Help me decide which bass I should buy!

[rayv0c]

I have been thinking about buying one of four basses that I've been looking at and have been playing at stores for a while. It'd help to get some opinions on the quality of the equipment I've been thinking about buying. Also I'd like to decide what kind of massive amplification I want!

Anyway, here are the ones I've been looking at. I know they're pretty expensive.

Fender American Standard Precision
http://www.ocie.com/images_products/fender_american_precision_bass_maple_s7570.jpg


Fender Mustang Bass
http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/regular/2/9/3/269293.jpg


Musicman Stingray (I'm also thinking about a Sterling, the image is a Sterling.)
http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/regular/5/4/0/272540.jpg


Warwick Corvette Double Buck ($$)
http://www.bassguitars.org.uk/wp-content/img/2007/03/corvettedoublebuckntbassguitar.jpg


Like I said, I'm also looking for some great amplification equipment for playing gigs. I've heard lots of good things about Ampeg and Gallien-Krueger. I own a Fender Rumble 100 and it sounds great, but in my opinion it's not loud enough. Anyway, opinions on any kind of bass equipment would be great. Thanks

[incubass]

its really all about what bass YOU like best. ur gonna get oppinions on every bass just cause some people for example swear by warwicks and other people fenders etc...

whatever fits the music you play and feels and sounds best to you.

[lemoley]

you really need to give us abit more info on the sort of specs. your looking for plus you playing style, the genre of music you play mostly, what sort of tone your looking for etc...

[EADGC]

American P or Stingray.

[burtonbassist_101]

i'd go with the warwick or the stingray.

or the american p.

just not the mustang...

[BenJammin]

Mustangs are awesome basses.

[Akira]

A) We can't tell you what bass you like.

B) PAs exist for a reason. Volume shouldn't be your first concern in picking out an amp.

[burtonbassist_101]

Mustangs are awesome basses.

eh, i've played a few. i haven't really been impressed with any of them.

[EADGC]

B) PAs exist for a reason. Volume shouldn't be your first concern in picking out an amp.

Non-supported amp > supported amp though, at least ime

[Akira]

Non-supported amp > supported amp though, at least ime

But there are still limits.
For instance, 4x10>8x10.

[Phalanx]

Mustangs suck
I'd never get a Pbass simply because they don't have enough tonal variety.
Double bucks sound nice but are ugly as hell.
Stingrays are nice but again, not much tonal variety.

[rayv0c]

A) We can't tell you what bass you like.

B) PAs exist for a reason. Volume shouldn't be your first concern in picking out an amp.

well if you want to know, A) I came to post here because I figured in a "musician's forum" I would find people who know what they're talking about. People come here to discuss music, and since I'm in the bass guitar section, I figured some bass players would give me some opinions of their own. It's not like I'm going to pick one of these because "oh, bassmasterslapfunkypig likes this one so I'm going to go to guitar center and buy it"

also B) I have used my Rumble 100 for gigs before hooked up to a PA and it sounded great. I played with it in my backyard too, but at max volume it wasn't as loud as I needed it to be. The good thing about it, though, is that the quality of the sound stayed great (very little humming or buzzing). I'm looking for something louder. it's not my FIRST concern in buying an amp at all.



Mustangs suck


Thanks for the opinion but I beg to differ, I really like the sound and look of the mustang.

[Gopherbassist]

I'd go with the Mustang, but not for sound. I just like the way they feel when I hold one. I think it's the cheapest out all those too, isn't it?

[SkaRobotArmy]

Stingray for playability. Must have steel pickguard.

Mustang for looks, but not red.

[lemoley]

okay then fine....

get the $$ and then tell me how it is

might be getting one myself

[da_s_man13]

I'd personally go for the Stingray or $$. The only problem is each of those basses has a very different natural tone.

[DaveMustaine12]

Out of the ones you listed, I vote for a Stingray.
Personally, I would get a Fender MIA jazz bass.

