The 4 Basses I Use The Most (Out Of 19!)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- The four bass guitars I use the most for live work, recording sessions, and TH-cam videos. 1978 Fender Precision, 1978 MusicMan StingRay, StingRay 5, and 1982 Ibanez Roadster. Here them in action here: onlinebasscour...
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I obviously gave him too much pocket money
Thanks dad! For the record: I paid for these basses with my hard earned 💰
Legend 😂😂
@@OnlineBassCoursesIs that Ibanez a long or medium scale?
@@jasondorsey7110 long
@@OnlineBassCourses Thanks for replying, I dig how close to the bridge that bridge pickup is, probably helps it cut through a mix nicely
A 1980 Roadster is the only bass I’ve ever known. Had it since 85. Played for awhile, then it sat. Back on it for the last ten years and the pandemic has me playing daily. Bass is the reason I get up every afternoon.
hey patty,i'am happy for u!...the bass is a great incentive to start your day!
Dan, "Vintage" is a description that I've grown up with and now ignore. I started playing bass in highschool in the late 70's; back then, 50's and early 60's were "vintage". Nowadays though, the basses I owned are considered collectables, LOL! We used to buy brand new Fender Precisions and Jazz basses for $325 and $375, respectively. Rickenbackers ran about $450, always higher. I bought a new sunburst MM Stingray like John Deacon's for around $400. I always loved Deacon's work, solid as a rock. Those prices were US Dollars and included factory cases. Boy, do I wish I'd kept a few of those new/now vintage basses! We live and learn. Great video.
This is a great comment! I've thought about this a lot and it is really crazy. They definitely were for the most part well made basses and many sound great. But the prices are bonkers. It's the same with some old whisky as well as many other things. Who knows what cheap things we have right now that will be worth crazy money in a couple of decades?!
@@OnlineBassCourses Well, if you figure it out, please let me know! Take care, great video!
🙏
That Ibanez is the best. Very versatile too. If I could find one of them I'd buy it in a snap. They're very underrated.
There is something about those ash/maple 70's P-basses. I know the 50's and 60's are more expensive and desirable but the width at the nut is smaller on the 70's, just enough to make it easier to play. And they have a great tone. Not as deep in the low bass, scooped a bit in the mids and very bright. They have their own sound that fits perfectly in a mix and that one sound works on just about any style of music.
You put it exactly word for word the way I'd describe it. 👍👍
Old Ibanez basses are severely undervalued. Thank God
That Ibanez has such a distinctive tone, so much clarity and definition and lots of character as well!
I also agree with you about the Stingray. I play a mid 90s MM3 for about 25 years now. It's always been the perfect workhorse for me, as long as I didn't need a 5-string. With its powerful active preamp you can make it sit in the mix perfectly. And what really makes the difference for me is, that it cuts through even if you play the hardest rock/metal stuff with tuned down, heavily distorted guitars. Haven't found another bass, that could handle difficult sound situations that well, yet.
I'm a big StingRay fan. You're right - they fit in the mix so well!
Loved this video. A bit late to the party, but I bought your Funk course and have enjoyed many of your other TH-cam videos. Cool to see what instruments you gravitate toward. Surprised there wasn’t a jazz in there, but can’t go wrong with the others.
Thanks, Dean!
It doesn't matter Dan,your bass sound is always stellar.
Thanks, Kevin.
My 4 go too's are a Kramer DMZ 6000b for the funk, a 78Yamaha BB1000 that beats my P bass, Yamaha TRBII4 and a Conklin GT5. This does change around a bit as I have 39 basses to choose from.
39?? I thought I was bad! I need to tell my wife that I need more. I'm going to check these models out, I love 'lesser' known basses.
9:19 I've never heard anybody on TH-cam say that "you must hear them [basses] in context!". I'm glad that you did say it, because it's so very, very true and I think, especially new players don't know about that.
