Interestingly, when branching out a bit into other brands it becomes a bit more difficult. For example, my bass looks like a behemoth designed for insane metal riffs. In many videos of other players I've seen using my bass they are playing jazz or pop. Although it can be used for metal it actually appears to work best for jazz, and maybe r&b or gospel, than metal specifically. It took me by surprise. The bass is in my profile picture. It is the ltd b206sm. Not to say swapping out the pickups wouldn't change this story completely. Anyway, food for thought. I tend to go for looks too and I'm trying to break that habit but it is tough.
@MomoTheBellyDancer Nope -would have been fair if he had given them all equal time. Some were played for far longer than others. Also agree with above: makes it harder to compare when you're playing each very differently.
My favorites were the: 1. Hofner 500/1 2. Fender Precision 3. Music Man Stingray I find your lack of Rickenbacker disturbing, but the video was excellent. Thanks very much for that.
For me, it was the stingray, followed by the first fender P, and the Alembic third. Funny thing is that I really prefer playing the Fender jazz, but the sound on that p bass is just the best
1:39 MTD 2:00 Fodera jazz 2:10 Ken Smith HF 2:21 Lakland jazz/musicman 2:42 MTD Super 5 2:54 Sandberg jazz 3:09 Mayones Jabba FM 3:30 Alembic Jazz 4:29 Warwick 4:40 Ken Smith 4:50 Xotic California Jazz The ones that stood out to me the most...
Wow ….I thought the Pino P and Stack J and Ken Smith HF were the 3 best….nod to the old Gibson too…hated most other actives …especially the Status Graphite -blah
@@WhiteWizzard it’s funny you mention that because my ears have changed drastically since then! Had an active Fender that ran hot and my ears got used to that high output. Now I’ve neutralized my ears and love a warm passive tone!
@@gbvoul I bet Scott would tell us they aren't exactly identical. It's Scott that makes them sound pretty good, you little hotdog ;D haha He's making it sound like you can't tell shit because his bass is that good and nobody cares what bass he has in his hands as long as he has one haha Just my humble opinion... Caio
I kinda found a lot of them, particularly the high end (e.g., Fodera, Sadowsky, etc) to sound very much alike. to each his own though. I preferred the classics (Fender P, Musicman and Gibson EB-3). very distinctive between each.
My top 3 (in no particular order) are: - Fender Custom Shop 69 Relic - Lakland Skyline - Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray Classic I could have picked three others. All of these basses sound good in their own way. Given the variety of responses here, I would say this video shows that a good player can get good tone out of almost any well-made bass with quality pickups. In the end..... cost, the look of the bass, the playability and the type (and tension) of strings for the music you like to play.... matter more than anything else. Thanks for the demo's Scott!
..hahaha. Yup, gotta agree. It amazes me that such an iconic bass, decades old, can still hold up among these 21st century wunderkind basses. Four strings and a passion, the Gibson way.
I was surprised as well at how it stood out - in a good way. The Hofner also stood out - instantly recognizable tone - but it was sort of a milk toast tone, compared to most of the others.
Okay, full disclosure-I’m a drummer, and a song drummer at that. So, I just naturally went towards to sounds I want to hear next to me in a song context. (I play bass, but only for my drum, guitar or bass students.) Also looked for variety of tones-horses for courses as they say. 1. Pino P-Bass, 2. Hofner, 3. Gibson EB3(?). I thought those three covered the widest tonal range among the basses played. I wish you could have also thrown in a semi-hollow, like the Jack Cassidy (name?) Epiphone and the Lee Sklar Warwick. LOVE the channel, cheers!
I have been playing bass for 50 years, and I believe that, with small differences, by adjusting the tone setting in the amplifier, almost all bass can be similar, except perhaps the Hofner and Gibson's EB0. DEFINITELY EVERYONE can be used in any context, even professional, if properly regulated, starting from the Chinese "budget" to the " boutique's super top.
I play a Carvin LB75, and my favorite pickup is the piezo. Do you think any of the basses here could sound like that without a piezo pickup? The piezo picks up the lowest frequencies more cleanly to my ear.
@@JustEnjoyingLife73 I have an Ibanez Ergodyne 905 w/ piezo pickups. Best bang for the buck on the used market. I was skeptical because they're so cheap, but I can get a lot of great tones from it. I've been playing for 26 years and I know when I read people say something so cheap sounds so good I usually dismiss it, but I swear it's a great bass. And it's lightweight which becomes a little more welcoming every year.
Nicola Valeri you are completely right, I started with MM Sterling and Warwick Thumb but ended up with Cort Action V Plus, because if one knows how to set the sound and has good playing skills - it’s doesn’t matter what bass do you use.
