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by basket case on July 26th, 2005

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What are the best bass guitar brands?

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  • by Child Of The 60s on July 27th, 2005

    Child Of The 60s

    The best? Well, that's a question which requires an opinion- as any answer is subjective when it comes to the "best" of anything pretty much.

    If most expensive translates to the best, there are a number of custom makers or "boutique" manufacturers which use very high quality materials and make them by hand. Companies like MBass offer instruments for $4,000. Suh-WEET, but pricey. Eden and Zon make some beautiful stuff too at about half to 3/4 of that. Alembic was the "it" bass to have through the 80s. Jazz Fusion virtuoso Stanley Clarke endorsed them. Steinberger is another company with innovative ideas. Ken Smith, Lakland, Pedulla, Modulus are some other highly regarded brands.

    The best in the $1,000 and under category? The grandaddy of electric basses, the Fender Precision bass (the first solid body electric bass) or it's brother the Jazz Bass are used and have been used by thousands of bass players in the pro ranks. Vintage examples bring big money. One of the most revered names in Bass Guitar, the late Jaco Pastorius played a Precision- or "P" Bass. Recordings of the 50s, 60s, and 70s are almost exclusively made of tracks with a Fender holding the bottom down. The Rickenbacker 4001 was also chosen quite often by the biggest names in the English bands of the era- with the exception of Jack Bruce of Cream who played a modified Gibson the majority of the time and occasionally pulled out a Fender VI- which was more like a baritone guitar than a true bass.

    The best? I think the best is whatever aids you in sounding and playing the most like you want to and/or are able to. Good quality can be had very reasonably these days; but real craftsmanship and the finest woods and components never come cheap. Performance however, in the right hands can be had from a Camaro that could rival a Ferarrai....

    Comments

    • The nicest bass I ever played was a Ken Smith 6-string. The sound was unbelieveable. Mind you, I have a 12 year old Ibanez Soundgear 6-string bass that sounds amazing. Recording techs just loved it. Just lucked out, I guess.

      Langenschwert

      by Langenschwert on February 8th, 2007

    • You're right, bugmenot. The bass Jaco was most closely associated with was the Fender Jazz- not the Precision. My bad. I don't know how I got crossed up on that. I must've been thinking of Sting's old P, I guess.

      Child Of The 60s

      by Child Of The 60s on March 12th, 2007

    • That time of the month, huh? :oD

      Child Of The 60s

      by Child Of The 60s on March 16th, 2007

    • Actually, Jaco Pastorius rarely played a Fender Precision. He almost always played a fretless Fender Jazz.

      Phillip_H7827

      by Phillip_H7827 on November 9th, 2010

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