Pickup placement has a huge influence over your tone. It's really about distance from the bridge. My favorite location is Stingray position or just a little further forward. Being closer to the bridge tightens the tone up nicely.
@@bapt_andthebasses It's absolutely this. As a ratio of scale length, with the caveat that the directly between the last fret and the saddles (no matter how many frets you have) will give you the most linear/progressive tone since the string centers will move closer to the pickup as you work your way up the fretboard. Interestingly, if I'm right in my measurements and the Rick bridge is at the 36th fret location, that would be the "best" position in general for a 24-fret instrument. Bright enough to cut, fat enough to thump, and perfectly compensates for shortened strings (via fretting) having less amplitude and sustain by having the string centers progressively move closer to the pickup.
@@Drunken_Hamster I recently made a custom bass and I played a P90 guitar pickup on where the 36th fret would be. Sounds close enough to a Rick bridge pickup for me! I'm happy
@@bapt_andthebasses I wish you had a video on that! I have the idea (but not the funds nor equipment) to build a stacked construction humbucker using P90 or Jazzmaster-sized bobbins for enough winds(aiming for 4k DCR, so like a Filtertron), 38-40awg wire for more highs, and Neodymium magnets for more output and bass, and rail pole pieces for a smoother response, then chuck it in the 36th fret location of anything/everything (and also have 24 fret necks, because why not?). I'd call it "The Tone Stacker." Based on what I understand of pickup theory and what little comparisons/examples I can find of parts of this construction being done, I'm strongly opinionated on the idea that it'd sound amazing. Could even have a series/parallel switch to go between 4k and 16k output (aiming for 8k per coil) so the ultra distortion heads could have their not-so-muddy mudbucker/deathbucker mode. And while I'm kinda against coil splits because I hate hum, you could do a split mode, too, where it becomes a simple JM/light output P90 that'd have even more sparkle/chime due to that fact and the thicker wire.
I love the StingRay pickup placement - nowhere near a P-bass sound, a bit closer to the neck that a Jazz bass bridge pickup, but oh man, what a sound! Piercing through the mix like no other bass! That bold pickup placement is what makes it so unique. But I can agree that pickups that are more in the middle between the neck and the bridge can get really great earthy tones, regardless of the pickup construction itself: split humbucker, dual humbucker, single coil, you name it.
You wrote great descriptions of those basses and their tones! I love the Stingray sound and pickup placement as well. I especially love the HH and have been looking to add one to the collection sooner than later.
Exactly! Which is why I got rid of my 1980 4001 Ric and eventually got a Fender American Performer P bass. Pickup placement and how you can anchor your thumb on the pickup when you're playing fingerstyle is very important to me.
What you said about anchoring your thumb is so true! I actually noticed that was a point I forgot to mention after I had already posted, so I'm glad you brought it up.
@@progrockjock ultimate reason why I decided to let the Ric go. It’s an absolute nightmare if you want to play fingerstyle and anchor your thumb on the pickup. With the pick guard, you can’t play there at all. Without the pick guard because the pickup’s shape and how it sunk into the bass itself, you’re gonna be constantly whacking your fingers on the metal edges surrounding the pickup.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Ric! I actually have a video coming about the Ric and if you're cool with it, I'd like to insert your comment in the video. No one else has mentioned this issue but it totally makes sense. I recall playing close to the fingerboard whenever I test one out.
My Gary Willis signature Ibanez fretless GWB205 has a mid-position pick up, and it seems perfect. Gary did lifelong research on building basses, speaker boxes, etc. and I think he nailed it. Of course for other styles/sounds, I adore my Lāklands. Their 2 pick-ups can sound EXACTLY like either a music man or a Precision, or anything.
I built a jazz bass using a P neck pickup and did a CBS bridge position for the tighter snappier sound. Kinda kicking myself for not doing the reverse P route like on Spectors. My latest build is using multi-coils with a filter style pre amp. That’s a fun bass.
