mikey Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 im buying my first bass and i have already got it down to 2 bass brands but 4 different basses its either a musicman stingray, musicman bongo (love the shape), fender jazz or fender presision. however the sound im after is important because i dont want to spend all my money and find out it doenst match my style, i like to play slap and pop mostly so if theres any help you can give me it would be gladly appriciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 If you want a gamble then Fender...... It could be superb or a pig. The sensible choice would be 'ray or Bongo but again it may depend a bit on who you play with (or intend to at a later stage) as they may look at you like you've just dropped out of the V mother ship if you turn up with anything other than a Fender. If it were my money knowing what I know now - then it would be the EBMM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 I would entirely disagree with my learned colleague. If it were me, and this is only my opinion, immediately strike the Stingray from your list. Any of the other 3 can be great basses, but play them first to take out the 'pig' factor The Burpster mentioned. The 4 string MM Stingrays I've owned/played have been entirely underwhelming - I prefer the Ibanez ATK any day of the week at 1/3 the price. The Bongo can be magnificent though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyJay Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 [quote name='mikey' post='995538' date='Oct 21 2010, 07:50 AM']im buying my first bass and i have already got it down to 2 bass brands but 4 different basses its either a musicman stingray, musicman bongo (love the shape), fender jazz or fender presision. however the sound im after is important because i dont want to spend all my money and find out it doenst match my style, i like to play slap and pop mostly so if theres any help you can give me it would be gladly appriciated[/quote] Personal preference plays a big part in this, as the two replies already show. Try out as many as you can from the basses you suggest (I've had three stingrays and they all play differently). Try shops, bass bashes, friends, (ask politely!) and see how you find them to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shambo Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 If it's a poppin' and a slappin' for thee, a Fender Jazz thar be! No seriously, don't take anybodys word for it... you get the pleasure of trying them all out before choosing the one that sounds and feels right for you. Everyone's different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 (edited) You can play the music you list on all these basses. They are all good in their own ways and none should let you down. They all have different sounds and all have different necks so you should try them all out and get the one you like. AND, as this is your first bass you buy second hand. It doesn't matter if you later decide that you've bought the wrong one. Once you start playing your goals will change and you'll be on to your second and third basses before you know it. I'd get the Precision, but I'd also be trying a Lakland. Good luck. Edited October 21, 2010 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Personally speaking, I`d go for the Precision, however with the style mentioned, would go for the Jazz. Nothing against Stingrays, no knowledge of Bongos, but I just prefer passive instruments, and to me, though I`m not a slap player, the bass sound on Club Tropicana by Wham is just awesome, which I believe was a 70s spacing Jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 (edited) Ill view these in terms of comfort: P Bass - Perfect for thumpy in the mix playing, or full on grindy rock n roll. The neck, to me, feels great. You can slap and pop on a P and it sounds like a P bass....which I personally think is pretty cool. J Bass - I still havent found the right J Bass for me. I sometimes think the neck is too cramped, due to the fact I learnt on P basses. Great for slap. I sometimes find a J bass gets lost in a rock mix, but thats just me and probably because im used to a P bass. Great tone. Stingray - The ultimate do it all bass IMO. Great neck, great tones, great feel. Superb slap tone, and very comfortable. They are viewed as one trick ponies (as are Ps) but WHAT a trick! Bongo - I want one, that is all! From the demos Ive heard, modern, clean, versatile, and pretty funky looking. If depends what slap tone you like. Personally, I think the slap tone on EBMMs is perfect...very little effort needed for a huge sound. Try as many as you can. Edited October 21, 2010 by Musicman20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 All of them will do what you want. They'll just sound different and it's up to you to judge which one you prefer, really. Personally. I'd leave the Precision out of the list. Any of the other 3 make me happier. And again, personally, I'd choose a Stingray. Single pickup version and probably 2EQ. It just does it all and does it well and feels great... *to me*. Basically, questions like these are a bit pointless... even 'though we all ask them at some point or another. Because the sound, feel, etc is so personal, that nobody else can really choose for us. And we don't really know the sound you're after. You only said you like to slap... and well, you can slap all four models you mention, they'll just sound different. They're all good basses... it's time for you to go around teh shops and try several of each of those 4 models so that you can get a good idea about what they do and how they sound and feel... then report back because we're curious like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 You might want to consider a G&L, they're great basses and really underrated and well within your budget: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT4AP58jC5o&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT4AP58jC5o...feature=related[/url] [url="http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/TributeSeries/basses/index.asp"]http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/Tribu...asses/index.asp[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 A Bongo as a first bass? Jelousy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh3184 Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 I think it comes down to how much versatility you want. If you're willing to fiddle with the controls and you have no issue with the looks (I don't either btw ) then I'd say the bongo, if you just want a bass you set once and don't touch the controls again then I'd say the precision. Just my opinion of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairobill Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Having owned Stingrays and loads of different j basses I would recommend a Fender 75RI as long as it's not too heavy (under 9.5 pounds). That is an utterly fantastic bass. I like ray's but I found mine too zingy and, while it had huge bottom end, it was too scooped for my liking. P basses - I have never really got P basses but maybe one day! Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 oh..worms..!! For me, I'd split them like this. Workhorse bass. Sounds great in the context of the band..less of a solo type instrument. Staple rock bass, but not an out and out slapper. Jazz. can do most things well and probably a wider sound envelope but is isn't a P-bass no matter how hard it tries to be. Most people gravitate to one or the other. MM. An update of the P-bass and Jazz, A modern take with its own sound. Another workhorse with a reputation for cutting through a heavy mix. Active. Build. I would think the MM would have the consistant better build, but if you find a decent Fender, most people want to keep them. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them, if you find a good one. I think you should try and try out as many as poss. I wouldn't buy blind, if it were me. I am not sure the QC is good enough often enough. Don't know about the others mentioned, Bongo etc but I would also add Lakland for a closer look at their range Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Take a bass playing friend with you & ultimately just go with the one that feels right for [b]you[/b] All 4 would be fine for what you want so I'd take any comments dismissing any of the choices with a pinch of salt. It's not going to be a disaster if you walk away with any of those Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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