Swiss Army Knife Bass

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

An original steinberger , or status . You can play anywhere with eithrr of those .

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='GrammeFriday' timestamp='1438591136' post='2835561']
This set-up cannot entirely overcome limitations of pickup configuration/placement, and neither can your fingers or playing style.

I first learned bass on a Precision. Very nice it was too, and it did nearly everything I wanted it to, but there was one sound that I could not get out of it - a certain fingerstyle sound that I heard lots of virtuoso/technical players doing. For a long time I thought it was my fault that I couldn't 'get' this sound - I did think it was all down to some kind of lack or limitation in my fingerstyle technique. And then one day I tried a Jazz bass for the first time, and soloed the bridge pickup, and BOOM! there was exactly 'that' sound. It wasn't anything to do with my fingers (or a compressor, or any other box of tricks) at all.
[/quote]

I agree that if you're after one particular sound, you may need the right bass to get it. But, I have a PJ bass. It's a cheapie so maybe the pickups are not the best. But, I don't think it's particularly more flexible than other basses I have, and IMHO a lot less flexible in sound than my Cimar bass which is a close copy of a well known American bass. That seems to do pretty much everything, with changes in playing style position pickup choice, pick, muting, outboard effects, etc. It just seems to sound good, no matter what I do with it.

That makes me think that good pickups may trump a variety of pickups (such as the Spear Flextool) in some cases.

[Cameronj279]

I'd probably go for a Warwick Corvette Standard. The PJ setup doesn't appeal to me as I hate the sound from any P-pickup ive ever heard/played. When I briefly owned one of the Corvette basses I found it was super easy to dial in a sound to work with any genre. It had just the right amount of growl that it could be eq'd/played so it wasn't there if required but cut through excellently m Heavyweight bass though.

Edited August 3, 2015 by Cameronj279

[Cameronj279]

.

Edited August 3, 2015 by Cameronj279

[Lozz196]

The most versatile bass I had was a Fender Deluxe Active Jazz (US model). With the right adjustment and pickup selcetion it could nail pretty much most sounds. And the new ones have active/passive ability too, which mine didn`t, so even more versatile.

In fact, just larking about with mates in a rock covers band I needed a bit more versatility than a Precision, so just got a Mex version of one of these in a trade, and am loving it.

[FuNkShUi]

Warwick streamer stage 1.
Would have to get it second hand to be within your budget.
But they do everything.
IMO anyway

[throwoff]

Easy.

VM Jazz bass - £250 ish
Bass floor pod - £100ish on eBay
Pair of Hartke 2x10's - £200 each
Markbass Mini head - £250ish

Few pennies over a grand and you have a lightweight modular gigging rig, a well made quality bass and all the tone shaping you will ever need to play in front of a wedding or pub crowd.

[Meypelnek]

Music Man Bongo HH (two Humbucker). Has a 4 band EQ on board an can do it all.
I currently play a Sterling HH in my Cover band and can do it all with tweaking the 3 band EQ, too. But it is more agressive as compared to the Bongo.

[R.I.P.]

[quote name='Meypelnek' timestamp='1438620345' post='2835831']
Music Man Bongo HH (two Humbucker). Has a 4 band EQ on board an can do it all.
I currently play a Sterling HH in my Cover band and can do it all with tweaking the 3 band EQ, too. But it is more agressive as compared to the Bongo.
[/quote]
I was going to say a Stingray....but yeah, a Bongo would work

[luckman67]

Easy Line 6 bass.

[Machines]

[quote name='luckman67' timestamp='1438626994' post='2835922']
Easy Line 6 bass.
[/quote]

I had one and whilst I can see what it was trying to do, it was like listening to someone to impressions of a celebrity, you know who it's meant to be but also that it's not quite right.

Edited August 3, 2015 by Machines

[mr zed]

If it's versatility you want.....

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/zedsled/media/EBMM%2025th%20Anniversary/EBMM25TH037modified_zpseac6a411.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b560/zedsled/EBMM%2025th%20Anniversary/EBMM25TH037modified_zpseac6a411.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[Ben Jamin]

Another vote for G&L. Haven't come across a better design yet.

[M@23]

Sandberg VM5. Most versatile bass I've owned. It's a beauty too.

[Maude]

Variax.

[theyellowcar]

Until recently I would've said a decent Precision, but I recently picked up a USA MusicMan SUB. I took it to a jam which ranged from punk through to funk through to mellow rock and I was able to find a tone for every track. Spot on.

[Stealth]

Looks like a three way Sandberg / Warwick / GL race with active Jazz as an outsider

Intresting and useful
Shopping time

[ambient]

I think, judging by all the various basses being suggested here as being examples of "the Swiss army knife of basses", that it is indeed down to you the player, and pretty much any bass will do.

[jezzaboy]

G&L L2000 Tribute has 42 different possible settings if I remember correctly. As Swiss as a Toblerone, which I have never tasted.

[Panamonte]

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1438635905' post='2836053']
G&L L2000 Tribute has 42 different possible settings if I remember correctly.
[/quote]

I reckon it's 27 with the K mod. And that's without even touching the bass and treble pots so yeah, I think it qualifies as pretty versatile

Edited August 3, 2015 by Panamonte

[gjones]

A Jazz, with a J retro pre amp, does the lot. In fact, since I got the J retro, although I still hanker over other basses, I can't really justify buying one.

[Ben Jamin]

The other advantage the G&L L2500/L2000 has over Sandberg/Warwick etc is that all it's controls can be used in passive mode, so if you run out of battery/want a passive sound you can still use all the other tone-shaping stuff

Edited August 3, 2015 by Ben Jamin

[wateroftyne]

I bought this for my covers / function band.

GnR, Chuck Berry, Avicii, disco stuff... it's all there.

[R.I.P.]

[quote name='Ben Jamin' timestamp='1438643573' post='2836123']
The other advantage the G&L L2500/L2000 has over Sandberg/Warwick etc is that all it's controls can be used in passive mode, so if you run out of battery/want a passive sound you can still use all the other tone-shaping stuff
[/quote]
Interesting....if you remove the battery, will the bass will still play?

[Ben Jamin]

[quote name='R.I.P.' timestamp='1438644623' post='2836128']
Interesting....if you remove the battery, will the bass will still play?
[/quote]

I assume so! I'll give it a go tomorrow and let you know