Gold hardware
fat neck
Fender style body
Rotted lung or green vomit wood burl
Headless
Pink
Purple
fat neck
Fender style body
Rotted lung or green vomit wood burl
Headless
Pink
Purple
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Bass Features: Top Ten Personal Turn-Offs
- Thread starter Debased
- Start date
Strap buttons on the back.
Warwick style electronics covers.
Non bookmatched wood.
Soft finishes like the Fender Highway One and the Warwick ash models.
Visible wood joints that have not taken the paint evenly - many Fenders
Glossy necks.
Less than stellar customer service.
Non quick release bridges.
Truss rods with covers.
More than 4 strings.
18 volts.
Body designs that try so hard to be unique that they end up being butt-ugly (Bongo?)
Warwick style electronics covers.
Non bookmatched wood.
Soft finishes like the Fender Highway One and the Warwick ash models.
Visible wood joints that have not taken the paint evenly - many Fenders
Glossy necks.
Less than stellar customer service.
Non quick release bridges.
Truss rods with covers.
More than 4 strings.
18 volts.
Body designs that try so hard to be unique that they end up being butt-ugly (Bongo?)
1. Neck divey
2. More than 4 strings
3. Opaque finish - except for black
4. narrow neck width at the nut (i.e. Most Ibanez, Fender Jazz)
5. Gaps in the neck-body joint.
6. Thin/twangy sounding.
7. Thick (front to back) necks
8. White or very light colored pickguards.
9. Need a screwdriver to get to the battery (on active bases)
10. Flat body finish
2. More than 4 strings
3. Opaque finish - except for black
4. narrow neck width at the nut (i.e. Most Ibanez, Fender Jazz)
5. Gaps in the neck-body joint.
6. Thin/twangy sounding.
7. Thick (front to back) necks
8. White or very light colored pickguards.
9. Need a screwdriver to get to the battery (on active bases)
10. Flat body finish
I like all basses; life would be boring if everything was the same or always worked perfectly or was exactly what I wanted! Sure I have my favorites, but 'bad' or imperfect basses offer a different sort of challenge (probably in a perverse way!).
I always like be of the mindset that someone gives me a bass, any bass (and not mine) and as says get up on stage and play; anything from a $100 cr4pper to a $15k Ritter!
Just my opinion......
I always like be of the mindset that someone gives me a bass, any bass (and not mine) and as says get up on stage and play; anything from a $100 cr4pper to a $15k Ritter!
Just my opinion......
Andy Brown
Commercial User
- Jul 23, 2004
- 5,675
- 312
- Disclosures
- Founder/Owner: Wing Instruments
I may be the only person in the world who feels this way, but I hate an instrument that when left plugged in, the battery dies. Thus, I don't like active electronics. I don't need the batteries, wiring, knobs, complexity or any of the other pains that come along with onboard preamps, particularly when I can accomplish the same thing with a piece of gear (or multiples) in my rack. One with lots of labeled, easy to use knobs, that's lit up so I can see it, and that plugs into the wall.
I hear what you're saying here, but in defense of active basses, it's a lot more convenient to leave my amp flat and meld my tone on the bass. Even if the battery dies, I have a passive pull-up and passive tone.
Long/Curly upper horn
Small body
Overly fancy body shapes
Overly fancy finishes
Small tuners
Traben
Purple, Pink, Sea Foam Green
Complicated bridge design (Spector's Achilles Heel)
Gold Hardware
Quilted or Flamed tops
Fanned frets
Angled pickups
And... anything with a skull graphic on it.
Small body
Overly fancy body shapes
Overly fancy finishes
Small tuners
Traben
Purple, Pink, Sea Foam Green
Complicated bridge design (Spector's Achilles Heel)
Gold Hardware
Quilted or Flamed tops
Fanned frets
Angled pickups
And... anything with a skull graphic on it.
Gold hardware
Over-sized tuners
Smaller bodies
Poor access to upper frets
Too heavy
Cheap materials being used
Basses that sound good but look like a disaster
That's all I can think of.
Over-sized tuners
Smaller bodies
Poor access to upper frets
Too heavy
Cheap materials being used
Basses that sound good but look like a disaster
That's all I can think of.
Some of my pet peeves:
- Fat neck profiles (think Warwick).
- Tuning keys that send glitter reflections all over the dimly lit audience.