But seriously, what kind of music/techniques do you play? And what kind of tone are you looking for?
I like basses with pickguards because it makes slapping easier for me and I prefer growly tones so I just go for jazz basses.
You have to think about a few things here. $$ might be a bit uncomfortable for slapping because of little space between pickups and fretboard, precision basses aren't very versatile, etc.
Finally, what is your budget?
There is pretty big difference in price between mustang and $$ for example.

[ebe9]

My vote goes to the Warwick

[EADGC]

Out of those I'd easily pick the Stingray

Warwicks kinda.. suck.

[Raayl]

lol mustang.

[EADGC]

Aren't Mustangs short scale and for like... children and girls?

[Raayl]

Aren't Mustangs short scale and for like... children and girls?

and people who dont shop at hot topic

[Abaddon2005]

All these basses you listed sound really different from each other so it doesn't really make any sense. If you want variety though, look into Ibanez.

[EADGC]

Or just get the Stingray cuz I said so

[rayv0c]

lol mustang.

lol affordable and awesome.

I noticed a lot of people were asking what kind of music I play. I fingerpluck and sometimes use a plectrum. I do not do any slapping so a warwick is definitely comfortable. I have to leave for work right now though so I'll post more when I get back.

BTW I would never buy a red mustang. xD

Budget? I only have to pay car insurance right now so all the rest of my money is being banked. I just want a new bass. :]

[Raayl]

lol affordable and awesome.

I noticed a lot of people were asking what kind of music I play. I fingerpluck and sometimes use a plectrum. I do not do any slapping so a warwick is definitely comfortable. I have to leave for work right now though so I'll post more when I get back.

BTW I would never buy a red mustang. xD

Budget? I only have to pay car insurance right now so all the rest of my money is being banked. I just want a new bass. :]

lol no. cheap and crappy.

[rh15951]

Any of them, I don't care. Go out and play each one to see which one you prefer would be a good idea, no?

[Jimbobntnr]

These basses are as different as night and day. I'd say you need to actually touch some and you will know right away.

[rayv0c]

some people for example swear by warwicks and other people fenders etc...

Yeah and that's awesome. I'd like to know why people completely prefer one over the other.

Any of them, I don't care. Go out and play each one to see which one you prefer would be a good idea, no?

I've played them all and I like them all for different reasons. I consider myself a "newbie" so I was just asking some people who I thought would have a lot of experience and knowledge to tell me why "bass x has nice features" or "bass y isn't worth the money". I hope you all realize that I'm only asking for help and posts like "decide for yourself" are useless to me or anyone else reading this.

On a side note, all the models I posted have high action, which I like. I don't like the feel of Fender jazz basses, for example, because the action is too low.

[BenJammin]

You can adjust the action of a bass. A jazz bass can be set as low, or as high, as any other bass (so long as the bridge has adjustable saddles, a truss rod, etc., etc.).

[rh15951]

I've played them all and I like them all for different reasons. I consider myself a "newbie" so I was just asking some people who I thought would have a lot of experience and knowledge to tell me why "bass x has nice features" or "bass y isn't worth the money". I hope you all realize that I'm only asking for help and posts like "decide for yourself" are useless to me or anyone else reading this.

On a side note, all the models I posted have high action, which I like. I don't like the feel of Fender jazz basses, for example, because the action is too low.

Us deciding for you is equally as useless since we ain't playing them... From the four you have posted, I would pick the Stingray. The others IMO aren't worth the money, definitely not the Precision or Mustang.
Action can be adjusted to suit you :thumb:

[rayv0c]

Again I never said anything about other people deciding for me. The title of the topic is "help me..." so all I'm looking for is some help deciding.

[Bigga]

stingray or warwick

[Sablate McNuff]

I've never cared for the looks or feel of fenders, so I wouldn't even go there. They get good reviews and are highly regarded, but I've never understood how.

