First off, hope the new year is treating you all well so far!
Here's my deal - I play in a melodic death metal band, using a modded Ibanez SR505 tuned up to drop C (I use the high Bb for solo licks in a band with 3 guitars, so call us unconventional), and a Spector Legend 6 in drop G. Previously I used a Musicman Bongo 6 for the latter tuning, but then I traded a fretless Frankenjazz for the Spector, and I find the 35" scale handling the low tuning fairly well. That said, the 34" scale of the Bongo held up with drop G just fine, but I hate having it set up just for 4 songs and the occasional cover set, and furthermore taking it to gigs in St. Louis which unfortunately has an extensive history of gear theft
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I dig the physical feel of the Spector, but I'm really missing the distinct punch that my Bongo brought to the table, and the lack of accurate intonation adjustment has frustrated me to the point of apathy concerning the pitch on upper frets. I've never played a mid/high-end Ibanez I didn't like, so I'm probably going to save up, buy an Ibanez 6'er as a present to myself when I graduate with my masters' degree, and sell the Spector to recoup some of the funds. My problem is deciding which one!
I guess the big deciding factor will be how well the 34" scale Ibanez basses hold up with drop G tuning. My Bongo had no problems with it, but I'm curious as to if any other factors in the construction (other than the scale length) play a role in a basses ability to maintain clarity and note definition with low tunings. I like the feel of the SR506, and I imagine the Premium series 6 strings should feel about the same. I've never held a BTB 6-string before, but I remember liking the 4 and 5 string models. If anyone has had the chance to side-by-side similarly spec'd BTB and SR models, I'd love to hear your input.
Beyond that is the consideration of electronics. Once again, I'll need pickups that can put out a low G with clarity - I don't use any distortion in my tone, so everything comes from the bass and my Markbass rig. The Bartolini MK1 pickups found in some of the SR basses seem to have an inherent mid-range 'clang' that I can't get past, which is why I'm replacing the pickups in my SR505 with a pair of Nordstrand DC's once I get a suitable preamp to match them. I love the sound of the Nordstrand Big Singles in the SR/BTB Premium lines, but I've never heard demos of them being used below A standard. I'd like to be able to buy a bass already equipped with suitable electronics, but I figure that buying a less expensive model and swapping them out will be about the same cost as buying a higher-end model that's ready to go. I haven't heard a demo of the BTB standard series basses with the Bartolini BH1 pickups that features an aggressive playing style, but I've heard they sound similar to the MK1 pickups I dislike, and the rout of those pickups would require custom ordering a new set since no drop-in replacements are available.
So I basically have it narrowed down to an SR/BTB Premium, depending on whether or not the 34" SR basses can handle drop G. BUT I also recently found out that some of the mid-2000's SR Prestige models (notably the SR1006) are neck-through AND 35" scale, which puts the two advantages of the BTB (in my opinion) into an SR bass, which is a very comfortable body shape for me. Finding a used SR1006 Prestige seems like the way to go, since I figure I can always swap out the Bartolini RU6 pickups for a set of Nordstrands if I don't like them and still stay around $1,000.
I realize I've just thrown out a lot of "what if" scenarios, but as you all know there's a lot to consider when buying a serious instrument! So if any of you could shed even a glimmer of light on any aspect of my dilemma, I'd really appreciate it!
Here's my deal - I play in a melodic death metal band, using a modded Ibanez SR505 tuned up to drop C (I use the high Bb for solo licks in a band with 3 guitars, so call us unconventional), and a Spector Legend 6 in drop G. Previously I used a Musicman Bongo 6 for the latter tuning, but then I traded a fretless Frankenjazz for the Spector, and I find the 35" scale handling the low tuning fairly well. That said, the 34" scale of the Bongo held up with drop G just fine, but I hate having it set up just for 4 songs and the occasional cover set, and furthermore taking it to gigs in St. Louis which unfortunately has an extensive history of gear theft
.I dig the physical feel of the Spector, but I'm really missing the distinct punch that my Bongo brought to the table, and the lack of accurate intonation adjustment has frustrated me to the point of apathy concerning the pitch on upper frets. I've never played a mid/high-end Ibanez I didn't like, so I'm probably going to save up, buy an Ibanez 6'er as a present to myself when I graduate with my masters' degree, and sell the Spector to recoup some of the funds. My problem is deciding which one!
I guess the big deciding factor will be how well the 34" scale Ibanez basses hold up with drop G tuning. My Bongo had no problems with it, but I'm curious as to if any other factors in the construction (other than the scale length) play a role in a basses ability to maintain clarity and note definition with low tunings. I like the feel of the SR506, and I imagine the Premium series 6 strings should feel about the same. I've never held a BTB 6-string before, but I remember liking the 4 and 5 string models. If anyone has had the chance to side-by-side similarly spec'd BTB and SR models, I'd love to hear your input.
Beyond that is the consideration of electronics. Once again, I'll need pickups that can put out a low G with clarity - I don't use any distortion in my tone, so everything comes from the bass and my Markbass rig. The Bartolini MK1 pickups found in some of the SR basses seem to have an inherent mid-range 'clang' that I can't get past, which is why I'm replacing the pickups in my SR505 with a pair of Nordstrand DC's once I get a suitable preamp to match them. I love the sound of the Nordstrand Big Singles in the SR/BTB Premium lines, but I've never heard demos of them being used below A standard. I'd like to be able to buy a bass already equipped with suitable electronics, but I figure that buying a less expensive model and swapping them out will be about the same cost as buying a higher-end model that's ready to go. I haven't heard a demo of the BTB standard series basses with the Bartolini BH1 pickups that features an aggressive playing style, but I've heard they sound similar to the MK1 pickups I dislike, and the rout of those pickups would require custom ordering a new set since no drop-in replacements are available.
So I basically have it narrowed down to an SR/BTB Premium, depending on whether or not the 34" SR basses can handle drop G. BUT I also recently found out that some of the mid-2000's SR Prestige models (notably the SR1006) are neck-through AND 35" scale, which puts the two advantages of the BTB (in my opinion) into an SR bass, which is a very comfortable body shape for me. Finding a used SR1006 Prestige seems like the way to go, since I figure I can always swap out the Bartolini RU6 pickups for a set of Nordstrands if I don't like them and still stay around $1,000.
I realize I've just thrown out a lot of "what if" scenarios, but as you all know there's a lot to consider when buying a serious instrument! So if any of you could shed even a glimmer of light on any aspect of my dilemma, I'd really appreciate it!
