# Basses for comparison!



## Popsyche (Aug 2, 2006)

We have heard the debate over pick/no pick, and such. Well then, let's see pix of those basses you proudly play, and reiterate your preference for string striking.
Also, extra points if you have a track you play bass on!

Me, I play only with my stubby fingers and my thumb. I end up doiung mostly funky/jazzy/techno stuff. Here's my entries into the frey:











This is an F-Bass, from George Furlanetto in Hamilton, Ontario. This is the coolest thing to come out of Canada since Scott and YM!










This is a 1970's Hayman bass from the UK. They are weird, and have a pencil thin neck. Great sounding rock-n-roll bass.

Who's next?


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## Roland777 (Aug 3, 2006)

Ptooooiiiing.






Ibanez BTB555.


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## dpm (Aug 3, 2006)

I've simply got an OLP 5-string - the natural finished Ash body version that's no longer available. It's fitted with the awesome 4-band Audere preamp. Sorry, no pics.
There are 2 fanned fret 6 string Oni's in the making, 34 - 37" scale, custom pickups, Audere preamps, Hipshot hardware etc... I might keep one for myself, the other is sold already.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, fingers only for me on bass, with some pretty lame attempts at Vic Wooten style slap.


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## Makelele (Aug 3, 2006)

Crappy Harley Benton bass. 






I don't really play it much, but when I do i usually play with my fingers.

Here's a track: http://koti.mbnet.fi/nikinmaa/Makelele - Revenge.mp3


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## Roland777 (Aug 3, 2006)

dpm said:


> I've simply got an OLP 5-string - the natural finished Ash body version that's no longer available. It's fitted with the awesome 4-band Audere preamp. Sorry, no pics.
> There are 2 fanned fret 6 string Oni's in the making, 34 - 37" scale, custom pickups, Audere preamps, Hipshot hardware etc... I might keep one for myself, the other is sold already.
> Oh yeah, forgot to mention, fingers only for me on bass, with some pretty lame attempts at Vic Wooten style slap.



Pictures!

As far as playing style goes - fingerstyle, percussive and pick. Whatever works for the songs I'm playing.


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## Ancestor (Aug 3, 2006)

I like this one a lot.

From the Rickenbacker website:


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## Vince (Aug 3, 2006)

I love my basic Ibanez SG 5-string. It's the best bass I've played in a long time & a great value at the price. The only basses I've played that kill it are Modulus basses. My old bassist had a $1800 Specter bass, and while his played a little better, this bass killed it in sound for some reason. All stock, active Ibanez pickups on it. I've debated outfitting it with EMGs, but with new strings the stock pickups sound like a piano, so I've never changed them.

I've used it on every recording you guys have heard. Go to the seventring.org jukebox to listen to the bass sound on my recordings.

In the pics, notice the color of the fretboard. I oil the fretboards on my guitars regularly. A treated board is a healthy board, and an oil-treated fretboard is a lot faster & more comfortable IMO than a dry one.

















Just for fun... do you think I maybe like Ibanez guitars.... 





yes, I know the prestige hasn't got any strings on it


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## Karl Hungus (Aug 3, 2006)

Popsyche said:


>



Holy crap, that's gorgeous!

I want it.


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## b3n (Aug 3, 2006)

holy crap indeed.


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## D-EJ915 (Aug 3, 2006)

Yeah that one's a stunner, I hate green guitars but that's just too hot not to like!!

I want a ric...


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## Shawn (Aug 3, 2006)

Nice basses, Bill, and the same for everyone else who has posted. I play this one right here. I love it. One of these days, I want a high end SR. 

1999 SR305DXBK~


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## TheReal7 (Aug 3, 2006)

Roland777 said:


> Ptooooiiiing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


damn that is nice. I have a BTB455QM


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## Drew (Aug 3, 2006)

Ibanez Ergodyne EDA-905. Bizarre looking bass, but comfortable as all hell to play. I just wish it had a passive tone control, or something other than the electronics it has (mid-boost one direction, bass/treble boost the other on two seperate tone controls, one for peizos and one for the magnetics, and a peizo and mag volume. I could probably have it rewired to have an active treble and bass master for both, but I bet it'd be pricey...), but for the price it's a cool bass.

I always start fingerstyle/slap, but I'll try a pick if it sounds better for the part. I'm certainly a better picked bassist, lol.


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## noodles (Aug 3, 2006)

It's an early 90s Jackson Professional Kip Winger model (MIJ), in mint shape, that I bought for $250 a couple of years ago. Maple neckthru, lacewood body sides, ebony fretboard, black boung neck and headstock, and MOP Jackson logo. I don't actually play bass, but I always wanted to have one around, and the price was too good to pass up. It even came with the OHSC.

The early Professional models are well known for being as good as a USA Jackson, which is why they degraded the line--it was cutting into the USA model sales! The only thing I don't like about the bass is the name on it. It plays and sounds amazing, and the camera does no justice to red. Lacewood is amazing looking stuff.


