squank Posted July 19, 2001 Share Posted July 19, 2001 Hey, well Im looking around for a guitar and amp, all around under 800-900 dollars. Ive been thinking, A Fender Active Deluxe Jazz bass, with a fender Bassman 60 AMP sounds nice. Is it possible sounds from Metal, Jazz, funk, Rock, can be played on that guitar, or just strictly Jazz? I just want to know your opinions since Im searching to buy a bass soon. Thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted July 19, 2001 Share Posted July 19, 2001 Jazz is just the model name, you can play pretty much anything on that bass. I don't think that amp is going to get you very far, though, except for practice or quiet acoustic gigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAP Posted July 19, 2001 Share Posted July 19, 2001 It depends on your current level of ability and intent. If you're a beginner, you may want to spend less than that until you find what style, tone, and what your equipment needs are. No point buying mid-level equipment that you might have to replace in a year or two. You may want to read bass magazines and see what artists in your style (jazz, hiphop, whatever) use for basses and equipment. If you're beyond that point, you may want to get an amp that will give you more stage presence for gigging. Constantly having to trade up is not something I want to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squank Posted July 20, 2001 Author Share Posted July 20, 2001 Well, thanks for the advice KAP and Ben. Anyway, I just recently visited Guitar Center and tried a wide selection of basses I actually can afford. The Fender Jazz Standard and Fender Active Deluxe felt great,while the Jackson JS40 did also. This is a hard decision. I would like to also tell you that im a beginner and I never even bought a bass before, so I really have no clue on the bass which gives me a great feel. Most artists that I listen too usually play Fender Jazz or P-bass. Some play Rickenbokers while others, play others. I just dont want to make a mistake on buying a wrong bass guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Hey Squank, don't worry about "buying the wrong bass guitar". Check out as many as you can and go with the one that feels the best to you. Don't worry about looks, if the bass feels right and is easy for you to play, then it's the RIGHT bass for you. There are a lot of great choices out there now for beginner bassists, the quality of entry-level gear is much better than 10 years ago. You could do a lot worse that a Fender or Squier. The insruments are decent quality and they are backed up a good company. Your intial post regarding only playing jazz on a Jazz Bass reminded me of a story. I met Whit Brown, an excellent jazz bassist and a member of the faculty at Berklee, at a jazz trio gig at a suburban Boston restaurant. Whit and I chatted about bass things, and we were talking about equipment. I had mentioned that my bass was a Jazz Bass and Whit told me the story of his first electric bass. Back in the late '60's, Whit was studying jazz and played exclusively on an upright. A lot of his friends were into rock and he wanted to jam. The old doghouse would not do. So he went to a music store to see about getting an electric. He saw a Jazz Bass in the window and thought "I play jazz, that must be the bass I should get..." ------------------ KJ ------------------- bari man low KJ ------------------- "50 million Elvis Presley fans can't be all wrong" - John Prine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 This is correct, and you should buy a Fender Precision only if you plan on playing with - well, you get the idea... Seriously, Squanky, old son, all the basses you mentioned are perfectly good quality instruments and if you bought any of them you wouldn't be in bad shape. Just remember: 1)These are mass-produced items and as such one might be great and another, identical in every detail, might be junk. That's why you have to try 'em out; 2) If you're like the rest of us you'll probably make yourself nuts trading up and swapping out hundreds of times. So if this first bass isn't "Mr. Right", it might be "Mr. Right Now" (hee, hee). Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Equipment decisions are rarely easy. I have played the Fender Bassman 60. I agree that it is for practice and very small gigs only. I found the sound broke up as I pushed past half volume. As for the guitar, I play a small model, so neck size is usually my first concern. If you like the Fenders, consider some of their "lower" models (made in Mexico, etc.) that so many people here on the forum are happy with. Consider quality, because you may have that guitar longer than you think (I am still playing the guitar I bought used in '72). Names like Fender seem to stand up. Consider a Carvin, or some of the others that Bass Player has rated favorably. Good Luck Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Chad said: "If you're like the rest of us you'll probably make yourself nuts trading up and swapping out hundreds of times. So if this first bass isn't "Mr. Right", it might be "Mr. Right Now" (hee, hee)." DON'T GET ME STARTED!!!! LOL!!! ------------------ KJ ------------------- bari man low This message has been edited by KJ on 07-20-2001 at 11:58 AM KJ ------------------- "50 million Elvis Presley fans can't be all wrong" - John Prine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 squank, you might want to check some of the old threads here, too, re. inexpensive basses. I will repeat one thing I have said before. When my son started