Not to mention, the Mustang is a shortscale bass, and I almost exclusively play 35" scale basses.

The 'ray has a nice feel and great slap tone, but I've always felt that, in terms of tone, it was a bit of a one trick pony and designed entirely for slap.

The Warwick has the best tone for rock and metal, in my opinion, as it can achieve a nice mellow tone, yet growl the hell out of your face. Unfortunately, the necks on most Warwicks are disgustingly thick to an unplayable degree unless you shell out thousands for a custom.

[Akira]

Again I never said anything about other people deciding for me. The title of the topic is "help me..." so all I'm looking for is some help deciding.

It's hard for us to help when we don't know what you like/dislike about each bass. We don't even know what kind of sound you're looking for or what kind of music you want to play.

[Sablate McNuff]

It's hard for us to help when we don't know what you like/dislike about each bass. We don't even know what kind of sound you're looking for or what kind of music you want to play.

123.

To anybody wanting help in this area, CLARIFY these details before actually asking which bass you should get.

[DaveMustaine12]

On a side note, all the models I posted have high action, which I like. I don't like the feel of Fender jazz basses, for example, because the action is too low.

lol. This makes no sense at all.^
First of all, a bass can have high or low action or anywhere in between depending on how it is adjusted.
Second of all, how can you not like super low action without fret buzz?

[SkaRobotArmy]

he is new to bass, perhaps his definition is out of whack. you are biased though because you like the jazz bass...

i think though, the p-bass is more or less the rock industry standard. its kind of like the les paul of bass.

i still say stingray, expensive, but more worth its price than the others.

[Sablate McNuff]

he is new to bass, perhaps his definition is out of whack. you are biased though because you like the jazz bass...

i think though, the p-bass is more or less the rock industry standard. its kind of like the les paul of bass.

i still say stingray, expensive, but more worth its price than the others.
I'd probably argue the Strat over the LP. (Fender J is more like the LP)

[SkaRobotArmy]

ya, i knew somebody would say that... but it doesnt really matter, you get the idea.

[rayv0c]

Based on what I know about each from playing them:

Fender P-bass
I like the tone. I really like the tone. The problem is that I can't do much with it. I'm really used to playing fender basses because I've owned two in the past and am accustomed to the shape of the neck, etc. Very comfortable. One more downside, though, is that the input jack is in the front, which I don't like.


Fender Mustang Bass
The first thing I like about this is the split pickup. The looks are definitely a plus, I really like the shape of the body and "simple" look of the bass as a whole. The short scale also makes it really easy to play. I can get a nice clean tone out of it. The front input jack is a :( however, and the volume-tone controls also limit the flexibility of what kind of sound I can get out of it. Thankfully I can adjust some things on my amp or head, as far as I know.


Musicman Stingray
I love how Stingrays look; the shape of the body, round pickguard, and how the G string tuning knob points downward. They are really expensive but I've been fooling around with them at GC for a long time and have discovered that tone-wise it's very very versatile. I don't play slap, which is what I've heard Stingrays are commonly appreciated for, so I might be missing out there. But considering how durable they are, how cool they look, and how much diversity in tone I can get from them, it's definitely something I'd want to look into.


Warwick Corvette Double Buck ($$)
I'm actually reconsidering this one. Don't get me wrong, it's a really nice piece of equipment, but I'm not so sure about dishing out the money for it. I think, in comparison to the stingray, it's not really worth the money. I would probably pick this bass over any of the ones I listed above for recording, but the thing is very ugly and I would definitely have to get used to the shape to be able to play with it while standing up. :lol:


I play in a "ska-rock" band (it's not really either but frontman likes to call it that). It's a power trio: guitar player, bass player, drummer. First of all, I know it's not "Ska" because there are no horns. Anyway, because of us only having two people playing (what do you call this, "instruments that play notes"? I'm having a retard moment), the bass is really influential in what kind of sound we produce.