Some of the magic of the middle placement is that as you shorten the string by fretting it, the string's potential energy and maximum amplitude weaken. There's also less mass, too, so sustain is reduced as well. But with a middle placement, the center of the string progressively moves closer to the pickup so that whatever the string DOES have, the pickup can grab as much of that as possible. IMO pickup placement is much less about harmonic nodes as it is about this specific "string physics" relationship in general. WHERE on the fretboard does it result in the string centers matching with the pickup, and how fast does that change as you move up and down the fretboard. Bridge doesn't really change at all, Neck starts of quite strong, gets stronger towards the middle, then weakens and becomes bright at the end of the fretboard, and as previously stated, the middle is the most linearly progressive and compensates the best for the weakening of a shortened string, right where it needs the most compensation.
Of all my basses, my Squier Jaguar bass, like the one in your intro, has the best pickup placement. It's a phenomenal bass for the money. My Epiphone Allen Woody bass comes in a close seond.
It's tone. Look at the Precision position and compare it to the Stingray, then look at the Jazz bridge pickup. The nearer to the bridge, the less low-end you get, plus a different voicing in the mid-range.
Absolutely. It's way more about placement and design (single coil/ humbucker) than it is about brand or model. I'm not a fan of humbuckers on bass, like I'm not into the Stingray sound. For the music I play, it's too thick and thumpy and doesn't sit well in a mix. I love the sound of a Jazz bass though. The center pickup on it's own is close enough to pass as a Precision with the right EQ, but I love both pickups together. Easy to get a good tone and covers a good range. It works really well when distorted in heavier styles of music. I love my Squier Jazz, I could play it for the rest of my life and be happy. 🥰
Well said and I agree for the most part, other than not liking the sound of humbuckers. I literally just finished playing my Fender, Made In Mexico, Jazz Bass and thought to myself, "I should be playing this bass more!" The J-Bass really has been the overall ruler of the bass world.
@@progrockjock I guess it depends on the style of music you play. It's a lot easier for me to fit a Jazz bass into aggressive music than it is to fit a Stingray, and I Just don't really like the sound of a Stingray on it's own. I like the "clank" that Jazz basses have. 😅 Dingwall basses are really popular in metal now though, so there's always an exception I suppose. 😛
Ok so pickup placement maters, then spends the whole time harping on about it in one position that just so happens to be his preferred choice. Mate, MM stingrays exist for a reason.
I agree with you on the placement thing. I do have to say that with regards to the P bass (which I love), I think it has the best of all worlds _except_ slap. Which is sad to me because I love the P. (Idk if this is a hot take or not, but I just don't feel I get enough of a rounded and refined slap and pop tone on the P. The J bass pop tone has it beat imo. But there is room for disagreement on this, and I don't have a problem with anyone saying that I'm wildin' for that one.) I feel the MusicMan does the one-pickup thing very well. You get literally everything with it. Whereas P bass gets you _almost_ everything. 😂😂😂😂 EDIT: I do agree with you on the "metallicky" sound of the Stingray (now I know how to articulate its sound, lol). But I'd still lock in my answer; MusicMan does the one-pickup thing great, even considering that. I love the P bass to death; its warmth and depth is rivaled by few imo. But for brighter stuff, I feel the P needs a bit of help. It's just too growly with its slap tone. I have some reservations about the MM because of the metallicky sound, but you can only deduct a few points for that; you can't give the MM a failing grade over it. Lol. It handles everything pretty well. And it can be versatile if you make it, from what I've researched.
And I agree with you. Sometimes, the P-Bass will make me think, "maybe I should slap this bass more!" but you're right, the J-Bass is so much better for slap. I love the MM Stingray and really miss the fretted one I traded away. I think it's a must-have in any bassist's arsenal. I am down to only one Stingray now and it's a fretless. I actually prefer to slap the Pedulla Buzz Bass over the fretless Stingray. I will be buying another Stingray but it will be a fretted HH. The only Leo Fender creation remaining for me to check out is the G&L L-1000. I played an L-2000 and thought it was fine, but people keep raving about the 1000.
