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After a decent/good blues sounding bass


vyniljunky
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[font=georgia, serif][size=4]Hi folks,[/size][/font]
[font=georgia, serif][size=4]can someone point me in a good direction for a vintage blues sounding bass in a lefty, had a mex fender jazz (single coil), but it had an annoying hum that disappeared when metalwork touched, I'm only playing for fun and teaching myself from the net, so don't want anything too exotic or pricey (wouldn't do it justice), have looked at Yamaha pj setups amongst others (warwick rb etc) and the sterling mm, but am now in a quandery as to what to go for, loads of CHEAP Rubbish out there in p bass, have a schecter riot which is good for modern sound, can anyone advise me[/size][/font]

[font=georgia, serif][size=4]cheers ray[/size][/font]

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I would say a Westone Thunder 1A. Cheap but certainly not rubbish - you could probably pick up one in vgc for £125-150 and it would be piles better than pretty well anything you'd get for that money.

Alternatively a roll of copper shielding tape to get rid of that hum :)

Edited by Paul S
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I'd say it's more likely the earth under the bridge that's not making a good contact rather than a shielding issue, five minute fix leaving you with a perfectly good bass for blues music, do you still have that bass? If so unscrew the bridge and make sure the back of it is clean then pick the earth wire from the groove it's almost certainly sunk into, move it to a fresh spot and refix the bridge. Restring, tune and enjoy. At the same time or before/after unscrew the control plate and make sure the earth wire is secured at that end too :)

Mex Jazz should be just the job IMO

Edited by stingrayPete1977
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[size=4]In blues you do your own thing, so you can use any bass, amp, EQ or strings you like. [/size]

[size=4]In the US blues players have mostly used what is at hand and cheap, so from the 50's that would mostly have been a Fender. Quite a lot of these players switched to Musicman when they started and recently I've seen guys using Laklands but mostly it's been Fenders. [/size]

[size=4]The bottom line with blues is it's about what you play not the gear you use.[/size]

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1322393185' post='1450171']
[size=4]The bottom line with blues is it's about what you play not the gear you use.[/size]
[/quote]

I'm sure no one will dispute this, but there is nothing wrong in a person seeking to emulate the vintage tone of a blues bass. It is more fun playing, when you are happy with your tone.

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1322393185' post='1450171']
[size=4]In blues you do your own thing, so you can use any bass, amp, EQ or strings you like. [/size]

[size=4]In the US blues players have mostly used what is at hand and cheap, so from the 50's that would mostly have been a Fender. Quite a lot of these players switched to Musicman when they started and recently I've seen guys using Laklands but mostly it's been Fenders. [/size]

[size=4]The bottom line with blues is it's about what you play not the gear you use.[/size]
[/quote]
An acquaintance of mine played bass for some American blues guy on tour a few years ago. The American blues guy was not really happy that the bass was a modern five string.

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[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1322396106' post='1450212']
....An acquaintance of mine played bass for some American blues guy on tour a few years ago. The American blues guy was not really happy that the bass was a modern five string....
[/quote]
[size=4]A few years ago a player I knew went along to a Gary Moore audition with his 6 string Thumb and was told that he either played an old Precision or the audition ended right there. [/size]

[size=4]But then I saw Albert Collins several times when Johnny B Gaydon was playing a 5 string Vigier and Buddy Guy's bass player uses GK amps. [/size][size=4]Some people have the blinkers on and some don't, but you'll never get hassled playing a Fender in any blues band.[/size]

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1322402672' post='1450353']
[size=4]A few years ago a player I knew went along to a Gary Moore audition with his 6 string Thumb and was told that he either played an old Precision or the audition ended right there. [/size]

[size=4]But then I saw Albert Collins several times when Johnny B Gaydon was playing a 5 string Vigier and Buddy Guy's bass player uses GK amps. [/size][size=4]Some people have the blinkers on and some don't, but you'll never get hassled playing a Fender in any blues band.[/size]
[/quote]
I saw John Mayall a couple of years ago and the bassist had a six string.

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[quote name='vyniljunky' timestamp='1322333506' post='1449608']
[font=georgia, serif][size=4]what to go for [/size][/font]
[/quote]
Squier Precision or Jazz would do. Plenty of them coming through the Basses For Sale section here. The CV's have a particularly good rep, they're cheap and you can upgrade them with different pickups at later stage if you want to refine your sound in a particular direction.

But there should be no compulsion to use a Fender type. I've seen plenty of pro bluesers using other mfrs. The only thing that [i]might[/i] raise an eyebrow would be a pointy metal machine.

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[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1322410486' post='1450497']

The only thing that [i]might[/i] raise an eyebrow would be a pointy metal machine.
[/quote]

Tell Dusty Hill that.......... (pics)

Having used most of what's out there, for me the ultimate blues machine is a Gibson EB-2D. But being as that counts as pricey / exotic, how about an Epi Jack Cassady or Rumblekat?

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[quote name='Shaggy' timestamp='1322412718' post='1450528']
Tell Dusty Hill that.......... [/quote]
The difference is that Mr Hill has Papal dispensation to tote 'exotic' instruments. Rather than Explorers (perf. acceptable, IMO) I was thinking more of this sort of thing:


[size=2]BC Rich Draco. Not pointy at all.[/size]

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[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1322415989' post='1450592']
The difference is that Mr Hill has Papal dispensation to tote 'exotic' instruments. Rather than Explorers (perf. acceptable, IMO) I was thinking more of this sort of thing:


[size=2]BC Rich Draco. Not pointy at all.[/size]
[/quote]

JUGHH, JUGHH...... JUGHHJUGHHJUGHHJUGHH

Oh my women gone done me wrong............

JUGHH, JUGHH...... JUGHHJUGHHJUGHHJUGHH

etal..............

A

Edited by apa
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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1322445238' post='1450983']
Shuker and Musicman sounding pretty good to me.

[/quote]

Indeed both bassists sound great in those clips, but they dont have that vintage tone that the OP is asking for advice on achieving.

These would be my idea of a vintage bass tone.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tyg5SJDpiQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tyg5SJDpiQ[/url]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U27fNDFfGPQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U27fNDFfGPQ[/url]

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[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1322415989' post='1450592']
The difference is that Mr Hill has Papal dispensation to tote 'exotic' instruments. Rather than Explorers (perf. acceptable, IMO) I was thinking more of this sort of thing:


[size=2]BC Rich Draco. Not pointy at all.[/size]
[/quote]

That is AWESOME!!! I don't even know why, I think it's the kid in me :)

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