell him, also.

[chovie d]

When i bought my first bass i did not realize they came in different scales, so i ended up with a Fender Musicmaster from the seventies which of course is a short scale bass. Its nice and everything, but I thought maybe I'd mention the scale thing. Ive since bought a Gibson Grabber that was mispelled on ebay as a graber for $275, thats a full scale and a wonderful bass sounds completely different from the fender musicmaster, which sounds qiute dierent from a fender P-Bass, so yes they do sound diffrent and yes I do go "oooh listent that bass sound. Someof my favorite sounds are the fuzzed out distorted basssounds found i super heavy/doom music. Hammerhead, Melvins, Godflesh, Electric Wizard....skull crushing sperm count lowering awesomeness...if it aint bass playin, whatever it is I want to marry it and have its children.

But alas I ramble...god bless the net...

P-Bass as everyonehas already said is the ticket.

[virtualguthrie]

I think bass is one of the hardest instruments to get truly good tone out of personally. I do a lot of live sound and if the bass isn't right it's hard to build a good mix around and makes cohesive low end elusive. That being said I just bought a Fender J bass (Made in Mexico) and I love it. I am also a guitar player so I didn't want to drop a mint on a bass. I am kinda blown away at the performance versus value of this instrument. At $400 or so these are definitely on the lower end of the $$ scale but if you sink some of the left over money into them they can be amazing instruments. I reccomend investing in a quality set-up and fret mill on these from your local instrument experts. Check out Ed Roman guitars, best not to buy from you know who.
Guthrie

[virtualguthrie]

Just wanted to add that a J bass has two pick-ups instead of one on the P bass and tends to offer a wider variety of tones. My favorite quote from an instrument builder, "If you want to play only country music get a P bass." Jaco played a J bass, Jaco played a J bass.....