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Bass Features: Top Ten Personal Turn-Offs

#321
My opinions go to eleven!

In no particular order, except for the singlecut being the top 1 turn-off.

1. Singlecuts. Don't know why, but they look ugly to me.
2. Gold hardware.
3. P-basses. I just don't like them.
4. Basses with more than 6 strings. The neck just looks too wide.
5. Wide necks (5- and 6-strings with 19-20mm spacing), and necks with lacquer finish.
6. Big neck joints on bolt-ons.
7. Bad tuners.
8. Old strings and flatwound strings.
9. Passive electronics.
10. Fretless without lines. Doesn't look nice to me.
11. Most of the solid-coloured basses. And special mention to sunbursts (they are the ugliest by far). Wood is pretty, paint rarely is. High-gloss lacquer is worth mentioning too.

Don't be offended by these if you have a sunburst unlined fretless P-bass or a 7-string singlecut with gold hardware, passive electronics and flatwound strings, these are just my opinions.

You can have your own :)
 
#329
Jonah said:
Oh, ok :D

For the tone, only roundwounds on a fretless. To each his own :D
Click to expand...

Agreed. I live for fretless growl, sustain, and articulation, not to mention the melodic use of those beautiful sliding harmonics, so for me a good fretless is completely wasted with flats. FWIW, my ebony boards have only superficial wear even after fifteen years of regular playing. All it takes is good technique.
 
#330
Anything that looks like a fender as I think they are some of the ugliest instruments ever designed (even though my bass is a jazz clone).

Single cuts because to me they look unfinished (ugly)

more than 6 strings because the neck is way too wide.

solid colors because I prefer natural wood (even though my bass is black).
 
#331
hmmmm im bored, ill bite,

10- Active, too many knobs, too hi-fi
9- roundwound strings, too zingy
8- no pickguard, i like plastic.
7- new looking, beat up is your friend.
6- more than 21 frets, e to e is all i need
5- more than 4 strings, 5 strings are just too low, and 6 is too high
4- satin/flat finish, too dull
3- small tuners, i like Cloverleafs.
2- "hippie sandwiches" cause theres too much goin on
1- unexposed pole pieces.
 
#332
1. more than 4 strings
2. bright round wound strings
3. active electronics
4. headless basses
5. fretlines on a fretless
6. 2 pickup basses with only one volume control
7. sterile sounding pickups
8. cheaply made basses
9. cheap copies of expensive basses
10. companies that offer cheap lines usually made in a foreign country
11. round wounds on a fretless, too thin sounding and have nothing to do with the amount of growl.
12. little tuners
13. modded basses, especially vintage basses
 
#333
huge bodies
shaped like well known guitars
super oversized tuners
5 inline tuners
unlined fretless (sorry guys, it's not an upright :eek:)
wide fretboards
super wide straps
tobacco burst finishes
ramps
wrist bands and fingerless gloves on the owners
 
#337
I suppose I should throw in my top ten as well...

1. Weird knob configurations (volume should be closest to you, any onboard eq should at least attempt to be intuitive).

2. Signature models that are really just the same old same old with a fancy name on them. Give me different pickups or neck profiles or something.

3. 6+ strings, I have nothing but respect for those that wield an ERB effectively, but it's just not for me and since we're doing something as subject as "personal turn-offs" then that's how it is.

4. Hard-to-reach truss-rod adjustments - this is such a common procedure that neck removal shouldn't be required.

5. Purple: Just has never looked right on a bass in my eyes, sorry.

6. Anything that doesn't balance right - and I mean both standing and sitting. If the neck dives or if it slides off your lap, that ain't right.

7. EQ or pickup balance knobs without center detents. 'Nuff said.

8. A sunburst or cherryburst finish with a white pickguard. Ugh.

9. Narrow string spacing (especially on fives).

10. Lined fretless - the lines never seem to fully match up with correct intonation any way. I was afraid of my unlined fretless when I first purchased it, but now I understand.
 
#339
colorblindbass said:
hmmmm im bored, ill bite,

10- Active, too many knobs, too hi-fi
9- roundwound strings, too zingy
8- no pickguard, i like plastic.
7- new looking, beat up is your friend.
6- more than 21 frets, e to e is all i need
5- more than 4 strings, 5 strings are just too low, and 6 is too high
4- satin/flat finish, too dull
3- small tuners, i like Cloverleafs.
2- "hippie sandwiches" cause theres too much goin on
1- unexposed pole pieces.
Click to expand...

Let me guess. You play an old Fender don't you?
 

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