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Original message:128 days 14 hours 37 minutes ago

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Member: Rary

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So I just joined a band this last week, and I am playing bass. I had quit playing for about a year, but after finding out that a friends band was in dire need of a bass player, I figured I would give it a shot, and see if I could conjure up something good.
SO, I find myself now in need of some new gear. I'm currently playing a Warwick 5-string Rock bass through an Ampeg svt9-pro head and Ampeg 8x10 bass cabinet.
The tone is alright, pretty good I guess, but I'm looking for more. The sound has quite a bit of attack, and the look of the bass is not quite what the doctor ordered.
Here are some things that I'm looking for in a bass:
Smoothe tone, all throughout the ranges. I want something that is not only very low sounding, but, once again, smoothe as shit. I'm thinking something with active eq in it? I play with my fingers, so that helps smoothen out the tone quite a bit, but its still not enough. I would like something that, when I use tapping and things like that on the higher strings, I don't get a metallic, attack-y sound.
5 strings. The tuning we play in, right now for my 5 string bass, is G-C-G-C-E, but because the bass has not been set up for it, the low B string is more or less useless, due to not enough tension (I think) so it doesn't vibrate as it should, although I think if I have it taken to a guitar shop, then it could be set up properly and would work as I want it to.
Natural Tones for the body. I like the look of natural, un-finished wood bodied instruments, so thats what I would like.
Rosewood or Ebony fingerboard. I'm just not down with maple.
That's pretty much it, but here is a list of basses that I have completely ruled out so far, due to not digging the tone, or just don't want one, plain and simple.
-Pretty much any Fender. I used to use a Fender Precision, and it had WAY too much attack. I also don't like how run-of-the-mill the body styling is.
-Rickenbacker. I had one being custom made for me, and when it arrived and I played it, I didn't like the tone, so I didn't buy it. Too Mid-rangey with a lot of attack.
-Most Ibanez basses. I'm just not in to Ibanez instruments, and I have yet to find an ibanez bass that impresses me in terms of look and tone.
SO, thats about it. I'm willing to drop about 1500-2000 bucks on a new bass, as long as it is well worth it and is bad-fuckin-ass.
So ya, any comments, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

My music recommendations:

How many Guitarists does it take to Screw in a lightbulb? Ten. One to do it, and nine others to sit at the back of the room with their arms crossed and tal about how they could do it better.

Reply:128 days 13 hours 46 minutes ago
Member: Xarkzila

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I love my Carvin. I got a fretless model, (put flat wounds on it too,) and it's really smooth. We often have a jazz cat in the studio who plays a Carvin 6 string bass with frets. It's also smooth and solid. Just throwing it out there. Only place to get one is in their showroom or by ordering it. They are really good about this and give you time to decide. I purchased the kit bass and put it together myself. I left the body natural wood except for putting a couple laquer coats on it.

My gear recommendations:

"The music industry is a cruel and shallow money trench. A long plastic hallway where theives and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side..."
http://www.cleargravy.com

Reply:128 days 11 hours 29 minutes ago
Member: eds1275

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Sounds like you have a pretty wicked rig already. I suggest getting a really wicked compressor to smooth the tone, and put it in the loop. Have a low attack setting and threshold to really round out the bottom end and dull the attack, or alternatively have a slow attack in the range of 30-50 ms to let the attack pop out if you're playing slap. I imagine with a good compressor you've already got everything you need.

I personally would ditch the 8x10 and grab either 2 4x10s or a 4x10 and a 1x15 - 15s have a woofier bass than a 10 - tens are much more focused sounding, so maybe try a friend's or rental 15. Besides being easier to handle [2 cabs as opposed to a "megoliath" as I recall an 8x10 being named, you can mix and match... I'm sure not every day you are needing or even wanting to haul around that much stuff.

Reply:128 days 5 hours 44 minutes ago
Member: pickabass

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Buy the thickest pair of 5-string flatwounds you can find. I would try rotosound, i would guess that these + a closed tone pot will get you just the right sound you need. Just so you know, you will might never be able to get that low G to ring right. Most bass cabs with 10s have trouble filling up even a low A properly. As far as basses, try a musicman, or maybe for that smooth, low attackless sound try a 5-string gibson thunderbird (which i think is only made as a studio model).

My gear recommendations:

Capos are for weenies

Reply:122 days 12 hours 22 minutes ago
Member: Rary

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Sick dudes.
I definitely was thinking about carvin, as far as looks go, I dig the, I'll have to either try and get my hands on one to try it out, or to hear some recordings done with one so I can get an idea on the tone.
I definitely dig everything I have so far, but I'm all about making my tone exactly how it sounds in my headlol. PLUS, who doesn't like sick looking gear?lol. Ya I definitely hate lugging around my 8x10, I was actually considering moving to 2 4x10's, that way if we're playing in a smaller venue, I don't need something quite as big, but one of my guitarists uses a marshall 4x12 cab with a marshall jcm2000 head and a bunch of crazy shit and our other guitar player uses a soldano something or other head through an orange 4x12 cab, so I need something that can go pretty loud, because those bab boys crank out some serious noiselol.
I know a friend of mine in another band had a musicman bass, and I wasn't too stoked about the tone, or the look even, although of course there are different models offered, I'm just not so crazy about the overall look. And for thunderbirds, once again, I'm just not too crazy about the look. But I'll definitely give it a try, if it has sick tone it doesn't totally matter what it looks like, although the shape would be a bit difficult to do guitar swings with, which is a big part of the live show. Either way, I'm going to start looking at basses at the stores and consult you guys when I see something I might consider:p thanks dudes!

My music recommendations:

How many Guitarists does it take to Screw in a lightbulb? Ten. One to do it, and nine others to sit at the back of the room with their arms crossed and tal about how they could do it better.

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