Recommend a good all-round recording bass - DI.

Steenamaroo

Steenamaroo

...
Hi folks,
I might be in the market for a good solid studio bass. For the foreseeable future it'd be recorded DI.

I don't do anything exciting on bass and generally I'm mixing acoustic singer/songwriter pop-ish mixes.
The bass I have on long term loan just sounds bad. Honky...weak...no good.

I don't have any real bass experience but the internet seems to be telling me a Fender precision is the way forward.
I'm seeing them from £300 to £3000 used....Anything in particular I should know here?
Mex, jap, USA...Big differences?

I suppose my budget is up to about £500 and I expect to be buying used.

I just want a good reliable warm/full sounding bass to fill that hole at the bottom of the mix.
Any thoughts are appreciated. :)
 
Last edited:
i always recommend the Yamaha RBX170. P/J configuration. Easy to play. Sounds good. And easy on the wallet. Looks like they are offering new finishes if you are into looks.
 
I would go with a Fender P or J bass. Actually, the Squiers aren't bad for the money, but I would try to get a used Mexi or American bass if the new ones are out of your budget.

Bassically, Michael
 
I'm, primarily, a bass player. I have a superb bass amp (Marshall Superbass MkII) but a very modest bass. I suggest, seriously, you have a look around for a Vantage bass. they were 80's MIJ things that are solid, have a signal that responds well to manipulation in the box and feel good. I own one and whilst I have a couple of other basses the Vantage is my "go to". I've contemplated getting a name bass but it isn't justified given what i can get from the V.
I'd also highly recommend you search out & buy a Behringer BDI 21. It's a VERY solid bass DI with some very useful tweaks added- it's a copy of the Sansamp bass DI - and an extremely close copy of a tenth of the price.
 
rayc said:
I'm, primarily, a bass player. I have a superb bass amp (Marshall Superbass MkII) but a very modest bass. I suggest, seriously, you have a look around for a Vantage bass. they were 80's MIJ things that are solid, have a signal that responds well to manipulation in the box and feel good. I own one and whilst I have a couple of other basses the Vantage is my "go to". I've contemplated getting a name bass but it isn't justified given what i can get from the V.
I'd also highly recommend you search out & buy a Behringer BDI 21. It's a VERY solid bass DI with some very useful tweaks added- it's a copy of the Sansamp bass DI - and an extremely close copy of a tenth of the price.
Click to expand...

As I've said many times here, I'm also a fan of the Behri BDI 21. And Ray, if you ever decide to sell that Vantage, give me a heads up first. I've got an 80's MIJ Vantage LP, and it's my absolute favorite guitar. I've been trying to get some more over the years, but I never have the cash when they come up. If the basses are as good as the guitars, and I have no reason to believe they're not, it should be an awesome bass. You'll have to send me a pic sometime. Actually, we should keep this quiet. There are too many people onto them already, driving the prices up.
 
Steenamaroo said:
I just want a good reliable warm/full sounding bass to fill that hole at the bottom of the mix.
Any thoughts are appreciated. :)
Click to expand...

Give a Squier Matt Freeman Precision bass a test drive, if you can put your hands om it.
You might like it.
 
notCardio,
I've been chasing a Vantage guitar for 10 years. The prices they're pulling on ebay are beyond me though. there was one on Oz ebay recently with the pushpull splitter & was only up for $100 but someone else sussed out it was a winner and went skyward to secure it.
they're motsumoku or whatever it's called factory gear and most gear from those factories is cool. The bass came well set up, brass bridge & nut and a single split pickup, hard case and lovely wood. I bought it new in about '83 and, as you can see from the snap, it's stayed in good nick despite been gigged, through several house moves and being borrowed by an axe murderer, (there is one ding on the front and HE did it).vantage bass2.jpg
 
Played a lot of basses in the 80s. Had my MK acoustic for the last 10 years and love it, but would not recommend for recording. Before that, I played everything from a hand built monster I made when I was 16 (wish I still had it) to alembic to yamaha. My top five for good tones/good sustain. Alembic at the top of my list (probably way out of range), a Rick if you can find one in your range, Precisions, the 76-85 vintage Kramers with the aluminum necks had INCREDIBLE sustain and good tone/pickups and as a fifth, some of the upper end Yamaha's had great tone. My mainstay guitar for most of the 80s was a Swedish built Headway with custom electronics (the original electronics in the thing were crap), but they're almost impossible to find now, and I wouldn't go back to that anyway. Took too much amp and eq to get a good tone out of it...played well though.
 
BTW, if you can find a used Synapse bass, they have a great range of tone, great stability and are fair to play. They run about $800-1000 new, but don't know how that translates.
 
Hey, thanks for all the responses guys! Didn't realise this thread was getting some action.

Definitely got some stuff to think about now. Cheers. :)
 
Welcome to HR Shoom,
Did you not read the OP?
"I suppose my budget is up to about £500 and I expect to be buying used." & words to the efffect that he'd be using"...DI for the forseeable future..."
If we were recommending purchases on an unlimited budget you'd see differences.
If he were after amps you'd see those too.
Failing to read &/or comprehend the OP has allowed you to look like a bit of a dill which I'm sure you're not.
If you want an opportunity to stun folk with you in depth knowledge of selecting, amping, recording & mixing bass guitar set up a new thread in the newbie section and flail away.
Or read and respond to the actual context of the thread discussion.
Oh, by the way, reputation is based on demontrated knowledge, experience, communication skills, addressing needs and providing examples, (audio), that back up your assertions.
 
Heh...Thanks Ray.

Shoom, thanks for taking the time, but Ray's right.
I'm just looking for a nice full sounding bass for DI recording for under £500 or so.

Of course everyone is always learning but I'm not a noob man. I'm not really in need of recording/mixing guides.
 
Oh Sorry, It looked as though you were asking about recording bases and which ones were good. I never said I was an expert, you didnt have to go and embarrass me. If you looked what I said hinged on the webpages I posted. Everyone has an attribute that they are able to humble other people in, just not everyone goes boasting about it or rubbing other people's noses in. I just have a McLelland DI Box I've had for the past 10 years that's never missed a beat. but what do I know?
 
Hey Steeno, after you get your cheap bass, consider getting the IK MultiMedia Ampeg VST. I think it's well worth the money.
 
Thanks folks.

I have a few MIM precisions in my watch list and it looks like £300 would get me any of them.
There's also a couple of Yam RBX270. Any thoughts or experience there? I'm struggling to find a bad review.

I'll take a lot at the others today.

PS. I think we made that dude cry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top