I sometimes even think, that many bass test videos cater to the people that wanna pay alone in their rooms, only. I also have the feeling, many beginner bass players don't even wish or plan to be in a band. Not that there's much of a chance to, given the current circumstances...
You might be right. I think it’s fine if people want to play on their own but I’d very much encourage playing with others. That’s also where you realise no one else cares about your gear at all!
Ibanez sounds great! Nice, thanks for sharing Dan!
No problem!
I have a Roadster II form the late 80’s early 90’s with similar headstock but smaller more narrow body with with dual humbucker pickups neck thru body, I LOVE that thing. To this day I have a few $2500 Spectors and a few Rics but that Ibanez will always for my favorite “kid”
One of the great things about the Roadster neck stability wise is that it has a three piece laminate maple neck..very stable
I got my 78 Precision back in 1984 & would never get rid of it!..
Good on you! I'm not selling mine either.
...a 78´Stingray it´s today about 2500 and 3000 EUR - it´s a super funk bass - great!
Thanks for the info. It’s gone up a little from when I bought it!
Never knew you could get a MM Stingray with a piezo.
BTW, I'm a Jazz Bass guy, but your P sounds amazing. I've often toyed with the idea of getting one, but I think it would have to have a Jazz neck, not just for the chunkiness factor, but also for the nut width.
I love that P and it also has a slimmer neck than my 75 Jazz.
I wasn’t interested in watching The Serpent but now that I know you play on it, I’ll check it out.
Great video. Subbed.
Thanks for subscribing! I'm only on a few cues but anything old school plectrum-based, that's me and that bass! It's a good show too...
I have the exact same 78 P bass that I found in a pawn shop of all places! It's my pride and joy. I don't use it too much because it needs a refret job and I want to keep the original frets
Cool bass! Shame not to play it though.
thanks for your video they are very good
You’re welcome!
Nice collection Dan, I hope your 78 Stingray neck holds out !
I purchased a 79 ray new and in it's first few years I had to replace the neck 3 times, now it hangs on the wall.
Thanks! That’s a shame about your ‘79…
This is really good! It's nice to hear about the Fender Pbasses...I have experienced the same in Studio. I ❤ that MusicMan Stingray 5! I play 5ers mostly...that bass speaks to me!. 👍😎
Thanks, Sara. I love that 5 too - especially for live work!
The four-string Stingray sounded "pure Flea" for a minute there -- I thought you were gonna start playing "Give It Away"!
Love that song! Might do a few Flea bass lines...
Thanks for showing us your collection, Dan! I own my one lowly Squier Affinity but I've modded it pretty well and sounds great. Big thanks also for showing me how to play the thing too lol.
You only need one! I'll continue more actual lessons too, don't worry...
Very nice collection All bas(s)es covered! Very surprised by the difference in tonal character between the Ray 5 pickup and the Stingray 4. Wasn't expecting that at all
Yes they're very different aren't they? I think that's why I've used the 5 for so much live work - the tone is a bit more mellow whilst still punchy.
That Ibanez (if this is Roadster RS824) is a pretty abused one. Originally, there was no pickguard, pickups were Dimarzios PJ, pot knobs were muck prettier (and I think there is a lack of pickup switch), and the body was high gloss poly. But neck and sound were always a strong part of it, and, as we can hear here, they still are. This is one hell of the bass, and you probably get it so cheap because of the shape in which it was.
Very glad it was in the shape it was in then. Wouldn’t change anything on it!
Keep all those basses - nice sounding collection.
Thanks. No plans to sell anything now...
Dan, the tone of that '78 Precision is *it*
My number 1 recording bass (probably...!).
I agree mate. I just picked up an 81 roadster I used to eyeball as a teenager and it along with my sr675 5 string are pulling my attention away from the jazz and the precision. Good post
Cool. Don't get me wrong, I still love those basses and use them. I just didn't expect the Ibanez to be as good as it is!
your 78 P sounds great. This one has flatwounds. Which one? Gauge? Thanks a lot.
