P bass vs J bass vs everything else.. Pfloyd, PA et al

croninburg · Post by **croninburg** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:50 pm

I'm going to buy a bass guitar (budget around Â£200/$300) so that I can noodle around and write accompaniments to my own guitar stuff. I've tried to use the bass synths on logic but there are too many options and I spend all my time playing with sounds rather than writing anything.. My first instinct is to go with a fairly cheap Fender because they seem fairly ubiquitous. What are their relative pros and cons? I know that this would be really easy to research but it's more fun to ask the BB

JesseJames · Post by **JesseJames** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:05 pm

You should get an SX bass

slay · Post by **slay** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:14 pm

i had one of these along time ago and it served me well for the price

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com ... sku=515059

hektik · Post by **hektik** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:06 pm

JesseJames wrote:You should get an SX bass

croninburg · Post by **croninburg** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:34 pm

slay wrote:i had one of these along time ago and it served me well for the price

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com ... sku=515059

I do like Ibanez guitars

I have a Jet King 2 on my shopping list, they're supposed to be great value.

slay · Post by **slay** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:43 pm

croninburg wrote:
slay wrote:i had one of these along time ago and it served me well for the price

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com ... sku=515059
I do like Ibanez guitars I have a Jet King 2 on my shopping list, they're supposed to be great value.

yeah i think ibanez offers good stuff for fair prices.

When i look for a bass all i need is two pickups a nice neck (not too thin)

THe bass i have now is a oscar schmidt made by washburn and it was around 300 after tax and im happy with it.

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:27 pm

Considering the type of music I've heard you play (and only going off that, I'm sure you got lots of things going on) I'd go with a Jazz bass. P-Basses are pretty good for their one signature tone. If you like that tone, then no one does it better, but a Jazz is a bit more versatile, the neck is thinner (which is good if it's not your primary instrument) and you can't get a bad tone out of them.

If you're only going to have one bass, nothing beats a Jazz. Nothing.

Motorhead · Post by **Motorhead** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:43 pm

Get an Ibanez ergodyne, best sound on a cheap bass I've ever found

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:46 pm

Motorhead wrote:Get an Ibanez ergodyne, best sound on a cheap bass I've ever found

Ibanezes are good, but they tend to have a pretty modern tone and not much beyond that. If you're playing metal they're pretty awesome, but they tend to be too grindy for other genres, IMO.

Brandon · Post by **Brandon** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:30 pm

p bass necks are too thick and the tone is not good. i used to a fender squier pj bass and it was actually good. it was cheap and awesome.

pfloyd, heres a good question. is the flatwound string that makes a bass guitar tone sound deep, thick and dry? i like bass strings that feel and sound like a standup string bass which i played in orchestra in school. i do not like this bright, piano like tone for a bass guitar.

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:43 pm

Brandon wrote:p bass necks are too thick and the tone is not good. i used to a fender squier pj bass and it was actually good. it was cheap and awesome.

pfloyd, heres a good question. is the flatwound string that makes a bass guitar tone sound deep, thick and dry? i like bass strings that feel and sound like a standup string bass which i played in orchestra in school. i do not like this bright, piano like tone for a bass guitar.

Yes, if you want to replicate an upright sound flatwounds are the way to go. In fact, I'd go as far as to say some flats AND a foam mute is the way to go for that sound (or just a piece of foam you can wedge under the strings right next to the bridge). The foam also makes the feel a little more like an upright because the string vibration is short. Of course, you can also palm mute the strings as you pluck them if you don't want it to sound muted and uprighty all the time, which is what I do if I have to switch back and forth. It's not as comfortable, however.

Interestingly enough, the original P-basses were made to sound like an upright and older ones can get that tone and even had the foam mute built into the bridge-cover:

You'd be better with a jazz though with the pickup sound focused on the neck pickup with some flatwounds. If you can handle it, I'd even go so far as to get a fretless (with lines) to complete the sound since so much of the bright tone associated with modern tones comes from the fret noise. And on the reissues (or the knockoffs) you can get that nifty bridge cover on them too:

slay · Post by **slay** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:59 pm

so there is foam in that chrome thing! i thought it was some sort of hand rest.

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:26 pm

slay wrote:so there is foam in that chrome thing! i thought it was some sort of hand rest.

The foam is only under the bridge cover. The middle cover is a hand rest.

slay · Post by **slay** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:32 pm

ahh i see

cool

PABassPlayer · Post by **PABassPlayer** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:41 pm

Take PFloyds advice, and Brandon, get a little more time playing before making blanket statements. P bass neck and string spacing is the norm, J bass necks/string spacing are actually a bit tight for most seasoned players.

I have obvious bias to Fender products, but if thats the direction you are heading, I'd like to suggest a maple fretboard. They are fast and smooth compared to most hardwood laminent (rosewood, ebony etc.) necks.

PABassPlayer · Post by **PABassPlayer** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:44 pm

Brandon wrote:p bass necks are too thick and the tone is not good. i used to a fender squier pj bass and it was actually good. it was cheap and awesome.

pfloyd, heres a good question. is the flatwound string that makes a bass guitar tone sound deep, thick and dry? i like bass strings that feel and sound like a standup string bass which i played in orchestra in school. i do not like this bright, piano like tone for a bass guitar.

