# 'Generic' Bass Guitar



## mscp (Oct 4, 2021)

Hi! What brands and models should I consider when looking for nice, clean, not "colorful" tones?


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## Collywobbles (Oct 4, 2021)

You mean sample libraries? Modo bass (IK Multimedia) can do just about everything and you can get in on an amazing deal with the group buy that's currently running. 

The scarbee ones that come with Komplete aren't bad, but definitely wouldn't buy them separately. EZbass (toontrack) seems awesome too although I don't own it personally.

If you mean specific makes/models of actual bass guitars - well the Fender P-bass is probably the most recorded bass ever, but I'd call it "classic" rather than "generic"


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## mscp (Oct 4, 2021)

Collywobbles said:


> You mean sample libraries? Modo bass (IK Multimedia) can do just about everything and you can get in on an amazing deal with the group buy that's currently running.
> 
> The scarbee ones that come with Komplete aren't bad, but definitely wouldn't buy them separately. EZbass (toontrack) seems awesome too although I don't own it personally.
> 
> If you mean specific makes/models of actual bass guitars - well the Fender P-bass is probably the most recorded bass ever, but I'd call it "classic" rather than "generic"


I mean real instrument.


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## Collywobbles (Oct 4, 2021)

mscp said:


> I mean real instrument.


Well I did answer that as well


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## parapentep70 (Oct 4, 2021)

Sire Marcus Miller V7, I prefer to avoid the "Vintage" version because of the pickup position. Version 2 is marginally better than V1 (I have V1). It is a generic "Jazz Bass" style, passive / active, sonically very versatile, perfect neck (in all units I have seen) and relatively low price.


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## mscp (Oct 4, 2021)

Collywobbles said:


> Well I did answer that as well


oh sorry...I see it now. thanks!


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## parapentep70 (Oct 4, 2021)

If you prefer more classic, as Collywobbles says a Fender Precision type is the standard... with a very limited range of sounds. For low price Fender Squire P-basses are good. I also use it in some gigs, but it is less flexible than the Jazz type.

For perfect ergonomics and "modern tones" I prefer modern basses (I use Peavey Cirrus in different flavours).

Anyway the question is in _which price range_ (today there are very good instruments at low prices, better at high prices, this was not true 30 years ago!)

(2nd edition) and for what purpose? Generic bass for players recording in the studio? Live gigs? Type of music? Are you a guitar player who wants to play bass (very common, then my recommendation would be other).....?


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## Double Helix (Oct 4, 2021)

You'll have a couple of options, as far as I'm concerned: Fender Precision & Fender Jazz. I do not know if Alembic is still making basses, but betcha by golly wow--if you can find one:








Alembic Bass Guitars | Reverb


Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear.




reverb.com





https://www.ebay.com/b/Alembic-Bass-Guitars/4713/bn_73465459?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338683477&customid=&toolid=10001


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## mscp (Oct 4, 2021)

parapentep70 said:


> If you prefer more classic, as Collywobbles says a Fender Precision type is the standard... with a very limited range of sounds. For low price Fender Squire P-basses are good. I also use it in some gigs, but it is less flexible than the Jazz type.
> 
> For perfect ergonomics and "modern tones" I prefer modern basses (I use Peavey Cirrus in different flavours).
> 
> ...


I'm not a bassist, so I'm honestly looking for something as cheap as possible but without compromising basic quality in tone. I just need a clean sounding bass that will serve as accompaniment and sit well against some 'semi-distorted' electric guitar passages.


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## Collywobbles (Oct 4, 2021)

mscp said:


> I'm not a bassist, so I'm honestly looking for something as cheap as possible but without compromising basic quality in tone. I just need a clean sounding bass that will serve as accompaniment and sit well against some 'semi-distorted' electric guitar passages.


I would go for a Squier P-bass then, they sound great (I own one) and are super affordable.


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## parapentep70 (Oct 4, 2021)

Collywobbles said:


> I would go for a Squier P-bass then, they sound great (I own one) and are super affordable.


I fully agree. A Squire is good for your goals. The sound is great in its classic style. If it does not sound great, do not blame the instrument. Not my motto, but VERY true in my opinion. Ergonomics are standard (it is "the bass"), factory set-up is not bad. My Squier plays its role as competently as my other 6 (sometimes expensive) basses play theirs.


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## mscp (Oct 4, 2021)

parapentep70 said:


> I fully agree. A Squire is good for your goals. The sound is great in its classic style. If it does not sound great, do not blame the instrument.


Well, it really depends. If you play a note and the tone sounds bad from the get go, then it's certainly the instrument's fault. But in terms of performance, yes, it would be silly to blame the instrument depending on how badly the performance is.

I'm going to a shop soon and try out the squier p and all the others mentioned above. thanks for all the recommendations.


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## Collywobbles (Oct 4, 2021)

parapentep70 said:


> I fully agree. A Squire is good for your goals. The sound is great in its classic style. If it does not sound great, do not blame the instrument. Not my motto, but VERY true in my opinion. Ergonomics are standard (it is "the bass"), factory set-up is not bad. My Squier plays its role as competently as my other 6 (sometimes expensive) basses play theirs.


