What Bass to get?

[xironxmaidenx909]

Im looking to get a new bass, but cant decide on which one to get. Im looking for something to put out a nice deep melodic sound, also i dont want a big fret board, something i can easily maneuver around on. any ideas?

[MeYatch]

wow, thats not much information to go from.

What kind of music are you playing? Do you have an amp? What do you mean by "big fretboard?" Width, or scale length? With such an incredibly small amount of information I'd reccomend you just go play a bunch of basses and see which one you like. Either that or just order one that looks cool.

[xironxmaidenx909]

haha nice answer =)...mostly im into Metal and Hard Rock, but funk and jazz basslines are the funnest to play ^.^, i meant scale length AND width, it seems i could move around faster with a smaller fret board...just a hunch though lol

[BDR]

Im looking to get a new bass, but cant decide on which one to get.

What about a largemouth one?



r:>)

[bassist_25]

For the styles of music that you are playing, I would suggest a Warwick, particularly a Thumb or a Corvette. They have a low-mid range that works well in heavier music. They're also used a lot by jazz and funk cats. You can find a bolt-on Thumb for about $800 used and a Standard Corvette for about $600. $$ and Proline Corvettes are a little bit more.

If those are a bit pricey, I'm quite impressed with the Schecter Stilletos that I've played, particularly the Custom model.

[MeYatch]

**obligatory Fender endorsement**
(I wish I was really endorsed by Fender)

Steve Harris (of Iron Maiden) plays Fender P basses, he also uses flatwound strings and trace eliot amps. Though you probably aren't going to sound like him no matter what gear you use.

I just thought I'd mention it because when people think heavy, the last thing they seem to think of is Fender.

Steve Harris actually had a signature Fender P bass several years ago. It was blue, had a red pickguard, a maple neck and a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder pickup. Good luck finding one though, I never have.


in all seriousness its a useless mental excercise unless you throw out a price range.

[MeYatch]

as far as neck width goes, Fender Jazz basses are smaller width than the precision basses. Ibanez soundgear basses have notoriously skinny necks. I don't really know what else off the top of my head.

Short scale basses aren't particularly common, the most popular are probably the hofner (paul mccartney) and the fender mustang (which has been reissued for around $500 - $600) There are others, but they usually fall into the "student" or "budget" lines (crappy)

Also, you aren't a man unless you play full scale bass.

[CMOR]

Quite honestly, I love my Fender. I've had it for 9 yrs. and it handles every style I've gotten myself into. I'm also using the P-Lyte Deluxe. Smaller radius neck like a jazz, downsized body(my back is very thankful), and a big bad humbucker in the bridge.
It may sound cliche, but Stingrays are worth checking into, I know that's my next bass purchase.
The Ibanez basses have a weak neck if you ask me. I tend to pull on the neck and that sends a Soundgear into a tuning nightmare. You may as well have a tremelo. Yes, that's something I thought doing. Why should guitarists have al the fun?

[bassist_25]

Kahler trems use to be an option on Carvin basses. The first time I saw a bass trem was on Beaver Felton's LB70.

[MeYatch]

that dude that used to play for chocosam (can't remember his name but he just came up about a month ago in the general discussion section) has a carvin with a trem. Washburn just came out with a bass with a trem, its the only production bass with a trem that I know of.

[slink]

**obligatory Fender endorsement**
(I wish I was really endorsed by Fender)

I just thought I'd mention it because when people think heavy, the last thing they seem to think of is Fender.
.

+1 I use a Fender Jazz with a active EQ which gives you the J or P sound. I think every one should have at least one Fender bass.

[MOONDOGGY]

Another question is how much are you willing to spend?


And more questions..... Are you insisting on buying new? Are you planning on buying just one bass and sticking with that one bass, or are you planning on going thru a few basses until you find the one you're looking for? Are you definitely looking at 4 strings? Do you have a preference to active or passive electronics?

[xironxmaidenx909]

i think i may go with the Fender Mustang, i'll have to make a trip down to guitar center and try one out, thanks for the recomendations

[MeYatch]

last time I was at the guitar center in monroeville I don't remember seeing a mustang, but then I'm not in to playing them, so I wasn't looking. Rainbow Music in State Colledge had one the last time I was there, but that was at least a year ago. You might want to call before you drive somewhere.

[Killjingle]

look at Musicgoround across the street.

Im not impressed with GC. I have found some seriously good deals over there. You can also look at musicgoround.com for some shit they might have.

At least look, and if the music swap comes to Altoona u might find a decent bass there as well

[orangekick]

Quite honestly, I love my Fender. I've had it for 9 yrs. and it handles every style I've gotten myself into. I'm also using the P-Lyte Deluxe. Smaller radius neck like a jazz, downsized body(my back is very thankful), and a big bad humbucker in the bridge.
It may sound cliche, but Stingrays are worth checking into, I know that's my next bass purchase.
The Ibanez basses have a weak neck if you ask me. I tend to pull on the neck and that sends a Soundgear into a tuning nightmare. You may as well have a tremelo. Yes, that's something I thought doing. Why should guitarists have al the fun?

I love Fenders as well, and I have to also give an endorsement for the Stingray. I sold my Stingray a while back to get a 5 string and I miss it something fierce. The Stingrays have a fast neck and the EQ can get just about any tone.