@@progrockjock Thank you very much! And thank you again, because I just learned about a new bass today! Lol. I actually didn't know about that other one. I'll have to check em out. And hope to God they have a budget version. I'm a budget musician to the best of my ability. I'm coming along fine with the bass, but I don't think I can justify spending more than $400 for an instrument on a good day (I'd prefer to lean more towards $300). The only time I'll break that commitment is if I'm not getting the sounds I want/need and I don't have a choice. Is the fretted HH MusicMan you're getting gonna be that 5 string one that comes in a lot of colors and an expensive ass price? Or is it a different one? EDIT: For getting the P bass warmth but supplementing with slap, I'm taking the PJ route. From the research I've done, PJ basses can either be good at doing their own thing, do exactly as it's expected, or try to be a mix of P and J and wind up failing at both. But the research says that depends on how the two pickups are wired or blended; if the blending is good, the PJ will be good. I'm gonna see what can be done in the PJ zone.
You're welcome! G&L makes great basses but they get overlooked. I have posted videos talking about them, along with Leo Fender's other creations, like the Music Man. Leo Fender claims the G&L instruments were his best creation, mainly for the pickup technology. The only caveat is they run $1,000 on the low-price side. Brand new, they push $2,000. My first Fender was a PJ Deluxe Bass with a passive/active switch. The tone was off the charts! I sold it to a close friend's younger brother for $200 when I moved on to a pair of Stingrays. I don't know what I was thinking. I have yet to own a 5-string. Buying pricey basses can be a slippery slope, but from my experience, I've had a much easier time reselling the basses in the $800 to $1,000 range. The cheap ones are nearly impossible to sell, so I'll save you the trouble and recommend Sterling if you want the best bang for your buck. I've decided to hold out for a really versatile 4-string fretted. Of course, when the time is right. I can't afford to drop thousands of dollars on a bass anymore. Besides, it's never really worth it. You can get a good bass for $300 to $500 and you can get a great one from $1,000 to $1,500 if you shop carefully.
@@progrockjock Welp. The G&L basses have one helluva caveat. Lol. Sterling is the stingray's little brother, right? I don't know which I prefer between a 4 string and a 5 string. For the time being, I like em both and don't have a preference. But I will say that a 5 string will open your world up a little. A 4 string can do the same, but just in a different way. I think you should try a 5 string a few good times. Before I got a 5 string, I did research that convinced me a 5 string was gonna be a learning curve to get down, and that the B string was gonna be OD, so I thought it wouldn't be for me. But I had to go to a music store and try one; I asked a worker to help me find one, and he picked out a GOOD one for me! A Squier Jazz V I think? And it was for roughly $350 used. It was surprising comfortable, had very nice string spacing for my 6'3" big handed ass, and it played like fukken BUTTER! 🤣 That 5 string was one of the best things that ever happened to me. And I adapted to the B string rather comfortably and quickly. It was like love at first sight. You just GOTTA try one out. And see if you can work with the typical 5 string spacing. If not, try to search for something bigger (comparable to 4 string spacing). The key thing is to check how the low B string will sound; I've heard it can be muddy for some basses (but some do it very well). Buy one, and let that versatility and deeper range bless you! Try our Squier or Yamaha, but other brands can be out there too (Ibanez comes to mind). MM has 5 strings that are too tight for me. I can use em, but I'd like more space if I can get it. And thanks for the price ranges. I'll keep that in mind. If I go above $1500 (if I hypothetically get crazy enough to go that close to the limit), I'm doing something wrong. Lol. Heard loud and clear. 😎👍 EDIT: Don't worry about the PJ that you sold. There will always be more basses. Each instrument we give up is an opportunity to search for another one, which is VERY fun, believe you me. You get to see all that's out there, and explore, and find new stuff! And before you know it, you'll find a bass solution that was comparable to the one you had to leave behind, if not better. Plus, you gave the dude who bought your r PJ the gift of music at a reasonable price, one of the greatest gifts of all time. For only $200. As long as he's faithful to it, you don't have to regret shit. And if he isn't, that bass is probably gonna find someone who will be. You're blessing _somebody_ . Lol.
