In production since 1987, and with a wide enough array of options to fit any budget, these really are great basses. These are the granddaddy of sleek, modern basses, and while they did not pioneer the concept, they really seemed to get it right. If you are starting out and NOT using something Fender inspired, chances are you are using one of these. So with that said, here’s my picks for the Eight Most Underrated Basses (in no particular order): If there are enough of those that I neglected, I might ultimately do a part two. I’m sure some of you will be yelling at the screen with “hey, what about_!?!?” comments, but this is my list.
Several of them I don’t really like that much, but I have to acknowledge their appeal to certain players. Lastly, I’m not saying that these eight models are my favorites. I am also omitting anything that is quite obviously a derivative of one of the models from the major manufacturers, so Sadowsky, Lakland, Suhr and any other builders making high-end versions of Precision and Jazz models will not be included. I am also excluding boutique builders, so please no comments about the non-appearance of Alembic, Fodera, Ken Smith, Carl Thompson, and so on. The brand name association alone is enough to make anyone who knows the tiniest thing about guitars assume that they’re a proper bass, rather than wonder what the heck it is. Besides, they say “Fender” on the headstock. But, since these have been back in the catalog for a decade now, in multiple versions at multiple price points, I can’t really call them underrated that “best kept secret” factor is long gone. That was a tough one, since the Fender Mustang Bass was a long unsung hero for the bassist on a budget, or one with tiny hands. Now, for the purposes of this column, I am not going to include any model made by Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, or MusicMan. But what about the less popular models that have been responsible for some of your favorite records and live shows? Today, I’m going to look at a few. I’ve sung the praises of underrated bass players before, but what about the instruments themselves? Nearly everyone seems to use one of a handful of standard basses: The P-Bass, The Jazz Bass, The Stingray, The Thunderbird, or a Rickenbacker. Hello, hello, hello, and welcome back to Christopher A.