what are some bass guitars with distinct tone?

[bushy]

I've tried so many bass guitars and most sound the same if not alike, even the ones that cost $200 in comparison with pricier bass guitars.

I do find the Ashbory bass having a distinct tone. Is it the fretlessness of it or the strings or the pickups that give bass guitars their tone?

 

[bholder]

soft flubby strings and a weird piezo bridge, yeah. I would Rickenbackers have a unique tone too, I almost always can tell a Ric without looking.

 

[two fingers]

Rics
Rays
P basses
Jazz basses
Spectors
Gibson EBs

Those all have distinct tone to me. I can almost always hear when one of any of these is being used in a recording.

 

[Gorn]

Basses with rubber strings sound fundamentally different from basses with metal strings. Flats sound different than rounds. Other than that it’s all nuances.

 

[James Collins]

Rics
Rays
P basses
Jazz basses
Spectors
Gibson EBs

Those all have distinct tone to me. I can almost always hear when one of any of these is being used in a recording.

I think this list will continue to grow until all basses are listed. When you say spectors...you mean the ones with a PJ? I might add Thumbs to your list.

 

[Bass Man Dan]

Warwick. For me, that's the sound I was after. P basses have a distinct sound as well.

 

[jeff62]

+1 to all of the above. Others:

Thunderbirds
Mockingbird (my double P kills)

 

[jonnybass1]

Warwick (Thumb and $$), Spector (p/j models) Gibson RD/Thunderbird all have very distinctive tones. But that is just my opinion.

 

[DigitalMan]

Wal basses are pretty distinctive.

 

[maplenecked]

Stepping into bass after 10 years of casual guitar playing, I find basses to have more tonal personality and variance based on design than guitars. It’s easier to add something that’s not there on guitar than bass IMO. But I also have tin ears so...?

 

[bucephylus]

FWIW, my wife says they ALL sound the same. Except my Alembic Series I. She says that one is different. Shakes the house more noticeably.

 

[LBS-bass]

I have three basses and they sound nothing alike. Music Man Sterling (lots of mid range thump), Fender Jazz (ranges from a nice vanilla sound to downright growly depending on the pickup blend and where you pluck the strings- this bass is always punchy but never thumpy like the Sterling) and a Music Man Caprice (very even and balanced tone, two pickups give a wide range of possibilities, bright and defined).

 

[BassholeKI]

Since no one has said it yet, p bass with flats.

 

[CalBuzz51]

Dano Longhorn is pretty midrangy when both pickups are on full.

 

[winegamd]

Warwick are pretty distinctive, Kubicki, Zon Hyperbass, Wal's, Ovation Magnum, Gibson EB's and Thunderbirds, Foderas (maybe not on a mix, but definitely soloed).

 

[roller]

I think this list will continue to grow until all basses are listed. When you say spectors...you mean the ones with a PJ? I might add Thumbs to your list.

For me, a Spector's unique, growly tone is the thru-body, multi-piece maple neck coupled with the EMG P/J pickups which are usually onboard.

... but 80-90% of it is the neck.

 

[madbass6]

I've tried so many bass guitars and most sound the same if not alike, even the ones that cost $200 in comparison with pricier bass guitars.

I do find the Ashbory bass having a distinct tone. Is it the fretlessness of it or the strings or the pickups that give bass guitars their tone?

all basses have there own unique tone.

 

[Chrisk-K]

Hofner

 

[pudgychef]

Musicman Bongo is distinct imho

 

[Wasnex]

I've tried so many bass guitars and most sound the same if not alike, even the ones that cost $200 in comparison with pricier bass guitars.

I do find the Ashbory bass having a distinct tone. Is it the fretlessness of it or the strings or the pickups that give bass guitars their tone?

I always thought the Ovation Magnum with the graphic tone controls had a unique sound. Pretty sure this is the bass you hear on Journey's Escape album.