r/Bass • • 7h ago

P, J, or PJ?

22 Upvotes

Bought my first bass a few months ago (Yamaha trbx 304) and I love it but also want to get something a little more traditional. I was looking at jazz and P basses before finding the Yamaha and a fender rumble 100 for $400 together so I got that instead. Now that I know I'll be sticking with it for awhile I'm revisiting the idea of purchasing a P or Jazz bass, possibly a PJ. What would you do? Should I get something like a classic vibe or get a player 2?

I play a little bit of everything, with fingers and a pick. Would like to start learning slap soon. The few of these basses I've played i like the feel of jazz bass a little more but like the p bass sound a little more. I haven't played a PJ though. Not necessarily loyal to fender and have considered buying cheaper models of both then buying a nicer one of the one I like. Think squire affinity level if I decide to buy both or maybe one classic vibe one affinity idk. Regardless don't really wanna spend more than $900-1000 and preferably less unless you guys think I should upgrade my amp or something. Again, I'm not loyal to fender so will consider other brands (heard good things about sire and sadowsky for example) also Tokai seems to have some cool looking stuff.

Anyway, yeah any reccomedations are much appreciated.


r/Bass • • 35m ago

Sterling Sub Stingray4 HH or Marcus Miller Sire Z7?

• Upvotes

I've been looking for a bass to save up to for next year or two years from now and want to be looking at a clear goal of which one of these i want to get, for context I'm still a beginner but will be heading to the fusion/jazz/city pop genre direction. I really like slap bass but want a decent finger style sound too? For those who have one of them or even both of these basses, how were your experiences with them.


r/Bass • • 1h ago

I'm lost as hell

• Upvotes

So I bought the bass and a couple gear along for the last half a year or so. I learned the fretboard, looked up songs that I like and followed their tabs... What now? I do have learning music theory and train my ears on the list, but I'm ngl these aren't really enjoyable to do so I'm doing them slowly over time, but in general I'm just really lost in what step to take next. Idk what to do now


r/Bass • • 9h ago

Why does it feel like 40-95's are so hard to find in stores 😭

7 Upvotes

I know this is a pretty useless complaint but it's just an annoying pet peeve of mine lol

(anecdotal) My Guitar Center never carries them, my local shops never carry them, and some of my favorite types of strings don't come in them either.

Obviously I have to buy everything online. All these stores have 45-100, 45-105, 40-100, 50-110, and the only 40-95s I can ever find are the EB slinkys (hate 'em). Never come in Stainless Steel for some reason

This would all be fine if Elixir Steel Nanowebs came with them at all....

I thought these string gauges were pretty common so it's confusing to me lol. I mean shit my GC even carries Roto 30-90s sometimes


r/Bass • • 9h ago

Active vs. passive bass pickups / EQ?

5 Upvotes

I'm having a Sterling by Music Man StingRay SUB RAY4HH on Facebook Marketplace, and I really love its sound and tone.

I'm still trying to understand the difference between active and passive EQ. Since this bass uses a 9V battery for its active preamp, does that make any noticeable difference to the sound when playing live? What happens if the battery starts running low during a gig?

For those who've played both active and passive basses, which do you prefer, and why?


r/Bass • • 12h ago

Ibanez BTB 676 NTF for a first bass?

12 Upvotes

Hey, i recently realised that i should be be playing bass instead of an 8 string guitar, but it'll have to be a 6 string, because i love Jon Stockman and Conner Green, and their incredible usage of extended range basses inspired me to make the switch.

However i want it to be not that expensive, and not absolutely garbage as well. Can i get some opinions on the ibanez BTB 676 NTF? Ideally i'd grab the 806MS for that sweet 37" B string, but it's really damn expensive and i can't really find a used one anywhere in Europe.