I think the Ric bridge position (roughly 36th fret AFAICT) is the best, especially for a 24-fret bass as then it also becomes the exact physical "middle" position, too. As far as I can tell, the front coil of a Stingray humbucker lines up about where the Ric bridge is. If I were doing my own and it HAD to be a single pickup, and I HAD to use a typical dual SxS coil style humbucker (instead of stacked construction) then I'd personally just shift it so that the rear coil was on this 36th fret "node" instead of the front one. I can definitely get or make a pickup that has more top-end snarl, spank, or whatever, but it's very difficult to get back any lost "boom" from having a pickup too close to the bridge.
Hello, It's been a while. I hope you're doing well. I would be lying if I told you that I wasn't shocked when I saw Lobster's new look. After all, to anyone who doesn't know Lobster super well, who wouldn't be, right?However, I never had any negative feelings towards him or her. Whether we're comfortable with Lowend Lobster's new shell or not, we must keep in mind that the same being and spirit is still inside, underneath it all. Lobster is a very good bassist with an impressive amount of knowledge on how the bass is constructed and how it works, not to mention, a very kind individual. While it might be hard for many of us to understand why anyone would want to change their gender, we must keep in mind that they aren't doing it to hurt us or anyone else. Speaking of "they", no pun intended, nor was "shell" a pun. People can change their gender and I will never have a problem with it, but I am not ready to change everything I learned about pronouns in my native language. It's not out of disrespect. It's just because it doesn't work with traditional language of any kind. Plus, I'm too old for that now. If you truly liked Lobster's content, I would encourage you to think of the new look, as a necessary metamorphosis for Lobster as a human being. Lobster is free now and I'm sure the spirit inside is happier, as well as relieved. "An ye harm none, do what ye will"
Well you've just heard a few examples of how it matters. Bass players, producers, mix engineers & bass builders etc definitely care. Take Stanley Clarke, Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, 3 vastly different bass sounds using 3 different kinds of basses with 3 unique playing styles. 😉
@@Al_Mac125 Has anyone heard of the concept of a joke? But jokes aside, there are plenty of examples when the audience at a live gig doesn't pay any attention to the bass or any other instruments. I mean playing failure.
@@iridios6127yep there's many venues where the bass is just a muddy rumble. I think the bass player can help themselves with that issue even if the FOH engineer doesn't care.
Pickup placement has a huge influence over your tone. It's really about distance from the bridge. My favorite location is Stingray position or just a little further forward. Being closer to the bridge tightens the tone up nicely.
Not distance from the bridge, but placement on the whole scale lenght. Not all basses are 34"
@@bapt_andthebasses It's absolutely this. As a ratio of scale length, with the caveat that the directly between the last fret and the saddles (no matter how many frets you have) will give you the most linear/progressive tone since the string centers will move closer to the pickup as you work your way up the fretboard. Interestingly, if I'm right in my measurements and the Rick bridge is at the 36th fret location, that would be the "best" position in general for a 24-fret instrument. Bright enough to cut, fat enough to thump, and perfectly compensates for shortened strings (via fretting) having less amplitude and sustain by having the string centers progressively move closer to the pickup.
