Finding "The One"

[4000]

9 minutes ago, mikel said:

So you could argue if they all play the same instrument, but they all sound different, then its not about the instrument. Its more likely about the amplification, the acoustics and the processing, not "the one". Just a thought.

But each individual instrument, although  they’re all P Basses, may sound different. I’ve had something like 20 Rickenbackers, but only one of them is The One. And of course it’s only The One to me. Doesn’t mean it would be for anyone else. 

Edited February 9, 2021 by 4000

[ezbass]

On 06/02/2021 at 14:49, TheGreek said:

 

Ok...as an owner of many (too many??) 4 string basses I can pretty much justify each and every one of them for one particular reason at least - nice neck, nice balance, good tonal package, etc...

Admittedly I have owned many, many 4 strings to get to this point, sold some that didn't suit, some that I shouldn't have...

Ideally I'm looking for a well balanced, fretted 34" 5er with a good low B, active PJ/HP/ SimS pups, and RW/Ebony board. None of the three I own fulfil all my wants - what do I do? Soldier on and compromise or find another bass which fits all the above criteria?

 

 

 

From what I can see, you’re asking a 5 string to be a panacea bass, whereas, you don’t look for this in a 4 string, at least according to the above, bold paragraph section.
 

However, in answer to how do you find ‘the one’ 5 stringer; try as many as you need to until you find it, remembering what it was about the previous ones that weren’t right. It may be a compromise at the end of the day (as you already realise). If sticking with a 5 is where you want to go, you’ll probably want to try Sadowsky, Ibanez, Sandberg & Yamaha at least, but I wouldn’t get hung up on the pickup configuration given how differently voiced just soapbars can be. Perhaps, as has been suggested, a custom instrument may be a way forward, but don’t count on that. I wish you luck, @TheGreek and don’t beat yourself up about the search, it’s meant to be fun surely?
 

Finally, I have a question, albeit largely rhetorical - is there a ‘the one’ bass for everyone? I suspect not and the for sale section on this hallowed forum alone supports that suspicion. There is a ‘the one’ bass for some players certainly and they fit into a couple of types (I’m sure there are other groups, however). First, those who learnt to play back when choice was very limited, found something that worked and that bass is now like a pair of comfortable (insert clothing simile of your choosing) and change would be anathema to their being. Then there are those lucky folk have found a level and style of playing that they’re completely happy with and have a bass that suits that. They’ll occasionally dabble with new techniques and try something new gear-wise, but they’ll come back to old faithful quite quickly (NB of course some ‘fall off the wagon’ and are down the gear rabbit hole with the rest of us). Others are still finding their way as players and their gear requirements change with that evolution (I count myself in this group and I don’t think there is a ‘the one’ for me, probably more a ‘the four’ and I’m homing in on the last of that quiver). Finally, there are the bass junkies, beloved by the musical instrument industry. There isn’t a ‘the one’ for them and they’ll try anything and everything, new, old, weird, you name it. Vive la difference!

Edited February 9, 2021 by ezbass

[gjones]

Before I discovered Basschat I only had one bass.

This question would have been irrelevant. 

Not any more

 

[EssentialTension]

58 minutes ago, 4000 said:

... I think some of the debate here is about entirely different things. 

As is usual.

[Doddy]

1 hour ago, mikel said:

So you could argue if they all play the same instrument, but they all sound different, then its not about the instrument. Its more likely about the amplification, the acoustics and the processing, not "the one". Just a thought.

It's ultimately about the whole thing, but the most important part is always going to be the player.

[diskwave]

11 minutes ago, EssentialTension said:

As is usual.

Yes sorry all went off piste a bit, anyway. The one for me would be the lightweight 66 P I played a few years ago...scuffed to hell and back but the sweetest bass Id ever picked up and way too much money, wonder who owns it now.

[mikel]

1 hour ago, 4000 said:

But each individual instrument, although  they’re all P Basses, may sound different. I’ve had something like 20 Rickenbackers, but only one of them is The One. And of course it’s only The One to me. Doesn’t mean it would be for anyone else. 

Possibly, but they shouldn't sound that different. In my experience an instrument is either right or wrong, ie no dead spots,no fret buzz, no high action, no crackles or flat pups, but that is down to quality control, or lack of it.