And of course make a lot more of your always great videos.
Thank you very much! It’s just old stainless steel (Elites 45-105) strings.
Glad I found your channel, really interesting
Thanks, Simon. Glad to have you here.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with those basses man. I would add a fretless Jazz bass to the Precision, Stingray5, and your Ibanez R as the most essential. I know you have a J bridge pickup on your Ibanez,
but a fretless version Jazz bass is imho an essential addition to that list. 😉
I’ve got Pino Palladino’s old Lakland fretless so I’m covered!
You’re so right bro!!!
👍👍
Man, you need to find a good cheap 5 string with 24 frets and convert it to EADGC. I bought a neckthrough Aria bass for €200, did that and I love it. I wish it had been my first bass 30 years ago since I've always enjoyed playing chords and melodies on the upper frets. That high C lets you do such wonderful stuff, especially in a power trio situation.
That sounds cool! I already have my StingRay and Zoot 5 plus don't really venture up to C for much of my work (if I do I have a Tobias 6).
@@OnlineBassCourses if you have a six you have the C thing covered if needed. Anyway, I bet there are many 4 string players who don't care about the low B but would fancy the high C if they ever try it. I know I do.
I'm sure you're right. There are so many different ways to play bass and that's one of the beauties of the instrument!
I would love to see a video about your German Double Bass!!
Might wheel it out one day!
I'm so glad you 5 string stingray wasn't stolen, that bass sounds so warm. Does it have flats? Love your chops, big fan❤💛
Thanks very much. Really appreciate that! No, Elites Stadiums. Just worn in (I like that tone for most things).
@@OnlineBassCourses yeah, they sound great. Bass almost sounds fretless with that piezo pickup too!
@@BourdeoixEterno It does a little!
I love my Warwick Corvette but my music man stingray is a bit lighter lol
Cool video, loving that Ibanez
Thanks, Chris. 👍
@@OnlineBassCourses any chance of a vid playing that P bass with a pick?
@@xriswolf78 You're in luck! th-cam.com/video/cROIF_bl_iA/w-d-xo.html
@@OnlineBassCourses nice one!!! Hahaha
Didn't that kid out of Musical Youth play an Ibanez bass? l recall a lot of musicians using them in the early 80s.
No idea!
wanna see the 82 roadstar yeah
3 years late, I have an I believe by the serial an 84 Roadstar 2. , but it looks like a Ric with no tilt on the headstock , any idea of the model, I can’t find it anywhere.
Thanks Rik
You might find some info here: ibanez.fandom.com/wiki/1982_catalogs#Electric_bass_guitars
Re your '78 P-bass neck: the nut width on standard Precisions was changed over the years (this was pre-"we now do a version of everything, built everywhere, just pick your price"), but I've found that (and I'm going to go metric here, sorry all you Imperial fans) the original 50s version had a 44.5mm (1.75") nut width (too wide for my tastes), and at some point in the sixties this changed to approx 42mm, and in the seventies this came down to about 40mm (which is getting very close to the 38mm (1.5") of the Jazz bass). My personal preference is that seventies width, though both my P-bass mongrels have J necks. I'm sure some of you have actual dates and times for these transitions, maybe even carbon dating for the real anoraks, plus measurements using things like 8ths and 16ths, which Fender would have actually been using, but my comment is more of a "Don't try one vintage P-bass and think you've tried them all". Now does anyone want to buy me a black seventies Precision with a rosewood board? No? Bloody ingrates...
Impressive knowledge! I'll take a black '70s P bass too...
I am a guitar Player for over 20 years and just STARTED my Journey with a bass. Loooove the jazz basses. And every God damn time people say "Only P bass for you Man". And it's tough Because I don't find them exiting to play comparing to jazz bass... And then you listen to your track with a Pbass and say "Daaamn". What would you choose for the first bass to learn the instrument? 😮 I am totally into Jaco but also love Jamerson 😮
It sounds like you need/want a Jazz bass!
