One of the greatest Bass guitarists that I had the pleasure to watch, Victor Wooten, once said that you could take Michael Jordan out of the Nike trainers and put him in plimsolls or bare feet and he would still be a great basketball player. His point being that at the end of the day if you are a good bassist then it doesn’t matter what equipment you use. Your talent, skills, and techniques are transferrable.

Although I agree with this statement, something has to be said for finding the right sound and for being as comfortable as possible. Whether you play mellow jazz or hard Rock the choices that you make regarding what Bass to play, strings to use and the the amp you play through will determine and affect the sound you are ultimately looking for.

The decision to get a bass with or without frets will have a noticeable effect on the timbre. Fretless Basses sound more like double basses as the strings have to be pressed against the wood of the fingerboard. They are mainly used in Jazz and Jazz fusion.

The two most commonly used strings are flatwound and roundwound. Flatwound were used extensively in the 1950’s. They have a smooth and damped sound that is similar to a double bass. Roundwound strings are much like guitar strings, they have a brighter sound and greater sustain

Amps will also play a major part in getting the sound you are after. Tube amps are at the higher end of the market. They were commonly used until the 1970’s. They produce a more natural and warmer sound. The solid state amps came to prominence in the 1960’s and 1970’s. They cost less, weigh less and require less maintenance.

As discussed earlier, whether you are play 4 strings sitting down or play 6 strings standing up, it is also important to find a bass that you are comfortable with. There are design options to take into consideration. The body can be flat or it can be curved. It can also be made from a range of different materials, although a wooden material is the norm. The standard length for an electric bass is 34” but there are 30” instruments for those with smaller hands.