So true, I bought mine used about 18 years ago and haven't felt the need to replace it. It does need a new pickguard though!


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## chimuelo (Oct 4, 2021)

mscp said:


> I'm not a bassist, so I'm honestly looking for something as cheap as possible but without compromising basic quality in tone. I just need a clean sounding bass that will serve as accompaniment and sit well against some 'semi-distorted' electric guitar passages.


Bass Guitars are like old Hammond B3 Organs. Few feel or sound the same.

Go play as many as possible and keep in mind the Sustain is crucial in a good sounding bass. Pick ups and neck/strings are all part of the sound.

I frequently work w/ a Rock God of Yore who can’t slap, doesn’t use more than 4 strings, but his sustain and release of notes, plus the SVT Tube and P-Bass, are such a pleasure to work with.

If a salesperson says you just add compression, it will fix the sound, forget about it. You should be able to lay the neck on a wooden tabletop, no amp, and hear the tone/sustain. If it sounds good there you have a good start.


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## Mornats (Oct 4, 2021)

I'm a bass player. The generic bass guitar sound you want will be a Fender Precision bass most likely. Personally I have a Fender Player P bass (made in Mexico) and it's amazing. The American made ones are a bit nicer and more refined but not £1000 more refined in my opinion. Also as someone suggested, try a Squier P bass. They made mighty fine instruments too. I have a Squier Vintage Modified jazz bass that I A/B tested against an American Fender jazz and I fully expected to be fishing around for that extra cash for the Fender but ended up walking out with the Squier. I still love it.



chimuelo said:


> If a salesperson says you just add compression, it will fix the sound, forget about it.


If a salesperson says that, ask for another salesperson  Compression can be useful for basses, a lot of players swear by it but a lot don't. The bass is a very dynamic instrument and some like to explore this and some like to tame it. Compression won't ever fix a sound.

And yes, definitely go and play as many basses as you can. You'll know which one you want when it's in your hands. I bought my P bass because I picked up a random P bass off the shelf to explain to my mate how another bass sounded a bit like a P. I ended up playing it for 40 mins and went back in the following week to buy it.


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## chimuelo (Oct 4, 2021)

Mornats said:


> I'm a bass player. The generic bass guitar sound you want will be a Fender Precision bass most likely. Personally I have a Fender Player P bass (made in Mexico) and it's amazing. The American made ones are a bit nicer and more refined but not £1000 more refined in my opinion. Also as someone suggested, try a Squier P bass. They made mighty fine instruments too. I have a Squier Vintage Modified jazz bass that I A/B tested against an American Fender jazz and I fully expected to be fishing around for that extra cash for the Fender but ended up walking out with the Squier. I still love it.
> 
> 
> If a salesperson says that, ask for another salesperson  Compression can be useful for basses, a lot of players swear by it but a lot don't. The bass is a very dynamic instrument and some like to explore this and some like to tame it. Compression won't ever fix a sound.
> ...



Out of all the bassists I work with the P-Bass guys are my favorite.

If you can’t get the work done on those 4 strings the other 2 won’t be much help..


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## Double Helix (Oct 4, 2021)

Mornats said:


> . . . I picked up a random P bass off the shelf to explain to my mate how another bass sounded a bit like a P. I ended up playing it for 40 mins and went back in the following week to buy it.


My (late) older brother had a guitar collection of over ninety (!) instruments, of which nineteen were basses of every description, including two Alembics, a John Patitucchi model Yamaha, and one of those clear Dan Armstrongs with the interchangeable pickups.
He was vising over Christmas many years ago, and I went with him to a local music store, where there was a natural P-bass hanging on the wall. The clerk pulled it down for him, and after playing it for a while, my brother made a waaaay low offer, which--amazingly--was accepted.
When we got in the car, bass & case in hand, he turned to me and said, "They had no idea what they had."
Turned out to be a late 1969/early 1970, in his considered opinion the Holy Grail. And of his vast collection, out of all the options he had, he always used only it to play gigs.


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## Mornats (Oct 4, 2021)

chimuelo said:


> Out of all the bassists I work with the P-Bass guys are my favorite.
> 
> If you can’t get the work done on those 4 strings the other 2 won’t be much help..


Honestly a P bass just sits in the mix so well. You don't ever have to fight it. I've only recorded with a couple of mixing engineers but they've both loved how they don't need to do much, if anything to get the sound to work.



Double Helix said:


> My (late) older brother had a guitar collection of over ninety (!) instruments, of which nineteen were basses of every description, including two Alembics, a John Patitucchi model Yamaha, and one of those clear Dan Armstrongs with the interchangeable pickups.
> He was vising over Christmas many years ago, and I went with him to a local music store, where there was a natural P-bass hanging on the wall. The clerk pulled it down for him, and after playing it for a while, my brother made a waaaay low offer, which--amazingly--was accepted.
> When we got in the car, bass & case in hand, he turned to me and said, "They had no idea what they had."
> Turned out to be a late 1969/early 1970, in his considered opinion the Holy Grail. And of his vast collection, out of all the options he had, he always used only it to play gigs.