@@Drunken_Hamster I recently made a custom bass and I played a P90 guitar pickup on where the 36th fret would be. Sounds close enough to a Rick bridge pickup for me! I'm happy
@@bapt_andthebasses I wish you had a video on that! I have the idea (but not the funds nor equipment) to build a stacked construction humbucker using P90 or Jazzmaster-sized bobbins for enough winds(aiming for 4k DCR, so like a Filtertron), 38-40awg wire for more highs, and Neodymium magnets for more output and bass, and rail pole pieces for a smoother response, then chuck it in the 36th fret location of anything/everything (and also have 24 fret necks, because why not?).
I'd call it "The Tone Stacker." Based on what I understand of pickup theory and what little comparisons/examples I can find of parts of this construction being done, I'm strongly opinionated on the idea that it'd sound amazing. Could even have a series/parallel switch to go between 4k and 16k output (aiming for 8k per coil) so the ultra distortion heads could have their not-so-muddy mudbucker/deathbucker mode. And while I'm kinda against coil splits because I hate hum, you could do a split mode, too, where it becomes a simple JM/light output P90 that'd have even more sparkle/chime due to that fact and the thicker wire.
@@Drunken_Hamster Man, you are way more knowledgeable than I am! I didn't understand everything haha
-> th-cam.com/video/jZEWuFqIo_w/w-d-xo.html
Wanted a Jack Casady for a couple years now. Played one and it was incredible. That last Fender sounded STUPID good too.
I love the StingRay pickup placement - nowhere near a P-bass sound, a bit closer to the neck that a Jazz bass bridge pickup, but oh man, what a sound! Piercing through the mix like no other bass!
That bold pickup placement is what makes it so unique.
But I can agree that pickups that are more in the middle between the neck and the bridge can get really great earthy tones, regardless of the pickup construction itself: split humbucker, dual humbucker, single coil, you name it.
You wrote great descriptions of those basses and their tones! I love the Stingray sound and pickup placement as well. I especially love the HH and have been looking to add one to the collection sooner than later.
Exactly! Which is why I got rid of my 1980 4001 Ric and eventually got a Fender American Performer P bass. Pickup placement and how you can anchor your thumb on the pickup when you're playing fingerstyle is very important to me.
What you said about anchoring your thumb is so true! I actually noticed that was a point I forgot to mention after I had already posted, so I'm glad you brought it up.
@@progrockjock ultimate reason why I decided to let the Ric go. It’s an absolute nightmare if you want to play fingerstyle and anchor your thumb on the pickup. With the pick guard, you can’t play there at all. Without the pick guard because the pickup’s shape and how it sunk into the bass itself, you’re gonna be constantly whacking your fingers on the metal edges surrounding the pickup.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Ric! I actually have a video coming about the Ric and if you're cool with it, I'd like to insert your comment in the video. No one else has mentioned this issue but it totally makes sense. I recall playing close to the fingerboard whenever I test one out.
@@progrockjock yeah go ahead!
My Gary Willis signature Ibanez fretless GWB205 has a mid-position pick up, and it seems perfect. Gary did lifelong research on building basses, speaker boxes, etc. and I think he nailed it. Of course for other styles/sounds, I adore my Lāklands. Their 2 pick-ups can sound EXACTLY like either a music man or a Precision, or anything.
70's Jazz Bass moved the bridge pick up 0.75" closer to the bridge and voila! Magic happens when compared with an early 60s Jazz Bass. 😊
I built a jazz bass using a P neck pickup and did a CBS bridge position for the tighter snappier sound. Kinda kicking myself for not doing the reverse P route like on Spectors. My latest build is using multi-coils with a filter style pre amp. That’s a fun bass.
Some of the magic of the middle placement is that as you shorten the string by fretting it, the string's potential energy and maximum amplitude weaken. There's also less mass, too, so sustain is reduced as well. But with a middle placement, the center of the string progressively moves closer to the pickup so that whatever the string DOES have, the pickup can grab as much of that as possible. IMO pickup placement is much less about harmonic nodes as it is about this specific "string physics" relationship in general.
