favorite basses anyone?

[ben murphy]

i've always been a fan of stingrays for some reason. i think it's from listening to fugazi for so many years. also i have this infatuation with gibson shortscale basses like the eb-2.

[matb]

I've always liked the fender jazz bass. The neck, the feel of the body, the sound, just everything.

[Wayjurn]

Stingrays are pretty badass. My personal favorite so far is the Tobias Pro-Series.. well, before they stopped hand-building them. Beautiful, plays unbelievably, and sounds better than anything I've ever heard in my life.

[MachineGunJesus]

I like older Gibson basses, like the Thunderbird (reverse), and Artist Bass

[skip tracer]

fender jazz bass. perfect combination of sound and style. i also like the sound of the rickenbacker bass, you know, the one geddy lee uses. but i think its terribly ugly. heh.

[Wayjurn]

The Rickenbacker 4003 is fantastic . And beautiful, to add. Jazz basses are very nice-sounding, not bad looking, but I don't much like them because they're really heavy and bulky. I prefer lighter basses, like those that Ibanez or Warwick makes.

Also, last time I checked, doesn't Geddy Lee use a jazz bass? I think you've got your basses mixed up :P

[guitargeek]

the only bass i've ever spent any amount of playing time with is my late 70s-early 80s ibanez roadstar II... the perfect mix of a jazz and precision bass. all for $60.00...

guitargeek

ps: my favorite bass on recordings is introspectshun's 60s Fender Precision bass. i covet that piece of wood...

[introspectshun]

I have a '60s Fender Precision bass that has stood the test of time and made it through many different bands and styles of music. The fretboard is a bit thicker at the neck than a Jazz bass, but it fits my hands perfectly. The body is very light, but the tone resonates through it, creating a very warm sound.

- Introspectshun

[tarkus]

these are my favorite basses, although i've never owned any of them:

63 4001, 81 4003
78 jazz, 52 precision, 69 telecaster
peavey t-40
travis bean artist
kramer 650b
gibson t-bird(or maybe even a "fenderbird" ala entwisle)
fender bass VI

[Dante5Inferno]

MusicMan Sterlings are my new obsession. There a bit smaller than the Stingrays, which adds up to a faster neck.

I also love the sound of Warwicks, preferably neck-thru-body and bubinga.

[Mobisimo]

i know a guy whose got a 69 custom fender j bass. its got a mohogany body, special e-tuner, emg pickups, and active electronics. that thing sounds like buttah. i would have to say that is my favorite bass.

[Thornmoon]

My fave is my Ken Lawrence Unity 6... The Peavey Cirrus is a close second.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/attachment.php?postid=751906


Others that I've always loved are Fodera Anthony Jackson Contrabasses & Ken Lawrence Chamberbasses

[fuzzybass44]

My gibson 1967 EB-0F the F stands for fuzz. It was one of the only models with a built in fuzz diode. Very cool.

[tarkus]

Originally posted by fuzzybass44
My gibson 1967 EB-0F the F stands for fuzz. It was one of the only models with a built in fuzz diode. Very cool.

that's so damn cool. i've always wondered about those, but have never actually seen or heard one. now if there was a footswitch in...

[Mobisimo]

j bass

[Crash]

Music Man Fretless Sterling, the neck just feels perfect in my hands. Just don't have the $2000 to buy one :(

[snowglobe]

i have one of those crazy 62 jazz reissues fender made for the 75th anniversary. i love it and its one of the prettiest basses ive ever seen. tobacco sunburst, wind binding on the neck and mother of pearl inlays.

[Dante5Inferno]

Originally posted by Crash
Music Man Fretless Sterling, the neck just feels perfect in my hands. Just don't have the $2000 to buy one :(
I have the exact bass you're talking about (with line inlays). I love it. The Sterling neck, scale and back-shape, is amazing!

[Crash]

Originally posted by Dante5Inferno
I have the exact bass you're talking about (with line inlays). I love it. The Sterling neck, scale and back-shape, is amazing!



Do you find the line inlays help much? Once I get my amp I'm going to start saving money for one of those but I'm not sure about the lines or not. I like the look better without but I've never played a fretless except for picking them up ocassionally in guitar shops. Hell until about 6 months ago I played guitar, so I'm not sure if I'd need them or not.

[Dante5Inferno]

The lines are very helpful (personally, I still need them), though if you feel that your ears are good enough, don't bother with lines.
I've found that playing fretless is a different animal altogether; with regular electric basses, you do not have to get your finger right on the note since the fret is there, serving as the point of contact. With fretless, your fingers are the only points of contact and to achieve the correct intonation, you have to hit the right spot, with the proper pressure for good tone (knowledge of position playing, like with upright bass or cello is helpful). I have seen a few local bands with bassists playing fretless, being out of tune.
Octaves are still tough for me, I still have to be very mindful about playing them.

That said, there is no doubt that the ones without the lines look a lot cooler.

[FlangerBass]

I love my Fender Jazz, It's an old beat up American that I bought in a flea market for $100. I took it home, put a cherboard finish on it, took the pickguard off, added a MM humbucker in the neck, put a new bridge on (badass) and but Schaller tuners on. I love that bass more than anything.

[darkstar54mm]

im not really a bass player but i do enjoy it i think the nikki sixx gibson firebirds are wicked

[Aim]

ditto.......now i miss my firebird :(

[The User]

Thunderbirds (sunburst)
Jazz Bass (Sunburst, no pickguard ala Jaco Pasterius)
Wal Basses