If you could only have 1 Bass Guitar for recording

[BGTProductions]

Originally Posted by ivansc

And I never ever found a place to put my thumb on a Ray that was comfortable.

if you're not sqweemish about screwing things into your instrument a thumb rest makes a huge difference with comfort and tonal options.

[ivansc]

Which is why my basses always have one.

Just that the pickup on a Stingray comes just about where one of the mounting screws would go on an ideally placed cutdown fender thumbrest.

Been using them for 50 years and its too late to change now!

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

Clever users wire the pickup up to a DPDT toggle switch to select series/parallel operation, that switches the bandwidth from 6k hz to 12k hz for that acoustic like hi fi tone in the tops. Screening the pickups removes all noise, I lined the plastic pickup covers with copper foil to silence them. I also lined the control cavity with the copper foil tape and used screened wire off the pickup. I lined the pickup cavity as well. Lastly, a piece of black electric tape across the magnet/pole pieces prevents any buzz sounds if your fingers accidently touch them while playing.

For a clearer top end, replace the 250k volume pot with a Bourns or Alessandro conductive plastic 500k pot. Next, replace the tone pot with the Fender "no load" tone pot, that has a switch that switches out the tone control for less top end losses as all passive tone controls suck off some top end, even when on "10".

If you play live, cut the string ground wire and solder a .022 uf cap in series to ground. That will prevent burned lips on badly grounded mics and may save your life someday.

It's very tempting to buy a P Bass just so I can perform all those mods to it! That sounds like it'd be a pretty badass bass, Jim!

[sonic dogg]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

It's very tempting to buy a P Bass just so I can perform all those mods to it! That sounds like it'd be a pretty badass bass, Jim!

Yeah Spend $150 on a Squier with a decent neck and do all those mods. You'll never know the difference between that and an American model. ESPECIALLY for recording.

[Wiguan]

I'll say Fender Jazz Bass.

[NoVi]

This might be like "swearing in the church" as we Dutch say, but if you really want an all-in-1 bass guitar, have a look at a Variax Bass (no longer in production). Line 6 - Variax Bass

[Georgebrooks_3]

Ibanez SR600. Love 'em.

Really nice all rounder.

Preferred it over the Jazz Bass & Precision Bass.

They look awesome too.

[Beefy]

I only have one bass for everything and I couldn't afford much so I put am American p Bass pick up in an Ibanez. It can pretty much do anything wired normal.

[Jules]

StingRay / SansAmp?

[ScottTunes]

Throughout the 80s (yeah, I'm from the 50s actually!), I'd cart my Carvin solid-body 4 string strung with "ground" round wounds, and a Hofner Club (or Beatle) bass strung with Hofner/Pyramid flats into the studio and covered any bass sound needed... Albeit, with a few groans at the Hofner.

Replaced the Carvin (which weighed 13 lbs!) with a vintage Mustang, and the groans increased! But my back (and newly arthritic hands) required something easier...

Replaced those 3 with Am Std Jazz and Precision Fenders (flats on the J, ground RWs on the P), carry them into the studio in one dbl Fender bag, and everyone smiles! Lately, my P has been sporting Roto-Sound SM77 Monel flats, which are a "better" version of D'Addario Chromes. But I'm hoping to install Hofner/Pyramid flats soon, for that thumpy Jamerson sound.

Though I believe my 4003 is the most versatile sounding (ranging from Macca to Squire - it doesn't get any wider ranging than that!), AND I prefer flats for my personal use, my 2 Fenders cover everything required in any studio I've been in.

Music Man and G&L were Leo Fender's guitars as well. So mostly improvements and additions to his earlier designs. Still very difficult to "re-invent the wheel," as it were.