WHERE on the fretboard does it result in the string centers matching with the pickup, and how fast does that change as you move up and down the fretboard. Bridge doesn't really change at all, Neck starts of quite strong, gets stronger towards the middle, then weakens and becomes bright at the end of the fretboard, and as previously stated, the middle is the most linearly progressive and compensates the best for the weakening of a shortened string, right where it needs the most compensation.
I like my Squire Precision PJ, it has the extra jazz pickup to add some metallic bright tone. I love the tone of a stingray and plan on getting one.
Of all my basses, my Squier Jaguar bass, like the one in your intro, has the best pickup placement. It's a phenomenal bass for the money. My Epiphone Allen Woody bass comes in a close seond.
It's tone. Look at the Precision position and compare it to the Stingray, then look at the Jazz bridge pickup. The nearer to the bridge, the less low-end you get, plus a different voicing in the mid-range.
Some of the 70's Gibson SG basses have the mudbucker in the middle where a P Bass pickup would be, IMO those sound way better.
I like it when its a dash closer to the bridge. That rickenbacker and aria sb tones you get. Its not a p but not a ray either.
North (neck) coil on a StingRay has the same placement as a Rick bridge pickup.
@@bapt_andthebasses too bad it still has that ray tone
@@lasteffect impossible, the soith coil was not wired. -_-
@bapt_andthebasses I have a shorty ray and the coil still sounds like a thin ray
Absolutely. It's way more about placement and design (single coil/ humbucker) than it is about brand or model. I'm not a fan of humbuckers on bass, like I'm not into the Stingray sound. For the music I play, it's too thick and thumpy and doesn't sit well in a mix. I love the sound of a Jazz bass though. The center pickup on it's own is close enough to pass as a Precision with the right EQ, but I love both pickups together. Easy to get a good tone and covers a good range. It works really well when distorted in heavier styles of music. I love my Squier Jazz, I could play it for the rest of my life and be happy. 🥰
Well said and I agree for the most part, other than not liking the sound of humbuckers. I literally just finished playing my Fender, Made In Mexico, Jazz Bass and thought to myself, "I should be playing this bass more!" The J-Bass really has been the overall ruler of the bass world.
@@progrockjock I guess it depends on the style of music you play. It's a lot easier for me to fit a Jazz bass into aggressive music than it is to fit a Stingray, and I Just don't really like the sound of a Stingray on it's own. I like the "clank" that Jazz basses have. 😅
Dingwall basses are really popular in metal now though, so there's always an exception I suppose. 😛
I'm not gonna lie, the Squire was sounding really nice. the Epi Hollow body deff had its sound inside.
Hey man, how are you doing these days?
the ? Chris ? Yeah he played the bass really well.
Ok so pickup placement maters, then spends the whole time harping on about it in one position that just so happens to be his preferred choice. Mate, MM stingrays exist for a reason.
I love the stingray, man. It's the best all-around bass!
Lol I'm the opposite, I like split pickup and a little spread out so i can move my jand to different spots
Dude, one of my students has that jaguar and every time she comes in I want to steal it LOL
I agree with you on the placement thing.
I do have to say that with regards to the P bass (which I love), I think it has the best of all worlds _except_ slap. Which is sad to me because I love the P. (Idk if this is a hot take or not, but I just don't feel I get enough of a rounded and refined slap and pop tone on the P. The J bass pop tone has it beat imo. But there is room for disagreement on this, and I don't have a problem with anyone saying that I'm wildin' for that one.)
I feel the MusicMan does the one-pickup thing very well. You get literally everything with it. Whereas P bass gets you _almost_ everything. 😂😂😂😂
EDIT: I do agree with you on the "metallicky" sound of the Stingray (now I know how to articulate its sound, lol). But I'd still lock in my answer; MusicMan does the one-pickup thing great, even considering that.
