New pickups or a new bass? Can't decide...

Drew_TNBD

I can't decide if I should upgrade my existing bass (Squier Vintage Modified Jazz bass) or just get a new one. The problems:

- Intonation. Doesn't intonate very well. High notes are all over the shop, and as I like to play high up on the two lower strings, this is a problem.
- Tone. It's very woofy sounding in the low end, and my entire room resonates like piss when playing it. I have to EQ pretty savagely to get a tone that is acceptable. Even then... difficult to dial it in.
- It's a noisy bitch.
- Action isn't low enough, and I can't get it low without the intonation getting worse.

Any ideas? I've bought some new strings that I'm going to throw on it, to see if that helps. I got 65-130 when I got the bass for low tunings, but that's a bit too hench. I play in Drop-C (CGCF).

Or should I just buy a new bass???

fretmeister

New bass.

ThePrettyDamned

New bass.

You missed my kick arse MusicMan sub, but seriously, if you get a chance to pick up a used USA sub active, it'll be perfect for you. Great metal tones, and great build.

I say that, because once you've upgraded pickups and fixed all the other problems, you've probably spent near enough the 3-400 quid for a used MusicMan.

ICBM

New bass.

Even if it doesn't fix any of the problems you'll still like it better for a while .

Seriously, you probably need a new bass - although upgrading the pickups *and* the bridge (which is most likely the problem with the intonation) may help. Or it may be that with a tuning that low and strings that heavy, the neck is a bit whippy and is resonating too much, which will make the intonation very odd. You may need something with a much stiffer neck to fix that.

What do most bassists in that genre/tuning use - Warwick? Please excuse my ignorance . If so, the Corvette $$ (that's meant to mean "Double Buck" as in two-humbucker, not SS as at first I thought it said on the bass, slightly disturbing for a German brand… ) is pretty nice. There was one of the older (expensive) model in the shop for a while, it was possibly the most powerful-sounding bass I've ever played.

Drew_TNBD

Seen a lot of Musicman Stingray's, a few Warwicks. Wal basses - good luck getting a LEFT HANDED one of those!

I guess I want a quality bass. Something that I wont hate and end up selling. I don't hate the Squier.... it's just got a few problems and I'm thinking it will probably be easier to buy a new one. I've nearly ALWAYS cheaped out on basses, because it isn't my primary instrument. But I guess I should man up and grow a pair!

Drew_TNBD

Hmmm... Mayones make basses under the direct-to-shop brand Fame. I had one of their PRS style guitars before, and it was really nice. I didn't keep it because I realised I don't like the way PRS-style guitars play. But it was a quality instrument.



http://www.dv247.com/guitars/fame-baphomet-4-ntb-le-left-handed-4-string-bass-guitar-transparent-black-high-gloss--201191

£878. More doable for me than a new Stingray would be.

fretmeister

Used Rays go dirt cheap.

fretmeister

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/234994-musicman-sterling-usa-and-hardcase/page__pid__2428483#entry2428483

fretmeister

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/236657-lh-zon-sonus-4/page__pid__2450178#entry2450178

Drew_TNBD

Okay... well GAS got the better of me. Fame Baphomet 4 NTB in black on the way to me!

(If it sucks, I'll ship it back and get a used lefty Ray!)

fretmeister

If you like jazz necks then get a Sterling, not a Ray. (NOT the brand 'Sterling by EBMM') as the Sterling neck shape is like a jazz. Rays are more like thick precision necks.

octatonic

Get a Warwick Thumb and be done with it.

Paul_C

octatonic said:

Get a Warwick Thumb and be done with it.

DrBob

I think that I read somewhere that one of the reasons behind the Badass bass bridge was to allow extra travel on the saddles and thus allow correct intonation which had previously been a fairly common issue on Jazz Basses..

or is that all utter horse s**t ?

ThePrettyDamned

fretmeister;273783" said:

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/236657-lh-zon-sonus-4/page__pid__2450178#entry2450178

Holy cow that's nice!

fretmeister

Paul_C said:

octatonic said:

Get a Warwick Thumb and be done with it.

This. 

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/zsTsiec7_WE/maxresdefault.jpg

Drew_TNBD

lol! What's with the Warwick hate?

fretmeister

Drew_fx said:

lol! What's with the Warwick hate?

I've owned one.

Drew_TNBD

I played one, think it was a high end Streamer model. It was nice, but the neck was too thin at the lower frets for me. I do like jazz necks, but could go a little bit smaller if it came to it. Will be interesting to see what this Fame is going to be like. To be honest, as long as it intonates properly, sounds nice, and gives me a low enough action, it'll probably be the bees knees.

If not, I'll send it back and keep an eye out for a 2nd hand Stingray or Sterling.

ICBM

fretmeister said:

Drew_fx said:

lol! What's with the Warwick hate?

I've owned one.

Same here - a Dolphin, which I didn't get on with at all... in particular I hated the hiss-generating active circuitry, but I didn't really like the way it played either. I acquired it in a trade to see what it was like and couldn't get rid of it fast enough.

But the Corvette SS (sorry, $$ ) model was entirely different. If I wanted a modern bass and didn't already have my Rick 4001 I would have bought it.

Drew_TNBD

Bass has shipped. Should arrive tomorrow. Will be interesting to see how it plays!