I can’t help but pick the Pbasses. Just the best warm tone that fits into the mix. The MTD tone was super cool but I’ve learned that the tone I like for my own purposes doesn’t always complement the music and that’s why I’ve gravitated towards Pbass.
fit into the mix. fit into the mix. fit into the mix. that is all i hear. there are COUNTLESS recordings done without a p bass. are you people saying all those sound like crap?
1. Vigier Passion 4: Looks badass, sounds perfect! So much attitude to it! 2. Dingwall Lee Sklar: Dingwall always has a good, clear tone. 3. Alembic Custom J: Clear as the Dingwall, but with LEDs!
No specific order: 1. Fender P-bass Pino Palladino Signature 1:29. 2. Ken Smith Hadrien Feraud Signature 2.11 3. Sandberg California Marlowe DK 2:53. The sound is in your hands really, but sure there are differences in the sound. Great video!
2:42 - MTD super 5 sounds like a piano :-) Lovely fat sound with a bright punch... But, what about Marcus Miller Sire? I think it would fit here without any shame.
1. Fender Custom Shop 1969 Relic - It has a beautiful, full P-bass tone with clear harmonics and full range tone. 2. MTD 534-24 - Best B string of the all and full glass bell tone throughout the bass range. 3. Roscoe Guitars Century Standard +5. Beautiful P-bass-like tones with a subtle yet deep fretless sound that was as close to a fretted bass as they come. Looks are stunning as well. Yep. After listening to these over and over...those are my favs. Of those I'd actually buy....the MTD. Thanks Scott for a great shoot out!
Lol yeah, especially because he plays different melodies over them all I guess. I wish he used one melody on them all, it would have been a bit easier to choose I guess
My lord…. I need a shower after that! How cool is it to see so many great basses played side by side! How am I supposed to choose a favorite?!?! Great video Scott!
1. MTD 534-24 2. XOTIC CALIFORNIA 3. ELRICK 4. FENDER RELIC69. Man, if money was no object it would be MTD 534-24 ALL THE WAY! WITH EITHER OF THESE BASS GUITARS YOU CAN'T LOSE!! GREAT JOB!!! BEST BASS VIDEO!!!!
Great video. I love the continuous playing, so that we can hear the changes in tone. So many comparison videos they stop and talk so much that your ears barely remember what the last instrument sounded like when the next one begins to play. Hope you get to do more of these- I'd love to see some G&L's (L series and M series in particular) in the comparison. They are a super highly regarded brand for bass players that always seems a bit shut out of the comparison and retail game.
Surely every bass has it's own soul, but the three that I like the most, in term of tone, are.: Fender CS Precision Pino Palladino, Lakland Skyline 44-02 and MTD Super 5.
That Gibson EB3 sounded surprisingly good. And that was a sweet sounding Stingray, didn't hear all that usual clackety clank. Liked the Fenders as usual.
#1 Fender Custom Shop Jazz '61 Relic #2 Fender Custom Shop P Bass Pino Palladino #3 Xotic California XJ-1T Lightweight Thanks Scott for all the fun videos
Thanks for this video!! Great bass comparison & playing! My favorite bass is Ken Smith 5 TN. I have a Maruszczyk Paddock 5 A, which has a similar tone.
Funny -- when I play a P as opposed to a Music Man, they're miles apart. Your touch is very "even" throughout. They all sound like you. They also all sound good. Oddly enough, the Fodera's seemed to be the ones with the least character.
It does sound very good. Although I find its weighty, forward sound a bit much for many applications. Great for gospel and metal but sticks out like a sore thumb in other contexts.
The Alembic, Dingwall, and the Spector really stood out to me. That Alembic tho... goddamn that thing sounds nice. Dingwall's clarity is really outstanding to me. Spector was just really nice and smooth.
At first it was a strong battle between all MTD, Ken Smiths and Foderas. But the Spector came sprinting from behind the pack. Very smooth and balanced tone
Hello Eric, I know I'm late to the party and all, but I too was intrigued. Quickly determining that the effect there is an octave (and if you are interested in it there are many pedals that can get you that sound,) I spent upwards of 10 minutes trying to find out whether there was some kind of custom option for an inbuilt octave on MTD basses. My theory was that since Scott, at the beginning of the video, had stated that he had "tone and volume wide open and all pickups on," he had simply mistaken a switch on the bass that controlled the octave effect for a pickup control, turned it on and not noticed. However, when I was taking a second look at that portion of the video, to see if I could spot a stray switch on the bass, I noticed something. Upon further inspection of the clip, based on his left-hand positioning and the sound not happening in the first portion of the clip, I concluded that he was more than likely merely playing two notes simultaneously, thus creating the octave effect naturally. Feeling like a right chump, I have decided to leave this reply to you in the hopes of being informative, and maybe even entertaining.
