Budget basses that do a pro job?

[KASH]

[quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='656971' date='Nov 17 2009, 01:41 PM']John McCoy ,ex Gillan bassist plays a Vintage P-type.[/quote]

yep, played with his band a couple of weeks ago, great tone...BUT i'm pretty sure he had a SD pickup on it and obviously the rig helps looked good though

[derrenleepoole]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='656731' date='Nov 17 2009, 10:06 AM']maybe true, but a pro photographer with a crap camera that overexposes or can't focus isn't gonna take too many great snaps.

Likewise a great bassist with a crap cheap bass will still be prone to interference issues and issues of playability and tone. This thread is about the bass not the player which is why I said:

[i]By pro job I mean sounds good enough to do a decent job at a gig for the player, with sufficient build quality to negate any interference issues, plays well with a decent set up, and to an average member of the audience would be no different sound wise to a bass 2 or 3 times it's value. [/i][/quote]

I think we're both saying the same thing here, but worded differently. A 'professional' can, or at least should be able to work around limitations, whatever they might happen to be. I agree this is not quite the discussion from the OP's question, but it's worth mentioning nonetheless.

Regardless of this, the bass is just a tool... in my experience, it's only really you the player and maybe the odd muso in the crowd that actually cares about your gear and could hear the difference. I've known people who actually couldn't hear bass in songs, no matter how loud it is!

For what it's worth, I play lower priced gear now, specifically an OLP Stingray. It's a great instrument that's got good weight, sets up fairly well, holds tune and has a good tonal character. It cost me £130. Will it do a 'pro' job... yes. Why? Because I'm playing it professionally - or at least attempting too, not because the bass is any more or less 'pro' than any other bass in my collection.

In my view and experience, professionalism is a combination of a good musician with a capable instrument. Or failing that, a professional who can work with or around any limitations thrown at them and still deliver a good job. Interference from a bad bass or poor tone can be worked in a studio if required. In a live setting, interference is often masked by other noises, tone can be adapted or sacrificed if required, especially if the player isn't anal enough to worry about such things and just get on with the job. Peace.