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Attributes people complain about but...

NKUSigEp

NKUSigEp

Supporting Member
Jun 6, 2006
5,232
208
Bright, IN
#1
What sort of things do you hear people complain about on a bass but think they're just trying to find reasons why not to like it?

For example, I swear I've seen someone write some sort of remark saying how the neck was way too big for almost every bass out there. I can't help but think that they either can't play or can't adapt to something different.

And my favorite is when someone complains about how versatile something is. How many people actually use more than 2 different types of tones? I know there are a few out there but seriously, almost everyone finds that sweet spot and sticks with it.
 
#3
NKUSigEp said:
And my favorite is when someone complains about how versatile something is. How many people actually use more than 2 different types of tones? I know there are a few out there but seriously, almost everyone finds that sweet spot and sticks with it.
Click to expand...

+1

I never change my settings live except for maybe a different coil setting on the ray. I mean who really has time to dial in a completely new sound in a real gig? Plus you give the FOH guy a nightmare... I prefer to have basses that can do one or two sounds very good than a bass that does a whole bunch of sounds ok...
 
#5
Initial impression of a bass' tone.

I say this because honestly, how much is anyone going to listen to just you playing? For most of the players out there, not a whole lot. So I refuse to make judgements about a particular tone until I hear it mixed in with MY band, with ME playing it. Makes shopping for new basses a beeyotch though ;)

Also, 60 cycle hum.

Just another thing people spend money on (aftermarket PU's, upgrades on a custom bass, etc.) that nobody but you will EVER notice.
 
#6
What's on the headstock. And TalkBass hasn't helped with this. Snobbery has gotten bad, where now a Fender that I may love and prefer over something like a Sadowsky (which I actually do) will be looked down upon, for not saying Sadowsky.

Or lets say that someone had a bad experience with a modern Gibson bass. Because of that guy getting on to TalkBass, complaining about his experience, 400 people could read it, and at least 300 of those will take it to heart that modern Gibson basses are under par in all aspects. No one knows anything for sure until they've had it in their own hands.
 
#7
NKUSigEp said:
And my favorite is when someone complains about how versatile something is. How many people actually use more than 2 different types of tones? I know there are a few out there but seriously, almost everyone finds that sweet spot and sticks with it.
Click to expand...

+1 - Totally agree here. I know I'm going to get completely throttled for this next remark, but...

I really love the threads for "Posting Your Pedal Board," because some of them are very well thought out and unbelievabley cool, and I'll be posting my latest shortly. However, I ditto an earlier post here about finding your tone and going with it, or else you're a nightmare for the FOH soundman. I can't tell you how many times in the last 25+ years the soundman in a club has thanked me for giving him one, solid tone to mix versus what they call the "pedal dancers," who are a nightmare to mix. I have only two pedals that get stepped on during gigs, my tuner and my boost. I use a little boost for those times when the guitards drop out and it's just me so it doesn't sound like the band disappeared, especially when the soundman doesn't know our material as well as we do.

"Of course, that's just my opinion and I could be wrong." - Dennis Miller :D
 
#8
SnakeAnthony said:
What's on the headstock. And TalkBass hasn't helped with this. Snobbery has gotten bad, where now a Fender that I may love and prefer over something like a Sadowsky (which I actually do) will be looked down upon, for not saying Sadowsky.
Click to expand...

+1 here as well. My $650 Fender Jazz has killer tone and except for the BadAss bridge it's totally stock. Here's my snobbery quote for you, "You can either play or you can't, all the cool gear in the world isn't going to make you sound any better if you don't got the groove in your soul." :scowl:
 
#10
SnakeAnthony said:
What's on the headstock. And TalkBass hasn't helped with this. Snobbery has gotten bad, where now a Fender that I may love and prefer over something like a Sadowsky (which I actually do) will be looked down upon, for not saying Sadowsky.

Or lets say that someone had a bad experience with a modern Gibson bass. Because of that guy getting on to TalkBass, complaining about his experience, 400 people could read it, and at least 300 of those will take it to heart that modern Gibson basses are under par in all aspects. No one knows anything for sure until they've had it in their own hands.
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+6. :)

The fact that my headstock says rockbass does not mean it is inferior to warwick - I like the tone of my rockbass more than the tone of all warwicks I've played.
 
