Classic Bass No. 4

[cytania]

OK let's take it that the Fender Jazz and Precisions are fighting over the number 1 and 2 spots and that Rickenbacker fills number 3 in this chart. What's next?

I'm thinking basses real people played over the last half century, not prototypes and boutique beauties.

[yorick]

Stingray?

[Paul_C]

[quote name='cytania' post='471559' date='Apr 24 2009, 02:48 PM']OK let's take it that the Fender Jazz and Precisions are fighting over the number 1 and 2 spots and that Rickenbacker fills number 3 in this chart. What's next?

I'm thinking basses real people played over the last half century, not prototypes and boutique beauties.[/quote]

StingRay ?

[chris_b]

Number 3 would be a Musicman Stingray, a Rickenbacher might scrape in at number 4 but fighting all the way with a Wal.

[thisnameistaken]

Has to be the Stingray, really.

[chris_b]

Number 4 could easily be a modded Precision with a jazz pickup and a Badass bridge.

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='cytania' post='471559' date='Apr 24 2009, 02:48 PM']OK let's take it that the Fender Jazz and Precisions are fighting over the number 1 and 2 spots and that Rickenbacker fills number 3 in this chart. What's next?

I'm thinking basses real people played over the last half century, not prototypes and boutique beauties.[/quote]

Rickenbacker number 3?

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='chris_b' post='471566' date='Apr 24 2009, 02:52 PM']Number 3 would be a Musicman Stingray, a Rickenbacher might scrape in at number 4 but fighting all the way with a Wal.[/quote]

Wal? Are you serious? How many people outside the bass community (or even in the bass community) would recognise a Wal...?

[51m0n]

#3 Violin bass (if going on recognition outside bass community aside)
#4 Rick (maybe) or a Warwick Thumb

IMO

Frankly you're lucky if a non-bassist knows its not a guitar

[alexclaber]

3. StingRay
4. Rickenbacker

5. Alembic?

Alex

[BigBeefChief]

1. Precision
2. Jazz
3. Rick
4. Thunderbird
5. Hofner

[Kiwi]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='471580' date='Apr 24 2009, 03:01 PM']3. StingRay
4. Rickenbacker

5. Alembic?

Alex[/quote]
I'd broadly agree with that in terms of use by bands. Alembics would probably trump Ricks in the studio given how popular they are in Nashville though.

[BigBeefChief]

If you think a Stingray is more of a classic than a Thunderbird, I will hunt you down and kill you.

[HeavyJay]

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='471572' date='Apr 24 2009, 02:57 PM']Wal? Are you serious? How many people outside the bass community (or even in the bass community) would recognise a Wal...?[/quote]

How many people outside the bass community know the difference between a Jazz and a P?

[BigBeefChief]

[quote name='HeavyJay' post='471591' date='Apr 24 2009, 03:10 PM']How many people outside the bass community know the difference between a Jazz and a P?[/quote]


Enough.

I think the thing would be to ask non-bass playing musicians. They know enough about basses but not to much.

[yorick]

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='471590' date='Apr 24 2009, 03:09 PM']If you think a Stingray is more of a classic than a Thunderbird, I will hunt you down and kill you.[/quote]
When do we start?????

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='471593' date='Apr 24 2009, 03:11 PM']Enough.
They know enough about basses but not too much.[/quote]

hmm, a dangerous amount

[Lfalex v1.1]

I suppose the initial question ought to be "what's the definition of classic?"
Having esblished that, we'd probably all agree (more or less!!)

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='471671' date='Apr 24 2009, 04:28 PM']I suppose the initial question ought to be "what's the definition of classic?"[/quote]

Anything that's likely to prompt a flame war.

Here's my list:

1. Orig 51 Precision

2. Joint - post 57 P, Jazz and Stingray (on grounds that civilians wouldn't be able to tell them apart)

3. Rick

4. EB0 / EB3

5. T-Bird

Honourable mentions: Status, EB2, Hofner Violin, Shergold, Burns Tri-sonic, Dan Armstrong, Danelectro Longhorn

Edited April 24, 2009 by skankdelvar

[HeavyJay]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='471702' date='Apr 24 2009, 04:54 PM']Anything that's likely to prompt a flame war.

Here's my list:

1. Orig 51 Precision

2. Joint - post 57 P, Jazz and Stingray (on grounds that civilians wouldn't be able to tell them apart)

3. Rick

4. EB0 / EB3

5. T-Bird

Honourable mentions: Status, EB2, Hofner Violin, Shergold, Burns Tri-sonic, Dan Armstrong, Danelectro Longhorn[/quote]

+1
Very well put.

[OldGit]

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='471586' date='Apr 24 2009, 03:08 PM']4. Thunderbird[/quote]


yeah that' theobvious contender

[Shaggy]

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='471586' date='Apr 24 2009, 03:08 PM']1. Precision
2. Jazz
3. Rick
4. Thunderbird
5. Hofner[/quote]

End of argument

[steve-soar]

Agreed.

[deaver]

The Bass Player book lists 'The Great Basses' in this (chronological) order:

1951 Fender Precision
1959 Fender Precision
1960 Fender Jazz
1964 Hofner 500/1
1967 Rickenbacker 4001S
1971 Alembic
1979 Music Man Stingray

Who am I to disagree

[cytania]

This'll teach me to start a thread on a Friday afternoon and then get caught up in work.

Stingray, has to be there of course. Why didn't I think of it? Probably because it arrived 1976 and probably took a few years to get going. Wouldn't have made it into the seconds pile punk and post-punk drew from... (my bedrock music)

Hofner is the look thing I guess. One I picked up last year was awful and the sound is stuck in the sixties...

Thunderbird, could be. Did the originals sound as good as recent issues? I always think of the tone as like a ball bearing shot from a steel cable catapult. Kapling!

Then of course isn't the FenderBird an inditement, saying 'Nice pickups, cool body shape, shame about the neck profile'?

Edited April 24, 2009 by cytania