Fun fact: Steve Harris/Iron Maiden signature bass sound is a Fender P with flatwounds. That's all he has ever used. (resource: interview Bassplayer magazine)

BabyKiller · Post by **BabyKiller** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:34 am

GEDDY LEE

PABassPlayer · Post by **PABassPlayer** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:08 am

BabyKiller wrote:

GEDDY LEE

Had one ....blah.

CFH Eternal · Post by **CFH Eternal** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 3:54 am

Look around for the Fender MiJ basses, those are great. Even the MiM ones are good too, just change out the electronics (pots and everything) and it's good to go.

CliffandJason-BASS · Post by **CliffandJason-BASS** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:31 pm

ibanez basses are cheap and are the best bang for your buck if your going for cheap, reliable, good tones. fender jazz are pretty shnazzy too.

Muffin · Post by **Muffin** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:35 pm

Post a video of you playing bass.

croninburg · Post by **croninburg** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:28 pm

I'm feeling this Squier '70s Jazz:

Cheap, looks cool and good reviews on Harmony Central. We'll see what happens with the new years sales..

PABassPlayer · Post by **PABassPlayer** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:34 pm

croninburg wrote:I'm feeling this Squier '70s Jazz:

Cheap, looks cool and good reviews on Harmony Central. We'll see what happens with the new years sales..

Thats actually a pretty sweet piece, are you getting it in the natural finish?

croninburg · Post by **croninburg** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:43 pm

Definitely, if I go with it - that's what caught my eye. The grain alignment will probably suck, but for the price you can't really complain. The frets are supposed to be huge so i will probably take some getting used to.. if I start getting good then this could open up a whole new world of GAS for me

PABassPlayer · Post by **PABassPlayer** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:51 pm

croninburg wrote:Definitely, if I go with it - that's what caught my eye. The grain alignment will probably suck, but for the price you can't really complain. The frets are supposed to be huge so i will probably take some getting used to.. if I start getting good then this could open up a whole new world of GAS for me

You will probably dig the neck A) rock hard maple (my preference) fast and smooth B) Jazz necks (at the nut) are the thinnest on the market.

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:32 pm

I love the look of maple necks on Jazz's with the block inlays.

In related news, I bought a Bongo today!

Not the color I wanted but it's fairly new, free of blemishes, and was less than HALF the price of a brand new one. Yay for a shitty economy and people desperate for xmas money.

slay · Post by **slay** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:04 pm

i like that one 10 times more then the brighter blue one.

Where did you buy it? a local music store or on the net?

nice buy

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:41 pm

slay wrote:i like that one 10 times more then the brighter blue one.

Where did you buy it? a local music store or on the net?

nice buy

No store, direct from the previous owner.

PABassPlayer · Post by **PABassPlayer** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 11:47 am

Pfl?yd wrote:I love the look of maple necks on Jazz's with the block inlays.

In related news, I bought a Bongo today!

Not the color I wanted but it's fairly new, free of blemishes, and was less than HALF the price of a brand new one. Yay for a shitty economy and people desperate for xmas money.

Congrats bro!!! I'd like to say great looking bass, but you know as well as I do...that's one "butt ugly" bass. I do also know they sound and play incredible...the goods and the bads I guess.

edit: your right! it looks like a toilet seat lid with a partial toilet seat attached!

CFH Eternal · Post by **CFH Eternal** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:17 am

What's with all the hatred of P-basses?

hektik · Post by **hektik** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 5:43 am

they're gay and have a shit tone

PABassPlayer · Post by **PABassPlayer** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 2:02 pm

hektik wrote:they're gay and have a shit tone

Bite your tongue young man...why would you suppose they have been around since 1951?..Do you think it might be the gayness or the shit tone.

I like you Hektik. but you're way off base on this one.

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 2:56 pm

PABassPlayer wrote:
hektik wrote:they're gay and have a shit tone
Bite your tongue young man...why would you suppose they have been around since 1951?..Do you think it might be the gayness or the shit tone.

I like you Hektik. but you're way off bass on this one.

PABassPlayer · Post by **PABassPlayer** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 3:06 pm

Pfl?yd wrote:
PABassPlayer wrote:
hektik wrote:they're gay and have a shit tone
Bite your tongue young man...why would you suppose they have been around since 1951?..Do you think it might be the gayness or the shit tone.

I like you Hektik. but you're way off bass on this one.

I see what you did there.

CFH Eternal · Post by **CFH Eternal** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 3:31 pm

tacos · Post by **tacos** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 9:35 pm

PABassPlayer wrote:P bass neck and string spacing is the norm, J bass necks/string spacing are actually a bit tight for most seasoned players.

I agree with this and prefer P-basses because of the string spacing.

My opinion: get a cheap made-in-mexico fender and put new pickups in it (seymour duncan or something). This will upgrade it considerably and you'll be good to go.

Brandon, let's start a fucking Obituary cover band.

Meatplow · Post by **Meatplow** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:55 am

Pfl?yd wrote:

what do you use to trim your hedges

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:47 am

A '57 P-bass!

croninburg · Post by **croninburg** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 3:49 pm

Just ordered one of these!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEEqyWveD7A

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 5:41 pm

croninburg wrote:Just ordered one of these!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEEqyWveD7A

It has an integrated amp??