Looking to buy a bass guitar

[Fornicras]

Hi all,
I make Contemporary R&B music mostly, and I want to get a bass guitar that have more rounded, soft, and darker tones. I'll use it to record directly to the DAW with DI and then amp it with guitar rig.

I don't want anything that sounds bright or present in mid-frequencies. I will most likely cut everything above 1khz to make it sound darker anyway.

My budget is around $600. This will be my first bass guitar; I have been playing acoustic and electric guitar for years.

Thanks.

[Dirk Diggler]

Sounds like you're looking for a classic Pbass.
You won't get a US made one unless you luck out on a used one.
Other than that a ton of great instruments these days in that price range.

[Daimonicon]

Just go to nearest music shop and try different basses.

[cryophonik]

I want to get a bass guitar that have more rounded, soft, and darker tones.

I don't want anything that sounds bright or present in mid-frequencies. I will most likely cut everything above 1khz to make it sound darker anyway.

Whatever you get, string it up with flat wound strings.

My budget is around $600.

Look for a Squier version of a Jazz or Precision bass. They’re not just budget/beginner basses, they’re actually very solid instruments for the money.

[zerocrossing]

My advice is to just go out and play as many as you can in your price range. Don’t focus too hard on frequency range. It’s good to have a full and lively sound. This can be adjusted to taste with amplification and EQ. What’s most important is how it feels, how the intonation is (an open string should play the same note as on the 12th fret), and things like string buzz. Some of these things can be fixed by a simple setup, sometimes no. If you’re not an experienced player, try to find someone who is and willing to help you pick one out.

[releasefromwithin]

Look for a Squier version of a Jazz or Precision bass. They’re not just budget/beginner basses, they’re actually very solid instruments for the money.

Absolutely. I can't believe how good the Squier series is now. They were a joke not too long ago.

I bought a Squire P/J Bass a few months ago and honestly didn't notice a $1000 difference between that and some of the more expensive ones. For the price, you really can't beat it.

[ugo]

For the tone you described, I agree with the p-bass pickups suggestion but also don’t discount the warmth/roundness of jazz or soapbar pickups in the neck position. They can be quite warm and full sounding.

Dimonicon and zerocrossing are right that trying in person is best, but if that isn’t an option and there is a particular bass you are considering, then try asking about it in the bass guitar forum at talkbass.com. You’ll find folks there who have tried everything, are usually happy to provide detailed info, and may even be able to provide some useful audio examples.
https://www.talkbass.com/categories/gen ... ums-bg.246

Also, while most bass demo videos on YouTube aren’t great, if you watch enough of them about a specific bass then you’ll eventually get at least somewhat of an idea of the tone.

[medienhexer]

Precision, yes. If you want a little bit more bass oomph, the Mustang bass sounds very similar to the Preci, but the short scale gives it a stronger bass range. Flatwounds are great on either model. Automatically gives less bright click noise on the frets. Which doesn‘t mean NO click, as Iron Maiden fans can attest.

If you dare, you might consider fretless.

[Fornicras]

Precision, yes. If you want a little bit more bass oomph, the Mustang bass sounds very similar to the Preci, but the short scale gives it a stronger bass range. Flatwounds are great on either model. Automatically gives less bright click noise on the frets. Which doesn‘t mean NO click, as Iron Maiden fans can attest.

If you dare, you might consider fretless.

Thanks everyone, for the comments. I looked at the sound demos for Squier and Fender P-bass and yes, they have the sound I'm looking for, especially tone is set below 50%.

Actually I'm in between getting the Squier Sonic Precision Bass ($300, the cheapest option), Squier Affinity Precision Bass PJ ($500, which also has Jazz pickup?), and Fender Standard Precision Bass ($900, the most expensive option, higher than my budget but I can save a bit more to get something quality). I'm not hearing insanely different sounds compared to their prices, but I think it comes down to hardware and material quality.
What can you suggest?

Also -the reason I quoted you while replying-, I can actually play oud (not an expert though), which is a fretless instrument, so I think I can get a fretless maybe? What model can you suggest that I should take a look at?

Edit: Going into a music store to try the above instruments is not an option for me, due to various reasons, unfortunately. I have to buy it online.

[Dirk Diggler]

FYI this statement is not correct.

but the short scale gives it a stronger bass range.

I would say the exact opposite is true.

And yes fretless is great but really requires a good amount of practice to work on intonation. Also remember the Oud is a much shorter scale length.

Rolling back the tone control on pretty much any passive bass should get you in the tone range I think you're looking for.

[ugo]

Squier Affinity Precision Bass PJ ($500, which also has Jazz pickup?)

I didn’t check the specs on that particular bass, but generally speaking PJ basses tend to keep the P pickup in approximately the same place as usual and put the J closer to the bridge than on normal jazz bass. So going for a PJ combo won’t detract from your P sound, it just adds the option of extra tonal flexibility.

Also -the reason I quoted you while replying-, I can actually play oud (not an expert though), which is a fretless instrument, so I think I can get a fretless maybe?

Sure, you could certainly go fretless and your oud experience probably would make it easier to get used to. Since you’re going to a new scale length, a lined fingerboard would help you get up and running faster (unless you prefer unlined).

A fretted bass will give you a more focused sound, with a fast attack and longer sustain. Fretless basses tend to have a more relaxed and fluid sound, with shorter but more characterful sustain. They can be very expressive.

By the way - there is a frustratingly persistent misconception that electric basses are “supposed” to be hard to fret. A properly setup bass should be easy to fret, and should play relatively cleanly with light to medium playing strength. No need to stress your hands at all.

[MJACau]

What ever bass you decide to get, getting some 'flat wound' strings as they will be kinder on your fingers and get that darker sound you want. Flat wounds would very much be better if you go for a fretless bass.

[ugo]

Flatwound does match fornicras’ tone specs. They are far less harsh on fingertips, but tend to be stiffer so the setup may need to be tweaked to compensate. They are also more thumpy. Many swear by them, but not everyone digs their vibe.

Oh yeah, that brings up another point. New roundwound bass strings are very bright and lively but that does not last. How fast they mellow depends on manufacturer, how corrosive/oily your hands are, and how much you play. There are many who prefer roundwounds, but not until they break in. So if the bass seems too bright and lively at first, you may want to let the strings break in and see how you feel about them then, before trying flats or groundwounds (which are essentially halfway between rounds and flats).

[YnJ]

I ended up getting a Squire Bass VI for home recording. I'm not a bass player though, and I use a pick to play. I was thinking of getting a Squire Precision as well, the Bass VI doesn't have much more room between the strings than a guitar, and I find it harder to play not using a pick than a four string bass. Anyway, the Classic Vibe Precision bass is less than $600 over here in Norway, and the CV series has much better pickups than the Affinity series. I can't imagine anything being less expensive in Norway than in the US

[stoopicus]

The best answer is to go to a store and try a bunch and find one that feels right to you, and looks good. In terms of a bass, I would say Feel is king, followed by Looks (because if you don't like the way it looks you won't be motivated to use it), with Tone a distant third - you can do a whole lot to shape the tone with compression, EQ, and string choice - but feel and looks are qualities that are much more difficult to improve.

For your style and price range I would really recommend trying as many as you can, but try to find all of a Yamaha BB434, a Sire P5, and a Squier CV '70s P-bass to try. The Yamaha is the most versatile and probably highest quality, the Sire is going to be a higher quality than the Squier but still affordable, and the Squier CV line might actually be *better* than MIM Fenders - they are really good.

My pick would be the BB434 out of that bunch. It has outstanding pickups, looks and feels great, and Yamaha makes really high quality gear for the price.