High-quality bass guitars have a wide range of features and possibilities that may be used in a variety of musical genres. With regards to the lower end of the spectrum, the options are practically endless. Which of the following choices do you intend to make? Is it easier for you to play complicated or simple melodies? How many octaves are you interested in? Electronics that are either active or passive Does a more contemporary interpretation of a classic body type appeal to you? The answer to all of your questions may be found right here. Here are 10 of the greatest bass guitars currently on the market, spanning the price ranges of cheap starter versions all the way up to high-end professional models.
Former D'Angelo and Erykah Badu bassist Pino Palladino thinks the bass is a natural fit for his playing style, according to legendary bassist and current collaborator with Blake Mills on their great duet album, Notes With Attachments. It's the coolest instrument in the world, according to him. You don't have to be a jerk to get your point through. "It's not an option to do nothing." There's nothing to it; just sit there and jam on your bass. Listeners may not be able to tell exactly what a bass line is doing in a song. It will be obvious when it quits," he says.
It's all about what you want to play and how you want to play it when it comes to picking the right instrument. This may necessitate a unique shop special for some. A $400 secondhand Fender Jazz Bass that the previous owner was unsure even was a Fender (despite what it says on the headstock). It's a Fender that hasn't been ID'd. When I'm not working as a journalist, I use my bass to play shows and record sessions with my band, Garcia Peoples, despite its modest pedigree. In other words, don't get too enamored with the brand name. Make a start with what works for you, and then build on that.
Anytime you mention the names "Janet," "Elvis," or "Cher," everyone immediately recognizes who you're referring to. Essentially, the Fender Precision Bass is a guitar with an entire letter of the alphabet attached to it. For bassists, the letter "P" stands for the P-Bass, the first and most recognizable electric bass on the market today. The characteristic sound of the bass guitar would not be possible without the P-Bass.
Since there are so many P-Bass artists and so many great albums they've played on, starting a list is practically impossible. Carol Kaye's favorite instrument is the P-bass, which she's played with everyone from the Temptations to the Beach Boys to Glen Campbell to Frank Sinatra. During Motown's peak in the 1960s and 1970s, house bassist James Jamerson was also a pioneer in the genre. Geezer Butler, the bassist for Black Sabbath, utilized a P-Bass. A member of Pink Floyd is Roger Waters. It's reported that Sid Vicious utilized an unplugged amp for half of the band's gigs. The P-Bass is an excellent instrument for playing nearly any tune that can be performed on the guitar.
Consequently, players prefer Fender's American-made instruments, and the American Performer line is among the most cost-effective options in this illustrious category. In addition to its robust alder body and easy-to-play neck, the American Performer's P-Bass contains a second type of pickup, most frequently found on the Jazz Bass, the P-Bass' slightly slinkier cousin. This could surprise aficionados of traditional historical versions.
Asked about bass purchases by a friend, Palladino would provide what advice he could. In order to keep things simple, he advised purchasing a P-Bass. One tone is all the P-Bass can produce, and that's it. There have been a lot of great albums with P-Bassists on them. This is a safe bet, in my opinion.
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If you're a bassist, you might call Fender's Jazz Bass the J-Bass, just like you might call the P-Bass. Although jazz greats like Marcus Miller and Jaco Pastorius have made it their instrument of choice, its genre possibilities are far broader than its title would lead you to believe. Just ask Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, Sly and the Family Stone's Larry Graham, Rush's Geddy Lee, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience's Noel Redding.
Unlike the P, the J's body appears to have been extended from diagonal corners, giving it a slightly more dramatic curve. Playability and tone are also slightly different. The low-end string spacing on a J-Bass is tighter due to the neck's thinner nut (near the lowest frets). Depending on your playing style and the size of your hands, this might be a positive or a terrible thing. Although the P-bass' dual-pickup architecture has narrowed the gap, the J-bass still has a distinct advantage in the treble region. With a low-end thud that the J—or any other bass, for that matter—can't precisely equal, the P makes up the shortfall in its palette with an impressive variety.
Each instrument has its adherents, but none is "superior." For those who want to experiment with the bass's melodic potential, such as Jaco or Larry Graham, the Jazz Bass J may be the right instrument for them.
Fender's Squier range of instruments is a godsend for individuals who can't afford to spend more than $1,000 on a guitar or bass. P-basses like this one from the "Classic Vibe" line look and sound like classic 1960s basses, but cost a fraction of what you'd pay for an original. P-Bass flexibility and power at an affordable price is what Squiers are all about.
A bassist can almost always be seen playing a Fender or one of the numerous other versions by other manufacturers that clearly draw influence from the P- and J-Bass design. Fender basses are classics for a reason. Make your presence known by driving a Thunderbird, which can't be mistaken for any other vehicle. This Epiphone Squier-style starter model from Gibson has undeniable mojo at a reasonable price. Hard and heavy rockers like Kiss' Gene Simmons and Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton and Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Minutemen's Mike Watt are drawn to the Thunderbird because of its massive sound.
A decade after selling Fender Instruments in the mid-1960s, Leo Fender became president of Music Man, the firm founded by his father. One of Fender's most renowned bass guitars is the StingRay, which he and his colleagues created while working for a new firm. Mark Hoppus from Blink-182, Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) and Joe Lally of Fugazi have all used its circular pickguard onstage.