[Doddy]

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

Finally, I have a question, albeit largely rhetorical - is there a ‘the one’ bass for everyone? I suspect not and the for sale section on this hallowed forum alone supports that suspicion. There is a ‘the one’ bass for some players certainly and they fit into a couple of types (I’m sure there are other groups, however). First, those who learnt to play back when choice was very limited, found something that worked and that bass is now like a pair of comfortable (insert clothing simile of your choosing) and change would be anathema to their being. Then there are those lucky folk have found a level and style of playing that they’re completely happy with and have a bass that suits that. They’ll occasionally dabble with new techniques and try something new gear-wise, but they’ll come back to old faithful quite quickly (NB of course some ‘fall off the wagon’ and are down the gear rabbit hole with the rest of us). Others are still finding their way as players and their gear requirements change with that evolution (I count myself in this group and I don’t think there is a ‘the one’ for me, probably more a ‘the four’ and I’m homing in on the last of that quiver). Finally, there are the bass junkies, beloved by the musical instrument industry. There isn’t a ‘the one’ for them and they’ll try anything and everything, new, old, weird, you name it. Vive la difference!

For me, the concept of 'the one' isn't about having one instrument that will do everything. It's about the bass that you know so well that it feels so natural to play.

I mostly play 5 strings now, but I always say that 'my' bass is my mid 90s MiJ Fender Jazz that I've had since new. It's not my best bass but I've done so many gigs with it and changed so many things on it, that I know all it's quirks, and to me it's irreplaceable.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Doddy

[LukeFRC]

On 06/02/2021 at 15:59, Crawford13 said:

In the middle of last year I made a decision to choose one of my basses to keep in my music room the the rest I sold or put into storage. This meant I spent all my time playing rather than deciding what bass to play. It did wonders for my mental health as I wasn't using my mental bandwidth for anything other than playing.  I didn't feel anxious about having money tied up in expensive instruments, and I got to know my main bass intimately. My touch and dynamics improved massively. 

Just an idea. 

This time last year I had 4 basses. I now have two, and one of them I'm not sure about (it's got 5 strings 🤣). 
I do spend more time playing. 
It's good advice from @Crawford13 

My problem is I've still got the bass funds from selling a couple!  

[ezbass]

12 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

My problem is I've still got the bass funds from selling a couple!  

😬. As my mum used to say, “You have money burning a hole in your pocket.”

[LukeFRC]

Just now, ezbass said:

😬. As my mum used to say, “You have money burning a hole in your pocket.”

totally - and it's so easy to justify "ooh this would be nice" - cos we're told nice stuff makes you happy. and as @Al Krow said it really is a very very good Yamaha bass... or something... 

But the counter is true that fewer things and less choices make me enjoy playing more. 
I built a lovely bass with about 45 pickup options before you got onto the active preamp... and honestly picking up a friends P bass to play was so nice as it just has two knobs and I tend to run one of them wide open! 

[Al Krow]

53 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

But the counter is true that fewer things and less choices make me enjoy playing more. 

This exactly. Big cull of unused pedals last year which were sitting around waiting for attention which, despite Covid, never came, means that the remaining few are getting used, understood and enjoyed.

Most recent basses still in my herd were bought 16 months ago, which feels like a geological time span with my gear-o'holic habits!

The counter to the counter is that I don't have just one or two basses - I've got nine of different styles and varieties ranging from 8string and EUB to more standard 5ers - and each of them gives me a lot of pleasure. The variety seems to keep them all fresh which, in the absence of gigs, has been super helpful for motivation.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Al Krow

[4000]

1 hour ago, mikel said:

Possibly, but they shouldn't sound that different. In my experience an instrument is either right or wrong, ie no dead spots,no fret buzz, no high action, no crackles or flat pups, but that is down to quality control, or lack of it.

Depends how good your ears are. They all sound very different to me. In fact I’ve hardly played any two instruments across thousands, of any make or type, over 40 years of playing, that sound exactly the same. 

Having no dead spots, no fret buzz etc (although I personally like a bit of buzz) doesn’t mean 2 instruments will sound the same. 

[Lozz196]

1 hour ago, Doddy said:

For me, the concept of 'the one' isn't about having one instrument that will do everything. It's about the bass that you know so well that it feels so natural to play.

I mostly play 5 strings now, but I always say that 'my' bass is my mid 90s MiJ Fender Jazz that I've had since new. It's not my best bass but I've done so many gigs with it and changed so many things on it, that I know all it's quirks, and to me it's irreplaceable.