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## rummy (Aug 3, 2006)

I have a Yamaha RBX374. I finger pick and slap.


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## Chris (Aug 3, 2006)

rummy said:


> I have a Yamaha RBX374. I finger pick and slap.





Bass with a pick = heresy!


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## Leon (Aug 3, 2006)

damn, that's nice, Bill! you should have brought it to Jemfest.



Drew said:


> I could probably have it rewired to have an active treble and bass master for both, but I bet it'd be pricey...), but for the price it's a cool bass.


rewire it yourself!


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## distressed_romeo (Aug 3, 2006)

Old Peavey bass, purchased second-hand from my brother. Unsure of the model, but I'll post a photo if I get a chance.
Mostly fingerstyle playing. Occasional slap or pick-style if that's the sound I want.



Chris said:


> Bass with a pick = heresy!



Tell that to Chris Squire...


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## Vince (Aug 3, 2006)

Chris said:


> Bass with a pick = heresy!



I'd never hire on a fulltime bassist that played pickstyle, so in that sense, I agree with you. However, from my experience when you're recording, if you've got someone who's razor-tight with a pick, it can make the band sound much bigger because it's more percussive.


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## Shawn (Aug 3, 2006)

desertdweller said:


> I'd never hire on a fulltime bassist that played pickstyle, so in that sense, I agree with you. However, from my experience when you're recording, if you've got someone who's razor-tight with a pick, it can make the band sound much bigger because it's more percussive.


I like playing with the pick because it sounds more percussive but even when I play without a pick, I can get that percussive sound, it's just not as snappier as playing with a pick. 

Ever since I got into 311's bass player "P-Nut", I have developed the interest to slap bass but lately, Roscoe Beck, who has played with Eric Johnson, has impressed me. I wish I could slap bass like him.


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## Naren (Aug 3, 2006)

I play bass mainly fingerstyle, but I also play slapstyle and pick style. In about 80% of my own recordings, I play fingerstyle.

The bass player in my band only plays with a pick, but he plays so fast much of the time that it really would be pretty hard to try to play fingerstyle. 

I don't have a bass anymore.  So I can't "compare." All I can do is tell you all that I'm jealous, especially of Roland's bass.


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## metalfiend666 (Aug 4, 2006)

One of my band's singer's biggest issues is people who play bass with a pick. He's an amazing bassist and a firm believer in only playing bass with your fingers. You can imagine the arguments he has with our bassist, who plays with a pick 90% of the time! 

I really need to scour the local cash converters for a decent 5 string bass.


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## Naren (Aug 4, 2006)

metalfiend666 said:


> One of my band's singer's biggest issues is people who play bass with a pick. He's an amazing bassist and a firm believer in only playing bass with your fingers. You can imagine the arguments he has with our bassist, who plays with a pick 90% of the time!
> I really need to scour the local cash converters for a decent 5 string bass.



Ha ha ha.

I'm the type of guy who prefers bass with fingerstyle, but I do use a pick occasionally, but I play it differently. For example, if I play fingerstyle, I take the tone knob up to 8-10. But if I play with a pick, I take the tone knob to 4-6. I'd say my own bass playing is 70% fingerstyle, 20% pick, and 10% slap bass style.

Of course, my bass player turns his tone up to 8-10 and uses a pick. I'm not gonna ask him to play fingerstyle because he is very adamant about what he likes: He plays B.C. Rich basses (and owns 4 of them), only plays 4-string basses and said that he has no interest in any more strings (although after I had him listen to a complicated 7-string band, he said "wow. It sounds completely different" and I said "The bass player uses a 5-string" and he said "I'll have to try one of those out sometime"), and he only plays with a pick (most likely because most of the time he plays bass really well).

I can understand how your lead singer feels. I'm a big fan of fingerstyle myself. And, on some of the guitar recordings I've done, when I recorded the bass, I turned the tone down to 1 or 2 and played fingerstyle. Nice sound. I like the sound of a picked bass too and a lot of bands I really like have bass players who play exclusively with a pick, but nothing sounds the same as fingerstyle.


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## msherman (Oct 20, 2006)

Some of my heard.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l187/rgb500/mytoys.jpg

Mike


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## usagi (Oct 20, 2006)

I've got an SR 805 which I play exclusively with a pick. I use the bass more like an athlete training with a heavier bat before a game. It's sped up my guitar playing.


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## eleven59 (Oct 21, 2006)

Here's what I play (though the knobs on mine are different because it's a few years old):







I play with fingers and pick almost equally, depending on the kind of music. I mean, it's tough to play punk with your fingers, and it's a crime to play early Metallica with a pick. Basically, whatever feels right for the style of the song. There's things you can do with a pick you can't do with your fingers, there's just that certain sound.


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