la bam Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 (edited) Afternoon all, I'm trying to thin the bass collection at the moment, so I have had an idea..... rather than keep a couple of precisions, jazzes etc which i like, I thought I'd try and settle / look for one of each of the main types of bass guitar - the groundbreaking ones. Trouble is I keep changing my mind over what the main innovations are. So far I have thought of: Precision Jazz Stingray (not got one yet) Headless (hohner b2a) What others have I missed? Or what would be in your 'one of each' collection. I'm not talking basses that are slightly different from the above, but really different in their own right, whether it be hardware, sound, looks etc. Edited January 31, 2022 by la bam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudewheresmybass Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Something Gibson? thunderbird/ casady/ eb? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 I tend tend to keep them to certain genres, but pretty much could use any of them whenever: Current stock: Spector Euro 4LX - Does most things, very bright and punchy. Tends to be the primary choice but not if I want something more old school. Yamaha BB415 - Passive 5 string, good substitute for Fender P/J sounds. Cort GB95 - Has J/MM pickups, so can mimic Fender/Musicman sounds. Interchanges with the above BB. Yamaha RBXJM2 - 6 string with MM pickup in the right spot. Used for any B tuned metal or a more convincing Stingray sound. Fender Precision - Has flats, don't use it much but it was a gift. Tends to be my 'learning a song' bass so I don't faff with the tone, just learn the song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Fretless? Acoustic or semi acoustic (Hofner?) Short scale (Mustang?) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 It depends what you mean by ground breaking. The Gibson EB2/Epiphone Rivoli changed the sound of pop music - the British Invasion, the Rickenbacker clank, an Alembic - active electronics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 (edited) Off the top of my head... this could get expensive 😂 Alembic Series 1 Warwick Thumb G&L L2000 Rickenbacker 4001/4003 Ibanez AFR Ibanez SR Spector NS Kubicki Ex-Factor Edited January 31, 2022 by Doctor J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bam Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 I thought there would only be a few truly unique ones (precision, jazz, stingray) and more keep popping up I've thought of another - McCartney violin bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Fender P Fender J Spector NS2 Steinberger XL Musicman Stingray Rickenbacker 4001 Gibson Thunderbird Wal Custom Pedulla fretless 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E sharp Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 40 minutes ago, cetera said: Fender P Fender J Spector NS2 Steinberger XL Musicman Stingray Rickenbacker 4001 Gibson Thunderbird Wal Custom Pedulla fretless That’s pretty much the list that I’d of come up with. With the possible addition of an Aria SB1000 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Let's take a short look at the history of the bass. Then it might be easier to choose some groundbreaking instruments. Gamba family: fretless or frets, multi-string instruments double bass: fretless or frets, multi-string instruments 1910 Gibson: Mandobass 1931 George Beauchamp & Adolph Rickenbacker: frying pan and the horseshoe pickup 1936 Audiovox: fretted electric bass 1940's Ampeg (amplified peg) 1951 Clarence Leo Fender: Tele bass, bolt-on, single coil pickup, simple electronics (scale length is now 9" longer than in a g-word and 8" shorter than of a double bass') 1953 Gibson: glued in set neck 1956 Danelectro's baritone g-words, masonite bodies, and 24-fret necks 1957 Rickenbacker: neck-through-body (Rick-O-Sound came later) early 1960's: Ovation develops a piezo pickup 1963 Burns makes trials with active electronics 1964 Bob Murrell makes an instrument - Guitorgan - with split frets, and six voice polyphony 1966 Vox: V251 (G-word Organ) 1966 Rotosound and roundwound strings 1966 Fender produces the first long scale five string bass (tuned: EADGC) 1966 Ampeg's fretless Ampeg AUB-1 1967 Hagström H8 1969 Ron Hoag presents an optical infrared pickup in NAMM 1970 Ampeg Dan Armstrong (perspex) 1971 Alembic and its electronics 1974 Travis Bean: TB2000 (Al neck) 1974 Carl Thompson: piccolobass 1975 Carl Thompson: six string contra bass (tuned: BEADGC) 1976 Alembic: 5-string (tuned: BEADG) 1976 Geoff Gould: Modulus Graphite neck-through-body, no truss rod 1976 Alembic: stainless steel fretless fretboard 1976 EMG founded 1976 Ampeg and Hagström: Patch 2000 1977 Ned Steinberger designs an ergonomic NS-1 to Stuart Spector 