Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Bass that exceeded expectation?
- Thread starter Anthbass
- Start date
Music Man Stingray 5 HH.
I can get that classic ray tone, and a bunch more, best bass I have ever had esp. for playing live, it just cuts right through!!
I can get that classic ray tone, and a bunch more, best bass I have ever had esp. for playing live, it just cuts right through!!
My Squier Mike Dirnt is an amazing specimen. It weighs only 6.5 pounds, has some of the nicest feeling pots I have ever had the pleasure to use, and it sounds more like a Stingray or a Wal than a normal P. It also is quite loud, even unplugged. I love love love love love it.
My Ric, obviously
The sounds in my head before I got this bass was what I thought of as "normal". The "canny" metallic top-end, with a pillow of underlying bass. It started with early Billy Gould.
The first week I had it, I was wondering why I even bought it, but i grew to like it a lot. Especially the first time I heard its' recorded sound.
The sounds in my head before I got this bass was what I thought of as "normal". The "canny" metallic top-end, with a pillow of underlying bass. It started with early Billy Gould.
The first week I had it, I was wondering why I even bought it, but i grew to like it a lot. Especially the first time I heard its' recorded sound.
+1. I've had a Classic Sterling for almost a year. I'm just in love with it. Been thinking about adding a second Sterling -- a Stealth. In situations where I want a tough, cut-through sound, the Sterling is perfect. And its size and neck profile really appeals to me. Not to mention I find the bass gorgeous.
My Ken Smith. Had only seen and heard them. Ordered one
without trying it. Very impressed, great setup, playability and
and tone. More than happy with it. Would I buy another?
Yep, in a heartbeat.
without trying it. Very impressed, great setup, playability and
and tone. More than happy with it. Would I buy another?
Yep, in a heartbeat.
My white Spector Euro, purchased five years ago.
I had never played a Spector before, and because there were none in Denver to try out at the time, I ordered one from Bass Central. It quickly replaced my Rickenbacker 4003 as my main bass, and as you can see, I am hooked now. The blue USA NS-4 in the center is my latest, and it is the best sounding, best playing bass I have ever played or owned, and I've played & owned a lot of them over the past 30 years...
I had never played a Spector before, and because there were none in Denver to try out at the time, I ordered one from Bass Central. It quickly replaced my Rickenbacker 4003 as my main bass, and as you can see, I am hooked now. The blue USA NS-4 in the center is my latest, and it is the best sounding, best playing bass I have ever played or owned, and I've played & owned a lot of them over the past 30 years...
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,793
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
My white USA Lakland Joe Osborn. Alder body, rosewood board, quarter-sawn neck, passive, stacked knobs, olympic white w/shell guard.
I checked out a Fender Custom Shop Jazz right before I got the Lakland...the Lakland blows it out of the water. My favorite #1 bass I've ever played/touched/owned.
Bought it here on TB sight unseen for a quite a bit of cash. Best money I ever spent!!!
On my way out the door right now to do a gig with it...later!!!!
I checked out a Fender Custom Shop Jazz right before I got the Lakland...the Lakland blows it out of the water. My favorite #1 bass I've ever played/touched/owned.
Bought it here on TB sight unseen for a quite a bit of cash. Best money I ever spent!!!
On my way out the door right now to do a gig with it...later!!!!
Squier Affinity Jazz V. Bought just for backup to the Fender I was gigging, I can't say I was expecting much, especially buying it on line, but turned out there’s really nothing bad I can say about it. Maybe I got lucky. If I gave it the attention it deserves, it has the potential to be as good as most-any Jazz V.
Ibanez ATK305. Another great experience gotten with that deal at MF. I thought it was pretty ugly, the string spacing was less than I was used to (but at least not skinny), but I went for it. Awesome bass, no problem with the string spacing, and after taking the pickguard off, I actually really like the unique look of it with the triburst finish and the huge bridge.
Lightwave SL 5 I got new at amazon, normally $1045 for ~$550, so I figured I’d check it out, and have an actually light-weight bass. I actually disliked the body more when I saw how physically small it is, and I don’t like the solid red any more than I did then, but I have to say, the low notes ring out so clearly, I just can’t get any of my other basses to do the same.
Ibanez ATK305. Another great experience gotten with that deal at MF. I thought it was pretty ugly, the string spacing was less than I was used to (but at least not skinny), but I went for it. Awesome bass, no problem with the string spacing, and after taking the pickguard off, I actually really like the unique look of it with the triburst finish and the huge bridge.
Lightwave SL 5 I got new at amazon, normally $1045 for ~$550, so I figured I’d check it out, and have an actually light-weight bass. I actually disliked the body more when I saw how physically small it is, and I don’t like the solid red any more than I did then, but I have to say, the low notes ring out so clearly, I just can’t get any of my other basses to do the same.
Engine207
Losing faith in humanity...one call at a time.
