Great Bass to cover everything in studio

ICBM

fretmeister said:

J with a 3 way switch to properly remove the J from the circuit seems to work better than 2 volumes or a balance control.
I don't have the tech knowledge to know why and there's a good change my ears are lying, but I think I'm right!

Your ears aren't lying .

It means that the 'off' volume control or the balance control isn't loading the 'on' pickup, so it sounds clearer.

fretmeister said:

The only time I haven't noticed the failings of a balance is when using EMG's specific ABC balance with is active and designed to solve any insertion loss.

Passive mixing is actually always a compromise, but it's just the way it's always been done. It just doesn't work well because the added series resistance as you turn down one volume control quickly cuts off that pickup and makes the range of useful tone variation very small. Active mixing solves that problem.

I dislike all 2-volume systems, in fact. I just about tolerate them on Rickenbackers because it's necessary for the stereo outputs, which I do very occasionally use - but I actually never use the volume controls when playing live, other than to mute the bass when necessary.

equalsql

I can recommend the Sandberg California. I picked up a beautiful used one off Basschat for £800. It's  a perfect P/J bass crossover with a superb active eq. Bass is my first instrument and I have owned quite a few elite models over the years like Vigour, Warwick etc and these Sandberg basses really compete on quality.

fretmeister

ICBM said:

fretmeister said:

J with a 3 way switch to properly remove the J from the circuit seems to work better than 2 volumes or a balance control.
I don't have the tech knowledge to know why and there's a good change my ears are lying, but I think I'm right!

Your ears aren't lying .

It means that the 'off' volume control or the balance control isn't loading the 'on' pickup, so it sounds clearer.

fretmeister said:

The only time I haven't noticed the failings of a balance is when using EMG's specific ABC balance with is active and designed to solve any insertion loss.

Passive mixing is actually always a compromise, but it's just the way it's always been done. It just doesn't work well because the added series resistance as you turn down one volume control quickly cuts off that pickup and makes the range of useful tone variation very small. Active mixing solves that problem.

I dislike all 2-volume systems, in fact. I just about tolerate them on Rickenbackers because it's necessary for the stereo outputs, which I do very occasionally use - but I actually never use the volume controls when playing live, other than to mute the bass when necessary.

I don't like twin vols either - originally for the faff of muting the bass needing 2 controls. It was later that I started noticing the sound issues.

My 4 string Ibby Mezzo is currently getting modded with the EMG-X PJ set and I did think about a 3 way switch as the ABC active balance was a nightmare to find anywhere in Europe. But I found one so it will have a sensible Bass / Treble stack and the ABC balance.

I'm planning it to be my main recording bass so hopefully it will be nice and quiet and easy to play with 32 inch scale.

Funkfingers

ICBM said:

Rickenbacker.

The budget might stretch to 77% of a brand new 4003. :-p

ICBM

Funkfingers said:

The budget might stretch to 77% of a brand new 4003. :-p

Or enough for a second hand one plus a second hand fretless Mexican Jazz...

That would cover a lot of bas(s)es .

dazzajl

fretmeister said:

I'd still tear the pickups out of the jazz and put in original model EMG J set. That will get rid of the hum and those pickups genuinely sound like 60s J pickups - that is what they were designed for. There is a reason why even among EMG haters that set is very popular. Just to name a few, Guy Pratt and Bobby Vega have recorded excellent traditional sounds with that set. No actual EQ added - just the Vol / Vol / Tone set that comes with it.

They really are fabulous. I have a Guy Pratt signature Betsy here at the moment and it sounds nothing short of magnificent. 

Creed_Clicks

The Nordstrand Cat bass looks like it could cover everything you need! Sorely tempted....

Stratavarious

A precision or a jazz with a series option or an PJ hybrid are all good options. 

Yamaha BB and Sadowsky hybrids are good too.   

My number 1 is an old 80’s Aria SB1000 active.  Lovely thru neck.

Basher

equalsql said:

I can recommend the Sandberg California. I picked up a beautiful used one off Basschat for £800. It's  a perfect P/J bass crossover with a superb active eq. Bass is my first instrument and I have owned quite a few elite models over the years like Vigour, Warwick etc and these Sandberg basses really compete on quality.

Another very happy used Sandberg owner here, also via Basschat. 

Mine's a VM4, so a 'reverse' P pickup with a MM-esque humbucker. The MM pickup doesn't really do Stingray sounds as it's in the wrong position (too near the bridge) but I just think of it as a beefed-up Jazz bass bridge pickup that sounds great blended with the P pickup. Actually prefer mine in passive mode but the active is nice to have and it switches in and out on a push-pull pot (also good to know that you can safely use passive mode if the battery dies!).

Amazing playability, which is something just about every Sandberg owner seems to experience. The newer "California II" shape isn't everyone's cup of tea but I like it and they are generally a bit lighter than the older ones and have a lovely compact feel that makes them feel even easier to play.

SteveF

That bass is bloody gorgeous @Basher - giving me BassGAS! 

i_b_tulloch

@Basher that is actually my favourite colour combination of any guitar/bass! Beautiful.

I love the bass in the link below in terms of the look, but it is just too much. Seems they are charging a premium over similar aged and specced guitars.

https://reverb.com/uk/p/fender-precision-bass-1970-1983?hfid=38562491&utm_campaign=INTL-GB-Shop_unpaid&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google

Funkfingers

Stone me. I paid £300 for my 1978/79 P Bass. Admittedly, that was thirty years ago.