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Bass Features: Top Ten Personal Turn-Offs

#181
Man, reading through this thread you all sound like a bunch of crotchety 90 year old men so set in your ways you can't even imagine thinking about anything different or new. No wonder Fender is still the main brand of choice, everything else would be just way too different and way to much change for you guys to take. It'd be like asking granny to program your blackberry.:smug:
 
#182
L-1329 said:
Man, reading through this thread you all sound like a bunch of crotchety 90 year old men so set in your ways you can't even imagine thinking about anything different or new. No wonder Fender is still the main brand of choice, everything else would be just way too different and way to much change for you guys to take. It'd be like asking granny to program your blackberry.:smug:
Click to expand...

Not me, man. I'm doing whatever it takes to make sure mine are about as unFender as possible. ;)

DSC00707.jpg
 
#183
Debased said:
1) Poor truss rod access.

2) Opaque paint.

3) Less than 24 frets or stops.

4) Non-quick-release bridges.

5) "Classic" (Fender/Gibson/etc.) slab body and headstock designs.

6) Excessive weight.

7) Less than five strings.

8) String trees.

9) Pickguards.

10) Short upper horns.
Click to expand...

Dang, the original poster is picky!!!! The only one of his 'turn-offs" I agree with is excessive weight. most of what he dislikes is what I PREFER!!

Just don't being me no ugly basses. And I'll define ugly. It includes woods that look like they have wood leprosy.
 
#187
Debased said:
That's an unusual complaint. What's not to like?
Click to expand...

Warp-o-matic, anyone? ;)

I see them as a hindrance to easy adjustment with a great potential to throw the neck out of whack, especially in the hands of someone inexperienced. I'd rather have a single truss with graphite reinforcement than a dual rod, as adjustment is easier, and there's none of the guesswork involved in making sure the rods are at equal tension like you have in a dual-rod neck.

Have you ever wondered why Rick doesn't ship a truss rod tool with their basses? ;)
 
#188
Haha, I think this is pretty fun.

1) non-bypassable preamp: I like to be able to go passive, for both tone, and battery reasons
2) more than one volume knob: I hate having two volume knobs. I like there to be one knob for volume, and one for a pickup pan. Makes things a whole lot easier
3) skinny necks: I don't know why, but my hand cramps up when I play on really skinny necks (think ibanez) I'm more of a warwick guy
4) neckdive: I don't think anyone is going to disagree with me on this, but I have to be able to let the bass go while it's strapped on, and have it stay
5) less or more than 6 strings: I might be able to do with a fiver, but really, for some reason I'm just at home on a 6 string
6) neck throughs: It's not really a deal breaker, but I prefer bolt on, for both tonal, and accidental reasons (if the neck breaks, I can just buy a replacement neck)
7) huge bodies: I don't care if it's chambered and airlight; if the body is huge, it just irks me.
8) a bazillion knobs: I know, I know, you get used to it. But I like there to be as little for me to accidentally flip/twist/press while I'm playing.
9) too "laid back" of a tone: I like my bass sound to demand recognition. I want it to punch through the crowd
10) finished basses: I like the natural wood to shine through. I especially like the look of wax finish instruments.

~K
 
#189
1) non-bypassable preamp: I like to be able to go passive, for both tone, and battery reasons
2) more than one volume knob: I hate having two volume knobs. I like there to be one knob for volume, and one for a pickup pan. Makes things a whole lot easier
Click to expand...
I asked Brian Barrett about this, and was told something very interesting. A true fader (for pickup blend) essentially cannot be done with passive circuitry. If you want to bypass your battery, either you get two volume knobs, or you get a master volume and a kind of fake-it filter for pickup selection that does serious insult to your tone.

Bottom line: unless you're willing to accept crappy tone, your preference #1 and #2 are mutually exclusive. You can't have both at the same time.
 
