drTStingray

There is actually a bass guitar part on this - playing a type of guitar picked line high up on the fretboard. If you are very adventurous you can play the keyboard bass part into a looper on bass guitar with envelope filter and then play the actual bass guitar part over it!! I'm sure lots of people play this, the band I'm in plays this the guitarist plays the picked part but changes to duplicate the melody line with the sax - it actually sounds quite effective. We play it as a latter day jazz standard along with Watermelon Man and others.

Another one from the era of Chameleon but a top 20 single. This always sounded more like an organ to me - i don't know what type of keyboard is used. I think you would need an octaver to perform this on a bass guitar - interesting bit at 1.39 - almost a little bass solo. These tracks are certainly from the days of punchy, up front bass in the mix - none of that woolly rumbling in the background!!

It's possible to get a decent sounding version of this using a Stingray with an envelope filter. Another track which would be better with synth bass is Flashlight. Ive played Chameleon live quite often on bass guitar without effects and have merged the bass part from Flashlight with it - having a fat bass sound helps.

This - bass even at very low volumes travels - I always practice acoustically - it has its advantages but if you can't get on with this, use headphones. Playing bass in a house is likely to be anti social to neighbour's and definitely to other occupants...

One of the first things I look for in a bass is the tone and whether it enables me to get my sound (I suspect we all have a sound in our heads we are striving for). As has been stated before in this thread, tone and sustain are generally linked. Unless you're aiming to buy a bass to provide a toneless thump or rumble (and I can believe some people do judging by some comments and some bass sounds I've heard) then tone (and thus sustain) would surely be a primary consideration for most musicians - once you have that, muting to create thump can follow - this could take the form of technique or some device to deaden the strings - these days flatwound strings don't necessarily mean dull and dead sound - some are better than others in terms of giving a little more breadth of tone. As for carbon graphite, a Stingray or Sabre with such a neck creates a clearer and more punchy sound - and you surely wouldn't be berating Status basses - not to everyone's taste but from what I've heard, they produce an excellent sound. However for someone after vintage sound (especially at the woolly end of vintage) they probably wouldn't be looking to one of those.

There's perhaps a slightly different explanation - other than guitar based music - which is often in E and A (although quite a lot of metal actually uses dropped tunings) lots of music is in keys like Eb and C often to suit keyboards, sometimes to suit singers and sometimes to suit brass instruments. They will often have lower notes than E, which may not work played on a 4 string unless you use an octaver - which sometimes have tracking problems. The whole reason 5 string basses with low B strings became popular in the 1980s was to allow bassists to play parts played on keyboards which during that era were probably as popular as guitars - in fact nicked a lot of work off both bassists and guitarists. Dance music often uses notes lower than E. So it shouldn't be a great surprise to find a Stingray tuned to Eb - they can be tuned even lower than B and still work fine. It's a standing joke amongst musicians and is referred to on this forum sometimes how guitarists seldom want to play songs like Superstition, I Wish in the proper key (Eb) or even Hard to Handle (Bb). If you have a sax player, they will give a wry smile when asked to play these songs in E or B etc ..... it generally reflects guitarists with restricted ability.

You maybe right in terms of upper harmonics dying off quickly but those of my basses with the best sustain tend to retain less lifeless tone for longer. Like several other people have said about their own playing, my general style tends to be more staccato and sustain is less of an issue than acceptable muting technique and in some cases having the strings permanently muted. However there are occasions when longer notes are required such as on ballads. I also once played in a tribute band where a particular song ending required the bass to hold the last note for three beats and then on the fourth slide down part of the octave - rest for the first beat of the next bar and then play the octave below the held note for one beat (the last note for the other instruments as well). It was essential for the bass to be able to hold that note and not decay too much or die mid way during the held note or slide. You may say this is a very fine detail but isn't that what much of music is about - fine details of arrangement? In this instance it was an extremely effective ending to a shortish pop song. Having sufficient sustain is just one of a number of essential elements to a bass sound as far as I'm concerned.

I thought the OP was asking about Jazz bass sound. Enough of those have been played on recordings over the years to suggest that any decent musician and recording engineer should be able to get a decent recorded sound with one (indeed they should be able to with any professional standard bass - including a Precision, Stingray, Yamaha, Rickenbacker, Hofner etc etc).

Is she wearing vintage clothes or some sort of custom shop reissue? 🤔

I've just been reading through the responses on here. Have I got this right:- 1) Some people have basses which need modification to get sustain. 2) Some people smack their basses so hard the strings come off the bridges 3) 99% of people bash away on rudimentary basses and amps where sustain is not required. All I can think is gor blimey. But seriously, have we finally found a differentiator here between the designs which were got right in the long and distant past (but need modification to make them sustain so weren't that good after all) and the more recent makes and more recent iterations of 'vintage' designs which amongst other things, correct this flaw. Good grief - you learn something every day 😂

Also, appear to be people around with all the gear and no idea as well!! Not necessarily bassists, but sometimes seems to apply to drummists - anyone else come across one bringing a gong to a gig but still not being able to play a straightforward groove?

