ShortScale.org

As the title says. I've been playing a lot of bass lately - but I've yet to buy my own yet. So what do you guys play?

I have an inherited 5 string Ibanez monster from my old band mate which is on long term loan. I play bass only to record ideas or to show a basic "here's what I'd like" example to a bass playing band mate. I am very noticeably a guitarist playing the bass which I think 90% of bassists in bands actually are. Really competent and good bassists are hard to come by.

I started playing bass first, when I got my Westone Thunder I off an older brother of a school friend. I've got a 90s Indian built Encore P-Bass too, I tend to use that more these days. I put a DiMarzio Split P Humbucker in it, it sounds ace. It's got knobs now and more stickers on it. I bought a Squier P-Bass decal for it but could never be arsed putting it on.

It's funny, the music scene in my area is totally driven by bassists. I could rattle off 4 or 5 good bassists that I know and play with regularly as well as loads more that are passible. For some reason bassists have pushed themselves more technically than many of the guitarists I know. This is kind of why I've picked up so much without even playing, these guys are all big on Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten and all those other kind of guys.

I think it does depend on the music scene in the area though, there was a massive RHCP influence on a lot of the local bands for a few years which really pushed the bassists to bring in all the slap techniques. Also the local stores have great bass sections and in particular Pete at Academy of Sound knows what he's talking about.

Gabriel wrote:I think it does depend on the music scene in the area though, there was a massive RHCP influence on a lot of the local bands

Has Stoke got anything going for it, at all?
I played bass for a while, used a Squier Precision which was really nice to play, well balanced, punchy sound etc.

I started in what evolved into the current band playing bass, using a Chinese Jazz Bass copy that was £45 new on eBay (those were the days) and an HH bass combo. I like the flexibility of tone in the 2-pickup set-up. The bass itself sounds and plays fine but the wing on one of the tuners is loose after clouting an oak beam in a low ceiling.


I lusted after the Squier JB in Midnight Wine (?) at around £400 and still fancy a better JB.

I played bass in bands for about 10 years before I switched to guitar. Play a bit of bass in my current band, although the bass gets passed around between myself the other guitar player & the percussionist, who also plays guitar...... can be a right tangle on stage. Maybe we should recruit a bass player?

I've got a shortscale Squier Jaguar bass, which is ace. I wouldn't describe myself as a bassist though. Bought it for home recording.

I've been relegated to bass duty mainly because the singer cant keep the bass rhythm and sing and the other guitarist has the worst sense of timing since I farted at a funeral during the eulogy.
I generally play my Epiphone Thunderbird which is pretty decent. Good meaty sound but it's pretty hard on the fingers. However, it's currently in such a bad state of repair that Im forced to borrow with this 5 string active jobby. 5 string bases are shit.

I do. And its awesome! I first buyed a squier p-bass, but it sucked so i returned it back. I got myself a fender jazz bass (mexico made) and never looked back since.

The further bass players get from a P-bass > Ampeg setup, the more they tend to suck FUCKING BALLS.

ekwatts wrote:The further bass players get from a P-bass > Ampeg setup, the more they tend to suck FUCKING BALLS.

I returned my p-bass because it was second hand and the frets were very used so it was almost unplayable.

weeping_moon wrote:

ekwatts wrote:The further bass players get from a P-bass > Ampeg setup, the more they tend to suck FUCKING BALLS.

I returned my p-bass because it was second hand and the frets were very used so it was almost unplayable.

Okay.

I have one of these:

It's quite nice and they can be had for very cheap.

Noirie. wrote:I have one of these:

It's quite nice and they can be had for very cheap.

There's a pink one in Forsyths that Jasmine has wanted for ages. It's about £250 now which is way too expensive. I've seen them as low as £150. They do look cool as fuck, though.

ekwatts wrote:The further bass players get from a P-bass > Ampeg setup, the more they tend to suck FUCKING BALLS.

Disagree. My bassist uses an SG bass through either an Orange Terror Bass or a Bassman into 2 Hartke Cabs, and his tone is fucking amazing.

I find the P Bass brings the most pleasing tones and sounds to my ears. Jazz's can sound a little too "jazzy" and BWAP BWAAAR for my liking. Any other bass just sounds like a bass. Except Stingrays which sound like dripping/gurgling.

I play a squier mustang bass and a classic vibe jazz bass. both great players.

wwrrss wrote:I started playing bass first...

Ditto

Here's most of my bass collection; my Aerodyne Jazz Bass is still in the car from my last gig... and the car is elsewhere


Started with the P-Bass knock off in front of the amp, but it was a fretted Profile with maple neck. The neck got a nasty double warp to it, and I changed it to a fretless Yamaha neck, shifted the bridge, and it sounds surprisingly decent. The original neck was surprisingly good playing too, for such a cheap bass.

Next was the Yamaha BBN5, black 5-stinger in front of the amp. I played that for years, and it's a decent playing and sounding 5-string, but it's not my thing anymore.

Got the Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass after that, and I love it to death, but it's taken a back bench to my VIs in the last two years.

Picked up a Schecter Hellcat VI two years back, the one with the shitty mini-humbuckers, which I sold off last spring to buy the new one with the Duncan SJAG-1s. In between those two I got the Schecter Ultra VI, just to the left of the amp there. They're all great playing instruments, and have changed how I approach playing bass a little. I absolutely love VI bass playing.

The Squier Jag SS on the right is technically my wife's, but, I use it That thing is an incredible. It's a genuinely good bass, let alone an incredible value at $200, taxes in. It plays amazingly well and sounds pretty good for having cheap pickups. The shortscale factor has made it a great fit for my band's other bass player, who plays when I play guitar... he's a guitar player and not a bassist.

Johno wrote:I played bass in bands for about 10 years before I switched to guitar. Play a bit of bass in my current band, although the bass gets passed around between myself the other guitar player & the percussionist, who also plays guitar...... can be a right tangle on stage. Maybe we should recruit a bass player?

Just takes some setlist planning. I get to switch between guitar, bass and mandolin through a set, with the other guitar player switching between guitar and bass, though at times, we're both playing bass (4 string and VI) at the same time. We have to plan the set to make the switches as swift and seamless as possible.