I love the P bass to death; its warmth and depth is rivaled by few imo. But for brighter stuff, I feel the P needs a bit of help. It's just too growly with its slap tone. I have some reservations about the MM because of the metallicky sound, but you can only deduct a few points for that; you can't give the MM a failing grade over it. Lol. It handles everything pretty well. And it can be versatile if you make it, from what I've researched.
And I agree with you. Sometimes, the P-Bass will make me think, "maybe I should slap this bass more!" but you're right, the J-Bass is so much better for slap.
I love the MM Stingray and really miss the fretted one I traded away. I think it's a must-have in any bassist's arsenal. I am down to only one Stingray now and it's a fretless. I actually prefer to slap the Pedulla Buzz Bass over the fretless Stingray. I will be buying another Stingray but it will be a fretted HH. The only Leo Fender creation remaining for me to check out is the G&L L-1000. I played an L-2000 and thought it was fine, but people keep raving about the 1000.
@@progrockjock Thank you very much!
And thank you again, because I just learned about a new bass today! Lol. I actually didn't know about that other one. I'll have to check em out. And hope to God they have a budget version.
I'm a budget musician to the best of my ability. I'm coming along fine with the bass, but I don't think I can justify spending more than $400 for an instrument on a good day (I'd prefer to lean more towards $300). The only time I'll break that commitment is if I'm not getting the sounds I want/need and I don't have a choice.
Is the fretted HH MusicMan you're getting gonna be that 5 string one that comes in a lot of colors and an expensive ass price? Or is it a different one?
EDIT: For getting the P bass warmth but supplementing with slap, I'm taking the PJ route. From the research I've done, PJ basses can either be good at doing their own thing, do exactly as it's expected, or try to be a mix of P and J and wind up failing at both. But the research says that depends on how the two pickups are wired or blended; if the blending is good, the PJ will be good. I'm gonna see what can be done in the PJ zone.
You're welcome! G&L makes great basses but they get overlooked. I have posted videos talking about them, along with Leo Fender's other creations, like the Music Man. Leo Fender claims the G&L instruments were his best creation, mainly for the pickup technology. The only caveat is they run $1,000 on the low-price side. Brand new, they push $2,000.
My first Fender was a PJ Deluxe Bass with a passive/active switch. The tone was off the charts! I sold it to a close friend's younger brother for $200 when I moved on to a pair of Stingrays. I don't know what I was thinking. I have yet to own a 5-string. Buying pricey basses can be a slippery slope, but from my experience, I've had a much easier time reselling the basses in the $800 to $1,000 range. The cheap ones are nearly impossible to sell, so I'll save you the trouble and recommend Sterling if you want the best bang for your buck.
I've decided to hold out for a really versatile 4-string fretted. Of course, when the time is right. I can't afford to drop thousands of dollars on a bass anymore. Besides, it's never really worth it. You can get a good bass for $300 to $500 and you can get a great one from $1,000 to $1,500 if you shop carefully.
@@progrockjock Welp. The G&L basses have one helluva caveat. Lol.
Sterling is the stingray's little brother, right?
I don't know which I prefer between a 4 string and a 5 string. For the time being, I like em both and don't have a preference. But I will say that a 5 string will open your world up a little. A 4 string can do the same, but just in a different way. I think you should try a 5 string a few good times. Before I got a 5 string, I did research that convinced me a 5 string was gonna be a learning curve to get down, and that the B string was gonna be OD, so I thought it wouldn't be for me. But I had to go to a music store and try one; I asked a worker to help me find one, and he picked out a GOOD one for me! A Squier Jazz V I think? And it was for roughly $350 used. It was surprising comfortable, had very nice string spacing for my 6'3" big handed ass, and it played like fukken BUTTER! 🤣 That 5 string was one of the best things that ever happened to me. And I adapted to the B string rather comfortably and quickly. It was like love at first sight.