Really hard to compare...I like the style Nathan Navarro used in his 5 string shootout... he did a few different song snips that feature most of the styles and repeated that with each one.... great formula you can really compare the sounds
Loved the Stingray and I didn't expect to. MTB 534-24 was neat. Sadowsky Satin made me reach for my wallet. Of course, only moths flew out.... Am puzzled by the absence of G&L, Keisel and Rick like many others were. Also was surprised at your choice of Alembic as that is not a true representation of their "normal" work. Still, a neat few minutes to hear some different axes!
Different basses depend upon the situation, most of these sounded great. I played the video thru with my eyes closed a few times and the best overall sounding to me was the Ken Smith BSR 5 TN.
Wow. Words don’t work here. Each one had a life all it’s own so I find it impossible to pick only one or even put them into any order. So groove. Thank you
I have a L2500 that has been on all my studio, and people who hire me albums, It was a shock that it wasn't included. A fantastic bass but this was all open settings and just a few seconds of playing, the G&L needs a few tweaks to sound its best ( because dammit it has so much to give ), and I certainly know it my heart it is one of the best 5 strings I've ever heard!!!! Not Ultimate true, but I'm sure many of these bass' would sound fantastic with a little tweak!!! I've played a Music man Stingray and it is a wonder to behold!!!!!
@@moosehavenstudio As a fellow L2500 player I second that! The G&L basses are extremely underrated and often overlooked even by professionals like our friend Scott here. G&L's are Leo Fenders conclusion of his experience from Fender and Music Man. And in my opinion the most versatile well built basses money can buy. But I guess the L2500 would need at least five minutes on it's own just to get some of it's signature sounds. That is probably why it didn't make the video. =D
I discovered the L2000 when I was doing electrical work in a studio, and a producer there was demonstrating how he could simulate a Precision, Jazz, and Stingray with his L2000. I left work that day and ordered one. Haven’t touched any of my other basses since.
(What, no Gibson Thunderbird?) Great video. Loved hearing the comparison of all these basses. I liked the sounds of the Pino P-Bass, Hofner, and Gibson.
The Fender P Bass "1969 Relic" Stingray Classic. and I have closed my eyes and played this demo from the start a half dozen times, and every time, I have opened my eyes when he starts to play the Sandberg Marlowedk.
My favourite 3: 1. Fender precision custom shop 2. Fodera monarch deluxe 3. MusicMan stingray Why I have chosen this three. Well I like basses with articulation but also a passive tone. The MusicMan is an exception it just sounds so cool.
for me tone and attack is in my technique. my concerns are balance and the way the neck plays. I play a 2009 jazz bass. the marlow dk bass sounds great. so does the ebo.
1) Sadowsky - even muted the fundamentals are extremely solid, clear and yet balanced. Basically perfect. 2) Alembic - not because it sounds the best here, but because I've played this bass and know that it can literally sound like anything you want 3) Fender Custom Shop J-bass. Because I am a sucker for J-bass. Ken Smith (anything) - honorable mention for playability (they are always magic to play). I wish they recorded all of these basses flat, at 50/50 (kneck/bridge) and equal volume.
Impressed that there's a store out there with all these basses. I'm used to places -- Guitar Center mostly -- having a couple Fender Jazz basses, a couple Precision basses, some Ibanezes, and a couple StingRays.
Today I learned that basses sound almost exactly how they look
you should see the guys that go with some of them LOL
Evan Parker hahaha
Agreed
To a large degree, you CAN judge these books by their covers*
Interestingly, when branching out a bit into other brands it becomes a bit more difficult. For example, my bass looks like a behemoth designed for insane metal riffs. In many videos of other players I've seen using my bass they are playing jazz or pop. Although it can be used for metal it actually appears to work best for jazz, and maybe r&b or gospel, than metal specifically. It took me by surprise. The bass is in my profile picture. It is the ltd b206sm. Not to say swapping out the pickups wouldn't change this story completely. Anyway, food for thought. I tend to go for looks too and I'm trying to break that habit but it is tough.
I did the same thing. I walked in and played All THE LEFT HANDED BASSES - I liked the first 2... There wasn't a 3rd one
😱 YOU FOUND TWO!?!? HOW LUCKY!
Man, I'm glad I'm a righty. I'm really sorry for all the lefties.
What color black were they?
I know the feeling
@@SonicXRage I'm a lefty but play right handed cuz I cba to find left handed basses
HAHAHAHAHA 😂😂😂😂😂👍
I like that when he pulled out the Hofner a little of “Day tripper” came out
Yeah I noticed that
I thought I heard some “Come Together.”