- Having to unscrew pickguards or cover plates to change pre-amp battery
- Dead spots on neck
- Neck dive
- Gold hardware
- one trick ponies
- Fat neck profiles (think Warwick).
- Tuning keys that send glitter reflections all over the dimly lit audience.
- Having to unscrew pickguards or cover plates to change pre-amp battery
- Dead spots on neck
- Neck dive
- Gold hardware
- one trick ponies
1. Most poly finishes, especially black... just nasty, give me wood grain anyday
2. Thin necks, my bad thumb cramps up on the low end after about 10 minutes otherwise
3. Weak necks, great for bending harmonics but not so good for much else. Mostly narrow, thin necks where the truss rod comes out of the head end IMO
4. Sig models, having another artist's name (and paying much more) on my instrument doesn't feel right to me.
5. Low tension B strings
6. Inacessable higher frets, if they're on the bass you should be able to reach them, is that too much to ask?
7. The lack of lefty instruments in stores
8. Ye olde neck dive
9. Cheap bridges that have enough lateral movement to drive a truck through, tuners that have loose as a goose gearing and generally anything engineered with crappy tolerances.
10. Jumbo frets or big frets
[11. Basses that aren't shaped like ducks]
2. Thin necks, my bad thumb cramps up on the low end after about 10 minutes otherwise
3. Weak necks, great for bending harmonics but not so good for much else. Mostly narrow, thin necks where the truss rod comes out of the head end IMO
4. Sig models, having another artist's name (and paying much more) on my instrument doesn't feel right to me.
5. Low tension B strings
6. Inacessable higher frets, if they're on the bass you should be able to reach them, is that too much to ask?
7. The lack of lefty instruments in stores
8. Ye olde neck dive
9. Cheap bridges that have enough lateral movement to drive a truck through, tuners that have loose as a goose gearing and generally anything engineered with crappy tolerances.
10. Jumbo frets or big frets
[11. Basses that aren't shaped like ducks]
1- No place for my thumb (but I have a bunch of old ebony piano keys, and I'm not afraid to use them)
2- Excessive weight (i.e., 10+ lbs. It's my fingers that should be tired after a gig, not my back)
3- Neck dive/poor balance (My left hand has enough to do without supporting the neck too)
4- Sticky neck finishes (800 grit is a miracle worker)
5- Cheap tuning machines (STAY! I say STAY PUT!)
6- Drop tuners (Just gimme another string)
7- Poor access (Whether it's battery doors, truss rod, or whatever, I want to be able to get to it without needing a full toolbox)
8- Plastic (Pickguards are the ONLY exception)
9- Fake relic finishes (If you want it to look like it's been played to death, then PLAY IT!)
10- Names that are worth more than the bass (Sting's endorsement won't make that P sound any better, and I've played good Alembics and bad Alembics)
All that said, all of the 6 basses in my current stable violated at least one of my preferences when I bought them, but I've never knowingly bought anything that I couldn't mod to suit me. The ultimate tests of any bass are its tone and feel; aesthetics can almost always be addressed.
All my own opinions, of course, YMMV.
2- Excessive weight (i.e., 10+ lbs. It's my fingers that should be tired after a gig, not my back)
3- Neck dive/poor balance (My left hand has enough to do without supporting the neck too)
4- Sticky neck finishes (800 grit is a miracle worker)
5- Cheap tuning machines (STAY! I say STAY PUT!)
6- Drop tuners (Just gimme another string)
7- Poor access (Whether it's battery doors, truss rod, or whatever, I want to be able to get to it without needing a full toolbox)
8- Plastic (Pickguards are the ONLY exception)
9- Fake relic finishes (If you want it to look like it's been played to death, then PLAY IT!)
10- Names that are worth more than the bass (Sting's endorsement won't make that P sound any better, and I've played good Alembics and bad Alembics)
All that said, all of the 6 basses in my current stable violated at least one of my preferences when I bought them, but I've never knowingly bought anything that I couldn't mod to suit me. The ultimate tests of any bass are its tone and feel; aesthetics can almost always be addressed.
All my own opinions, of course, YMMV.
What I'm not a fan of, in the order I think of them:
1. Neck Dive. This can be remedied, even with a SpinStrap or NSD Boomerang or pivot plate (or something of that nature), so there's just no excuse for it.