You just GOTTA try one out. And see if you can work with the typical 5 string spacing. If not, try to search for something bigger (comparable to 4 string spacing). The key thing is to check how the low B string will sound; I've heard it can be muddy for some basses (but some do it very well). Buy one, and let that versatility and deeper range bless you! Try our Squier or Yamaha, but other brands can be out there too (Ibanez comes to mind). MM has 5 strings that are too tight for me. I can use em, but I'd like more space if I can get it.
And thanks for the price ranges. I'll keep that in mind. If I go above $1500 (if I hypothetically get crazy enough to go that close to the limit), I'm doing something wrong. Lol. Heard loud and clear. 😎👍
EDIT: Don't worry about the PJ that you sold. There will always be more basses. Each instrument we give up is an opportunity to search for another one, which is VERY fun, believe you me. You get to see all that's out there, and explore, and find new stuff! And before you know it, you'll find a bass solution that was comparable to the one you had to leave behind, if not better.
Plus, you gave the dude who bought your r PJ the gift of music at a reasonable price, one of the greatest gifts of all time. For only $200. As long as he's faithful to it, you don't have to regret shit. And if he isn't, that bass is probably gonna find someone who will be. You're blessing _somebody_ . Lol.
I think the Ric bridge position (roughly 36th fret AFAICT) is the best, especially for a 24-fret bass as then it also becomes the exact physical "middle" position, too. As far as I can tell, the front coil of a Stingray humbucker lines up about where the Ric bridge is. If I were doing my own and it HAD to be a single pickup, and I HAD to use a typical dual SxS coil style humbucker (instead of stacked construction) then I'd personally just shift it so that the rear coil was on this 36th fret "node" instead of the front one. I can definitely get or make a pickup that has more top-end snarl, spank, or whatever, but it's very difficult to get back any lost "boom" from having a pickup too close to the bridge.
HArd to beat the good old P bass
Unfortunately Leo never reversed the P pickup on any of his basses
Hello...
Have you seen Lowend Lobster lately?
SHE is doing videos again. The new
Look is not resonating with me.
Hello,
It's been a while. I hope you're doing well.
I would be lying if I told you that I wasn't shocked when I saw Lobster's new look. After all, to anyone who doesn't know Lobster super well, who wouldn't be, right?However, I never had any negative feelings towards him or her. Whether we're comfortable with Lowend Lobster's new shell or not, we must keep in mind that the same being and spirit is still inside, underneath it all. Lobster is a very good bassist with an impressive amount of knowledge on how the bass is constructed and how it works, not to mention, a very kind individual.
While it might be hard for many of us to understand why anyone would want to change their gender, we must keep in mind that they aren't doing it to hurt us or anyone else. Speaking of "they", no pun intended, nor was "shell" a pun. People can change their gender and I will never have a problem with it, but I am not ready to change everything I learned about pronouns in my native language. It's not out of disrespect. It's just because it doesn't work with traditional language of any kind. Plus, I'm too old for that now.
If you truly liked Lobster's content, I would encourage you to think of the new look, as a necessary metamorphosis for Lobster as a human being. Lobster is free now and I'm sure the spirit inside is happier, as well as relieved.
"An ye harm none, do what ye will"
Acceptance is love. Butterflies start their lives as caterpillars.
It doesn't matter, no one hears the bass at all and no one cares. 🤣🤣🤣
No offense.
None taken. Especially since you heard and cared enough to leave this message. Peace.
Well you've just heard a few examples of how it matters. Bass players, producers, mix engineers & bass builders etc definitely care. Take Stanley Clarke, Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, 3 vastly different bass sounds using 3 different kinds of basses with 3 unique playing styles. 😉
@@progrockjocka great point of discussion in more detail here. Great vid
@@Al_Mac125
Has anyone heard of the concept of a joke?
But jokes aside, there are plenty of examples when the audience at a live gig doesn't pay any attention to the bass or any other instruments.
I mean playing failure.
@@iridios6127yep there's many venues where the bass is just a muddy rumble. I think the bass player can help themselves with that issue even if the FOH engineer doesn't care.