Most appropriate Bass for Country/Country Rock/Folk

[Rocker]

Most likely Fender Mex, 4 string. I have a hankering after a Precision but am now having second thoughts about a Jazz. What is the general opinion here about the most suitable bass for Country, Country Rock, Folk and Singalong music. Think Gene Watson, The Eagles, Simon & Garfunkel and Christy Moore.

My amp is a Markbass Minimark and, sometime soon, I hope to get a 15" external cab to go with it. Mainly to balance out an enthusiastic drummer!

Thanks.

[Cat Burrito]

Having been on that circuit for 15 years, play what you like! The classic is a flatwound strung P-bass (or an upright) but we gigged this year with a guy who had a Rickenbacker 4001 and I've taken to playing my Gibson Thunderbird.

[ambient]

I did a lot of gigs for a country band about 5 years ago. I was using a 6 string Zon, no one batted an eyelid. I played the right notes, the right way, and it sounded ok, that's all that mattered.

Edited July 29, 2017 by ambient

[gareth]

Jack Cassidy

[skankdelvar]

[SpondonBassed]

A good set of lungs and one of these, emptied just in time of course, can get you by at a push.



[attachment=250221:WhiskeyJar.png]

[skankdelvar]

On a serious note ([size=2][i]badum-tish[/i][/size]) if I ever went back to Country I think I'd string a P up as B-E-A-D.

It might make root-fiving in E and G a bit more convincing.

[stingrayPete1977]

Upright is a winner with audiences, they love 'em!

[Andy_L]

I use a Fender PJ for country/country rock, with the P on about 80% and the J on 20-30% usually. Oh, and roundwounds.

Edited July 29, 2017 by Andy_L

[blue]

The most appropriate bass for Country/Country Rock/ Folk is the style of playing, your understanding of the genre and the tone from your fingers.

Blue

Edited July 29, 2017 by blue

[Number6]

Just get a bass and play it 👍

[dmccombe7]

I would go for the P/J set up too. Gives you best of both worlds in my opinion.
I play with a band that does a lot of Blues Rock with the occasional Country rock type songs and the P/J fits it far better than my Jazz.

I do have a passion for my Jazz bass tho as it just feels better to play but band think the P/J sounds better. I generally have it set 50/50 pick up split and occasionally change the tone controls very slightly.

Dave

[fretmeister]

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1501349639' post='3344224']
Just get a bass and play it 👍
[/quote]

This.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Any bass you're comfortable with.

In my americana band on various gigs with several root-fifth type songs, I used my precisions (fretted & fretless), an active jazz, a mustang, a musicmaster, a danelectro longhorn, an ashbory, a dean pace electric upright, an NS-Design CR-5M electric upright, a white epiphone thunderbird, and a natural epiphone thunderbird pro-v.

I'm not aware of anyone ever being offended by my choice of bass. Not that it would have bothered me.

[lownote]

I play blues and Americana (which is sort of folk) with a flat wound P bass but with a Tonerider pickup which just gives a brighter edge than the dull thump you might expect. Works lovely. I have also tried an active Sire in the mix and I couldn't get it sounding comfortable, a view endorsed by my team mates.

[paul_5]

Anything with flats (or the tone control rolled back a little)

[Bolo]

The cheapest one you can afford.

[scrumpymike]

I used an old Mustang (rescued from a skip!!) with flats and it sounded just sublime.

[paulbuzz]

This may be getting slightly away from the OP's 'what bass' question, but I've recently taken to using a block of foam under the strings near the bridge as a damper, for added thump. (This is with a p-bass with flats.)

This has helped greatly in getting a country-ish sound that's the exact opposite of the clangy roundwound sound I've always favoured previously!

[timhiggins]

P bass ,old strings, tone low

[Dan Dare]

[quote name='timhiggins' timestamp='1501361720' post='3344296']
P bass ,old strings, tone low
[/quote]

This makes a lot of sense. A lot of country and similar stuff is in D, to suit fiddle players, so tuning D-G-C-F is useful. I used a Jazz tuned this way for years in similar circumstances and it worked fine. Don't' think you need old strings necessarily, but flats a good idea - too sharp a tone best avoided.

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1501342968' post='3344165']
On a serious note ([size=2][i]badum-tish[/i][/size]) if I ever went back to Country I think I'd string a P up as B-E-A-D.

It might make root-fiving in E and G a bit more convincing.
[/quote]

I have thought about that more than once. Have you tried it and if so what was the effect on the overall set up - did it need much tweakage?

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='paulbuzz' timestamp='1501361063' post='3344291']
This may be getting slightly away from the OP's 'what bass' question, but I've recently taken to using a block of foam under the strings near the bridge as a damper, for added thump. (This is with a p-bass with flats.)

This has helped greatly in getting a country-ish sound that's the exact opposite of the clangy roundwound sound I've always favoured previously!
[/quote]

I've wondered if the Stingray's damping system is any good for that...? Any owners use them?

[FinnDave]

We play a few country type songs at some gigs, I use my Thunderbird, round wounds and a pick.

[casapete]

Been doing various country gigs for years, using either old Precision or Danelectro Longhorn.
Anything with plenty of thud will do the job!