@@OnlineBassCourses or a mix of both in one :p Thanks Man :)
@@Czeskauskas yes that’s another great option!
Cool video. Hmmm 🤔 that's not a typical headstock for the Roadstar series that's more like the musicians series 800/900
Thanks. I'm no expert on this bass. It is in a catalogue online somewhere...
Its a roadster not roadstar
@@davygarcia591 Regardless, the headstock is not common to either model, "Star", or "Ster" that's what I am pointing out.
I would like to hear your Tobias 6 string! Please!
I do have a video of that somewhere but yeah, maybe I’ll do another one!
This Ibanez is very rare.. But, sounds good!!
I was lucky to find it!
Any advice on how to protect your basses in a gig? I am always afraid on taking “the good ones” out 🤔
I know what you mean. A good stand like a Hercules and if it’s a gig where the general public can be anywhere near your gear, case it up when you’re not playing! Keep it near you if the stage isn’t secure.
I love that black Stingray's tone, beautiful, but man that Ibanez really does sound great. What pickups did you you put in it, if I may ask?
It’s surprisingly good using it?? DiMarzio DP 126 I think they’re called. I literally went with whatever I could find in the shop that day.
@@OnlineBassCourses I did the same...whatever the store had available for my G&L jazz bass. Ended up with DiMarzio Model J pickups and they sound fantastic. DiMarzio would not have been my first choice, but after trying them I love them.
@@mikeburford3005 exactly my thoughts... 👍
@@OnlineBassCourses dimarzio are the best kept secret bass pickups
Do you find that a PJ bass like Ibanez, with a passive circuit, will reproduce a P bass sound faithfully on its neck pickup?
I find it’s not exact but close enough. It depends on the pickup set too. I usually run mine with an equal blend between the pickups.
Hey Dan, really enjoyed that walkthrough!
Does that Jule Monique pre behind you get much use?
Thanks very much! I use it on almost every recording session I do. I used to for TH-cam videos but I simplified my setup with one signal now. I think it's great.
What jazz pickup you put in the ibanez Mr? It can blend nice with the p bass
Thanks. They’re DiMarzio DP126 pickups
Every electric bassist has to have a P-Bass. It's THE sound. I remember way back in the 1970's just before I started playing - my older brother said to me "Your getting a P-Bass". I said "What's a P-Bass ?" Well every time I took it out at a studio the engineer wouldn't have to say anything. They would just turn and look at me and give me that "NICE" look.
Exactly! It's the most trusted bass ever.
Ever try a Spector ?
No but I’d love to. Guy Pratt, Doug Wimbish, and Nick Beggs sound amazing with theirs!
Subbed!
Thanks very much!
You mention that you're glad you didn't buy the Warwick. What's your opinion of them? I have bought two and have been quite disappointed in them. They feel and play beautifully when set up correctly but are seriously lacking in tone as far as I'm concerned.
I love Warwicks. I had a Corvette Proline from age 13 to 22 and loved that bass but it got stolen.
You are a very good , i dont want this to sound negative and if it does i Apologise in advance, But the way things are going there will be no more live gigs/DJs/etc and the future for musicians could be obsolete ?
Thanks. Right now the industry is suffering with the pandemic. My guess is that live music will be back with a vengeance as soon as it’s safe. No idea when that will be! People need art.
@@OnlineBassCourses Thank you Dan i agree with you we all need art! iam just worried a little(:
@@cmstandingmusic3002 Fingers crossed. I think it'll all work out ok eventually...
which effects pedals would you recomend
Any that create the sound you want. I have a couple of effects videos on my channel that will give you some ideas.
Hey Dan, thanks for sharing! How would you describe the character/tone of the Avalon U5 preamp? Sounds a bit like a valve preamp although it isn't.
For me, it doesn’t really have a character or tone. Not how I set it up anyway, with everything flat. It tends to deliver the transparent tone of the bass without colouring anything. That’s what I like about it. I have a Neve plugin on the Apollo insert which might make it sound like that.