0:49 01. Fender Custom Shop Precision Bass “1969 Relic”
1:01 02. Fender Custom Shop Jazz Bass “1961 Heavy Relic”
1:12 03. Ernie Ball Music-man “Stingray Classic”
1:23 04. Fender Custom Shop Precision Bass “Pino Palladino Signature”
1:33 05. Yamaha Attitude III “Billy Sheehan”
1:38 06. MTD (Michael Tobias Design) “534-24”
1:49 07. HOFNER 500/1 “1963 Relic”
2:00 08. Fodera Emperor “J Classic”
2:10 09. Ken Smith “Hadrien Feraud Signature”
2:21 10. Lakland Skyline “44-02”
2:31 11. Maruszczyk Instruments “ELWOOD 4P”
2:42 12. MTD (Michael Tobias Design) “Super 5”
2:53 13. Sandberg Guitars California “Marlowe DK”
3:04 14. Elrick Evolution “Gold 5”
3:09 15. Mayones Jabba Mala Crema 5 “Federico Malaman Signature”
3:20 16. Dingwall Guitars “Lee Sklar Signature”
3:30 17. Alembic “Custom J”
3:52 18. Roscoe Guitars Century “Standard + 5”
4:02 19. Sadowsky Guitars “Satin Series Deluxe”
4:12 20. Status Graphite “King Bass”
4:18 21. Aria “Pro II”
4:19 22. Warwick “Infinity SN”
4:40 23. Ken Smith “BSR 5 TN”
4:50 24. Xotic California “XJ-1T Lightweight”
5:01 25. Fodera Monarch “Deluxe”
5:22 26. Spector Euro LE4 “1977 Limited Edition”
5:33 27. Pedulla “MVP 5”
4:43 28. Zon Guitars “Legacy Elite 5”
5:54 29. Gibson “1964 EB 3”
6:05 30. Vigier “Passion IV”
@MomoTheBellyDancer Nope -would have been fair if he had given them all equal time. Some were played for far longer than others. Also agree with above: makes it harder to compare when you're playing each very differently.
MomoTheBellyDancer lel noice
The second one wasnt a jazz bass. It was a P bass
@@lf170 Scott's a bit of a wanker. I know one of the tippy top players on the planet who agrees, one whom Scott interviewed.
You are the People's Champ
1:49 I love how Scott sneaks in the Day Tripper riff.
Both P-Basses are the best in my book, can't help loving this soft, rubbery, warm motown tone. Amazing.
My favorites were the:
1. Hofner 500/1
2. Fender Precision
3. Music Man Stingray
I find your lack of Rickenbacker disturbing, but the video was excellent. Thanks very much for that.
Right on, there is a severe lack of Rickenbacker in this video
Rickenbacker, Peavey, Schecter, Ibanez, Gretsch... this comparison is busted...
I think Wal too should be compared
I was waiting for a Rickenbacker, Gretsch and Danelectro!
For me, it was the stingray, followed by the first fender P, and the Alembic third. Funny thing is that I really prefer playing the Fender jazz, but the sound on that p bass is just the best
1:39 MTD
2:00 Fodera jazz
2:10 Ken Smith HF
2:21 Lakland jazz/musicman
2:42 MTD Super 5
2:54 Sandberg jazz
3:09 Mayones Jabba FM
3:30 Alembic Jazz
4:29 Warwick
4:40 Ken Smith
4:50 Xotic California Jazz
The ones that stood out to me the most...
Wow ….I thought the Pino P and Stack J and Ken Smith HF were the 3 best….nod to the old Gibson too…hated most other actives …especially the Status Graphite -blah
@@WhiteWizzard it’s funny you mention that because my ears have changed drastically since then! Had an active Fender that ran hot and my ears got used to that high output. Now I’ve neutralized my ears and love a warm passive tone!
Something about the deep sound you get from the MTD at 1:39 and the MTD at 2:42, nothing can touch the deep clear sounds these basses are delivering.
It is amazing how every single bass sounds totally different. Thanks for the vid Scott.
I know! Was really surprised how unique and different each one was. A bass really isn't just a bass. Very cool!
@@ShallieDragon it's amazing what gullible weenies you are. watch it again.
@@gbvoul I bet Scott would tell us they aren't exactly identical. It's Scott that makes them sound pretty good, you little hotdog ;D haha He's making it sound like you can't tell shit because his bass is that good and nobody cares what bass he has in his hands as long as he has one haha Just my humble opinion... Caio
@@sexyeur close, but wrong.
I kinda found a lot of them, particularly the high end (e.g., Fodera, Sadowsky, etc) to sound very much alike. to each his own though. I preferred the classics (Fender P, Musicman and Gibson EB-3). very distinctive between each.
