Attributes people complain about but...

[NKUSigEp]

On the other end of the spectrum, you also have those people who complain about basses being too versatile. They're my favorite.

I don't complain about a bass being too versatile but I'd rather have something that has one really great sound than a couple of just ok ones. It's just been my experience that once you start trying to make one bass that sounds like a bunch of others, you end up with something similar to, but not quite exactly dead-on the other tones. So perhaps I shy away from basses like a Line 6 Variax for this reason.

 

[spade2you]

I don't complain about a bass being too versatile but I'd rather have something that has one really great sound than a couple of just ok ones.

Who made it a rule that a bass can only have ONE good tone and not several great ones? I have several basses that have multiple amazing tones.

 

[KBarker]

I have my own personal hang-up about basses....I don't care for the look of basses that have all of the tuner's on one side of the headstock. No muscial reason, or even a logical one, it's just a personal preference.

What that means is when I walk into a shop, I usually don't even pick up a fender or squier or whatever...and stick to the basses that visually appeal to me.

Silly I think, but I have not been able to shake that quirk in 15 years.

 

[NKUSigEp]

Who made it a rule that a bass can only have ONE good tone and not several great ones? I have several basses that have multiple amazing tones.

Add the rest of my post to your quote and you'll have answered your own question

 

[spade2you]

Add the rest of my post to your quote and you'll have answered your own question

I was not referring to the Variaxe, but basses that still have several different and great tones. A bass like the Fender Urge comes to mind with great P, J, PJ combos. There seems to be a general sentiment on TB that if a bass has multiple useful tones, they're not as good.

 

[NKUSigEp]

I was not referring to the Variaxe, but basses that still have several different and great tones. A bass like the Fender Urge comes to mind with great P, J, PJ combos. There seems to be a general sentiment on TB that if a bass has multiple useful tones, they're not as good.

I wasn't referring to the Variax either...just my own personal opinion

 

[Noosh]

Initial impression of a bass' tone.


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

yea, i agree. BUT if I notice and it makes ME happy, I tend to play better. I mean dosent everyone want their tone to fit well in the mix and sound good to them... personally, if im satisfied with what my bass sounds like i could care less what other people think... thats just me though

 

[Bass Viking]

It's just been my experience that once you start trying to make one bass that sounds like a bunch of others, you end up with something similar to, but not quite exactly dead-on the other tones.

One thing I've noticed on Talkbass is ultra-pickiness. For people like me, close enough is fine. OK, maybe my parts bass with the P pickup and Jazz pickup doesn't nail the 60s rosewood board Motown sound or the Jazz sound with 70s pickup spacing (or whatever) but it's good enough for me.

 

[spade2you]

One thing I've noticed on Talkbass is ultra-pickiness. For people like me, close enough is fine. OK, maybe my parts bass with the P pickup and Jazz pickup doesn't nail the 60s rosewood board Motown sound or the Jazz sound with 70s pickup spacing (or whatever) but it's good enough for me.

Wrong. Both suck.


Get a Fender, n00b!

 

[bluesblaster]

doesnt really matter if I,m playing an active 5 or just a plain and simple P bass, I just dial in a tone thats acceptable to my ears and go with it. Look, its a bass, it goes thump thump or whackity snap or whatever sound you can coax out of it, dont over analyse it, just play the thing. It really comes down to the player more than what gizmo or what name it says on the freakin headstock.

 

[SnakeAnthony]

Snobbery cuts both ways, doesn't it? I think I've seen just as many low end snobs as high end snobs in here.

Surely. But I noted not to either direction. I play a Fender Geddy Lee because it did what I wanted it to, and was a better palette for the changes I would have made to any bass to get what I personally desired out of it than the other basses I played. Simple as that.

 

[Bass Viking]

Wrong. Both suck.


Get a Fender, n00b!

Waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!! Mommy!!!!

 

[82Daion]

#1 for me is "too many knobs."

Yes, there are some manufacturers out there that put a lot of controls on their basses, but it really isn't that great of an imposition to learn the functions of the controls (or just leave them alone, for that matter) if you like the fundamental sound of the bass. If you can run a stereo receiver or the radio in your car, figuring out volume, pan, bass, and treble on the instrument shouldn't be that taxing.

Of course, I'm used to mixing consoles, so my perception may be warped slightly.

 

[JSK5String]

It really comes down to the player more than what gizmo or what name it says on the freakin headstock.

+1000 - Said it before & I'll say it again, you can either play or you can't. A $5K bass 100 pedals and a wall of SVT's won't help you if you suck. It just makes it more obvious to everyone in the room that you suck. Sad, but true.