My EQ on the Washburn XB-900 that I play has the bass boosted about 1/4 of the way above the midpoint, mid is snapped right in the middle, and treble is very slightly boosted. Whenever I play anything above the 10th fret, I boost the treble a little more and avoid the E string as much as possible. Whenever we play a song that has a lot of simple playing with root notes, I boost the bass by about a thumb (for example, when we cover Baba O'Riley by The Who). And whenever I play with a pick, I keep treble and bass in the middle and boost mid slightly because I don't pick very hard or aggressively. If anyone needs me to go into further detail, I play with a heavy pick, preferably a Jim Dunlop.

Any more questions? lol

[Livewire]

I would get the musicman because it's active and has a large tone range. But yeah they are expensive but they are worth it IMO. I love the new American standard basses, I'm saving up for a jazz bass right now. Never played a mustang, the local GC doesn't carry them for some reason and it's ugly as **** anyways.

I also noticed a lot of the local ska bands in New York play 5 stringed Musicman basses.

[rh15951]

I would defo go for the Stingray. Would rather have a Sterling though :p

[Akira]

Anyways, I would go for the 'Ray. But I just really like them. For you're kind of music, I think that would be good. It gives you some flexibility in tone.

[blacklungfever]

Akira, I think he means he likes the look of the headstock with 3 keys on one side and one on the other.

[Akira]

Akira, I think he means he likes the look of the headstock with 3 keys on one side and one on the other.

...

Right.

/facepalm@self



My endorsement of the 'Ray stands.

[rayv0c]

Akira, I think he means he likes the look of the headstock with 3 keys on one side and one on the other.

Yes but what does that have to do with anything? I'm lost

[Misanthropic]

For anything even remotely close to ska I'd get a Stingray out of those... They kill at fingerstyle too, not just slap.

also, regarding instruments at this quality, i'd definitely go used.. talkbass classifieds are full of stingray's and p's, as well as ebay, craigslist etc.

[Livewire]

If a real musicman is really too much money right now, you can always get a musicman sub. I have a Musicman Sub sterling and I love it. It's cheaper and uglier than a $1500 musicman, but it has the same electronics. Here's the Stingray version if you're interested, it's almost like mine:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Music-Man-Bass_W0QQitemZ170249279014QQihZ007QQcategoryZ4713Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

the finish is really weird on the sub musicmans btw.

and i really have GAS for this one right now:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Musicman-Sterling-Bass_W0QQitemZ270264313612QQihZ017QQcategoryZ4713Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[blacklungfever]

Yes but what does that have to do with anything? I'm lost

Basically Akira was stupid for a second. Don't worry about it. lol.

[rayv0c]

Basically Akira was stupid for a second. Don't worry about it. lol.


But it seemed like a completely valid thing to say...

Whatever.

The SUB is sort of ugly. Is there any difference in sound though?

[blacklungfever]

Nah it's fine, Akira just didn't understand quite what you were talking about, so I clarified.

[DaveMustaine12]

Here are my opinions on the above listed basses:
Fender Precision bass
I like the precision tone, but I also prefer growly tone. Single split pickup makes it not very versatile. The neck is relatively thick which I prefer.
If precision tone is your favorite tone and that's all you need, then go with this bass.

Fender Mustang
I've never tried it so I can't comment on it

Stingray
This bass probably has the best tone for slap although this is subjective. What I hate about the bass is the pickup position. I like to pluck over the pickup and I sometimes like to pluck somewhat closer to the neck for mellower tones. For some reason, it's not comfortable for me to rest the thumb on that pickup. I don't know why.

Warwick Double buck
Personally I don't like the really fat necks of Warwicks. Some warwicks you have to wax the finish on, which might be a pain for some. The $$ doesn't have much space for slapping. The body has a shape that is not very comfortable for me. It is probably the most versatile bass of the 4.