My top 3 (in no particular order) are:
- Fender Custom Shop 69 Relic
- Lakland Skyline
- Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray Classic
I could have picked three others. All of these basses sound good in their own way. Given the variety of responses here, I would say this video shows that a good player can get good tone out of almost any well-made bass with quality pickups. In the end..... cost, the look of the bass, the playability and the type (and tension) of strings for the music you like to play.... matter more than anything else. Thanks for the demo's Scott!
How do you have like 20 jazz basses and no Rickenbacker or t-bird?
This looks like he's sitting in a shop, playing brand new basses, so probably whatever they had in the store
Love me some active corvette bass
rickenbacker sucks lol
Cause they're both shitty basses
SteveTheBassist a. You’re wrong. b. No Wal either.
The Rickenbacker! 😉
1. P-Bass (69 Relic)
2. Sandberg California
3. Stingray
Gibson EB-3 stood out with a rich,full, unique tone!
..hahaha. Yup, gotta agree. It amazes me that such an iconic bass, decades old, can still hold up among these 21st century wunderkind basses. Four strings and a passion, the Gibson way.
I was surprised as well at how it stood out - in a good way. The Hofner also stood out - instantly recognizable tone - but it was sort of a milk toast tone, compared to most of the others.
Okay, full disclosure-I’m a drummer, and a song drummer at that. So, I just naturally went towards to sounds I want to hear next to me in a song context. (I play bass, but only for my drum, guitar or bass students.) Also looked for variety of tones-horses for courses as they say. 1. Pino P-Bass, 2. Hofner, 3. Gibson EB3(?). I thought those three covered the widest tonal range among the basses played. I wish you could have also thrown in a semi-hollow, like the Jack Cassidy (name?) Epiphone and the Lee Sklar Warwick.
LOVE the channel, cheers!
The gibson the Dingwall and the pedularl sounded best
Massive respect to Scott for being able to keep an unaccompanied jam fresh for 5+ minutes 👏
👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻
An other type of player but the guy can play very well and knows his stuff
1. Can't go wrong with any of those Fender P-basses
2. Dingwall
3. Warwick
1. Fodera Monarch 2.Spector EURO LE4 3. MTD 534-24. I am putting this here anyway But I love all of them. Love what you do keep it up!
I have been playing bass for 50 years, and I believe that, with small differences, by adjusting the tone setting in the amplifier, almost all bass can be similar, except perhaps the Hofner and Gibson's EB0. DEFINITELY EVERYONE can be used in any context, even professional, if properly regulated, starting from the Chinese "budget" to the " boutique's super top.
I play a Carvin LB75, and my favorite pickup is the piezo. Do you think any of the basses here could sound like that without a piezo pickup? The piezo picks up the lowest frequencies more cleanly to my ear.
Hofner and Gibson is a true false nominee in this competition. Thats why you cannot make a good bass sound with an amp by them...
@@JustEnjoyingLife73 I have an Ibanez Ergodyne 905 w/ piezo pickups. Best bang for the buck on the used market. I was skeptical because they're so cheap, but I can get a lot of great tones from it. I've been playing for 26 years and I know when I read people say something so cheap sounds so good I usually dismiss it, but I swear it's a great bass. And it's lightweight which becomes a little more welcoming every year.
Nicola Valeri you are completely right, I started with MM Sterling and Warwick Thumb but ended up with Cort Action V Plus, because if one knows how to set the sound and has good playing skills - it’s doesn’t matter what bass do you use.
That first MTD bass at around 1:40 really stood out from all the others sound-wise....to me it did.
I can’t help but pick the Pbasses. Just the best warm tone that fits into the mix. The MTD tone was super cool but I’ve learned that the tone I like for my own purposes doesn’t always complement the music and that’s why I’ve gravitated towards Pbass.
Troof.
Perfect comment, bass tones translate differently to our solo ears as opposed to a mix.
fit into the mix. fit into the mix. fit into the mix. that is all i hear. there are COUNTLESS recordings done without a p bass. are you people saying all those sound like crap?
@@fingersmcoy Nope. Just saying that more times than not, Pbass tone does the trick. Why don’t you take it easy.
my favorite was the Rickenbacker.........oh wait there was no Rickenbacker pfft and you called this an ultimate bass comparison
Fair enough
AshesOfKaos I second this notion.
I'm not a Ricky fan but not including one in this comparison is just wrong. McCartney, Squire, Lemmy, Foxton.............
i agree wtf
No Rickenbacker, no bass. It’s really that simple.