2. Bad fret jobs - those can hurt.
3. Basses that don't sound or feel right to me. That's all a preference thing, but it's the most important one of all.
4. Pickups and pres that don't work properly, even on a fantastic-feeling bass. Case in point: my Hohner B2 headless. It got so bad, I had to gut it. Fortunately, the neck was warped, so I'm just going to salvage the parts.
Otherwise, it's all good.
1. Neck Dive. This can be remedied, even with a SpinStrap or NSD Boomerang or pivot plate (or something of that nature), so there's just no excuse for it.
2. Bad fret jobs - those can hurt.
3. Basses that don't sound or feel right to me. That's all a preference thing, but it's the most important one of all.
4. Pickups and pres that don't work properly, even on a fantastic-feeling bass. Case in point: my Hohner B2 headless. It got so bad, I had to gut it. Fortunately, the neck was warped, so I'm just going to salvage the parts.
Otherwise, it's all good.
1.Maple Fretboards
2.Crappy Truss Rod Access
3.10,000 string basses (6 is enough thank you)
4.Basses without head stocks
5.Any more than 3 knobs
6.Batteries!!!!!
7.Thick necks (I have small fingers!!!)
8.Anything more than 24 frets (*** IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?)
9.Small string spacing (See #7)
10.Ridiculous colours (See anything neon or rainbow style)
2.Crappy Truss Rod Access
3.10,000 string basses (6 is enough thank you)
4.Basses without head stocks
5.Any more than 3 knobs
6.Batteries!!!!!
7.Thick necks (I have small fingers!!!)
8.Anything more than 24 frets (*** IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?)
9.Small string spacing (See #7)
10.Ridiculous colours (See anything neon or rainbow style)
Gold hardware is da bomb! Unless its already starting to wear a bit already when I buy it, an instrument get disassembled pronto.. all the gold hardware gets a very gentle cleaning and a light polishing with a very soft cloth. Then out comes the can of polyurethane. All areas of the gold gets a thin coating of the poly spray. I let it cure for at least 2 - 3 hours before the final touch: a mild polishing with carnuba wax to take out any inperfections in the poly coat. The trick is not to polish too long.. stop while you're ahead. The gold from that point foward always keeps the 'brand new' appearance.I've never fully understood why so many people dislike gold hardware. IMO, it looks classy.
Is it that it tends to tarnish easily? (because frankly, that's what I like about gold hardware)
I hate flat necks - (Think Pedulla Rapture)
I don't like basses with less then 24 frets.
I want a truss rod on the bass, you never know what can happen.
I don't like 4 strings.
I prefer active electronics, easier to hear tapping.
I dislike neck dive, although my 'Wick neck dives a bit ,but it's manageable.
I'd like a place on the bass to rest my thumb( Stingray owners, how high is the bridge pickup?)
I hate gold and chrome hardware, chrome only works for some things, like Fender, Sadowsky Vintage, Alleva Coppolo Vintage, Stingrays, and stuff like that. Chrome on a modern styled bass disgusts me.
I don't like basses with less then 24 frets.
I want a truss rod on the bass, you never know what can happen.
I don't like 4 strings.
I prefer active electronics, easier to hear tapping.
I dislike neck dive, although my 'Wick neck dives a bit ,but it's manageable.
I'd like a place on the bass to rest my thumb( Stingray owners, how high is the bridge pickup?)
I hate gold and chrome hardware, chrome only works for some things, like Fender, Sadowsky Vintage, Alleva Coppolo Vintage, Stingrays, and stuff like that. Chrome on a modern styled bass disgusts me.
So basically you will never buy any Jazz Bass clone, even if it's a Sadowsky or Valenti, unless they customize it so much it ain't a JB clone no more.
I don't think I have ten reasons to reject a bass, but here goes:
Neck too thin or thick I'm very picky about how the neck feels. I don't like vintage gloss lacquer finishes and I don't like baseball bats or toothpicks. That makes Warwicks, Pedullas and Ibanezes unpalateable IMO, as well as any Fender RI (for the lacquer finish).
String spacing too narrow. The two basses I play most often, my project Mexi Jazz and my Yamaha TRB, have string spacing in the 18-19mm range. I can't deal with a bass any narrower than 18mm. I can however deal with slightly wider in a four-string like my Yammie BB or my acoustic bass. What's weird is I also play guitar, so I'm more than used to mashing fingers together for an A chord.