I strongly recommend the Fender Deluxe P bass:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-American-Deluxe-Precision-Bass-Guitar?sku=511390

It has a precision pickup for mellower tones and a double jazz pickup at the bridge position. It's no stingray, but you can get some really good slap tones out of it too. 3 band EQ makes it pretty versatile.

[rayv0c]

Stingray
I like to pluck over the pickup and I sometimes like to pluck somewhat closer to the neck for mellower tones. For some reason, it's not comfortable for me to rest the thumb on that pickup. I don't know why.


The only bass I currently have has a pickup position pretty similar to the Stingray and I didn't like using the pickup as a thumb rest either. I got used to it though, and I can also "hover" over the E string (if I want to play closer to the neck) and still play just about as efficiently as I normally would.



I strongly recommend the Fender Deluxe P bass


That thing looks pretty awesome but I haven't played it or heard it in action. I'll definitely look into something like that for sure

[burtonbassist_101]

actually...

in my opinion...

you should not get ANY of those basses and get a bongo instead. pure secks.

[mrcarter]

lol. This makes no sense at all.^
First of all, a bass can have high or low action or anywhere in between depending on how it is adjusted.
Second of all, how can you not like super low action without fret buzz?

You get more power with the strings higher, but it is a trade off with playability. On electrics its not so much the volume difference you'll notice, but there's a tonal change from how far away the strings are from the fretboard/pickup. You'll really notice it on an acoustic instrument - string height is everything on an upright bass.
And wow a lot's going on in this thread.
As for 100 watts not being loud enough, be nice to your ears and wear protection. Holy hell. Maybe change your tone a bit? If your just playing in the backyard and can't hear yourself with an amp like that it probably isn't that it's not loud enoug - you're probably not cutting through. Focus your sound on the areas that no one else are in i.e. low mids.

As for the actual basses, I'm a diehard P-Bass fan. I generally play with a flat EQ and without anything more than a touch of compression and its really easy to vary your tone by positioning and touch. Tone comes from your fingers more than anything else (both hands). That being said, having nice gear doesn't hurt in the least.
If money's no object and you end up looking towards a Fender, dish out a little more and grab a G&L - you can get a used one starting around 1 000, but they're quality all around.

[rayv0c]

You get more power with the strings higher, but it is a trade off with playability.

Actually I grew up playing an $80 Rogue with VERY high action, and after that I played a Squier P and the action was decently high so I'm used to putting more pressure on my frets. I actually prefer it that way because I'm used to it and I like to think I make a unique tone out of it

On electrics its not so much the volume difference you'll notice, but there's a tonal change from how far away the strings are from the fretboard/pickup.

I definitely agree, whenever I play my friend's jazz bass it has a huge difference in sound from what I'm used to playing, but in a way that I can't really describe in typed out words. I'm pretty sure the difference in sound has to do with my playing style though.

Anyway, I'm liking the discussion in this thread and I have really learned a lot.

[resnick]

Warwick all day long. I have a warwick fretless and it sounds like god pooped in my ear everytime i play it.

[rh15951]

Warwick all day long. I have a warwick fretless and it sounds like god pooped in my ear everytime i play it.

So, quite literally, ****?

[Jimbobntnr]

I disagree with all of the people who are saying that a stingray gives a wider range of tones. I think that in this list it's second only to the mustang as far as tonal limitations.

[DaveMustaine12]

I disagree with all of the people who are saying that a stingray gives a wider range of tones. I think that in this list it's second only to the mustang as far as tonal limitations.

I actually agree with you. I used to have a stingray. Sometimes it was hard to get a mellow tone out of it. Some people say it's versatile just because of its 3-band EQ, but with only one pickup it's not as versatile as some other basses discussed in this thread.

[Sablate McNuff]

Aside from the ugly body shapes and sequoia national forest-sized neck, I'd say the warwick is probably his best option tonally.

Just my http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:uLFWVskWwprkaM:http://www.guitar.com/uploaded/profile_images/forum_46802a44_two_cents_small.jpg