Suggest a Studio Bass!

[Ermz]

So I'm absolutely fed up with borrowing basses, and using the crap that most musicians bring in.

I'm going to buy a studio bass, but it has to be the utmost most perfect devastating, grind-worthy plank ever conceived. I love bass, and I won't settle for anything less.

I've tried a number of different basses in the past, and thus far the very best was a Chapman stick from the 70s with passives in it. It was the most hi-fi sounding shit I have ever heard. I did not even use an amp sim on it, and actually BOOSTED 300hz (that's right!!!). I want this in a normal bass guitar. I've put up the raw DI for you guys here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/285689/Forum/Chapstick.mp3

The closest I've been able to get is with a shitty BC Rich NJ Beast bass, which you can hear here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/285689/Music/Untruth - Drones.mp3 (go to the breakdown right in the middle)

A second bass which is somewhat endearing, but too muddy, is a Spector I've started using of late. No idea what model, but it's made in the Czech republic, has a natural finish and EMGs.

If you guys could by any chance suggest basses you love, AS WELL AS (and this is important) posting any raw DI files you have of them, that would be greatly appreciated. I want an objective comparison here on my monitors that shows each instrument, unobscured, without all the hype and BS. Just raw output, my monitors, and my ears.

General rule is:

• Something very hi-fi sounding, with great sounding midrange grind.
• Not muddy, so preferably no Mahogany or darker woods like that.
• Don't care about price, but would prefer something reasonable. Experiences have shown that more expensive does not equal better tone, necessarily.
• Non-retarded bridge. The current Spector I had to intonate had the bridge on a pivot, so intonation and bridge height was connected as one retarded mechanism.

If you want, this can become a compendium of bass DI files for everybody's reference. Bass is such a hard instrument to get right, because there are so many variables, and so much musician-inspired circle-jerking verbal BS about it. Let's make this about objectivity and actual transparent results!

Thanks!

 

[Charles J]

Peavey Cirrus =D

Fucking best basses I've ever recorded... Phil and I work at a music store that carrries all the good stuff, so we've been able to try a few different makes/models.

I'll try to get some DI's up for you! Peavey Cirrus + RadialDI > Trident preamp is fucking AMAZING....

 

[Ermz]

Thanks CJ, I really look forward to them DIs. That bass comes in 3 woods, which do you recommend? Also... Aussie RRP: $4,599 ouch.

wutzington: Cheers. Which albums?

 

[Ben Johnson]

Wow, that chapman stick almost sounds like a piano.

 

[JeffTD]

Listening back to the DI, I'm not as stoked as I was when putting it in the mix, but this is a Fender Geddy Lee jazz bass that I love. Played with pick, DI'd into Redeye/FF800 pres.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/392637/Misc/HSSBass.mp3

 

[Notuern]

Aria TSB-550 / 650
Seriously, out of every single bass i have ever played, the Aria's never get knocked down from the top of my list.

http://cgi.ebay.com/MATSUMOKU-ARIA-PRO-II-THOR-SOUND-BASS-TSB-550-BASS-MIJ-/180545542513?pt=Guitar

Specs: http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/bass/tsb/tsb.html

 

[crillemannen]

I can get a Fender Jaguar and Jazz series DI recordings tomorrow or on monday recorded with my Spider

 

[James-Doolan]

Fender jazz or precision

 

[barricade]

Musicman Sterling 5 ... nothing beats that monster!

 

[Soundlurker]

80s/ 70s Musicman Sabre
DI: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1891957/Bass ММ.mp3

Add a highshelf + slight dip in the mids = nom nom

 

[BLUElightCory]

I was going to recommend a Fender Precision (to me, the ultimate "attitude" bass) until I listened to the clip - It's a truly unique tone for sure. Now I'm just interested to see what people suggest.

 

[Melb_shredder]

+1 for the fender precision or Warwick thumb. I know endless hordes of friends who'd lose a nut for em. They have some of the best defined lowend I've heard, but I've never been to fond of the mid/ high area you tend you distort in metal mixes etc. They're really 'clean' in that area. I'm sure others have better knowledge of this though
Oh, whatever the bass henkka uses from Bodom. ESP b series or something. It's fucking tits!

 

[sprack]

Most Hi-Fi bass I've played is a Lightwave, ridiculously clear. Shows every movement on the strings, but on the same token it rings beautifully. Kind of a Michael Manring sound right out of the box.

I'll second the Musicman as a good choice. Lakland can get that same tone for about the same price. Will also 3rd Carvin. Love mine.

Found a vid.

 

[PhilR]

Tesseract: Everything. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF_YIiRoRFM

There's bass in that?

I could never recommend a specific instrument though. So much depends on the player. I play really hard (normally), many metal bassists are just slumming guitar players and tickle the strings. I'd say get some thing completely generic like a Jazz or Precision bass. Whether the player is good or bad they'll always produce a recordable sound.

 

[iHate]

Musicman Sterling 5 ... nothing beats that monster!

Huge +1 Musicman basses. They sound amazing unplugged and even better through that MM pickup.

 

[MarkG]

As expected, about as many different suggestions as there are posts

 

[Sam Bottner]

I've tried a number of different basses in the past, and thus far the very best was a Chapman stick from the 70s with passives in it. It was the most hi-fi sounding shit I have ever heard. I did not even use an amp sim on it, and actually BOOSTED 300hz (that's right!!!). I want this in a normal bass guitar. I've put up the raw DI for you guys here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/285689/Forum/Chapstick.mp3

I love that sound, holy shit

 

[egan.]

Not to be obvious but a big part of that tone is the fact that it's tapped. Based on your description, I'd recommend something ash with a maple neck and an active pre. Certainly musicman comes to mind but a good jazz with an aggressive preamp (obp-3 perhaps) will sound mean. Warwicks can be cool but are sort of hit and miss IME often suffering from tubbiness. They also have necks that are love/hate which is a terrible quality in a studio instrument.
It's weird to me that there are any P-bass reco's in this thread b/c --though I love the P tone-- it's the antithesis of hifi.
I'll see if I can't di some of the basses I have here although Kev bought the best candidate from me.

 

[lolzgreg]

I suppose I'll have to restring my Marcus Miller with the custom preamp and post DIs.

 

[Suicide_As_Alibi]

For the last 6 months or so I've been playing a Cort Curbow. It's designed primarily for slapping, but I use it for everything and it always sounds great. Before this I was using a MusicMan worth nearly three times as much, but I much prefer the Curbow.

A lot of people are put off by it because the body and fretboard aren't wood, but so far no one I know has been able to tell a difference in recordings. It's clear as a bell, has a really smooth low-end and nice gurgly mids. When I DI it I don't do any EQ'ing at all, the tone is spot on for my tastes straight out of it.

Steve