1) MTD 534 - 24
2) Roscoe Century Standard +5
3) Zon Legacy Elite 5
1. Vigier Passion 4: Looks badass, sounds perfect! So much attitude to it!
2. Dingwall Lee Sklar: Dingwall always has a good, clear tone.
3. Alembic Custom J: Clear as the Dingwall, but with LEDs!
1.-MusicMan stingray
2.- Hofner 500/1
3.-Fender P-bass 61
My picks too
Why the heck did that Hofner sound so good. It had mojo for days. I didn’t expect that
Jazz better than p
@@gbachlis_5356 right know I think pj is better
Some great sounding basses there. The Alembic J, Fodera Emperor and Lakland Skyline stood out for me
1.- Status Graphite - Kingsbass 4:12
2.- Alembic - Custom J 3:34
3.- Ken Smith - Hadrien Feraud Signature 2:11
1. Fender Custom '61 Relic JBass
2. Fender Custom Pino PBass
3. Sandberg California Marlowe DK
1 Lakland 44-02
2 Spector, loved it
3 Musicman, never gets old
I honestly didnt expect the EB-3 to sound as good as it did on DI given how old the design is.
1. MTD 534-24
2. Status Graphite Kingbass
3. Zon Guitars Legacy Elite 5
I concur.
I picked 2 outta ur 3 except the Status I went with Both MTD's & Zon
The Alembic has the best overall tone but the harmonics on the Vigier were crystalline!!
I'm always a Jazz Bass guy but the Hofner, the Alembic, and the Gibson were all great too
my top 3:
1. EBM Stingray 4
2. Gibson EB3
3. Fender Custom Shop Pbass 69 Relic
No specific order: 1. Fender P-bass Pino Palladino Signature 1:29. 2. Ken Smith Hadrien Feraud Signature 2.11 3. Sandberg California Marlowe DK 2:53. The sound is in your hands really, but sure there are differences in the sound. Great video!
2:42 - MTD super 5 sounds like a piano :-) Lovely fat sound with a bright punch...
But, what about Marcus Miller Sire? I think it would fit here without any shame.
That bass sounds like it has a cold!
Like a piano?
Wut?
@@ilpatongi Definitely like some kind of keyboard instrument. And it's awesome.
1: P Bass with FLats
2: Hofner
3: Gibson EB3
1. Fender Custom Shop 1969 Relic - It has a beautiful, full P-bass tone with clear harmonics and full range tone.
2. MTD 534-24 - Best B string of the all and full glass bell tone throughout the bass range.
3. Roscoe Guitars Century Standard +5. Beautiful P-bass-like tones with a subtle yet deep fretless sound that was as close to a fretted bass as they come. Looks are stunning as well.
Yep. After listening to these over and over...those are my favs. Of those I'd actually buy....the MTD. Thanks Scott for a great shoot out!
Most of them sounds great.. but at the end of the day, all came back to P style bass..
1. Pino bass
2. '69 P bass
3. Spector euro
Eliezer Kristiadi holy words!
I started to listen trying to pick my favorite. It ended up like having a bunch of affectionate puppies saying hi to me
Lol yeah, especially because he plays different melodies over them all I guess.
I wish he used one melody on them all, it would have been a bit easier to choose I guess
My lord…. I need a shower after that! How cool is it to see so many great basses played side by side! How am I supposed to choose a favorite?!?! Great video Scott!
1. Warwick infinity
2. Musicman Stingray classic
3. Alembic Custom
But actually I love most of them. :D
Tim commerford salutes you
I think Scott may perhaps have a disdain for Ibanez........
gatekeeper3232 he had a video praising one if their Gary Willis signature models
And the Yamaha BB's.
Ibanez are for new players. And sound like trash.
Alembic.
@@RisvoldTheGreat no brand is for new players you clown, its all the same
1. MTD 534-24
2. XOTIC CALIFORNIA
3. ELRICK
4. FENDER RELIC69. Man, if money was no object it would be MTD 534-24 ALL THE WAY! WITH EITHER OF THESE BASS GUITARS YOU CAN'T LOSE!! GREAT JOB!!! BEST BASS VIDEO!!!!
This is a perfect example of "it's all in the hands"! All of those basses sound awesome, that's you!
Top 3: 1 - Fodera Emperor 5, 2 - Ken Smith 5TN, 3 - Fender Pino P Bass
That Spector was amazing.
Yeah, Love Spector but it doesn't sounds like a Spector here.
1:12 the stingray sounds like a dream in Scott's hands. I wish he played them more 😔
Sweetness that Dingwall is on another level!
Great video. I love the continuous playing, so that we can hear the changes in tone. So many comparison videos they stop and talk so much that your ears barely remember what the last instrument sounded like when the next one begins to play. Hope you get to do more of these- I'd love to see some G&L's (L series and M series in particular) in the comparison. They are a super highly regarded brand for bass players that always seems a bit shut out of the comparison and retail game.
1- MTD
2- fender precision
3- fender jazz bass
Surely every bass has it's own soul, but the three that I like the most, in term of tone, are.: Fender CS Precision Pino Palladino, Lakland Skyline 44-02 and MTD Super 5.
