Avoiding G.A.S. Part 7: Building a Bass Rig from Scratch
By Brett RatnerMay 17, 1999
Compared to guitarists, bass players have it hard when it comes to shopping for gear.
First off, electric bass... traditionally... is less traditional than guitar equipment. In other words, the bass community is more likely to welcome an innovative design than the guitar community.
For example, the bass section at a music store is typically lined with five and six-stringed basses featuring exotic woods, active electronics, asymmetrical necks, and ergonomic body shapes (in the guitar section, if it doesn't closely resemble a Strat, Tele, or Les Paul, forget about it).
So while it's cool that a bass player has a wider selection of instrument styles to choose from, it is probably a bit frustrating for a beginning bass player to know what to look for.
To make matters worse, as a player improves and eventually aspires to professional sessions and gigs, he or she is expected to have punchy, high-fidelity tone. By contrast, a guitarist can claim a filthy, lo-fi sound as artistic license.
If you have been reading prior installments of the G.A.S. series, you can apply the aforementioned common-sense strategy for purchasing guitar equipment to purchasing bass equipment. For G.A.S. newbies, a nutshell explanation of that strategy is to first pick a bass guitar that truly encompasses your personal style and sound, then systematically purchase an amp and then effects that accentuate the sound of your instrument. The key in doing so is to always play your instrument through any piece of gear before you buy it.
Since I am not a bass player, however, it seemed like a good idea to get an expert opinion on the subject. And an expert opinion we shall have!
Dave Pomeroy is one of the busiest session players in Nashville. In fact, it would be easier to list recordings he HASN'T played on. But if you haven't happened to see his name in the liner notes of your favorite record, perhaps you've read his columns in either Bass Player or Bass Frontiers magazines.
Regardless, it's a privilege to have his two cents worth on buying bass gear. For the sake of context, I asked Dave how he would assemble a useful bass rig (for both gigs and studio sessions) if he had roughly $1500 to spend.
"I'm a little reluctant to spout brand names because it's good for young players to learn what's out there and not be too swayed by someone else's preferences," Pomeroy said. "But... I would urge any bass player to concentrate on finding the right bass first. If your instrument is an obstacle to your progress, you will not get far."
According to Dave, inexpensive does not necessarily mean bad.
"There are more inexpensive basses of good quality available today than ever before," Pomeroy said. "The overseas-made budget basses by major brands are a good way to go, but be sure to play as many as you can, as they can vary widely. Don't let good looks fool you - make sure the bass has a straight neck, sounds good acoustically AND plugged in, and the electronics are quiet. Other things to think about are the styles of music you want to play and the size of your hands. Try to find something that fits your genre of choice (sound wise), and feels comfortable to play. Also be sure to have the store set it up for you, if possible."
After procuring a kickin' bass, it's time to think about the amp.
"I would recommend getting something with at least a 1-12" speaker, and separate channel and master volumes (so you can control the amount of overdrive to a certain extent)," Pomeroy said. "I would avoid too many bells and whistles and concentrate on getting as much power as you can for the money(at least 150 watts)."
But what about effects and accessories?
"If there's money left over, I would buy a tuner and learn how to intonate and adjust your bass yourself," Pomeroy said. "This will not only save you money, but will help your sound, and get you in touch with your instrument.
"As much as I enjoy using effects, I still think of them as a luxury, not a necessity. Perhaps a new bass player should wait and make effects the next purchase. However, of the newest multi FX boxes I've checked out, I believe the BP-8 by DigiTech is a very good piece if you want to explore sound processing for bass. It has a lot of usable sounds, and is fairly easy to program once you get into it."
While Dave is certainly the expert on the topic, I added a few GAS-approved pointers to help you on your quest:
1. If you seek a five or six string bass, make sure the low "B" string resonates as well as the top four (or five). The mark of a cheap five string is a floppy-sounding low "B."
2. There are three types of bass designs: bolt-on, set neck, and neck-through-the body.
(A) Bolt-ons are typified by the classic Fender (www.fender.com) "P" and "J" style basses (Precision and Jazz). These are relatively inexpensive, easy to fix, and if you happen to damage the neck or the body, it's easy to replace the broken part without needing to scrap the whole thing. Examples of killer Fender copies are Sadowsky (www.sadowsky.com, Tyler, Music Man (www.ernieball.com), Modulus Graphite (www.dnai.com:80/~modulus), and Lakeland. There are many private builders worth checking out too.
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| Fender American Standard Precision Bass |
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| Fender American Standard Jazz Bass |
(B) Set necks are typified by the Hofner (www.boosey.com/mi/hofner.html), Gibson (www.gibson.com), and Epiphone (www.epiphone.com) semi-hollow basses. However, Gibson currently makes a Les Paul-style bass and used to make an SG-style bass (actually known as the "EB"). These offer improved sustain, but are more expensive to fix if you damage the neck.
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| The Gibson Thunderbird |
(C) Neck through design was pioneered by the Rickenbacker (www.rickenbacker.com) 4000, but the design also found it's way into a bevy of cutting-edge basses such as Tobias (www.tobias-basses.com), Alembic (www.alembic.com), Spector (www.ssdbass.com), and Pedulla (www.pedulla.com). The Gibson Thunderbird is also neck through. These basses often feature exotic woods, high-fidelity tone, and ultra stable necks. The stability stems from building three to seven layers of wood into the neck (called a multi-laminate neck).
3. For country, blues, classic rock, and '70s funk, it's hard to beat a Fender Precision or Jazz-style bass. But familiarize yourself with the tonal differences between the two.
4. For progressive rock, jazz, fusion, and R&B, a neck-through-type bass is typically the way to go.
5. For alternative rock, or anyone else who wishes to find a distinctive, resonant, albeit low-fi tone, go for a semi-hollow or other set neck bass. Jack Bruce on the Cream records is a good example of this type of sound.
6. Finally, in my opinion, the ultimate alternative or hard rock bass is the Gibson Thunderbird. It sounds huge and looks cool, but it's expensive.
7. Familiarize yourself with pickup technology because six out of 10 times, you'll probably want to swap pickups. This is because some manufacturers make a good bass, but skimp on electronics. The March '99 issue of Bass Player has a J-style replacement pickup roundup, for example.
8. Lastly, if you play upright bass and want to explore electric bass... or you seek a more expressive and melodic voice, a fretless may be right for you. Be forewarned, these are more difficult to play for intonation reasons, but it will train you to have a great ear.
For those who wish to learn more about Dave Pomeroy (and perhaps hear
some of his original music), I included the mini bio that usually
follows his bass columns below.
Dave Pomeroy has played bass on hundreds of records with dozens of artists in nearly every genre of contemporary music. He is the leader of the All-Bass Orchestra, Tone Patrol, and Blue Christmas. Dave released his solo CD, Basses Loaded, on his own Earwave Records in 1996, and he was named Outstanding Bassist at the 1997 Nashville Music Awards. His e-mail and Web addresses are: earwave@aol.com and www.davepomeroy.com.
Brett Ratner is a contributor to Guitar Player, Musician, Electronic Musician and Music & Computers. He also spent two years as the Creative Writer for www.gibson.com. Currently, Brett plays sessions and performs regularly around Nashville with the band Katoorah Jayne.