#12
NKUSigEp said:
What sort of things do you hear people complain about on a bass but think they're just trying to find reasons why not to like it?

For example, I swear I've seen someone write some sort of remark saying how the neck was way too big for almost every bass out there. I can't help but think that they either can't play or can't adapt to something different.

And my favorite is when someone complains about how versatile something is. How many people actually use more than 2 different types of tones? I know there are a few out there but seriously, almost everyone finds that sweet spot and sticks with it.
Click to expand...

I'm always chnaging my tone. Screw the soundman :cool:
 
#13
Fine Cut said:
exactly...i'm a die-hard Squier advocate
Click to expand...

Oh, totally. I liked the squier fretless I played better than the fender and warwick fretlesses I played. They're great, and a friend of mine gets some of the nicest tones I've yet heard from a Squier P-bass.

I have to partially agree with the versatility thing. If I want a different tone, I'll prolly switch basses in between songs. But the versatility is still nice when you're a youtube poster like me. :)

Being able to alternate between Paul D'amour's growl to Justin Chancellor's mids helps with my Tool covers, simply with the twist of a knob. But I can't see myself doing that live. I'd rather play everything, even covers, in my tone live.
 
#14
I have a few basses now, that are different in many ways (4/5 strings, thin /thick neck, broadneck and whathaveyou) but it all comes down to getting used to handle bass variations. Awkward at first, then you adjust. After a lot of switching and adjusting, you don't find it such a big obstacle anymore. It gets easier with practice, just like everything else... Those who "whine" just haven't practiced it. :)
 
#15
My pet peeve is people who will have nothing to do with a bass because they don't like the shape of the headstock. To me, that's pretty low on the priority list. Someone on TB even said they didn't care if "bass x" was the best playing and sounding instrument they'd ever tried, the headstock was a deal killer for them. You'd think if the bass was that good they could maybe overlook that aspect? :rolleyes:
 
#16
superfunk47 said:
Initial impression of a bass' tone.

I say this because honestly, how much is anyone going to listen to just you playing? For most of the players out there, not a whole lot.

.................

Just another thing people spend money on (aftermarket PU's, upgrades on a custom bass, etc.) that nobody but you will EVER notice.
Click to expand...

I don't know if I'm alone on this, but if my bass sounds good I feel more inspired when playing and it gets easier for me to feel and get in the music.

This is why I changed my Fender stock PU's and preamp. I really felt like I was missing something when I was playing with any of my bands.

Basically my tone is important to me. I just go directly in my amp, so all I can really change is settings on my bass and settings on my amp. If I'm the only one who notices it then isn't that the most important bit?
 
#17
I don't think you're going to change people's prejudices about brands like Squier overnight. Fender has been the standard since the beginning. It's the only brand some people even know when you talk about electric bass.

To me, color and finish are the main things people seem to complain about. If it's not a Fender jazz with a tort guard, forget it.
 
#18
price.

Most people have a decent head on theri shoulders, but the extremes get a little out there. Meaning, some people slag higher priced bass cause their cheap bass suffices, and they expect that it will suffice for everyone. And the opposite, some people pay a ridiculous amount for a bass (which I have done many times without complaint), and then claim that the bass should levitate or something outside of the normal bass function. It's a freakin bass, it can't cook. If you don't know why you paid that much, don't point at anyone else being the idiot.
 
#19
NKUSigEp said:
For example, I swear I've seen someone write some sort of remark saying how the neck was way too big for almost every bass out there. I can't help but think that they either can't play or can't adapt to something different.

And my favorite is when someone complains about how versatile something is. How many people actually use more than 2 different types of tones? I know there are a few out there but seriously, almost everyone finds that sweet spot and sticks with it.
Click to expand...

I agree with both of these! I couldn't count how many times I've heard people say a Precision neck was too big. Are you kidding? Play a Roscoe Beck V for a little while. Makes a Precision neck feel like a toy.

A little tonal variety is nice but, gee, do you need 5 knobs, 4 switches and 3 pickups on a bass? I dial in one usable tone a night. Take more of an upright player's approach and vary your hand position a little.
 

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