I’m the same, my 2015 US Precision is the bass I feel most comfortable and familiar with, unfortunately the Precision sound is a bit too full for my current band so it’s taking a back seat at present.

[Crawford13]

5 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I’m the same, my 2015 US Precision is the bass I feel most comfortable and familiar with, unfortunately the Precision sound is a bit too full for my current band so it’s taking a back seat at present.

Never underestimate what can be achieved with an eq pedal. You might be able to use your favourite bass after all. 

[Kiwi]

I've had the wow experience maybe four times in my life and I didn't buy the bass three of those times.  First was an old mongrel jazz bass back in the late 80's in NZ,  second was a Sei 4 string bass,  third was a Spector 5 (which I bought)  and the last was a Celinder J Update 5.  Still kicking myself over that last one, it was perfect.  I've resolved to try and uncover what makes that wow moment happen.  So far it can be either simple (a lucky combination of neck and body wood)  or complex (everything).  I have a few avenues to explore but no certainty. 

[MacDaddy]

I had to go the custom route to get 'the one'. Now I've got 2 of the one  

 

[chris_b]

25 minutes ago, Kiwi said:

. . . .  it can be either simple (a lucky combination of neck and body wood)  or complex (everything). 

I've got this. My Sadowsky Metro has a feel and a sound that just works for me. It's a little on the heavy side so I've tried several other Metros and even an NYC and none of them felt or sounded as good.

[4000]

31 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

I had to go the custom route to get 'the one'. Now I've got 2 of the one  

 

I had a ‘replica’ - more or less - built of my One. It doesn’t feel or sound the same though. 😂

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

This exactly. Big cull of unused pedals last year which were sitting around waiting for attention which, despite Covid, never came, means that the remaining few are getting used, understood and enjoyed.

Funnily enough, with the lockdown, my pedals get much less attention - they are out in my gig equipment area and I havn't seen them in ages.

Indoors all I have is a B3n which I am currently using (and frankly, not that into), an aliexpress looper (again, haven't used much), a muslady mutli effects (which I have used on the guitar), and the effects on the spark (which I have used a lot more but sadly don't have an octaver).

[Kiwi]

12 hours ago, chris_b said:

I've got this. My Sadowsky Metro has a feel and a sound that just works for me. It's a little on the heavy side so I've tried several other Metros and even an NYC and none of them felt or sounded as good.

Playability counts a lot more as I get older.  I'm going to start investigating filters, the body woods seem to be based on mass (lighter the better, up until a point).  Neck woods on a sweet spot of rigidity (which isn't easy to measure),  along with dampening for both. 

[Killed_by_Death]

17 minutes ago, Kiwi said:

Neck woods on a sweet spot of rigidity (which isn't easy to measure)

The closest I've come to measuring neck stiffness is by setting them all up the same & then changing the tuning, wait a day & measure the change in neck relief.

Ironically, my cheapest bass has the stiffest neck, I can set it up for E-Standard & down-tune all the way to B-Standard, & it remains playable.

 

[Kiwi]

1 hour ago, Killed_by_Death said:

The closest I've come to measuring neck stiffness is by setting them all up the same & then changing the tuning, wait a day & measure the change in neck relief.

Ironically, my cheapest bass has the stiffest neck, I can set it up for E-Standard & down-tune all the way to B-Standard, & it remains playable.

There are some types of maple which have a better chance of being in the sweet spot than others,  flame and birdseye for example.  Some plain kinds too,  such as the stuff Ken Smith uses.  There are some types that can be too rigid like in the Skarbee Celinder I used to own and need to be laminated with something darker sounding like wenge to get back in the zone.  Wenge and flamed maple in Sei basses is very nice. 

There's also a trade off in playability to be had, rigid necks are easier to set up with low action.  I could never get the same action on my old Smith basses as I could on the Alembic or Status basses. 

[Killed_by_Death]

 

too rigid is a thing?

IME the stiffer, the better

 

[Kiwi]

1 minute ago, Killed_by_Death said:

too rigid is a thing?

IME the stiffer, the better

Emphatically yes,  necks that are too rigid tend to produce brittle sounding basses given everything else is equal, but this is relative to other components.  It's a bit like a recipe.  If you put too much flour in a bread recipe you can compensate to a degree by adding other ingredients like water and salt.  So it's still possible to design an instrument that hits the sweet spot but only if other materials are selected to compensate eg.  a softer or lighter body to soak up harsh frequencies.