Mine is an '08 Fender Classic Series 70s Jazz. I bought it for the nice fat neck, but it sounds awesome in every situation I've used it. It's fit, finish, and hardware are as nice as most MIAs I've seen. The best part is that it only cost me $616 new at Guitar Center. Easily the favorite of all my basses.
hi I'm new in this forum
greats from Indonesia
i just buy squier jazz bass with serial no CN 60xxxx4
and neck had some mark like a stamp
what it mean, is good or not ??
any cant help me for indentify this bass
thank you
sorry for my bad english
greats from Indonesia
i just buy squier jazz bass with serial no CN 60xxxx4
and neck had some mark like a stamp
what it mean, is good or not ??
any cant help me for indentify this bass
thank you
sorry for my bad english
fortunately, most of my 2 dozen+ basses have overachieved, flats will likely improve them substantially. but before getting to that long overdue proce$$ I became obsessed with this Epi IV 'bird at our GC and before I could snag the stunner someone else had, then 2mos later by the grace of Bass God I got a 2nd chance and it's mine for $180 (considering sales tax) less and still in mint cond. knowing this could easily be my lifetime bass if further perfected I ventured out for my first set of flatwounds in decades and bought some disappointingly shrill EB Slinkys, then sadly applied some bacon grease and went to bed with high but unrealistic hopes. woke up to find all the bad aspects gone. yay! replaced by the sound I'd hoped for and perfection was achieved. dbl. yay! that I'm still being blown away with every aspect of this bass despite the obtrusive heel block screams that she's definitely exceeded the highest of expectations, like a dream come true. I can dial in the classic T-Bird sound to my satisfactions plus cool versions of my beloved P bass tones, yet there's so much more, and 0 unpleasantries. I even prefer the reach, making other basses feel like short scales or guitars ...ick! lol this factor alone may be saving me thousands of dollars seeking out old Gibsons or other prospective buys, even spending on more flatwounds for my other basses may be pointless. I don't see me playing another bass unless my first, a '65 dot neck Fender BASS V returns to fab form with it's bowed neck fixed permanently, but still, this ultimate Thunderbird simply can't be beaten. add in the sex appeal styling and there's not much made today that can contend for such old school beauty, tone, and performance. this baby crushes!
2014 Gibson Midtown. I was looking for a semi-hollowbody Gibson, but full scale, so I got this one based purely on those factors. Installed custom Novak pickups (Starfire and EB-2 tones for days), a Hipshot bridge, and TI Flats. What started as a curiosity has become one of my main players.
It's difficult for me to put sounds into words. A big factor was curiosity. I wanted to work with Novak, and this one felt like the ideal opportunity to try it out. Again, terrible at describing sounds. The Novak's are just... better? More full somehow, and they do a good impression of an EB-2 and a Guild Starfire, two of my favorite basses. As far as the Hipshot and TI's, that happens to all of my Gibsons.
intriguing. I too admire those basses tone factors, but it's hard to imagine a true mudbucker being anything but FULL lol I'll guess the Midtown has the modern mellow version of the neck PU which is not the brutal 'bucker, so the Novack makes sense for a vintage edge. enjoy your investment!
Over the years I have owned a lot of different basses, and have kept the ones I truly use. I currently have two in my possession that are on the "testing list" to see if they stay.
For basses that well exceeded my expectation:
1st was a Hamer Cruise Bass 5 string. I acquired this in the late 90's needing a back up 5 string as we were gigging lots and my Warwick 5 was my main, but I needed a second 5'er. A buddy that was a bass player and owned a small local music shop got one in and said I could "try it out" at practice. It felt right, played great and the price was fantastic (got a cash discount) I played the hell out of that bass for years and years and on many shows it was the number one for the evening. Still have it and still love it.
2nd would be my Gibson LPB, I bought it after my friend/singer/guitar player had passed away. I had not played bass for several months (we were in a band together for many many years and I almost stopped playing) but another friend was asking me to make a new band with him. I was not even looking for a bass, just wandered in to another local guitar shop and there it was on the stand. My late friend was a Gibson man so I picked up the bass, noodled on it in the shop (never even plugged it in to an amp) looked at the kid behind the counter and told him to grab the case, this one is sold. Took her home, set it up myself, plugged her in and have been using it a lot ever since (my number one right now as the songs in the this band don't need the 5 string often)
For basses that well exceeded my expectation:
1st was a Hamer Cruise Bass 5 string. I acquired this in the late 90's needing a back up 5 string as we were gigging lots and my Warwick 5 was my main, but I needed a second 5'er. A buddy that was a bass player and owned a small local music shop got one in and said I could "try it out" at practice. It felt right, played great and the price was fantastic (got a cash discount) I played the hell out of that bass for years and years and on many shows it was the number one for the evening. Still have it and still love it.
2nd would be my Gibson LPB, I bought it after my friend/singer/guitar player had passed away. I had not played bass for several months (we were in a band together for many many years and I almost stopped playing) but another friend was asking me to make a new band with him. I was not even looking for a bass, just wandered in to another local guitar shop and there it was on the stand. My late friend was a Gibson man so I picked up the bass, noodled on it in the shop (never even plugged it in to an amp) looked at the kid behind the counter and told him to grab the case, this one is sold. Took her home, set it up myself, plugged her in and have been using it a lot ever since (my number one right now as the songs in the this band don't need the 5 string often)
I'm sitting here trying to think of a way to better describe the sound... When I talked to Novak, I told him I wanted to be able to achieve a tone like Phil Lesh's early sound, somewhere in between his sound on "Live/Dead" and "Europe 72". Two completely different instruments. It's like Novak read my mind and he really delivered. Check out Lesh's sound on those albums and you can sort of get an idea. Although Lesh is Lesh and my hands and pick sound pretty different.