Oh wow, what a find! They're worth several thousand. There's a vintage musical instrument shop in Bath, UK that once had Henry Mancini's bass that he recorded the Pink Panther theme on. I shudder to think how much they were after for it.


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## river angler (Oct 4, 2021)

Check out: https://www.orangetreesamples.com/products/categories/basses


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## Joe_D (Oct 4, 2021)

P bass is definitely an (or maybe the) iconic and ubiquitous sound, deep and solid and never in the way. It takes effects well. 

J bass is brighter, better for funk and electric jazz sounds, and edgy or soloistic sounds. 

For more versatility, you could get something like a Yamaha TRBX 174, which has a P (neck position) pickup and a J (bridge position) pickup. There are plenty of other PJ combinations also. I have about 5 basses, and though others were more expensive, my little Yamaha might be the one I play the most. 

(I should note that bass is not my primary instrument.)


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## Henu (Oct 5, 2021)

parapentep70 said:


> Sire Marcus Miller V7


I bought the fretless one in January and absolutely love it. Highly recommended!


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## mscp (Oct 5, 2021)

Joe_D said:


> Yamaha TRBX 174


Interesting. 2 for the price of 1 - budget style.


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## mscp (Oct 5, 2021)

Bass and Guitar bought.

I went for the TRBX 174 bass and a standard Ibanez 'for metal' electric guitar. 

Now it's time to try to write something at a shorter time span with them, if my mojo allows.


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## Trash Panda (Oct 5, 2021)

Unfortunately, this is not a question anyone can answer for you. While we can make generic recommendations like a Fender/Squire P-Bass or Jazz Bass from a tone perspective, ultimately the most important part is what feels good in _your_ hands. You can always sculpt the sound to a degree between amps/pedals/ITB effects, but you can't make the guitar feel good in your hands if the neck doesn't fit your hand size.

I was convinced I would be buying a Stingray bass a few years back. It just had THE sound. The sales guy tried to push me towards Schecter. In the end, the cheaper Ibanez felt the best for my hands and I was able to achieve the sound I wanted out of it between the on instrument knobs and amp/amp sim settings.


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## chimuelo (Oct 5, 2021)

So true. Was at an incredibly stocked studio years back that had gear I never thought I’d get to see up close. Urei, Manley, Avalon, Grace, etc.

The guitar collection was most impressive and I played all 20+ guitars. 
Funny I never thought I’d love the Jackson Tie-Die that had Humbuckers and Fender pick ups. Not to mention an Ebony Wood SG Styled custom neck.

It was the best guitar I ever played and I thought Jackson and Washburn were “generic.”


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## parapentep70 (Oct 5, 2021)

Trash Panda said:


> Unfortunately, this is not a question anyone can answer for you. While we can make generic recommendations like a Fender/Squire P-Bass or Jazz Bass from a tone perspective, ultimately the most important part is what feels good in _your_ hands. You can always sculpt the sound to a degree between amps/pedals/ITB effects, but you can't make the guitar feel good in your hands if the neck doesn't fit your hand size.
> 
> I was convinced I would be buying a Stingray bass a few years back. It just had THE sound. The sales guy tried to push me towards Schecter. In the end, the cheaper Ibanez felt the best for my hands and I was able to achieve the sound I wanted out of it between the on instrument knobs and amp/amp sim settings.


Very good point!

In my first recommendations I hinted that it depends on the player(s). I mentioned "for a guitar player" because once I recommended an Ibanez SGDR. These necks are SOOO fast and comfortable!


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## mscp (Oct 5, 2021)

parapentep70 said:


> Very good point!
> 
> In my first recommendations I hinted that it depends on the player(s). I mentioned "for a guitar player" because once I recommended an Ibanez SGDR. These necks are SOOO fast and comfortable!


It's so fun to play with the TRBX!! Now to the Ibanez. Both look great btw.


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## Trash Panda (Oct 5, 2021)

Yamaha basses are excellent. When I was shopping, I could never find one in stock in a store though and the waiting list for online orders was ridiculous.


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## mscp (Oct 5, 2021)

Trash Panda said:


> Yamaha basses are excellent. When I was shopping, I could never find one in stock in a store though and the waiting list for online orders was ridiculous.


Really? wow.


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## sean8877 (Oct 5, 2021)

I've always heard the P-Bass is the best for an all around studio bass that will fit most situations.


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## Mornats (Oct 5, 2021)

mscp said:


> Bass and Guitar bought.
> 
> I went for the TRBX 174 bass and a standard Ibanez 'for metal' electric guitar.
> 
> Now it's time to try to write something at a shorter time span with them, if my mojo allows.


Nice, congratulations! I never mentioned it above but my third bass is a Yamaha TRBX504. It's a very nice bass although at the moment I have tapewound strings on it which don't suit it so it never came to mind. It was great with roundwounds on although I tended to keep it in passive mode.


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