Bass of the 2000's

[uk_lefty]

Was there an "iconic" or distinct bass guitar that you think of in the years 2000-2009?  Warwick maybe?  My band have done a "00's night" a few months back and it was successful so we're doing another tonight. We're thinking this could be a way to get out there to more venues so trying to build it up... So at the moment I'm playing a Stingray which is a pretty universal bass from 70's onwards, but if I were to go for something more period correct for the look.... Interested in opinions here. Thanks! 

[WinterMute]

Warwick Thumb maybe, although that was around all through the 90's...

 

No single model springs to mind, there were a lot of guys on Super Jazzes, Sadowskis etc, as you say, EBMM Stingray is pretty ubiquitous.

 

Something boutique? Wood n Tronics? Are they a bit later?

[ped]

Yes Warwick Streamer. The original Basschat (Bassworld) had a Warwick Streamer in the logo and it was very popular then. I’ve always loved the sound of them. I was big into Incubus at the time. Sounds like a great idea 👍🏼

[cetera]

Nope. No bass stands out in that period....

[Doctor J]

Nah, Streamer was the bass of the 90's for me (alongside its daddy, the Spector). So many bands were using that design in the 90's. If anything, it was going out of style in the 00's. What about an Ibanez SR, one of the fancier wood ones? Or a Bongo?

[Hellzero]

The (now Willcox) Lightwave Saber bass is the only design that jumps instantly to my mind: iconic not sure, distinct for sure.

 

 

And what has surely been iconic in the 2000's is Fodera basses like the Yin Yang design. This is when they really started to be seen almost everywhere on stage.

 

 

 

[Hellzero]

To me the early 2000's are related to the use and sometimes abuse of beautiful woods in natural finish or really weird designs like the BassLab, but except Fodera's nothing has really become iconic.

 

These two BassLab designs were presented at the Frankfurter Messe in 2001:

 

 

[uk_lefty]

Isn't it strange how things turn out... My old Warwick Streamer LX has reappeared for sale in a music shop in Wales. I bought it in 2007 for about £450, sold it 2008 or 9 for about the same. If I wanted to buy it now, more than ten years later... £1,599. 

[Bassman68]

Depends on the genre of music surely?
A lot of the guitar bands of the time i.e Stereophonics, Manics, Oasis, were playing Fenders & Rickys..As said, there were plenty of Stingrays being wielded by the more ‘Britpop’ bands that were still hanging around?

Rock & metal bands seemed to be extending their range, so a lot of five& six strings were being played….So there are your Warwicks & Spectors, quite a few Ibanez & Stingray 5’s

Your pop & R’n’B bassist seemed to be toting six’ers if I recall..A lot of Warwick Streamers & Ken Smiths as well as the more boutique brands..

I spent the majority of the decade doing function & Holiday camp work with my Alembic Rogue 5, if not, I was playing a Stingray or Warwick Thumb 5 in various pub rock bands..

[40hz]

I don't think there was 'one' bass, per se as it depends on the genre of music.

 

For me, it would be Jazz Bass and Ampeg/Ashdown amps, due to the indie revival 2003-2008. Hundreds of bands displaying Skinny jeans, waistcoats, curly hair and a Jazz bass under the chin. SVT or ABM in tow!

 

On the Oxford scene around this time, 9/10 bass players in bands playing heavy music, were using an Ibanez SR of some description, fwiw.

 

Incidentally, to me, Warwick Streamers are totally the 90s bass - thanks to Stuart Zender primarily. 

Edited December 2, 2022 by 40hz

[uk_lefty]

44 minutes ago, 40hz said:

For me, it would be Jazz Bass and Ampeg/Ashdown amps, due to the indie revival 2003-2008. Hundreds of bands displaying Skinny jeans, waistcoats, curly hair and a Jazz bass under the chin. SVT or ABM in tow!

I can't do curly hair. I'm struggling to just do hair.

[SteveXFR]

I know in metal it was all 5 strings and a lot of them were Ibanez. Having said that, the 00's was the absolute low point in the history of metal and most of it was just awful.

Pop punk was probably the biggest rock genre and they all used P basses and Stingrays, often painted dayglo pink or green. 

Pop music seemed to be mostly electronic so maybe a laptop and keyboard is the way to go.

[Nail Soup]

I couldn't name a bass that reflects that period - but I'm not a hardware person as such.

I'm not sure the audience will be able to either... I think they could just about do : Violin Bass 60's, P Bass 70's, Cricket Bat 80's.

[Chaddy]

Warwick comes to mind tbh, Just thinking of the Nu-Metal scene at that time was big on it all or even Alt stuff such as Incubus etc. 

the latter of the decade does feel more "custom" stuff than anything, such as mono paint jobs, Shiny stuff like the Manson gear , lights etc...

