Gibson Nikki Sixx Blackbird Thunderbird. all around rubbish. worst thing i've ever bought. sounded like playing bass with a guitar. It felt SO plastic and flimsy. the back was so heavy, the neck was constantly facing up to the sky. Even the machine heads were falling out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Btw, this was BRAND NEW! I REALLY hope all of them aren't like this.
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.
Basses that disappointed you...
- Thread starter FBS1996
- Start date
+1 on this. I owned two Ric 4001's back in the 70's, one black (75) and one maple (78). Loved the look, the weight distribution, the craftsmanship. But I couldn't get any bottom end out of 'em either, at least not any you could hear. They pushed some air, but you could feel them way more than hear them. No thump to them, too mid-rangy and trebly to cut thru a mix unless you play with a pick, which I rarely do. I was in a band that recorded a couple of songs in a studio, and I used the black one and it sounded OK, but on-stage was a different story. Give me a P or J and I'm happy.
MIM Fender Jazz V. Purchased new around '02. B string was really floppy. Tried one at Tony's Music Box in Fredericton the other day. A decade later and still "Meh"
At one point or another, they've all disappointed me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have sold so many off.
Sadowsky Metro PJ5 - just didn't see $2k worth of bass in it
Rickenbacker 4003 - Could never find a comfortable place to rest my thumb.
Fender P5 - Never found one that played well enough or felt right to me.
Squier Precision 5 - Neck like a phone pole
To be positive, I've been pleasantly surprised by:
Squier Deluxe Active Jazz V
Carvin B25, SB5000 and B50
MIM Jazz
Rickenbacker 4003 - Could never find a comfortable place to rest my thumb.
Fender P5 - Never found one that played well enough or felt right to me.
Squier Precision 5 - Neck like a phone pole
To be positive, I've been pleasantly surprised by:
Squier Deluxe Active Jazz V
Carvin B25, SB5000 and B50
MIM Jazz
Fender Musicmaster, wanted one for a long time, when I finally purchased a 1977 I was very underwhelmed. Been in the case untouched for years.
Someone I know bought a $7000 Fodera at NAMM and let me play it a couple of times. Beautifully built bass but after spending hours messing with the knobs, I could not get a usable tone (for my tastes) out of it. It was very dark sounding instrument and I could not see what all the fuss was about.
Every fender and music man i've ever touched. Always feel like cheap toys, and i can't get used to the straight angle heads.
Love my old T-20, wanted to love the Cirrus BXP, I just don't. May-be I am more of a passive guy now.
Rickenbacker 4003...that horseshoe is in completely the wrong place, and it just looks WRONG without it on
my MIJ Fender Jazz - I appreciate it better now though...got a shock when it sounded tinny, but realised thats because it's a 60's re-issue.
Stingray...horribly thick neck, too thick for me...
G&L L2000 - again, the neck...
Hofner Contemporary Violin bass - SO damn lightweight and the neck/string spacing was really wierd after playing Fenders...
my MIJ Fender Jazz - I appreciate it better now though...got a shock when it sounded tinny, but realised thats because it's a 60's re-issue.
Stingray...horribly thick neck, too thick for me...
G&L L2000 - again, the neck...
Hofner Contemporary Violin bass - SO damn lightweight and the neck/string spacing was really wierd after playing Fenders...
- Sep 14, 2009
- 903
- 665
- 57
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: GullanskyLab pickups
An early 90's MIA J I owned for a short while: gorgeous looking, awful sounding. Sold it as soon as possible, but that nasty thing made me hate Fenders for many years (now my main giggin' bass is a MIM J, followed by a Squier CV -although both quite modded- , and I'm back a Fender fan).
I was highly dissappointed with Ken Smith basses, at least as far as their 6 strings go (haven't played on a 4 or 5 yet). My '96 Ibanez SR506 played, balanced, and sounded much better than the Ken Smith sixers I've played.
I hate all Fender basses. I am a fender-type of guy, and that's why I use Laklands instead of Fenders, cause wise once said, Lakland is more Fender then Fender. Used to own a few Fenders, G.A.S. ... never again.
Only MM and Laklands now.
Not to be mistaken, all my ex Fenders sounded great, but only one was completely good, all hardware, wood, finish, sound, neck, but it was too damn hard to sell, so I grew to hate it to. All others sounded really great, but, the hardware, nut, pots, low quality wood and other bad things...
Only MM and Laklands now.
Not to be mistaken, all my ex Fenders sounded great, but only one was completely good, all hardware, wood, finish, sound, neck, but it was too damn hard to sell, so I grew to hate it to. All others sounded really great, but, the hardware, nut, pots, low quality wood and other bad things...
superjesus said:
I've had a zillion basses, and there was something to like about all of them. It's just fun to play different things. I've purchased a huge number of basses with bad setups and dead or poorly chosen strings that were gems after I dialed them in, I'd wager 80% of the basses referenced in this thread would fall into that category.
It's MM Sterlings for me, love the way the look and play but can't ever get the tone I want out of them. Too thin sounding, like a solo'd jazz bridge pup.
For me, there have been a few. 1 - A Spector with 2 J p'ups (just a thin, sterile tone. 2 - A Warwick Stage I. See above. 3 - A G&L ASAT semihollow. Just not the tone I've loved from G&Ls. 4 - A Fender 62 Jazz. Just a lifeless, punchless sound.
