A fender jazz bass is a great default bass. I really like the fender "P" bass too, Ernie Ball music man stingray is a sweet bass too.

I have a Sterling and a Warwick for any range of tone I need. Active instruments record clearer than passive.

Also, the construction on the Fender 5 string isn't at all as good as the construction on the 4 string. Also, if you must buy Fender, make sure to get an American.

I was a bassist first (technically still am) ;)

And if you want the cleanest sounding amp with the best DI, get an Eden Navigator.

active and passive? can you explain that?

Electronics and pickups

Active has a battery, passive doesn't

I wouldn't waste my money on a new Fender Jazz bass unless I had the right connections to replace defective or reject specimens. Recent Fender offerings don't meet high standards of quality these days IMHO.

How about a used Ibanez Musician 4 string active bass for some great punchy cutting tone. It has thru neck construction, and plays like butter...they're not made anymore, but they can be found. Sting likes them I think. My bass player has one and I keep asking him to bring it , but he just bought a Fender Jazz bass with active electronics to replace one that was stolen. His old one was great, but the new one sounds like a$$. The neck is unstable, I can't count how many times we've tried to adjust and stabalize the neck( kinda ruins the flow to have to mess with basic things while working don't cha know). The old timers know how good the old ones were, and cling to the memories. Hard to let go, I guess. The Fender Jazz basses sure are comfortable to play though.
What do I know though , I'm a guitar player. lol.

tonybran wrote: Hey,

I'm looking to get a bass guitar for my studio..recording mostly rock/pop/soft-rock .. i'm looking at this Fender 5-string Jazz Bass cause I've heard good things about it from alot of people, but I guess my real question is a Jazz bass a suitable 'default' bass to have in a studio? can it be suitable for various types of music?... also if anyone knows anything about this specific bass, that would help.

(Dead Link Removed)

*not sure if this is posted in the right place, if it isn't, I apologize*

Don't get an Ibanez Soundgear bass (SR series, I think). They are aweful in the studio. I've recorded more than one model and it's like trying to get tone out of a brick. I certainly haven't tried all of the Ibanez SR models, but I wouldn't buy one.
The reason people like the Fender is because it's simple and real. Only get something that looks and feels like solid wood. I have a cheap LTD that sounds great. I didn't think it would be that smooth... but it works really well in a recording session. I also have a Carvin 6-sting custom that sounds great, but they can be expensive. I'd recommend the LTD, but that's just me. I'm not exactly a bassist, so I don't have much experience with actually playing all of the brands.

Check the basses out here:
http://www.espguitars.com/basses_b.html
I think I have the CHEAPEST one on that page, the B-50 (at the bottom). I really am astonished with the tone. It may not play as nice as some others... but when you can hand someone a $200 bass that sounds better than their $600 fancy-pants bass... well... :lol: :wink:

As far as the active/passive debate... it's a never-ending discussion. I feel that it really depends on the style of music. For rock/alternative/metal... passive all the way. Active really tends to ruin most of that. If it's jazz/funk/pop... then I'd use active.
Active tone really gives the tone an enhancement, much more raw EQ control, and more output from the bass (those are the basics). For cleaner music that needs a nice crisp poppy bass sound, it can be great. For rock or metal, it can kill the "edge" and take all raw-ness away from the sound.
It also has a lot to do with the person playing it, and the amp they're playing through. If someone hasn't spent time getting used to the response of an active bass, then they'll probably sound pretty rough playing a rock song on one.

For a studio bass... one that you just want to mess around with from time to time, and you don't want to replace batteries in... I'd suggest a passive. It also very much depends on your price range.
Just my 4 cents.

EDIT: I should add, I second Tommy's vote for the Ibanez Musician. I have played one and it had a warm, full tone. By talking down the SR's, I didn't mean to blast all of Ibanez, or even all of the SR's. I've just had bad experiences.

I'm kinda in the same market. I was looking at the Tune line of bases. I read that their older models that were made in Japan were really nice. Although their newer ones are made in korea, I've heard that they are still a good bass.

I'm like to tinker and the active electronics on these basses are adjustible which appeals to me. Anyone have any info on these, good or bad?

Should I just hold out for a Steinberger?

For that price range, why not check out one of the new carvin icon basses? http://www.carvin.com
I've read alot of good things about them, and am going to be getting a Six String Fretless 6'er with this fall's student loan from Carvin. I've owned a XB76P and a BB75P from them, and have been nothing but satisfied, I sold them to make other purchases. If your hell bent on a Fender, check out the Roscoe Beck V, one of the finest passive five strings around. I've played my local music stores for hours, but just don't have the dough to seal the deal. The controls are a bit complex, but after you get the hang of them, you'll never be dissatisfied in my opinion. To me, the american fender's just aren't worth the money for what your getting.
Also, before you sink the dough, check out
http://www.talkbass.com, and that site is a great bassplayer resource.
Also, http://www.basstasters.com is great review site with clips, and check out the http://www.harmony-central.com reviews. Their mostly fawning reviews by owners, but some are worthwhile. Talkbass, if you search the forums, will have many threads about this issue, and you can always put up a post, and see if folks who actually own these basses can offer opinions.

Get a great set of hands, an ear for transpositional passages, some serious rythmic mojo and ALL basses will sound good. Oh yeah.....NO BASS SOLOS....Rudiments are my friend....say it with me....Rudiments Are My Friend.....again ....Rudiments.....etc etc..

you get the picture.

Seriously.

The construction of cheaper basses can be a concern in the studio. As you know, ALL things not up to SNUFF are amplified many times whan they are in the studio environment. A neck that slips, tuners that dont seat, noisy pickups, bad jacks, these are all things that gets the R.E. reaching for the Scotch (unblended single-malt) or perhaps the UZI....

In my band, we have many bass options. Why? you ask.....Why, Davedog, must there be so many choices on such a simple minded instrument???

BECAUSE WE LIKE EM!

(idiots).....

We have,between the three of us, 1965 P-bass (stock)..1956 P-bass(stock)..Yamaha 5string active,Ibanez Musician (yeah, that Sting in the Police bass),Guild Pilot 4string(emg's), Guild Pilot 5 string(emgs), Martin Acoustic Bass, 1964 Reverse Thunderbird Bass, various short scale, half scale and no fretwire cheapo basses , most have great necks and Duncans in em......we play em through B15 Ampegs, SWR's, BBE's, bunches of DI's, nice preamps with a 1/4" jack on em somewhere.....

And bass works out, most of the time.

I wonder why??