Ok guys and gals, I want to buy a bass guitar. I don't know the difference without going down to the store and checking them out. Which I plan to do shortly.
But I am hopeing for some advice before I go. I would like either a standard Jazz or standard Precision bass. To be used for ah surf music, and maybe a little country music also.
I wont be playing it in a band, as far as I know. So it will be just for my intertainment and for using on recordings. Therefore I want to keep the price under $500.00

Thanks
Joel

my preference is the P-Bass, but DP is right, you should try both out. To me the P-bass gets that nice vintage thump that you like to hear in surf music.

I recently bought a Wilson Bros Ventures Bass for dirt cheap on ebay. It was an incredible value. My only beef with it is that there is not a good place to plant your thumb on the right hand. The pick-ups are not straight up and the pick guard does not cut it for a good plant. At time this makes it uncomfortable to play. For surf bass I like to use a pick, and this is not a huge factor. It still bothers me, because I enjoy playing bass more with my fingers for most styles.

Last edited: Nov 09, 2007 19:16:58

WaimeaBay
My only beef with it is that there is not a good place to plant your thumb on the right hand. The pick-ups are not straight up and the pick guard does not cut it for a good plant. At time this makes it uncomfortable to play.

You could give the Entwistle thumb-plant a try.

He planted his thumb at the neck/body joint and plucked somewhere above fret 21-24...

He would also plant the thumb right on the low-E string...both work pretty well...

image

They're both great basses. Coming from guitar, I'll bet you will like the feel of the jazz better. Personally, I like the wider string spacing of the Precision. (I also love Jamerson, Duck Dunn, Carol Kaye and the early L.A./ Hitsville/Stax Volt classic P-bass players.)

Really, in your heart you know you need both.

disclaimer: my current bass is a 90s Ibanez ATK 305

I also have the Jaguar Bass, except I tore the active electronics out, went for a '62 RI setup (vol/tone, vol/tone), and replaced the pickups with Seymour Duncan Antiquity II pickups. Now it is a great player, with a great sound to boot.

I am super sweet
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Thanks for the info guys. I went to a lot of the web sites of the bands listed in the links section, to look at pictures of what everyone is using.
It appears that Jazz or Precision basses are what is being used. So as suggested, I will be trying both out.

Thanks again. I'll let you all know what I buy.

Joel

I like the neck on a P-bass better, I find that I have a little more "wiggle room" down around frets 1-5 (where 95% of bass playing is done).

However, I do prefer the offset style of a J-Bass.

And of course, all the chrome accoutrements are a necessity.

~B~

Over the years in the Exotics and the Nelsonics I played a number of different basses. A Jerry Jones Longhorn was my primary bass for the Exotics in the 90s. When we reformed in 2004 I played a Burns Bison and I also played a Wilson Brothers VM-75 which is essentially a Jazz Bass. In the Nelsonics I played a Japanese 52 P-Bass reissue and a Mexican 60s Jazz Bass. Of all of them the only one that I found irreplaceable is the 60s Jazz Bass. Mine is Olympic White, has a sweet neck and for the money is one of the best basses that I have ever played. I cannot recommend the MIM 60s Jazz Bass enough. P-Basses are great for Blues, Country and a lot of rock, but to me Surf/Instro needs to be played on a Jazz Bass.

The Exotics 1994-Current
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I wanna second the recommendation for the Fender 50's "Classic Series" Precision Bass. Those things are incredibly sweet for the price, which, depending on what kind of deal you can find on a slightly used one on eBay, would be under your $500 mark.

But I'd also I'd like to speak up for the regular "Standard Series." I've had A LOT of basses; way more basses than guitars. One of the ones I miss the most was a regular Standard Precision. I bought it beat up for $200, cleaned it up, replaced the bridge, and played the heck out of it for a couple of years because it was something "cheap" that I wouldn't have to worry about. I sold it and have regretted it since. It was a surprisingly GOOD sounding and playing bass. I had several basses at the time and always reached for it first.

I also had a Mike Dirnt signature Precision that I loved. It was the best sounding bass I ever had and those can be had for less than $500 if you catch a used one. The guy I sold it to promised me right of first refusal if he ever sold it, but then he sold it less than a year later without letting me know. It was extremely heavy but I loved the big, beefy neck and it had great P-bass rumble and punch.

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Joelman
WRThanks for the suggestion.

The (Standard models) P-bass and Jazz bass are both under $500.00, but no where can I find them as being made in Mexico at the Fender web site. But at both the Sam Ash and the Guitar Center web sites the Standards are said to be made in Mexico. I have a broken leg at this time, and am a little slowed down, or I would know by now, but I plan on going to Guitar Center tomorrow and checking them both out.
I'll give feed back tomorrow night. ( 11-13-2007)

Joel

Usually all the decade models are Mexican, for instance the 60's classic series stuff, whereas the year specific are American.

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