Unlike other four-string basses, the StingRay is the first one to incorporate active equalization, a concept that may require a little more explanation. The tone knob, a basic device that operates by progressively taking away the high treble frequencies of the signal, may be used to sculpt the sound of, say, a P-Bass. With distinct controls for bass, treble, and midrange, as well as the ability to increase rather than reduce frequencies, the electronics on a StingRay allow you to fine-tune your sound. Unlike other basses' "passive" electronics, which don't require an external power source, this one requires a 9V battery to run. A passive bass, on the other hand, doesn't have a built-in tone control, but there are several methods to obtain one, such as through an amplifier or a pedal.
After splitting with Music Man in the late 1970s, Leo Fender formed G&L, which he managed until his death in 1991. For those who see of it as an advanced version of the original P Bass, the L-2000 takes the fundamental design one step farther into the future. A broad range of vintage and current tones may be achieved with its electronics, which can be utilized either actively or passively. Furthermore, the slender and comfy neck of this guitar ensures that it plays and sounds as well as it looks.
First released by Yamaha in the late '70s, the BB line of bass instruments appears more diabolical than the other basses we've seen so far, and less like it belongs in the back of an old wooden wagon with a surfboard strapped to it. Its ergonomic form makes it one of the most playable basses on the market today, thanks to its slim profile. Modern features, such as the option to operate the BB734A's two pickups in both active and passive modes, were initially introduced on G&L and Music Man guitars. The pickups are set up in a "PJ" manner, which means one is based on the P-Bass and the other is based on the J-Bass.
By now, you've probably guessed that Palladino is a P-Bass fanatic. He frequently uses one of his two prized antique P-Basses, a red '63 model with a sunburst finish and a '61 model with the same finish. Fender's Custom Shop created a custom model for him that incorporates the finest features of both guitars. It's always been one of his favorite colors, he adds. "I also enjoy the way my '61's neck, which has a distinct profile, feels. This is why Fender created the "signature" model by combining those two guitars.
For whatever reason, the Pino signature model comes with flatwound strings instead of roundwound strings. On his own basses, Palladino prefers to play flats rather than round basses since they are a touch more forgiving on the fingers and don't generate as much high-end glitter. Of course, you can always swap out the default strings for a different set that suits your taste better on any instrument. The sound and feel of a bass guitar may be greatly altered by altering the type of strings you use. This is just one more method to personalize an instrument and make it unique to you.
The 5-string bass was born in the mid-'70s when a few bassists decided they wanted to go lower than was feasible with the instruments on the market at the time. The lowest note on a regular 4-string bass is E, hence a 5-string bass has an extra string tuned to a B below that sound. Several different types of bassists have found this expansion of the instrument's range into the bass spectrum to be appealing. Metal guitarists may love the more harsh low-end grind provided by this guitar, while jazz fusionists may appreciate
If you've been playing a 4-string bass for a long and are ready to upgrade, Yamaha's BB435 is a wonderful option at a reasonable price point. In addition to the BB734A's PJ pickups, smooth and comfy body design, and active electronics, the BB734B offers an extra string that may go as low as you need..
If you're looking for a high-end 5-string guitar, consider an Ibanez. Your reaction to the SR1605D's stunning multicolor finish should be enough to tell you whether or not this bass will be a good fit for your playing style. More than just an eye-catching instrument, the SR1605D is loaded with high-end features, from the panga panga mahogany fretboard to the integrated three-band equalizer.
The bassist is usually the tallest member of any particular band. If you have a little additional weight, you may find it easier to play bass guitars. Perhaps this is due to the fact that large guys like us are embarrassed to take the stage with a toy guitar.) Even if that's the case, it's not necessary. Short-scale basses have been available since the 1960s and give as much low-end as a normal electric guitar—if not more, according to some short-scale enthusiasts.
Fender's Mustang Bass is one of the most popular short-scale basses, even though it isn't as well-known as the Precision or Jazz Basses. This Mustang employs PJ pickups (like the Yamaha basses we saw before) to deliver a wide range of tones in a compact design. There are a few guitarists and multi-instrumentalists who occasionally play the bass—PJ Harvey, Thom Yorke, Tom Morello and Danger Mouse—who have a fondness for Mustang basses because of the guitar-like neck profile of its body. The Mustang PJ is an excellent choice for guitarists who want to try something new, have smaller hands, or simply like the appearance and feel of a short-scale bass.
I'll leave you with a philosophical thought: the bass has a feature that novice players could find frustrating at first, but you'll come to appreciate it as one of its most endearing qualities. It's not truly a solo instrument like, instance, the guitar or the piano, save from a few exceptions. Bassists know how tough it is to carry an entire song on their own. While jamming alone in your room, you may become bored and want to go. The other side of the coin is that when you start playing with other people, you find yourself sliding into and out of the drummer's pocket, and you're able to quietly alter the harmonies of the keys and guitar. When it comes to being a team player, Palladino believes, "there's nothing quite like locking with a great drummer." In general, "I think bass often attracts individuals that are inclined to be team players."