One guy in my city is selling his 676 and asking 667$ for it. Just wondering if it's a good bass for that price, and if there is anything better for the buck on the market. I've considered the g4m multiscale bass, but heard that their stuff are heaps of shit for the most part.


r/Bass • • 6h ago

Schecter sgr c5

3 Upvotes

What do you think about schecter sgr c5?


r/Bass • • 1d ago

Changing your strings is not a big deal

72 Upvotes

If you are a novice bass player and you don't like your round wound or flat wound strings or are curious about the difference don't be intimidated by your instrument. There's superstitions about keeping the same stings for ever and all that but you should figure out what you like before bothering with all that. Pay attention to sound and finger feeling differences. If you've been using the same ones that came with the bass just because they are on there, that's great, but know that there's a huge impact on your sound based on what strings you're using so it's worth experimenting.


r/Bass • • 14h ago

Does anyone have any apps or literally anything to help me learn

10 Upvotes

I just got my first bass yesterday. I’m also in band so I know most of the beginner stuff like counting but I just want to learn some songs


r/Bass • • 14h ago

Instrument Cables

9 Upvotes

I have had terrible luck with instrument cables that start crackling after only a few months. Friends say it's just bound to happen with all that bending. Some buy cable at length and solder on their own connectors to save on costs. What's your strategy? Are there things to look for in a cable like wall thickness and shield coverage? Any reliable brands you recommend or is there anything you'd look for in a cable meant for a bass? I don't need something with oxygen free copper and gold plated connectors, just a decent $10-$15 cable.


r/Bass • • 7h ago

Winnz

2 Upvotes

Wondering if anyone has one of these basses? Seems like a good price for a neck through body design. I love my Ibanez Mikro for fooling around in the house, but wanting a decent quality full size bass. Started with a Glarry and 3 months later I’m still interested and learning more everyday. Can’t justify the Ibanez 1425 I want but told myself in 4-6 months if I still played/practiced regularly, I would spend more money on a better bass.
Currently between the Winnz 4-string or the Ibanez sr-300eb.


r/Bass • • 4h ago

6 string set recs

1 Upvotes

I'm looking to try a new set of strings! It's a used Ibanez BTB746, so I'm not sure what's on it right now, but they feel too bright and punchy.I play in a cover band the does stuff like Grateful Dead and phish, a heavier rock band, and a jazz band. Is there anything out there that might be able to span well across the genres?


r/Bass • • 4h ago

Cheap Jazz upgrades

1 Upvotes

I recently bought a Glarry Gjazz 5 and I like it quite a bit, but the sound leaves a bit to be desired. I am well aware that it’s not supposed to sound that good since it was $90, but I am wondering if anybody has modded these in the past and has any good recommendations for sound or overall playability. I plan to get new pickups down the line but for now I am holding off on that for price reasons.


r/Bass • • 4h ago

Should I buy this guitar as a bassist in a band?

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1 Upvotes

r/Bass • • 14h ago

Bass string question

7 Upvotes

I have this old yamaha 4 string bass that I don't use anymore but I've been thinking of changing the strings and leaving that bass always tuned in C standard. I was gonna buy an individual low B string (that you would find on a 5str) and put it on the bass. So the tuning would be B-E-A-D, but it would always be tuned in C standard. Is this a good idea? Or is it better to buy a new set of 4 thicker gauge strings ? I hope this makes sense lol. Thanks in advance


r/Bass • • 1d ago

How many basses do you own

121 Upvotes

Just curious


r/Bass • • 15h ago

Lightest Stingray-sound bass?

5 Upvotes

Hi all!

I currently have an Ibanez SR400 (2003, MIK) 34". It's fine, but more than ~2 hours of play a day and my neck and shoulders feel it. (I currently have a 3" elastic strap on it) I have an existing neck and shoulder injury from martial arts, so that doesn't help.

I also am very enjoying learning to play funk. I think a short scale stingray is probably my best bet for a lighter bass that fits my style.

I am wondering if people could recommend me some stingray-like basses that tend to run lighter? I think the SBMM is an obvious contender, but I don't know if there's other options. I have been playing only 4 months or so but I can swing ~$1k if I save up for a few months (and convince the wife to let me spend it... >_>)


r/Bass • • 18h ago

Good Amp Deal? Little Mark 250 for $250 New

6 Upvotes

Are we about good deals here?

