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OK, so let me start by stating for the record that I am not a bass player and my attempts at playing bass are questionable to say the least.
I own a cheap Squier Affinity PJ, which is adequate for my needs (well, it was - read on) which is basically laying down basic bass lines onto my home recordings.
However, recently I borrowed my sister's 97 Fender Deluxe Jazz Bass for a few days. As a guitar player (after a fashion) and as somebody who loves Strats, Les Pauls, and all sorts of other six-string guitars I can honestly say that my sister's Jazz is THE nicest guitar I've ever laid eyes and hands on in my life! It even smells gorgeous!
Anyway, that's a bit of a digression. My problem now is that having used my sister's bass, not only is it much easier to play, but it sounds incredible by comparison to my cheap Squier.
Is there anything I can do to make the Squier sound a bit better on my recordings? The Jazz is active so has a beefier output but the Squier sounds quite hollow and dull compared to the full fat Fender.
Would changing the pickups and maybe the bridge have a positive effect on getting a better tone out of the cheap bass? If so what would be a good choice of either/both to consider?
I may just have to move the Squier on and acquire a Deluxe Jazz instead should I ever have enough disposable income!
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
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I think my sister paid about £1200 back in 1998 for the Deluxe Jazz, I don't know how much they are now tbh, or if they are of a comparable quality.
I'm trying to persuade her to give sell it to me but I think I'm onto a loser with that battle.
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
Much of what is appealing about the 2008 Dlx Am Jazz Bass can probably be recreated via an Fender American Standard bass and some electronics upgrades. You might even achieve the desired result with a modified MIM Standard instrument.
Yes, probably.
It ought to be possible to extract a full fat sound from a single pickup Precision Bass. Much depends on how you amplify or process the signal. (HINT: Apply a little valve saturation overdrive. Your playing dynamics will determine how "furry" the bass sound gets.)
Possibly.
The stock pickup in the Affinity is not of the top flight. A pickup and electronics upgrade might help. If you make little or no use of the J type pickup, waste no time, money or effort upgrading it.
A high mass bridge might add mechanical sustain. I sometimes find that it alters the tone for the worse.
This is an old photograph of my Squier Vintage Modified series Precision Bass. The modifications are EMG-GZR passive pickups and a Gotoh 201B bridge.
https://i.imgur.com/fYVm2f8.jpg?1
This bass guitar has appeared on several recording projects. It gets as much use as my more expensive bass guitars.
There are plenty of potential takers right here on this forum.
If you buy new are you talking Squier or MIM money? If you want to wait you will get something better for the same money.
Very true, I've owned quite a few. I had a Hartke and still have an RBI. To me they sounded fairly similar for moderate grit but I preferred the RBI. I didn't really like the way the Hartke worked, the EQ was always on and there was no way to compensate for the signal change the shape control brings about. I haven't tried the v2
Hmm, I might wait a bit and splurge on something MIM - I quite fancy the Geddy Lee MIM sig Jazz. Maybe I'll scour eBay for a used one at the right time.
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
I do think the Hartke sounds similar to the RBI. That’s why I sold it, I liked it but on balance it didn’t offer anything that different to me and I preferred the sans amp
The photograph that I pasted earlier reminded me that I still have the stock Squier VM high mass bass bridge. (Essentially, a Gotoh copy with no logo.)