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Post subject: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 2:48 pm
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I had never heard of that before. I know this is a Fender forum and my main bass is an old USA P bass that I swear by but currently I tore it down for a refin. This guy really wants me to play in his band and bought this bass to tempt me. I tried it out today and it actually sounds pretty close to a good P bass but can go brighter which I will not really need. Just thought I would share. The action is good but I need to get used to it after so many years on a P bass and once the P bass is done will certainly go back to it. Anyone else ever try one of these?
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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:39 pm
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It's a full over size bass body, and it's way to heavy. Gibson basses that I'd prefer to play over the Les Paul Bass, an SG Std. Bass, or an EB Bass.

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 11:50 pm
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Mr. Nylon wrote:
It's a full over size bass body, and it's way to heavy. Gibson basses that I'd prefer to play over the Les Paul Bass, an SG Std. Bass, or an EB Bass.


I did not really notice it being that much heavier then my P-bass. I have an SG bass but I can't use it for much because it has no bottom end granted it is a short scale and I never got along well with those. That said being a guitar player as well I love recording with Les Pauls because I can sit....but don't play them live because they are too damned heavy.

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:57 am
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The Les Paul Basses I've tried were heavier, and the necks were very thick. More like older Gibson basses from the mid 60's. What strings are you using on your SG? The SG Std.'s I've been playing have a lot of bottom to them, almost to much. I have to cut back on my amp settings for my SG Std. It sounds more like an active bass, than a passive bass.

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Last edited by Mr. Nylon on Thu Jun 26, 2014 8:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 11:27 am
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My SG bass just sounds muddy to me and not alive, I think it has to do with the short scale. It also has a problem with the neck and I have it stored away to be looked into later.

The Les Paul bass is very alive but is capable of going way way brighter then I would ever need. For me at least the P-Bass seems just right and I have had J-basses and Musicmans and several others..all good basses but the P-bass is "just right" other then being somewhat heavy like the Les Paul.

Bear in mind I am used to using really heavy gauge strings and very low drop tunings, not all basses can handle that...at least not 4 stringers.

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 2:58 pm
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The SG Std.'s are pretty sensitive to the types of strings used on them. The newer TBird pups on the SG Std.'s sound good.

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 4:00 pm
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Mr. Nylon wrote:
The SG Std.'s are pretty sensitive to the types of strings used on them. The newer TBird pups on the SG Std.'s sound good.


Come to think of it I do have a "Epi" SG bass that has been stored away since new. I got it for almost nothing in a auction (not ebay and picked it up in person) because it had a little body damage and it was cutting out. I know it is not on par with a genuine USA Gibson but the specs are very similar. I might break that one out and see if it is usable. I had fixed the cutting out problem but planned to fix the body damage, do a killer refin, better pups and sell it. I don't think I will ever enjoy the short scale enough to get much use out of it but for a beginner/semi pro with small hands that bass could be perfect. I tell you it is one good looking bass but I can't really fix it right without a refin. It is a cherry but I am thinking going with a deep gloss black.

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 6:20 pm
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The Epi necks are thicker, and the body has less shaping on it also.

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 9:57 pm
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Me'Shell Ndegeocello uses a variety of instruments including a vintage Fender Jazz, but for a while she had a Gibson endorsement deal.

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She played a Les Paul bass on the "WILD NIGHTS" video with John Mellencamp. She's an exceptional player and I enjoy hearing her. A real artist.



Most recently she collaborated with REVEREND for a Signature bass. Reverend doesn't require artists to play their artist model unless they want to, so I don't know what she is really playing most. But I really don't think it matters what make or model bass she plays as she could make a First Act bass sound amazing.


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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 10:04 pm
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Found this pic of Me'Shell with her Jazz:

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 11:23 pm
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Well anyhow I got kind of hoodwinked. I got a text earlier tonight from the guy asking if I want to jam 3 piece tonight and I said yes and was looking forward to really giving that Les Paul bass a work out.

When I get there instead of the les there was a Charvel waiting for me. The Charvel (which has an active PJ setup) is not the worst but compared to that Les and my P-bass it is almost painful... (not physically, but emotionally).

So essentially the guy tries to bribe me into being the bass player for his band with a Les Paul bass....then hides it away when I get to practice. :roll:

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 2:04 pm
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Time to look for another band to play bass for.

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 5:03 pm
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Mr. Nylon wrote:
Time to look for another band to play bass for.


Well I was not looking for any band to play bass for. All in all though it was not that bad but I do feel a bit mislead. I guess next time he texts to jam I will reply back only if I can use the Les Paul bass and see where that goes.

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:17 pm
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He texted me today and asked if I wanted him to email me some Satriani songs. So, not only did he mislead me with false promises of a bass, but wants me to play boring bass lines. Not to take anything away from Stu Hamm....comon...I would rather play freaking Jackson 5 if I am going to be suckered like this into playing bass in a cover band. Image

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Post subject: Re: Les Paul Bass...?
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:15 am
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brotherdave wrote:
Me'Shell Ndegeocello uses a variety of instruments including a vintage Fender Jazz, but for a while she had a Gibson endorsement deal.

Image

She played a Les Paul bass on the "WILD NIGHTS" video with John Mellencamp. She's an exceptional player and I enjoy hearing her. A real artist.



Most recently she collaborated with REVEREND for a Signature bass. Reverend doesn't require artists to play their artist model unless they want to, so I don't know what she is really playing most. But I really don't think it matters what make or model bass she plays as she could make a First Act bass sound amazing.



Thanks for posting that. I have heard that Mellencamp song a zillion times and never appreciated the bass line until this vid. Also it lets me know what that LP bass is capable of if I actually get to end up using it lol.

I have been in a few bands where we had endorsements and they made us agree to use their instruments in the videos...but were fine with us using whatever we wanted to live or on recordings. Almost every band I was ever in used older P-basses for the recordings.

Not that this matters now but I had joined a touring band in Los Angeles back in 2008-9 and they had an endorsement deal with BC Rich. But I did not luck out because when I joined the band the only basses they made at the time were these horrible wretched spinal tap looking monstrosities. A few years earlier (like the previous bass player) they had some that were more Fenderish and only the headstocks were funky.

The next band I joined after that had a Schecter endorsement but did not require me to play one. However they were so downtuned that they wanted me to play a 5 string. I told them that was not going to happen so they had Schecter make me a 4 string that used the top 4 of a 5 string and it seemed to appease the band. But to me my P-bass still sounded better when I simply tuned it down. Meh, to each his/her own. I have nothing against free instruments.

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