I just saw that the Markbass Little Mark Black Line 250 is $250 USD today.
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid/
When I bought mine used the pawn shop was asking $250 used, but after a few months, I negotiated them down to 200 used.

This amp has been great for rehearsal and I have done a handful of gigs with it. I like the EQ I like the sound, but I find the sound a little bit too clean at times. An overdrive pedal solves that. The XLR out can be a bit hot, but it has a volume adjustment. I have to turn it down for most PA boards. I have it paired with a 15 inch cabinet of 8 ohms and it’s just loud enough for rehearsal with a drummer two guitarist and a keyboard. For larger gigs having the output to the PA is great.

Only criticisms are no overdrive on board in the amp, and on my old unit sometimes the pots get scratchy and there’s no way to lube or clean them externally so I work them back-and-forth a dozen times each to work the crackles out. Other than that, it’s been amazing and I am tempted to buy a second one and keep my used one as a backup for this price.


r/Bass • • 14h ago

Rumble Studio 40 Setting Fake Names

4 Upvotes

I have a Rumble Studio 40 and I'm trying to learn how to replicate some tones, but of course all the amp and pedal names and preset tones are given fake names to prevent lawsuits that presumably anyone who already knows the gear will know what they're replicating, but I don't know what most of them are supposed to be. Does anyone know if someone's compiled a list of which preset corresponds to which real piece of gear, so I can figure out which one will give me the best match?


r/Bass • • 14h ago

String gauge for drop B tuning on a 5 string

4 Upvotes

Hello hello. I’ve been on a Ryan Martinie/Mudvayne kick recently and have been looking into his setup on the L.D. 50 album. From what I’ve been reading, it seems that he used DR Hi-Beams (45-130) and had his strings tuned to drop B (F#-B-F#-B-E).

I guess what I’m wondering is would a 130 gauge string have enough tension to tune a low B string to F#? Or really would any of the strings in that set have enough tension to tune down 5 half steps?


r/Bass • • 16h ago

Proper fretting position

3 Upvotes

Hey, I’ve recently realized that I supposedly have the “wrong” fretting position in my thumb. The thumb is near the e string but not touching it, versus completely behind the neck. This position is what I’ve determined to be my natural one and allows me to relax so much better. Is there something I’m doing wrong or is the general consensus advice not always applicable?


r/Bass • • 16h ago

Technique questions about playing with a pick

4 Upvotes

I come from a guitar background but have played bass for about 5-6 years now. I usually play with a pick and have never really thought too much about my tone until I went to record bass earlier this week.

I am just mainly looking for some advice on my technique. I often rest my hand on the bridge area, that way I can kinda slide my hand up on the bridge or use the fat of my palm to mute. In doing this, though, I can't hit the other pickup and my sound is very thin / lots of high end. Do people float their hand when they pick? I tried that, but then I can't mute.

Also, do lots of pick players play with a bridge guard? My hand is getting sore from the bridge fine tuning screws poking my palm lol


r/Bass • • 20h ago

Best StingRay 5 – older models or Special?

7 Upvotes

Looking at picking up a StingRay 5H and wondering what people think is the best generation to go for.

Currently have two custom Overwater 5 strings which I love, but fancy something different. Mainly play fingerstyle in a function band covering pop, rock, funk etc.

Been looking at late 90s/2000s StingRays and the newer Specials. Is the Special actually better or do the older ones have something about them?

Main priorities are tone, build quality, neck feel and a good low B. Prefer 18mm string spacing or less.

Budget around £1.5-2.5k, happy buying used.

Anyone owned both? What would you go for?


r/Bass • • 16h ago

New bass making the same note in two different frets

3 Upvotes

So yesterday I bought an acoustic bass and it's awesome. The only issue is that the 18th fret of the G string makes a D instead of a C#. Now, if I bend it a bit it does make a D, it's just not confortable at all lol. Frets seem leveled though so I don't know whats causing this.


r/Bass • • 17h ago

Harley benton basses

2 Upvotes

I'm contemplating buying a Harley Benton Bass guitar.

Has anyone played them and got a good honest opinion on them?