"Worn-in" basses. Not a big fan of pawn shop specials or relics. If I wore it in it's got character and mojo. If I didn't wear it in it's just old and/or beat-up.
Overly "artistic" builds. I like flame and quilt bodies, but much beyond that is a bit on the eccentric side, not to mention heavy in the case of some of the more exotic dark tonewoods like bubinga, ovankol, koa, etc. I can do without zebrawood fingerboards, figured koa tops, five-piece necks and other high-dollar hunks o' wood.
Vanilla pickguards. Solid colors are boring. Pearl doesn't cost but pennies more per square foot to make, and looks so much better. On top of that, pearls vary and each one is unique. Stop selling the plain white pickguards when everyone under the sun swaps em out!
Pickguards that cover the entire front. I don't like the 5-string MMs for this very reason. They paint a beautiful black cherry burst body, then cover 80% of it with a BWB pickguard. What's the point of visually interesting finishes? I'm not saying ALL pickguards are t3h 3\/1|_, but there's a point when it's just not cool anymore.
Switch-freak electronics. Volume, pan, three-band. That's my limit. A TRUE active-passive switch is OK, as is a piezo blend, but that's six knobs and one switch. Max. Anyone who needs a full soundboard and effects board integrated into their bass needs to discover what a bass is supposed to do. And show me any switch-freak bass owner and I'll show you a bass owner who fiddles more than he plays.
Nope, not ten, but there you have it. My tastes are not so specific; there are basses that lookg good that have nothing in common with each other, and basses that look terrible that are put together exactly the same way.
I don't think I have ten reasons to reject a bass, but here goes:
Neck too thin or thick I'm very picky about how the neck feels. I don't like vintage gloss lacquer finishes and I don't like baseball bats or toothpicks. That makes Warwicks, Pedullas and Ibanezes unpalateable IMO, as well as any Fender RI (for the lacquer finish).
String spacing too narrow. The two basses I play most often, my project Mexi Jazz and my Yamaha TRB, have string spacing in the 18-19mm range. I can't deal with a bass any narrower than 18mm. I can however deal with slightly wider in a four-string like my Yammie BB or my acoustic bass. What's weird is I also play guitar, so I'm more than used to mashing fingers together for an A chord.
"Worn-in" basses. Not a big fan of pawn shop specials or relics. If I wore it in it's got character and mojo. If I didn't wear it in it's just old and/or beat-up.
Overly "artistic" builds. I like flame and quilt bodies, but much beyond that is a bit on the eccentric side, not to mention heavy in the case of some of the more exotic dark tonewoods like bubinga, ovankol, koa, etc. I can do without zebrawood fingerboards, figured koa tops, five-piece necks and other high-dollar hunks o' wood.
Vanilla pickguards. Solid colors are boring. Pearl doesn't cost but pennies more per square foot to make, and looks so much better. On top of that, pearls vary and each one is unique. Stop selling the plain white pickguards when everyone under the sun swaps em out!
Pickguards that cover the entire front. I don't like the 5-string MMs for this very reason. They paint a beautiful black cherry burst body, then cover 80% of it with a BWB pickguard. What's the point of visually interesting finishes? I'm not saying ALL pickguards are t3h 3\/1|_, but there's a point when it's just not cool anymore.
Switch-freak electronics. Volume, pan, three-band. That's my limit. A TRUE active-passive switch is OK, as is a piezo blend, but that's six knobs and one switch. Max. Anyone who needs a full soundboard and effects board integrated into their bass needs to discover what a bass is supposed to do. And show me any switch-freak bass owner and I'll show you a bass owner who fiddles more than he plays.
Nope, not ten, but there you have it. My tastes are not so specific; there are basses that lookg good that have nothing in common with each other, and basses that look terrible that are put together exactly the same way.
I try to keep an open mind, but there are a few things, so my list is only 5 long.
Please nobody get offended, these are strictly my opinions. I'm not trying to bash your bass.
1. anything with a longer scale than 34"
2. more than 4 strings
3. overly ritzy finishes (e.g. many carvin)
4. modern-style humbuckers
5. active preamp
Please nobody get offended, these are strictly my opinions. I'm not trying to bash your bass.
1. anything with a longer scale than 34"
2. more than 4 strings
3. overly ritzy finishes (e.g. many carvin)
4. modern-style humbuckers
5. active preamp
