Best Allaround Bass For Session Work?

[Threshold]

Bassist's,

 

If you had to take a vote for one bass you would reach for to do recording session work with, which one would it be? When considering please take thought in the fact that this includes doing Rock, (Funk/R&B/Hip-Hop), Country, & Jazz sessions.

 

Threshold.

 

[ 12-12-2001: Message edited by: Threshold ]

[Alan Dalton]

Threshold,

 

I've never played one but I'd go for one of these:

http://yamaha.com/images/BBEAST.gif

- the Yamaha Nathan East Signature 5-String Electric Bass

 

Hey, it works for Nathan and he's as successful as a session players can be... and he sounds great.

 

Obviously you'd need the obligatory "Fender P-Bass in the trunk" as well, just in case the producer or artist gets arsey.

[BenLoy]

Get a Fender Jazz. If you need a 5-string, get a Mike Lull or a Sadowsky.

 

If you live in Nashville, then you can get away with having a Modulus or a Warwick...

[natty fred]

my 68 Fender Jazz has served me well for many years now, had a few good other basses, but the Jazz is the most used/requested, I am thinking of buying a Spector NS 5-string...

 

peace

natty

[zujo]

OK this is a bass I don't currently own:

 

A Tyler 5 string should serve me well

 

2nd Option:

 

A Dingwall.

 

Reality check:

 

My fender P bass[5string]

 

 

And by the way how much does this session pay?

[ikestr]

My 2c:

 

1. Fender Jazz

 

2. MM Stingray

 

Every engineer has experience with these. He'll have no problem dialing 'em in.

 

ikestr

[J.T.]

Threshold,

If I could only have one bass for doing session work,I'd go for a Fender jazz. Not because it's the best (it's not, by far), but because engineers and studio personnel trust it (not to mention the artists you'll be recording for) and know it. They know that if you have a Fender and they want 'x' type of sound, they know exactly how to twist those knobs to get that sound because they've done it a hundred times. It's a looks thing and nothing more.

 

Ben Loy, just relocating from Nashville a few months ago, I can tell you that they do the Fender thing in the studio too. The only time you can get away with playing something else is if you're famous, they want to experiment, or they trust that you know what you're doing (not often unless you fit requirement #1). Otherwise, they want the same thing everybody else does because it makes their life a lot easier.

[...]

Originally posted by BenLoy:

Get a Fender Jazz. If you need a 5-string, get a Mike Lull or a Sadowsky.

 

I couldn't agree more. I have a Mike Lull Modern 5 and it's the best bass I've ever played/owned. It can produce just about any tone you could ever possibly want, it plays like a dream... I am actually selling my Spector NS 5 because I don't use it anymore.

 

Anyone want to buy a slightly used NS 5 with a form-fit flightcase? x()

[Randy_dup4]

Originally posted by Bumpcity:

 

I couldn't agree more. I have a Mike Lull Modern 5 and it's the best bass I've ever played/owned. It can produce just about any tone you could ever possibly want, it plays like a dream... I am actually selling my Spector NS 5 because I don't use it anymore.

 

x()

 

I also have a Lull , a M5V and it is a great all around bass for live and studio work (the reason I bought it). It has all the best elements of a Fender jazz with better construction, electronics and playability. Sadowsky's are great as well.

[g.]

doesn't this topic come up every week on every bass-related forum on the 'net? ...well, so do a few others, i suppose ; }

[BenLoy]

Ben Loy, just relocating from Nashville a few months ago, I can tell you that they do the Fender thing in the studio too. The only time you can get away with playing something else is if you're famous, they want to experiment, or they trust that you know what you're doing

 

Gee, that's too bad. I read that in an interview with Mike Chapman, or someone of similar stature...so I guess that's why I assumed that. Naturally, the "It won't sound good unless it's a fender" vibe from engineers seems to be a universal one... In retrospect, considering your comments, Mike Chapman spent years making a name for himself on his Fender Jazz...so that would explain why he has few problems today pulling out a Warwick.

 

Not that the Fender is a bad sound. As much as I like the tones I hear from high-end basses (and I love my fretless Zon)...it's hard to beat the sound of a Fender in almost any studio situation. They've just got that grunginess that makes them fit perfectly into a track.

 

And by Fender I mean fender-designed or fender-styled instruments. An engineer probably wouldn't freak out (or even raise an eyebrow) if you pulled out a G&L, Sadowsky, Music Man (engineers love my Stingray), or Mike Lull. But a pulling out a Conklin 7-string would probably cause them to roll their eyes and turn to whoever's in the control room and say, "And you think we spent a long time getting the DRUM sound!"

[g.]

nuthin' supports the status quo quite like the statusquopian...

[dansouth]

For pop, funk, and blues, a Precision is all over the Jazz. I'd go for a high calibre Precision clone like the Mike Lull or the Lakland Bob Glaub. Punchy lows are more imporant than clean highs on most sessions.

 

If money were an issue, I'd go for the MM Stingray.

 

For a five, it's gotta be the Lakland 55-94. I'm sure that the Lulls and 21-fret Sadowskys are also top notch, but the Lakland sounds and feels better than anything I've ever touched. The 24-fret Sadowskys limit the right hand too much, IMO.

