My Basses!

BASSES

Let's start with my Double Bass.

It's a New Standard Cleveland from 2004. It's got a laminated top & back with carved sides with ebony fittings. Note: they changed this model to all laminated a year or two after I got mine. It is a large 3/4 small 7/8s with a 42 inch string scale. For a frame of reference standard bass guitar scale is 34. Standard string scale for "full size" double basses is 41-42. Double basses aren't nearly as uniform size wise as bass guitars. Some notables about the New Standard Cleveland-it is a Gamba shape, has broad shoulders, and is a large bass. However, it is HIGHLY playable and easy to get around on. I rarely go up to thumb position-it is easily my weakest register.

I keep the bass strung with Thomastik Spirocore Weichs. I use a Meisel quiver and a Brazilwood French bow from Gollihur Music. The only 'custom' thing I have done is put side dots on the fingerboard using nail polish. Several of my teachers have them and i thought 'why not?' It has helped tremendously to have a visual reference that reminds me that the distance between notes is MUCH larger than bass guitar.

I use a David Gage Realist Pickup. I like this. I used to have a K&K Bass Master Pro pickup + preamp setup. That was a K&K Bass Max plus Double Big Twin feeding a K&K Preamp that was mounted on my tail piece. It was OK, but i like how with the Realist all I have to do is plug & play. Eventually, I would like to add a AMT Bass Mic to the setup. 2 of my teachers use Wilson pickups & those intrigue me, but for the time being i'm satisfied wth the Realist for my pickup needs.

The sound is huge and loud. I keep my action pretty high for a jazz player. The tone i hear in my head is a very big and wooly tone. Some players for a point of reference-Ray Brown, Sam Jones, Charlie Haden, Paul Chambers-guys that played with gut strings and got a tone that encompasses you. Nothing against the guys that play with a lower action and go for more direct sound, but this is what i love.

ELECTRIC BASSES

Ok, time to my bread & butter. My electrics.

My main electric bass is a 2003 Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay5. It has a maple fingerboard, swamp ash body, black pickguard, and is finished in Cherry Burst. I keep it strung with Ernie Ball Slinky 5s-most of the time Power Slinkys (50-135). Slinky 5s are just your basic nickel round wound. They sound great, last a decent amount of time [depends on how much you play, your sweat's pH, etc], and don't cost a whole lot. This is my go to bass. I've played it pretty heavily the past 5 years & you can tell. I am getting ready to take it in to get a fret dressing plus a general once over. You know it's time for a fret dress when you have developed divets in the frets.

I can get a wide variety of sounds out of this bass. I like to think of it as my sledge hammer/swiss army knife. I love the neck shape/dimensions, and it just feels right overall. I keep this bass strung with rounds because I think of it as my "modern" sounding bass. The MM Humbucker & 3 band pre allow me to get a variety of tones, but about 99% of the time i have the treble slightly boosted, bass slightly boosted, mids flat, and the coil tap in the single coil w/dummy coil [center position]. Great sound.

#2 Electric is my Fender P-Bass w/flats. It's a basic 2007 Fender Standard Precision Bass. It has a rosewood finger board, alder body, white pickguard [might change it to black], and sunburst finish. I have it strung with Sadowsky/Labella Regular Gauge Flat Wounds [black label]. These are a nice and heavy set. I originally had them on a Fender Jazz 5-so i don't remember what the G to E gauges are. I think it's a 50 or 55 G & probably a 110 E. These are HIGH tension. I loooooooove the sound though. This bass fits the bill whenever the StingRay5 is a bit iffy. The sound is totally opposite though. Very low mids focused and fat. Yes, I originally wanted to buy a P-bass after studying the work of James Jamerson and the other great motown bassists. My top 2 fav are James Jamerson & Wilton Felder. Big sounds that drive the bands like a mofo. I use this on rock, big band [use it w/Shout Section when i can't take my DB], and any other gigs.

#3 Electric- 1997 Fender Standard Jazz Bass this bass is my very first bass. Poplar body, rosewood board, black w/a white pickguard. My Dad gave it to me as a Christmas present in 1997. It still feels like "home" every time that I pick it up. I don't play it a whole lot at the moment. It's strung with unknown origin flat wounds. The neck has taken on a nice tint from age. Sounds good, feels good, I won't ever sell it. This is a bass that I could see handing down to posterity. Ok-all of them I think i could. This bass, the Double, and my Ray5 are the ones that I think would have the most value though. First Bass Guitar, First Double Bass, and first GOOD 5 string.

Other basses

Douglas WEB846 in sunburst. This is the bass I bought when i wanted to get a taste for playing 6 string bass. Turns out-i like that taste. I am saving up for an Ernie Ball Music Man Bongo 6 or MTD Z6.

Squier Vintage Modified Fretless. Don't let the Squier name fool you, this bass is very high quality. When I first played one in a Guitar Center the first thing i thought "THIS IS A SQUIER??!?!?!?!" followed by "This is the closest i've ever been to the fretless tone i hear in my head." So about 6 months later, I bought one. I don't practice fretless a whole lot, before playing out with it-i need to spend some major shed time with it.

ALL of my basses have Schaller Straplocks on them. I've got 2 straps that have the locks on them, and then I buy the individual buttons [the part that goes on the bass] from Stew Mac & All Parts. Much cheaper to spend $3 per set for just the buttons & screws, than spending $20+ a set on a complete unit. I don't need to have 10 sets of locks when I only have 2 straps.

enjoy the evening.