Apart from the proper choice of wood, construction-type contributes to the overall sound as well. As with guitars, bass construction depends on whether the neck is bolted or set through the body. Of course, this decision strongly depends on the individual sound preference. It is generally safe to say that bolted necks deliver a fast response and are therefore suitable for percussive, rhythmic stuff. The stronger attack makes the sound more pushy and aggressive.
A neck-through-body construction has a slightly different acoustic trait. This type of bass generally produces a more homogenous sound; this lazier response making the tone rise a little slower but with a richer, more cultivated character. This sound is especially suitable for slower passages; fast runs tend to lack the necessary bite and particularly within a band context it doesn’t provide the required assertiveness. On the positive side, neck-through-body constructions create a longer sustain - in other words: a neck-through-body construction sounds soft and warm whereas a bolted neck sounds more harsh and bright.
Keep in mind, however that these descriptions only show only a general direction and the sound and response characteristics of individual bass types can differ quite as a result of varying construction details.