#190
1) Anything other than 19mm string spacing!!!
2) less than 24 frets.
3) exposed poles on pickups
4) Emg's
5) Maple fingerboard
6) Multi-color paint jobs (bursts, some MTD)
7) string trees
8) unnecessary large headstocks
9) small or no pickups
10) controles to far forward (i hit them when i slap)
 
#191
1. Sharp fret ends; they snag my fingers.

2. Skinny necks; I feel like I'm throttling a toothpick.

3. Sharp nut ends; sometimes when I play around the first fret I'll bump the nut and it is just uncomfortable.

4. Active basses; I just can't get into them for some reason.

5. Blocky neck heels; again, it's a comfort thing.

6. Six string basses; I can be comfy on four strings or five, but I can't get with a sixer.

7. Clear finishes on wood with a plain wood grain; I just don't like the look.

8. Overly tight string spacing on five strings; I could adapt to tight spacing, but it is a PITA.

9. Matte finishes; I prefer the look of glossy paint. Natural basses--matte or gloss--are not affected by this rule (see rule #7).

10. Basses with graphic overload (racing strips, air-brushed artwork, etc) just turn me off.

Bo
 
#195
1.anything active YUCK! batteries!
2.basses with long upper horn,i feel that they hang too far back.i like the strap at between the 12th and 14th fret.i play my bass real low.
3.asymetrical "butt" like a jazz bass.i feel it makes the bass neck stick up like a boner!i like a nice big round booty i mean body
4.thick "poly" finishes,its gotta be nitro!and i gotta see grain.
5.too small head stocks.and the small tuners that go with them.i just don't like how they look.my all time favorite head stock shape is a 70's Guild.neck dive doesn't bother me since i play my bass with 2 hands.
6."bass wood body" 'nuf said.
7.any pickup by EMG.too trebbly/spikey.
8.anything with more than 4 strings.you know one string has every note.the rest is just for show.
9.anything too small and light.i like some size and weight to my instruments.i'm from Brooklyn, so i like them big bottomed girls!
10.quilted maple or other fancy grains,i like sunbursts but not that curly stuff.
i don't really care for black or gold hardware,but i could live with it.fancy inlays,i guess it depends on the bass.they look good on Rics.binding feels nice on guitar but i've never played a bass with it.i don't really even need 21 frets.i'd be fine with 14 or 15.i like simple looking basses with simple control layouts.passive pups only!not too many knobs. I prefer having a pick guard but only for aesthetic reasons.even though 2 of my 9 basses don't have 'em.also i'm not crazy about rosewood 'boards.i prefer ebony or maple.i've never tried exotic wood boards.i tend to prefer vintage and vintage styled basses.most modern basses don't do much for me.but i tend to prefer the old simple hard way with most things.i like hard tail motorcycles that leak oil,heavy ass Ampeg SVT's,old muscle cars,leather jackets,chuck taylor's etc..so my taste in basses reflects me.i'm 35 and have been playing bass for 18 years.
 
#196
Kobaia said:
7) string trees
Click to expand...

Wow. I think you're the first person in this thread to agree with me on that one. IMO, strings trees and the associated headstock designs that require them are cluttered and cheap looking, and represent an unacceptable design shortcut.

If the builder is cutting back on the necessary labor and/or material to do the job right--achieving a decent string breaking-angle over the nut via a tilt-back or deeply scooped headstock--it had better be reflected in the price. When I see expensive custom basses with string trees, I always think that the builder is cutting corners on quality and pocketing the difference rather than passing it on to the the buyer.
 
#198
10. Dead strings

09. Dead notes

08. Truss rod rattle

07. Sloppy fretwork

06. High action

05. Super light basses

04. Basses with more then 4 strings.......just being honest.

03. Loose strap bolts

02. Gold hardware

01. Clunky necks
 
#199
The only BIG turnoff for me is hum. I hate noisey electronics. If my $100 Squier doesn't hum there is no reason for a $1000 bass to either!

But in all honesty I would find a way to quiet it down if I really wanted the bass. Everything else in the thread I could probably find a work around (fix) for.

I guess I am not very picky.
 

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