1) Aria Pro ii
2) Dingwall Lee Sklar
3) Alembic Custom J
That Gibson EB3 sounded surprisingly good. And that was a sweet sounding Stingray, didn't hear all that usual clackety clank. Liked the Fenders as usual.
That MTD sounded heavenly
1. 61 relic jazz bass
2. Roscos Frettless one
3. Sandberg California
4. Anything with flats
#1 Fender Custom Shop Jazz '61 Relic
#2 Fender Custom Shop P Bass Pino Palladino
#3 Xotic California XJ-1T Lightweight
Thanks Scott for all the fun videos
I saw you put a bit of Day Tripper in the Horner demo
I caught that also lol
It's actually a Hofner, not Horner
@@jackdixon29jd you must be fun at parties
@@jackdixon29jd yeah i was going to type that
-MTD 534 24
-MTD super 5
-VIGIER passion 4
Incredible video!!
Number 1 for me was that mudbucker Gibson. My dad had one back in the day and had to sell it. Both mine and his dream bass to own.
1. Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray Classic
2. BOTH Ken Smith Basses
3. MTD Super 5
I would like to take home one of these . . .
1. Ken Smith Hadrien Feraud Signature Bass
2. MTD Super 5 Bass
3. ZON Guitars Legacy Elite 5 Bass
Fender custom shop
Ken Smith
Mtd ...
Btw you playing is Stellar!!
Thanks for this video!! Great bass comparison & playing! My favorite bass is Ken Smith 5 TN.
I have a Maruszczyk Paddock 5 A, which has a similar tone.
1. Fender Precision (simple and round bass tone)
2. Warwick (amaaaazing tone with a lot of grip to it)
3. Hofner (good vibes bass tone)
Good vibes for sure.
That Sandberg California Marlowe DK sounds amazing...as does the Fender Custom Shop & the Alembic..great stuff
I like the little riff from Day Tripper on the Höfner!
Funny -- when I play a P as opposed to a Music Man, they're miles apart. Your touch is very "even" throughout. They all sound like you. They also all sound good. Oddly enough, the Fodera's seemed to be the ones with the least character.
That first MTD wins this by a country mile. Sounded absolutely phenomenal.
It does sound very good. Although I find its weighty, forward sound a bit much for many applications. Great for gospel and metal but sticks out like a sore thumb in other contexts.
I liked it too.
I was looking for this comment, gosh this sound ! The clarity of the sound is amazing
Both the mtds and the Warwick stood out High above the rest
Both MTD's really. I prefer the Super 5 but, 534 is no runner-up, it's right there!
The Alembic, Dingwall, and the Spector really stood out to me. That Alembic tho... goddamn that thing sounds nice. Dingwall's clarity is really outstanding to me. Spector was just really nice and smooth.
1)fender jazz bass custom shop
2)Mtd 534-24
3)Spector euro le4
I picked the same 3! Good ears!
At first it was a strong battle between all MTD, Ken Smiths and Foderas. But the Spector came sprinting from behind the pack. Very smooth and balanced tone
1. Fodera Emperor J Classic
2. Fender Custom Shop Jazz Bass
3. Sandberg Marlowe DK
1-MTD 534-24
2-Warwick Infinity
3-Xotic California
Fabulous piece, best bass demo I’ve ever seen. Status bass, Alembic and Stingray, for me.
1 Fender P bass custom
2 Fodera Emperor
3 Music man
Where was the Rickenbacker? 😟
@John Brownbill I Harris: Just his opinion.
There's something about the mtd Super5 that absolutely like. The question is how do you describe that sound and how can I get that on something else.
Eric Johnson I 100% agree! It had a very unique sound.
Hello Eric, I know I'm late to the party and all, but I too was intrigued. Quickly determining that the effect there is an octave (and if you are interested in it there are many pedals that can get you that sound,) I spent upwards of 10 minutes trying to find out whether there was some kind of custom option for an inbuilt octave on MTD basses. My theory was that since Scott, at the beginning of the video, had stated that he had "tone and volume wide open and all pickups on," he had simply mistaken a switch on the bass that controlled the octave effect for a pickup control, turned it on and not noticed. However, when I was taking a second look at that portion of the video, to see if I could spot a stray switch on the bass, I noticed something. Upon further inspection of the clip, based on his left-hand positioning and the sound not happening in the first portion of the clip, I concluded that he was more than likely merely playing two notes simultaneously, thus creating the octave effect naturally. Feeling like a right chump, I have decided to leave this reply to you in the hopes of being informative, and maybe even entertaining.
Bartolini pups. I have one in my main stingray, and it sounds like those MTD basses here.
