Who gone through simple to complex then back to simple bass?

[badboy1984]

When I first started to play/learn how to play bass i've use a Aria P bass copy and i really hate it for some reason. I always wanted something fancy, complex control to get my tone but i never happy.

When thinking about it now i've got through the following basses:

- Aria P bass copy
- Squier Jazz bass
- Warwick Rockbass Streamer
- G & L Tribute 5 string
- Ibanez BTB 6 string
- Peavey Grind 6 string
- Lakeland Skyline 5 string
- Warwick Corvette 4 string
- Warwick Corvette 5 string
- Musicman Stingray 4 string

And now I'm settle with my Fender P bass, Fender Jazz and AGC 5 string.

Most of the time i like to use my P bass to keep it simple and lazy as well (plug and play).

[Hobbayne]

I have always played a Fender Precision. I have never had the inclination to play with anything else. The P Bass does everything I want it to do, and what it cant do I have no interest in.
I did have a bit of a flirt with a Stingray, didnt like it and got shot of it!!

[badboy1984]

Is one of those situation in life, I always had the right type of bass with me since day one but i prefer to go out and tried a bunch of different things before going back to what i have at start. I also spend tons of money during those years .......

[Mornats]

I never started simple but I'm heading there now.

[MacDaddy]

started off with P's went up to Kubicki's (I seem to remember one which had 13 different setting with the 2 filters) but now my Shuker has one pup and just a volume pot

[Stacker]

Went active in the'80s - Ibanez,.Status, Alembic then on to Warwick Musicman and Steinberger. Then I picked up a Jazz and that was that, with my fav circuit being the earlier version of the stackpot cicuit.

Id hv a Thumb again, though.

[stu_g]

ive been through many basses but i always have a Precision of some description
ive been through many precisions too a 1975,1977 two japanese E serial number versions, a precision lite
1998 hot rod precision and many copies maya,marlin, encore, sunn
my two at the moment are a squier silver series fitted with an onlymusic.com pickup sounds great and the neck is really nice
and a Cheri korean p bass copy fitted with a dimarzio pickup i think its a maple body with a really nice slender neck great bass

[Lozz196]

I went through many different basses trying to get the sound I wanted. Finally settled on getting a Precision and that was it. Daft thing, was the sounds I liked were people playing Precisions, I`ve no idea why I put off buying one for so long. Doh!

[Thunderbird]

I like the sound of all my basses but they are all passive and for some reason I have some gas for an active bass and I dont know why I had an active a while back but was not really overkeen on the sound I guess all our tastes change in time?

[MattM]

My first bass was actually my most complex, Westone 1A - three knobs, two switches. I'm now a confirmed three knob dude with my Berger and Ray 2EQ, have never needed more really, things like Alembics and Wals scare the bejesus out of me....

[xilddx]

I gone from passive MIJ Squier Jazz, to active headless Hohners, to active Warwicks, to active MIJ Jazzes with J-Retros, to active Warwick with a chrome body, to passive 1983 USA Standard Jazz.

I adore my passive 1983 USA Jazz, my only bass now. It's all I need and want. At the moment

[jezzaboy]

Been to that party. Active Ibanez, GL with more tonal options than you can shake a stick at (I think there are 42 possible sounds available?) plus lots more and am now back to 2 passive basses with vol/tone and a Yam that is wired straight to the jack bypassing all controls. I just use the amp eq and volume and in the future may do this with the Fenders.

[cocco]

Done that! I keep going between though, mine looks something like this.

Vintage ray copy
Epi T-bird
Fender 78 P-bass
Peavey T-40
Warwick Streamer stage 1 5
Fender P-bass
Fender J-bass
Gibson Grabber
Aria SB-2 elite
Shuker elite single cut headless 4
EBMM Bongo
EBMM Stingray 2eq
Ibanez Blazer
Trace Elliot T-bass
Peavey T-40
Fender P-bass
Status Energy Matrix
Lakland Bob Glaub

Of all of these I still have a p, the bob, two T-40s and the blazer.

[Black Coffee]

If i knew back then when i started that every bass id ever need was my mike lull TC5 id have saved myself about £15,000 over past 25 yrs and just waited for it to come along while playing my usa fender p.
Been there done that got the bass and the t-shirt and the credit card bill.
It seems basic is best.
But you would miss all the fun.