If you're intending to play music which calls for a bass part beyond just a half note thump - perhaps requiring notes to ring for two beats or more then it's an essential part of playing. Having a note ring and then stop it at a strategic point in a bar can be extremely effective. Sustain and tone there of is often essential when playing ballads. In my experience, string through versions of basses can improve the quality and volume of sustain.

I've had the same set of TI flats on my Stingray Classic, strung through the body for about two years now. I believe they would have fitted a 4 in line bass - doesn't Pino use them and the CS Pino Precision come fitted with them (not strung through but surely only needing a short amount extra of string?). Nice story btw McNach - glad it worked out!! Has she not played one of your Stingrays yet or did you hide them for fear of getting a bigger present bill 😂

Do you guys think the 70s v 60s bridge pick up location makes a difference to the 'Jazz' sound? Certainly Marcus Miller has the 70s location - not sure whether Jaco altered his.

Hahaha!! I recall there were some bassists on Talkbass years ago who were suffering from a toilet fixation - as well as Bongos they were forever going on about P(ee) basses 😂 However my orange Bongo has absolutely no bathroom or any other furniture connotations to the normal musician's mind or anyone else from my experience. The nice pointy headstock could come in very handy as well 😉 😄

I spent an hour or so searching for this last night without luck I'm afraid sorry - went through a pile of recent BGMs. I'll have another look tonight - I'm just wondering if I actually read it on here or in a newspaper article or something.

Is this something that just applies to Fender P and J basses? You rarely hear people talking about vintage V modern Rickenbackers - or Wals - most of my Musicman basses are less than 15 yrs old and to be honest, though I've played old ones (indeed bought one new in the 70s) there is little difference (certainly on the 2 band Stingray) - of course the modern ones are built to modern QC and manufacturing tolerances, which like with every other 'consumer durable' makes them infinitely better in that sense. I mean who would use a vintage Hoover or quill and ink, or even a 50 yr old car on a day to day basis. Vintage is partially a fashion and nostalgia thing - there are plenty of people around who hark back to the late 50s and early 60s and cherish instruments from that period - I tend to hark back to the early 70s when most people (there are exceptions like Willie Weeks) would have been considered way past it and uncool playing a pastel coloured guitar - even the Shadows stopped doing that until they performed as an out and out nostalgia tribute in the last couple of decades. I have yet to play a 'vintage' instrument which speaks to me that strongly sonically and playing wise that I would part with large sums of money for it - I have looked off and on for 20 yrs or so. Do they look nice and are they full of nostalgia? Well the answer is yes for me - but to use as a day to day instrument then no. Are they more desirable than say a new Fender CS, new Musicman, Wal, Rickenbacker or Gibson - no they're not for me indeed some modern ones really do have that classic feel and look and are equally impressive aesthetically as far as I can see.

That's exactly what I used for a while on my Stingray fretless - now using the Cobalt flats. Really nice tracks and sound there - and thanks.....you just reignited my Wal gas!! The bass sound (in fact the whole sound) on those gospelly funk tracks is fabulous.

You have a very impressive advertising poster at either Bromley South or Beckenham Junction station currently for a show at the Churchill Theatre - equally eye catching and impressive as the other ones for West End shows and pantos - I too noticed the sparkly clad ladies, but on the poster. Are you the show that the actual ELO band turned up to a gig of? I read in an interview with Lee Pomeroy they'd done that!!

Yeah good plan - the Stealth look with white lettering is excellent - I was very tempted by an SR5 in that form a few years back. Do you find the Bongo is incredibly resonant just acoustically? Mine is, and has extremely strong harmonics just acoustically - they're great instruments.

Fabulous bass - they are really excellent - if you want a new pickguard, Musicman's supplier (Chandler - Pickguard Heaven) do most of the exotic looking ones MM used to offer as options - this one is called tiramisu.

I'd say that was an Antoria - I had one basically the same (but with a rosewood board, pearl blocks and Jazz type pick up covers - but without the F symbol on the bridge one - it even had a foam mute fitted - you can see the screw holes for them on that picture). Mine was a sort of walnut colour, but basically the same. Not long after I had mine (from new in 1975) they started doing them with authentic Jazz style pick ups rather than those - IIRC the bridge pick up on mine was fairly weak.

I've amassed some light entertainment stage props including a music stand but haven't run to a pullover and rocking chair yet (or stool) or to 1970s light entertainment wear (brown was clearly in during 1975)

Good to see you Blue and also to see you're following the latest ethos of not displaying headstock logos since the recent debate (debacle?) here 😁😂😂 NYE gig is a posh pub with eating in a fashionable high tech part of Kent. As all of our band are generally in various other bands, some of which had previously accepted NYE gigs, we have two deps in the line up. I believe we have to play 3 hrs, finishing not too long after Jools Holland's chimes of Big Ben - should be fun. Mostly old soul stuff, which is always fun on bass.