Bass you can't bond with

[mattbass6945]

I think Jazz basses are gorgeous, but I just can't find one that feels right in my hands. It's usually the neck or pickups that just don't work for me. Other times I can't quite put my finger on it.

Just curious if others suffer from the same affliction. Are there any basses put there you love the look and sound of, but can't find the one?

 

[DarnellBass]

There's a bonding you have with an instrument. The 97-98 Am. deluxe jazzes I totally bond with, and Alembics; Its a mysterious thing...

 

[superdick2112]

I bonded with my CIJ Geddy Lee & FSR '75 Jazz Basses, but not so much with my AVRI '75 Jazz.
Something about its 3-bolt neck & fingerboard radius just feels just a bit off, despite several setups & action tweaking sessions.

I bonded with my Am. Std., MIM Classic '50s and Adam Clayton Precision Basses, but never did with my MIM Steve Harris Precision.
The 12-lb. weight & huge neck may have something to do with that.

The playability, tone, feel and appearance of a bass all have to be just right for it to be a keeper.

 

[mattbass6945]

Glad to see I'm not alone. Do you ever order basses online? I have a massive fear of that. I'd rather play it first, but sometimes that isn't an option.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Learn to adapt.
You're wasting time and money.

 

[mattbass6945]

Maybe so, but the basses I did end up loving, it was worth the wait.

Learn to adapt.
You're wasting time and money.

 

[bwildt]

I can't seem to bond with jazz basses. They look cool. They sound cool by themselves, but in a band situation, I'd rather have anything else. I just don't "feel it" with a jazz. I like my precisions, my G&L L2500 and my Musicman Stingray, so it's not like I'm a monogamous bassist. My first choice, my Fender American Precision V.

 

[mattbass6945]

Time and time again it is proven to me. You can read all the specs online and watch all the YouTube videos you want, but you just have to put your hands on it.

 

[sgl]

Exactly the opposite for me. Love Jazz basses, can’t bond with Precision. Even when my band loved it when I had one, ended up trading it. Probably the neck, because they sound great.

 

[superdick2112]

Glad to see I'm not alone. Do you ever order basses online? I have a massive fear of that. I'd rather play it first, but sometimes that isn't an option.

Over the years I've ordered many basses online.
Even in Denver, we have no dealers that carry Spector Basses, and I've ordered some Rics & hard to find Fenders online too.
Ordering online is a breeze if you just do a little bit of research & order from dealers with reasonable return policies.

 

[lfmn16]

Time and time again it is proven to me. You can read all the specs online and watch all the YouTube videos you want, but you just have to put your hands on it.

We need to stop shopping with our eyes.

 

[mattbass6945]

We need to stop shopping with our eyes.

I'm far too impulsive for this!

 

[gelinas666]

Spector's have always been an issue with sitting properly on me in a standing(stage ready) position.. Probably because of the offset strap buttons is my guess..Sitting down they are great and have nice tonal range though..

 

[Watchootognbout]

We need to stop shopping with our eyes.

Everything that's available online is not always in a local store.
And visa versa.
Where can you put your hands on a Wolf bass if they're only sold in So Cal?
Or a long discontinued bass?

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Spector's have always been an issue with me sitting properly on me in a standing(stage) position.. Probably because of the offset strap buttons is my guess..Sitting down they are great and have nice tonal range though..

The necks seem to jump further out than most other basses due to the length of the upper horn. It makes them and Warwicks uncomfortable for me to play.

 

[40Hz]

We need to stop shopping with our eyes.

Don’t need to. But players could save a lot of money and time if they didn’t.

Looks are down around number five or six on my criteria for buying a bass.

As I’ve gotten older (and learned to lighten up) I’ve come to appreciate that there’s a certain funky charm in this se ugly duckling basses that may look like junk but still sound fantastic.

 

[Raw N Low]

Anything over 5 strings with quirky electronics and pickups is usually a bust for me.

 

[Drgonzonm]

We need to stop shopping with our eyes.

Sounds an awful like "My eyes are bigger than My stomach.", cure, pirate patch over your left eye, and a sound deadening ear plug in the opposite ear.
For me, it's my acoustic electric bass, it's dreadnought body is hard to hold. And it doesn't help that I have a big circumference.

 

[73jbass]

Rickenbacker. Love the way the look and sound,but so uncomfortable to play.

 

[mattbass6945]

Rickenbacker. Love the way the look and sound,but so uncomfortable to play.

I heard the same said about Thunderbirds and I love mine. Maybe I should try one!

*I love that GFR album!