1977 Roland produces bass synthesizer 1978 Steinberger makes a wooden headless bass, which is a disaster - covering it with glass fibre helps 1978 Steinberger releases active L-1, and L-2 (EMG) and passive H-1, and H-2 (DiMarzio) models early 1980's: Philip Kubicki Ex Factor early 1980's: Vigier fretless Delta metal fretboard 1985 Steve Chick: split fret neck and a functional MIDI bass (remember: Guitorgan) 2002 Line6 Variax: modeling instruments Novax fanned frets, Auerswald, Lane Poor Minima, Gittler, Stash, Lightwave Systems optical pickups, Spalt, Little G-word Works - Torzal... Now, what would you choose to your list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 My one of each would be Precision Jazz Stingray Thunderbird Rickenbacker Semi-acoustic (not knowledge enough to name one) As we can see I’m more for the ‘classics’ than modern. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Turgh Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 20 hours ago, la bam said: Afternoon all, I'm trying to thin the bass collection at the moment, so I have had an idea..... rather than keep a couple of precisions, jazzes etc which i like, I thought I'd try and settle / look for one of each of the main types of bass guitar - the groundbreaking ones. Trouble is I keep changing my mind over what the main innovations are. So far I have thought of: Precision Jazz Stingray (not got one yet) Headless (hohner b2a) What others have I missed? Or what would be in your 'one of each' collection. I'm not talking basses that are slightly different from the above, but really different in their own right, whether it be hardware, sound, looks etc. “I’m trying to thin the herd. What bass shall I buy?” Basschat in a nutshell. 1 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd56hawk Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 (edited) 21 hours ago, la bam said: Afternoon all, I'm trying to thin the bass collection at the moment, so I have had an idea..... rather than keep a couple of precisions, jazzes etc which i like, I thought I'd try and settle / look for one of each of the main types of bass guitar - the groundbreaking ones. Trouble is I keep changing my mind over what the main innovations are. So far I have thought of: Precision Jazz Stingray (not got one yet) Headless (hohner b2a) What others have I missed? Or what would be in your 'one of each' collection. I'm not talking basses that are slightly different from the above, but really different in their own right, whether it be hardware, sound, looks etc. Dean Exotica acoustic bass, one the older models with the Aphex System electronics, Aural Exciter and Big-Bottom Sound...no other acoustic bass made has the Aphex System. Don't buy into that "You can't really hear an acoustic bass without and amp" bs, because you can't hear a Stingray without and amp, either. You see, I believe in the MTV Unplugged school of thought...plug in! Edited February 1, 2022 by jd56hawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 One of each for me would be..... Jazz Bass Precision Bass 5 string 6 String Fretless Upright Moog 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigguy2017 Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 23 hours ago, la bam said: Afternoon all, I'm trying to thin the bass collection at the moment, so I have had an idea..... rather than keep a couple of precisions, jazzes etc which i like, I thought I'd try and settle / look for one of each of the main types of bass guitar - the groundbreaking ones. Trouble is I keep changing my mind over what the main innovations are. So far I have thought of: Precision Jazz Stingray (not got one yet) Headless (hohner b2a) What others have I missed? Or what would be in your 'one of each' collection. I'm not talking basses that are slightly different from the above, but really different in their own right, whether it be hardware, sound, looks etc. Another Precision - one for flats, one for roundwound... A Ric or a Thunderbird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 You're over-thinking this ... just open a specialist bass shop and you'll have the run of the stock. Until you go bust. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 I am reminded of this Garfield comic strip that carries the punchline 'It's not the having, it's the getting.' Better still, Wayne Corinne from Chasing Classic Cars ('It's the thrill of the chase.') We could all draw up a shortlist of the usual workhorse suspects (Precision, Jazz, Stingray, Thunderbird), plus a few vanity projects (Spector NS, Kubicki Ex-Factor and so on), but trust me, once you own all these, your eye will ALWAYS wander. There will always be other fish. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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