Pedulla for Muse I would say as that was abig time but its not really "stand out"? .  Probs a Red Jazz bass would do! 

[40hz]

23 minutes ago, Chaddy said:

Warwick comes to mind tbh, Just thinking of the Nu-Metal scene at that time was big on it all or even Alt stuff such as Incubus etc. 

the latter of the decade does feel more "custom" stuff than anything, such as mono paint jobs, Shiny stuff like the Manson gear , lights etc...

Pedulla for Muse I would say as that was abig time but its not really "stand out"? .  Probs a Red Jazz bass would do! 

 

Nu Metal, I'd argue, started in 99 and was all but dead by 02. Since 2003 I've probably done 250-300 gigs and seen another bass player use a Warwick, just twice. Both times it was a Corvette!

 

(I love Warwick for the record).

[chris_b]

IMO Precision and Jazz basses dominated like they do in every decade.

 

Personally my 2000's was dominated by Lakland. A rather splendid 55-94.

[Chaddy]

46 minutes ago, 40hz said:

 

Nu Metal, I'd argue, started in 99 and was all but dead by 02. Since 2003 I've probably done 250-300 gigs and seen another bass player use a Warwick, just twice. Both times it was a Corvette!

 

(I love Warwick for the record).

I love my Corvette, after another or a thumb for sure! 

I will with respect disagree & agree as two gentleman having a civil conversation among fellow peers,  that the music simply evolved with the use of sampling more in a developed structure way. The title of Nu-Metal came the wave of heavier main stream music, or the use of alternative means to deliver. ( Japans mad capsule markets were using sampling mixed with punk rock back in 94! )

Question would be what came after 02? Newer Metal? I hate using terms ...  I mostly go off a release than anything so Linkin Park Meteora , Deftones self tilted , Muse Absolution.  04 was American Idiot from memory.  Big albums. 
I was only 13 back then so going off my experiences of how this was big, Even artic monkeys getting on the rise etc in the background the whole Emo poop coming through on the mix. 

Perhaps it was the clothing that changed, and not per say the instruments used? That would be the biggest visible distraction if you were not music techy. No one will notice you making the wrong note during a gig just yourself. Even then you can laugh it off.  So 2000's is big goth jeans, 2005-2009 is them silver studded belts, tight jeans and longer hair... ?. 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Chaddy

[BreadBin]

Spector?

[cetera]

Just now, BreadBin said:

Spector?

No, they're more known for use in rock bands in the mid 80's-mid 90's.

[LeftyJ]

I think Lakland was very common in the 00's. Most notably their classic design with the MM-J pickup configuration, but you'd also see loads of P's and J's with that oval bridge plate with big names on stages everywhere. Foo Fighters comes to mind, and Incubus (I've seen them with Ben Kenney rocking a Lakland Jerry Scheff signature), and of course Darryl Jones before he briefly returned to A Basses where the design of his signature bass originated from. Lakland were founded in 1994, but were at their peak in the 00's. 

 

Lakland also brought us the now legendary Fred Hammon Darkstar pickups, based on old Hagstrom Bisonic pickups. More reissues and interpretations of that pickup would follow from the likes of Guild and Curtis Novak, but I think it was Lakland that first put them into their basses in the 00's - on the Decade model, before Fred Hammon ceased production and Lakland replaced it with the Chi-sonic. 

Edited December 2, 2022 by LeftyJ

[Hellzero]

It just crossed my mind right now, in fact the iconic bass of the 2000's is ... Wal thanks to Tool.

 

Before that, they were almost binned...

 

But check the prices today and you better buy a Fodera. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[Roger2611]

Status seemed to be quite big in the 1980's?

[jonno1981]

Super jazz seems right to me. Emergence of new active electronics and popular use of more exotic woods. Thinking sei, good fellow, moon, east, Bartolini, Sadowsky etc. Memories of bass magazine with glowing reviews of these sort of instruments. 

[LeftyJ]

23 hours ago, uk_lefty said:

Isn't it strange how things turn out... My old Warwick Streamer LX has reappeared for sale in a music shop in Wales. I bought it in 2007 for about £450, sold it 2008 or 9 for about the same. If I wanted to buy it now, more than ten years later... £1,599. 

This one? That's crazy indeed. I bought mine (a 2001 LX) in January 2021 for €500. 

[uk_lefty]

7 hours ago, LeftyJ said:

This one? That's crazy indeed. I bought mine (a 2001 LX) in January 2021 for €500. 

Yes. Gorgeous, gorgeous bit of wood, gold hardware, bell brass frets... But somehow I just didn't gel with it and had to move it on to free up some cash. Having more experience now I don't know of I'd be able to get more out of it, but at that price I wouldn't even be tempted to try.