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Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 12:41 pm
by stevejamsecono
Hey Gang,
My bass player in Sorry Darling is thinking of changing out basses. She's been playing a vintage Musicmaster bass for a long time and it's definitely a cool, vibey bass, but it seems to require quite a bit of EQ beef-up to get it sounding as authoritative as it needs to be. She and I have been scheming to get her playing something else, and I wanted to ask for some recs of the bass playing folks here. One issue to be aware of is she is quite small (one of the main appeals of the Musicmaster is how small and short scale it is), so I think full-sized P and J basses might be out. We were thinking about having her try some of the short scale Gibbo basses, but I figured I'd ask the folks here for recs.
Anyone play a short-scale bass they really like that sounds a bit growlier?
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 12:46 pm
by sal paradise
PJ Mustang?
G&L fallout?
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 12:51 pm
by Dr Tony Balls
stevejamsecono wrote: ↑Wed Feb 21, 2024 12:41 pm
Hey Gang,
My bass player in Sorry Darling is thinking of changing out basses. She's been playing a vintage Musicmaster bass for a long time and it's definitely a cool, vibey bass, but it seems to require quite a bit of EQ beef-up to get it sounding as authoritative as it needs to be. She and I have been scheming to get her playing something else, and I wanted to ask for some recs of the bass playing folks here. One issue to be aware of is she is quite small (one of the main appeals of the Musicmaster is how small and short scale it is), so I think full-sized P and J basses might be out. We were thinking about having her try some of the short scale Gibbo basses, but I figured I'd ask the folks here for recs.
Anyone play a short-scale bass they really like that sounds a bit growlier?
The Fender Player Mustang bass has a P-pickp which should do all you want in a short scale package.
edit: I was beat to the answer but great minds think alike.
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 1:10 pm
by Jonesie
Yep, in agreement with everyone here, PJ Mustang bass.
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 1:33 pm
by marqueemoon
G&L Fallout. Final answer.
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 1:58 pm
by stevejamsecono
We'll have to try 'em both! Just gotta see if anywhere here in NY has one of those G+Ls...
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 2:09 pm
by GreenKnee
I had a similar issue with my Musicmaster Bass until I swapped the stock 70's strat pickup out for one of these
https://www.mojopickups.co.uk/product/4 ... ster-bass/
That along with some good flatwound strings turned it in to a completely different beast. Maybe worth a shot and save some £££
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 2:10 pm
by MattK
Quite possibly cheaper if you can find one - the 90s Vista Musicmasters have a really nice VistaTone pickup with a lot of bottom end. Otherwise nice to play too.
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 3:27 pm
by Ceylon
I don't have experience with it but the G&L Fallout bass is one of the best non-Fender Fenderesque things I've thing I've seen. Captures the vibe without coping anything right off the bat.
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2024 3:12 am
by windmill
This is active but might do the job if you can find one.
Squier vintage modified jagaur bass, short scale
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2024 4:10 am
by sessylU
A pupil of mine recently got one of these:
https://www.gretschguitars.com/gear/bui ... 2514730580
I sort of didn't want to like it as I'm a J-bass loyalist. So I was hoping that this would be pretty but limited, but it was brilliant. Loads of different tones available. I accidentally spent about an hour hogging it when she should have been practising.
Apparently there's a bit of an online furore about the pickups not being what they originally said they were, but instead just being some slightly generic single coils. But I think they might have fixed that issue by changing the copy in the ads? Whatever, it played and sounded great.
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2024 6:33 am
by Gordon
I second the Jr Jet bass above. But if she likes her bass, and is willing to mod it (including routing it), an Dimarzio Relentless Precision pickup... She'll get beef. If she doesn't want to mod it, a Squier Bronco with the same mod would be cheap-ish.
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2024 7:09 am
by stevejamsecono
Thanks for the recs, everyone.
So we were talking about maybe putting some new pickups in it and stumbled on these:
https://www.sentellpickups.net/bass
There seem to be some really nice options here that would improve things and get it closer to maybe a '51 P sound or similar without having to route anything. The humbucking pickup would probably be great in the studio too.
Anyone on the forum have any experience with this maker? I've seen some nice recs on TalkBass.
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2024 10:05 am
by OffYourFace
I went thru this about 10 years ago. My gf had a 76 MM bass and it was lovely. It just sounded weak because these have guitar pickups them. It’s literally a mustang guitar pickup. I then built her a 74-75 parts mustang bass. It was a big improvement but when she switched to a P-Bass, it was like, “oh wow, bass!”
Re: those PJ Mustang basses, they’re very good if you use flatwounds. With rounds, sometimes they still sound small. But flats were a huge improvement and it sat in the mix like a proper bass. I didn’t discover that, a few of my friends did and I was impressed with the results.
Re: Small but beefy sounding bass recommendations?
Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2024 10:11 am
by Telliot
I've owned quite a few basses over the years, but after I bought my Hofner Club Bass I suddenly stopped gassing for another one. It's extremely versatile -- I mean, I'd never try slapping on it, but that isn't a need for me -- and sits in the mix perfectly. It's got plenty of low end and will do just about anything I need, just by how I choose to play it. I wouldn't mind owning a JMJ Mustang Bass, though, just to have a solid body bass as an alternative. That said, every time I think about getting one I talk myself out of it.