What's your preference on amps? Do you favour digital modelling amps, or do you prefer conventional type amps?
I kind of love it all! My favourite is my 66 B15 or 77 Bassman. I love an SVT rig but also like a healthy back so my MarkBass setup works well for that. In the studio, I sometimes use UA and Ampeg SVX software. It depends.
I've never seen strap button placement like that before. It's particularly noticeable on your 4-string Stingray. Do you modify all your basses that way? I'm guessing when you're standing you like to have your bass angled upwards at a sharp angle? I'd be interested to see a video just on your strap button, strap choices and playing position. Thanks for the video.
That's just the way the angle of the strap button is - it looks weird! But, no, my bass is not at a sharp angle, it's more or less the same as when I sit, sightly angled up to the ceiling but not much.
@@OnlineBassCourses Ah right. I noticed the strap button on your Precision is similarly at a different angle than usual so I thought it must be a mod you had made. Usually the strap button is right on the tip of the horn and just slightly angled inwards. But you've somehow ended up with 2 basses that both have unusual placement. Maybe it's destiny! 😂
I think mine were just weird angles too! Certainly not intentional and it doesn't adversely affect anything.
Hey Dan! Loving your channel and your bass playing. I discovered you through a mutual friend - Chris Gartside. Did you use the Stingray on your session with him?
Hi Jim. That's cool you know Chris! I'd honestly have to double check but it could well have been the StingRay...
@@OnlineBassCourses Love what you did on his stuff. I know he's over the moon with it - well done.
@@jimpannell2035 thanks - I loved the song!
Now do a video about the other 15 basses please
🤣 I think I'll wheel them out soon...
1200 cheap bass
Cheaper than the one across the road alright
P bass cuts through
Enjoy your videos
Thanks. Yeah I like the cheap P too!
The Ibanez sounds the best to me.
👍
It's so True.
Fender P.
Recording ?
That's the 1.
Love Fender Jazz.
Sting Ray and those 4001 Ricks.
There All have a place.
To Record in Studio.
Producer will hand you a P Bass
95% of the time.
stop working with boring producers
You played the bass on The Serpent's soundtrack on Netflix ? The show about serial killer Charles Sobraj ?
I didn't do all the bass on it but everything that's old school plectrum/flatwound tone is me.
What pickups did you put in the Ibanez?
DiMarzio DP 126. 👍
IBANEZ!!!
👊
How do you run a bass through two preamps and then claim "it's just the sound of the bass"?
It's going through a clean and transparent Avalon U5 which is set flat and doesn't colour the sound at all. Then the Apollo is set flat too. That's how.
Of course, you're right, preamps do have a part to play but, in this case, it's really not that much.
People put too much emphasis on “Vintage -it must be good”. Some serious crap came out late 70’s and early 80’s. Fancy word to make money off old gear
Maybe true (I don't know those people). I'm sure there were some truly terrible instruments! I'm very lucky to have some incredible ones from that era. (I did try a lot out though).
19?!!! Can I have one? 🤣 hahahhaa
Take two!
That 78 p😊😊😊😊😊 NOTHING compared to a vintage Fender
It's a mere youngster!
Nooooo. I’m a jazz bass person but have started to GAS over a P Bass. Your comments aren’t going to help my wallet or my resolve not to buy more basses.
😬 sorry... If you have a P and a Jazz you'll have everything covered! Most things anyway but I don't want you craving even more basses.
@@OnlineBassCourses ha thanks for looking our for me. I just bought a 5 string Cole Clark Long Lady and I'm still utterly in love so my GAS should stay moderately quiet for a while. P Bass will be next though I'm sure. Just discovered your channel today and the weather is forecast to be stormy all weekend so I can see a lot of watching your channel and playing bass happening between now and Sunday night. Thank you!
@@chrisjs6123 cool. Hope you learn something!