 

[ 12-13-2001: Message edited by: dansouth@yahoo.com ]

[natty fred]

errr, I don't entirely agree dan, but either would be a good choice, it depends on a lot of factors

 

with any vintage instrument, of course check 'em out first, when I got my Jazz, I was trying Precisions too (new & old) but the one I got was "perfect" for me when I first played it, but I've played some really dodgy ones....

 

it's true about engineers just likin' them as they know what to do, the smile I get when I pull the old thing out says a thousand words...

 

also you might want to check the star-sign, my jazz is a pieces & i'm cancerian so the chanced for harmony are excellent ...

 

peace

natty

 

ps; Bumpcity, what colour & star sign is it? why don't you play it? do you have it strung with a hi C or lo B? I played one in a shop here thru the same rig I have and after playing every 5-string in the place (litterally hundreds @ the Bass Centre) it was the only one that said "buy me", I didn't like the colour and at that price you'ld wanna...

[gmann]

I'm in the studio right now and I'm using my Peavey Cirrus quilt top tiger eye 5 string.

[Tom Capasso]

I was in a GC last night, and they had a used Lull 4. A guy who was testing some basses played some Fenders, with the Lull in between. The Lull certainly sounded just as good. I could see certain aspects of how it was made (made very well!). For $1400, it was worth more than a Fender American IMHO.

 

Tom

 

P.S. no hexabuzz found yet...

[Jim T.]

Thanks Tom! I saw that! Keep a look out for me still, guys.

An aside: (I may have an "on again" deal going on the 36" KB instead. It was sold and now it's not...) Still interested in Pedulla MVPs though, so please keep an eye out for me still.

 

OK, that said, For the last 10 years I have had the fortunate situation of playing regional "project" studios where the engineers and producers are open minded and usually don't mind taking a little while to get a good sound with my Pedulla Hex or Ibanez. SR406. I help this situation to come about by not charging for "my time" to get a sound I'll be happy with" as well as the client.

 

My experiences in larger COMMERCIAL studios usually call for a J or P bass and they just say hit a string and go. I'd estimate that I have about 2 years of non-constant larger commercial studio experience so far, out of the 10.

I'm still not strong enough in the hit a string and go world.

My fallback "trunk" models are a Fender Jazz fretless or a fretted (great sounding) Fender Squier Jazz.

 

I must say that I've read COUNTLESS times in interviews with famous producers and engineers that the Fender Precision is the instrument of choice and in fact when I'm asked to use the "house bass" that's what it always is.

I'm glad to hear from you guys that the Jazz is just as commonly requested/accepted.

I agree that the Jazz has a far more versatile tonal palette than a P but the P does do it's one thuddy/boom thing well.

 

Maybe (HOPEFULLY) engineer/producer's are getting more open minds?

 

By the way, it might be most useful if our posters in this thread state what their session experience is or at least what their read sources are. It's too easy to just get excited about stating our personal preferences for an instrument without having spent a LOT of time employed in commercial studios , perhaps voiding "scientific validity" in knowing what most producers/engineers call for. (You know... like the "What's your Day Job thread...)

 

I'd have to say that if I'm given the opportunity to pre-compose a part and find "the sound" for a tune that I'd like to use-it and whatever "weird" bass I've chosen is accepted because I can "research" eq, levels of compression, etc. ahead of time an tell the engineer going in that I liked what THAT sounded like, would he/she be willing to try that real quick and see if they agree? I've worked as a freelance producer and do a fair amount of recording in my own project studio, so maybe I have a little more experience in that regard than the average bass player... If I'm just laying down a part without prep time then it's slam bam... whatever the engineer tells me to do.

[rim69]

I would definately say a Fender Jazz or Mike Lull depending on what range of sound you need. However one of my three basses is a Fender P bass and I think that the P bass is one of the most underated basses around. It isnt too fancy I'll admit, but I do have to say with some adjustments, it is an awesome bass!

[...]

Originally posted by natty fred:

ps; Bumpcity, what colour & star sign is it? why don't you play it? do you have it strung with a hi C or lo B? I played one in a shop here thru the same rig I have and after playing every 5-string in the place (litterally hundreds @ the Bass Centre) it was the only one that said "buy me", I didn't like the colour and at that price you'ld wanna...

 

It's a low B, it's a natural finish, has the piezo pickup option, and a form-fit custom flight case. You can actually see it at Bass Northwests' website:

 

http://www.bassnw.com/Used%20Basses/ssd_ns5p_quilted_maple_piezo_flightcase.htm

 

I'd be willing to sell it cheaper than BassNW is selling it for.. as they are trying to make some bread on the deal too man. The bass is 7 years old, it was originally owned by Juan Nelson (of Ben Harper fame) and I bought it from Juan.

[bassaddik]

if its a fusiony kinda thing- my MTD 535 - if its a reg session to sit in the mix- my Lakland 55-94 records like a dream

[dansouth]

Assorted P-bass studio players:

 

James Jamerson

Carole Kaye

Leland Sklar

Duck Dunn

Bob Glaub

 

How many hit records have these folks made?

 

The J is cool, but the P is the RULE!

 

[ 12-14-2001: Message edited by: dansouth@yahoo.com ]

[natty fred]

thanks Bumpcity, i see it's 34" and i prefer the sound of 35" b strings......well i think that's what i liked about the one i played, also i have no idea about piezos...

 

peace

natty