Really hard to compare...I like the style Nathan Navarro used in his 5 string shootout... he did a few different song snips that feature most of the styles and repeated that with each one.... great formula you can really compare the sounds
1) Dingwall Lee Sklar
2) Alembic custom J
3) Spector LE4
1. MTD 534-24
2. Fodera Emperor “J Classic”
3. Alembic Custom J (That growl, tho!!! 😮 Definitely my fave.)
Best bass was the very first one. I love that warm, deep, full (but still punchy) tone.
Loved the Stingray and I didn't expect to. MTB 534-24 was neat. Sadowsky Satin made me reach for my wallet.
Of course, only moths flew out....
Am puzzled by the absence of G&L, Keisel and Rick like many others were. Also was surprised at your choice of Alembic as that is not a true representation of their "normal" work.
Still, a neat few minutes to hear some different axes!
The stingray is definitely number one, I look liked the Lakland MTDs
Awesome lesson great playing Scott
Music man stingray for me
I do like the P basses too
I would go with the Sandberg California. Great tone ^^
Different basses depend upon the situation, most of these sounded great. I played the video thru with my eyes closed a few times and the best overall sounding to me was the Ken Smith BSR 5 TN.
I liked the Alembic, the Hofner and the Sandberg. To be honest though, they all sounded pretty great...except maybe the Gibson short scale.
1 Dingwall
2 Fodera Monarch Deluxe
3 Lakland Skyline 44-02
The MTD's and Dingwall for me... they sounded pretty good.
Wow. Words don’t work here. Each one had a life all it’s own so I find it impossible to pick only one or even put them into any order. So groove. Thank you
Just the first three you picked up, in the same precise order, the P, the J ant the Music Man!
No Rickenbacker and no G&L L2000 means not ultimate.
I have a L2500 that has been on all my studio, and people who hire me albums, It was a shock that it wasn't included. A fantastic bass but this was all open settings and just a few seconds of playing, the G&L needs a few tweaks to sound its best ( because dammit it has so much to give ), and I certainly know it my heart it is one of the best 5 strings I've ever heard!!!! Not Ultimate true, but I'm sure many of these bass' would sound fantastic with a little tweak!!! I've played a Music man Stingray and it is a wonder to behold!!!!!
@@moosehavenstudio As a fellow L2500 player I second that! The G&L basses are extremely underrated and often overlooked even by professionals like our friend Scott here. G&L's are Leo Fenders conclusion of his experience from Fender and Music Man. And in my opinion the most versatile well built basses money can buy. But I guess the L2500 would need at least five minutes on it's own just to get some of it's signature sounds. That is probably why it didn't make the video. =D
No Thunderbird, either
I discovered the L2000 when I was doing electrical work in a studio, and a producer there was demonstrating how he could simulate a Precision, Jazz, and Stingray with his L2000. I left work that day and ordered one. Haven’t touched any of my other basses since.
Yeah, I wanted to see some g&l as well, SB2 owner here, no tone, no problem 👍
(What, no Gibson Thunderbird?) Great video. Loved hearing the comparison of all these basses. I liked the sounds of the Pino P-Bass, Hofner, and Gibson.
1: Aria Pro II
2: Fender Pino Palladino
3: Dingwall Lee Sklar
The Fender P Bass "1969 Relic"
Stingray Classic.
and I have closed my eyes and played this demo from the start a half dozen times, and every time, I have opened my eyes when he starts to play the Sandberg Marlowedk.
Samuel Joseph I hear ya. The Lakland does that for me. So I just ordered one. ;)
My favourite 3:
1. Fender precision custom shop
2. Fodera monarch deluxe
3. MusicMan stingray
Why I have chosen this three. Well I like basses with articulation but also a passive tone. The MusicMan is an exception it just sounds so cool.
for me tone and attack is in my technique. my concerns are balance and the way the neck plays. I play a 2009 jazz bass. the marlow dk bass sounds great. so does the ebo.
1) Sadowsky - even muted the fundamentals are extremely solid, clear and yet balanced. Basically perfect.
2) Alembic - not because it sounds the best here, but because I've played this bass and know that it can literally sound like anything you want
3) Fender Custom Shop J-bass. Because I am a sucker for J-bass.
Ken Smith (anything) - honorable mention for playability (they are always magic to play).
I wish they recorded all of these basses flat, at 50/50 (kneck/bridge) and equal volume.
That Zon bass really stands out to me.
1. Fender CS ‘69 P
2. Fender CS Pino
3. Aria Pro II
No Gibson T-Bird?
Impressed that there's a store out there with all these basses. I'm used to places -- Guitar Center mostly -- having a couple Fender Jazz basses, a couple Precision basses, some Ibanezes, and a couple StingRays.