• Buying/trying the instrument "off the shelf": always have a knowledgeable technician set up your "new" instrument the same way your "old" bass was set up. If the store refuses to provide that service, go somewhere else.
• Improving your instrument's electronics: the best thing you can do right now is to go out and buy the best cable you can afford. After that you can look into replacing the original stock pickups with "modern" pickups like EMG, Bartolini, BassLines, etc. Individual players swear by one or the other brand, and yes they do sound different, so try them all. Small boutique bass companies usually wire their own pickups, thus the distinctive personality of the sound.
• Strings: today's strings' quality, variety of choices and sounds can sometimes be overwhelming. Make no mistake, strings make a huge difference! I am not very fussy when it comes to strings, my only criteria is that I like to use lighter gauge (040 G string) strings for slap playing. For that matter I actually have a specific instrument for slap, and that is Fender Jazz bass. Those of you who play old school R&B, blues, reggae and country may consider flatwounds. My Fender Precision is strung up with flatwounds. Again, experiment with various brands and gauges until you find "your" sound.
• The instrument: because I have tried so many different instruments over the years, I have come to the conclusion that each brand of bass (and even different models within the same brand) has its own unique sound quality and "personality". The way to experience the personality of a bass is to play it unplugged...try it and listen!

Overall, playing the bass (especially the left hand, the neck) has to "feel" just right to you. Every bass I've ever played felt different from the last one regardless the instrument's price...so no, you don't have to spend your life savings on an electric bass! Close your eyes, grab the neck and feel it!

• Amplification: I will keep this simple. There are three components in the amplification chain: the power amp; the sound processing amp/module; and the bass cabinet/speakers. If you read and understood the information in this article, you will conclude that the most important part of your sound link and therefore "your" sound is the speakers. So the only money you should be spending is on the bass cabinet. Without favoring any particular brand, there are several high quality manufactures out there and you should try them all in various combinations and settings.
• Finally: the best ever compliment I have received (and you can too!) was at a recent NAMM show where a fellow bass player quoted many bass players before him: "Man, you have that sound in your hands."

Thank you, Amen and Good Luck!

Send your comments to mirek@mirekkocandrle.com

Instruments:

Fender Jazz, 4-string, mid 1980's made in Japan, EMG active pickups, brass nut and BadAss Bass II bridge. Fender Precission, 4-string, 1968-1972 series, EMG active pickups, brass nut and BadAss Bass II bridge, HipShot de-tuner Harvey Citron custom 4-string, active Modulus Jazz, 4-string, fretless, passive Washburn Acoustic bass guitar, 4-string Epiphone Rivoli VC, semi-hollow body, 4-string Yamaha RBX5, 5-string, passive

Amplification:

Bergantino Bass Cabinets QSC power amps SWR SM-900 Kustom Charger 115 Vintage/1960's Mesa/Boogie D210

Effects:

Zoom 607 Bass processor Ernie Ball volume pedal

Strings:

DR's "Marcus" Thomastic-Infeld Jazz Bass Fender Flatwounds Stainless Steel La Bella Hard Rockin' Steels

Cables: Monster Cable George L's Planet Waves