Four very different basses on four different tracks. Do they sound different in the mix? And more importantly, how big are those differences once the bass sits inside a full arrangement?
This was an independent bass comparison I did with friends using the basses we had available at the time. Because of that, this is not a perfectly clinical lab test. For example, the strings on these basses were of different ages, and that likely affected the sound of the Tokai Jazz Bass a bit. Still, I think the results are interesting and useful.
(The video above was initially released on August 5th, 2021)
What Basses Did We Use?
The four basses in this comparison were:
Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-5MN Natural
Tokai Jazz Bass (MIJ / Made in Japan)
Fender Precision ’62 Reissue (MIJ / Made in Japan)
Sandberg California VS-5
These are not only different brands, but also very different instruments in terms of pickup layout, overall feel, and intended use. Because of that, I expected some differences. The real question was how much those differences would matter once the bass was part of a full mix.
How we conducted the test
Each of us played all four basses on one of the tracks. We used different musical styles so the test would not be limited to just one kind of song.
To record the basses, we split the signal. That allowed us to capture both clean DI tones and driven tones through the NUX Melvin Lee Davis Preamp. After that, all the settings on the NUX pedal stayed the same for every bass. The same was also true for the post-processing on each song.
We also level-matched the bass tracks. That part matters, because louder usually sounds better to our ears even when the tone is not actually better.
In the video, you can hear three comparison stages:
- a 50/50 blend of both
- DI bass tones
- NUX preamp tones
Do the basses sound different?
Yes, they do. However, the differences are smaller than many people probably expect.
Some basses naturally push certain frequencies in a way that works better for a particular song. So yes, the instruments do not sound identical. At the same time, the differences are not huge once everything is level-matched and placed into a real musical context.
The more gain we added, the smaller the tonal gap became. A lot of the remaining difference could also be shaped with EQ. That was one of the most interesting parts of the test.
What Mattered More Than Tone?
Even though the tonal differences were not dramatic, the basses definitely felt different to play.
That matters. A bass that feels better in your hands will usually make you play better and more confidently. In that sense, this comparison was not only about frequency response or pickup type. It was also about the playing experience.
Another thing we noticed was that with more drive in the tone, having a humbucker starts to make more sense because of the lower noise. That does not mean single-coil-style basses stop working. It just means some designs become more practical once you move into dirtier tones.
Final Thoughts
So, do these basses sound different in the studio?
Yes. But not as much as you might think.
That was the main takeaway from this bass comparison. The differences are real, but they are smaller in a mix than many players expect. In the end, all three of us felt confident that we could dial in great bass tones with any of the four instruments in this test.
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