[voxpop]

I'm in a much simpler place now myself.
For the past six years I've had custom build basses from Sandberg and Shuker. They were truly fantastic instruments with great electronics, 18 volt operation and six strings..... But.

My wonderful son Rufus was born three months ago and I sold the lot, bought a jap P bass and love the simple plug and play attitude.
It really suits where I am in life, Im not saying I will never go back to a six string custom build but for now I'm a very happy daddy.

Keep life simple .... Buy a P.

[PTB]

I learned on a couple of basic 4 strings. When I first started gigging, I had a Modulus Quantum 6. Now, 98% of my gigs are on double bass so I definitely fit the bill.

I do still have a nice modern active 5 but it mainly gets played at home. I think tastes change, both in basses, what we see our peers & heros using and the type of music we want to play as we get on. The Modulus was a wonderful thing to have in the late 80s but I now prefer a simpler approach.

[guybrush threepwood]

[quote name='voxpop' timestamp='1377327711' post='2186195']
Keep life simple .... Buy a P.
[/quote]

This is what it's all about. There's this whole Zen thing of the P-bass; because it doesn't jump out of the mix it allows you to play more complicated lines and stay in the pocket. So a simpler setup can mean more technical playing. But ultimately, it just works.

I wish I'd discovered this years ago, and not got caught up with basses that constantly shout "LISTEN TO ME! LISTEN TO ME!"- cutting through the mix like a needy child... The P is just cool and it knows it.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Nope.
P copy
Fretless J copy
Vigier
Warwick
Musicman
Warwick
MIA Jazz
Yamaha Attitude
Stupidly complex Warwick - but good
NS CR5

Horses for courses. I have both active and passive, simple and complex to choose from.

[krysh]

in the end it's always on the player. no technical gimmick will make someone be a better musician, but a good musician can use any gimmick to make even better music.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='voxpop' timestamp='1377327711' post='2186195']
I'm in a much simpler place now myself.


Keep life simple .... Buy a P.
[/quote]
[quote name='guybrush threepwood' timestamp='1377333736' post='2186269']
This is what it's all about. There's this whole Zen thing of the P-bass; because it doesn't jump out of the mix it allows you to play more complicated lines and stay in the pocket. So a simpler setup can mean more technical playing. But ultimately, it just works.

I wish I'd discovered this years ago, and not got caught up with basses that constantly shout "LISTEN TO ME! LISTEN TO ME!"- cutting through the mix like a needy child... The P is just cool and it knows it.
[/quote]

Yup

[kurosawa]

I spoke with my son's high school band director last night. The band owns a Jazz Bass. Last year, there were significant intonation problems, and the bass's pitch was indistinct due to the inherent phase cancellation. I offered to build him a Precision Bass for tighter focus and he accepted. Actually, a PJ is probably best for a gigging musician, both pickups to be used in thin mixes like cocktail combo, and just the P for denser mixes like big band or horn rock band. But because the school only uses electric bass in big band and marching band sidelines roles, I'll just make it a P.

[joeystrange]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1377266940' post='2185600']
I have always played a Fender Precision. I have never had the inclination to play with anything else. The P Bass does everything I want it to do, and what it cant do I have no interest in.
I did have a bit of a flirt with a Stingray, didnt like it and got shot of it!!
[/quote]

This. Only Thunderbird instead of Stingray.

[1970]

[quote name='kurosawa' timestamp='1377339292' post='2186379']
I spoke with my son's high school band director last night. The band owns a Jazz Bass. Last year, there were significant intonation problems, and the bass's pitch was indistinct due to the inherent phase cancellation. I offered to build him a Precision Bass for tighter focus and he accepted. Actually, a PJ is probably best for a gigging musician, both pickups to be used in thin mixes like cocktail combo, and just the P for denser mixes like big band or horn rock band. But because the school only uses electric bass in big band and marching band sidelines roles, I'll just make it a P.
[/quote]

sounds like it just needs a setup, but cool that you get to build something!

[tauzero]

Thankfully I've never felt the urge to go back from my proper basses to some Fender thing.

[sblueplanet]

Started on a Beatles bass, flirted with some modern stuff, now happy with my P + J basses.