playing bass 3 or 4 years ago we played a Peavey at school and my Precision at home a little bit. Then he made the rounds and checked out what was available in the local music stores. Once he had things narrowed down, I went along. He decided he wanted a Fender Jazz, and the local store had four of them. I tried them all, and it was instantly clear to me that one of them felt much better than the others. I don't know why, but basic Fenders vary in feel from model to model like that. So we bought that one, and he still has it and plays a lot. It's a perfectly fine bass that will last a lifetime. The moral of the story: if you can, take an experienced player along to help you make your choice. Not to choose for you, but to give a valuable second opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thabassplayer Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Like everyone else has said, play every bass you can get your hands on. Get a price range that you are comfortable with and go. Play every bass in that price range. Also, play some higher end stuff. Nothing wrong with that. I was recently shopping for a bass. Played all kinds, models, prices. My limit was about $1200. I brought my old Mexican Fender Jazz along as a reference point to compare everything else to. I played a $2000 Warwick FNA Jazzman. Let me tell you this, it was total crap compared to my Fender. My Fender was better on every level. I played a bunch of Fenders, both American and Mexican and my Fender beat almost all of them. It was wild. A $250 bass beating $2000 basses. Even the salesman told me to stick with my Fender. Moral of the story. Play as many basses as you can. If you find one that fits you, buy it. If it's in your price range. As far as amps, it all depends on what you want it for. If it's just for practice by yourself, The Bassman 60 is fine. Probably a little too big. If you are playing with a band though, 200 watts is probably considered the least amount you want to play with. I have plenty of watts. 1000 to be exact. hehe. Good luck man. Don't ask me, I'm just the bass player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfunku Posted July 21, 2001 Share Posted July 21, 2001 To answer your question about "Jazz" bass for all styles......... Leo wanted a bass that could be used instead or in conjunction with the double bass. The intent was to make the width at the nut (1.5)" instead of the wider 1.56" as with the Precision while keeping the same radius. This more narrow width was intended to make it easier to walk bass lines as done on a double bass. The "Jazz" conitation is there to attract the Jazzers to the bass not necasarily because of any sonic properties rather, physical positioning on the neck was the overall quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squank Posted July 21, 2001 Author Share Posted July 21, 2001 Hey guys, thanks, I appriciate your posts. These posts answered alot of questions that were in my head. Well, anyway, again today, I searched through music stores around my area. There wasnt a large selection of bass guitars I can play which are under 500.00. I tried some basses out today. Alot of friends recommended that I would buy a Fender P-Bass, actually, when I tried it out, it didnt feel so great (dont understand how Steve Harris of Iron Maiden played a Fender P-bass that had an awesome sound). A fender Jazz bass felt great, but Im not exactly sure if that is the right now. I just dont understand how a Fender Jazz bass can sound like a heavy metal bass, a slap bass, etc. When I feel the jazz bass, I hear a sound which I might slap bass, but I cannot find myself playing metal with it. I also tried warwicks, yamaha's, ibenez's, and ESP's. all sounded either one form or another. This is what im thinking, what if I buy a bass at the store which sounds great, and when I bring it home and play it for hours, I hate it. If that ever happenes, I wont be able to just sell the guitar and buy a new one, I will just have to keep and play it. Well, well see what happens. Sorry if this might sound confusing to all of you. Its alittle hard to explain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squank Posted July 22, 2001 Author Share Posted July 22, 2001 Guess Ill go for either the Fender Jazz Standard or the Fender Deluxe active with either a Fender Bassman 60 or a SMR Working man 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted July 23, 2001 Share Posted July 23, 2001 Depending on where you shop, some stores have exchange policies. My rhythm guitarist went through two guitars and three amps. Everytime he bought one, played for the required 30 days, decided he wanted better and traded up (only slightly). The policy let him start small and build if his original choice didn't cut it. and the store was OK with this, especially since he kept trading up (like a say - $50 increments at most). I think the SWR and Fender will last you a long time. For myself, a good instrument can have whatever sound you can play. Of course looks maybe an issue, but my bet is you can get metal, slap, and smooth out of a jazz. I've gotten a variety of types out of an old EB-3 (though not the slap). Good Luck Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzzzz Posted July 25, 2001 Share Posted July 25, 2001 I could recommend a carvin lb70.I play in a alterna-metal band now creed,godsmack.disturbed,live ect.It has a great hard rock tone as well as a really good slap tone.Hope this helps good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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