Basses that just sound BAD...

[squierplayer120]

I played an Ibanez Iceman bass, I was appalled. Fart bass, too little low end, but not enough high. Also, I was not impressed by a Schecter Omen 4.

 

[darkfish01]

Those horrible Stagg basses are impossible to get anything close to a tone out of

 

[Fealach]

Yknow... I can't really think of any that just sound BAD, as long as they're functioning. The worst I get is "meh." Yknow, just sort of "dum dum dum" lifeless bass note, like you find with many super cheap basses. I think it's not really fair to pick on a sub $200 bass for having a lackluster sound. I won't name any names, but some of the super 10 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA++ grade spalted crotch burl 90 million year old Wollemia Nobilis top masterpieces I've tried out sounded like budget basses, and that's worse than a cheap bass sounding cheap any day.

 

[Mingus Dew]

My first bass, A Squier affinity Pbass. I bought some combo pack that came with a cheap practice amp. The amp is actually pretty decent but the bass was absolutly horrid. It had a very huge uncomfortable neck and this really bad hissing noise whenever you turned the volume up to a level suitable for playing with a band. It also had the abolute worst trebly sound I've ever heard. It's funny because I have a squier affinity electric guitar I bought to mess around with and I love it to death.

 

[fearlessdane]

Well you really cant expect much from a Squier. I would say the worst basses would be anything Ibanez. Lately just the idea of them scare me away.

 

[MrDuncan]

I'm not big on Ibanez or Epiphone. Some others don't impress me much but those two names have absolutely nothing that interests me.

 

[addylewis]

My mate's got a westfield bass (or something - apparently a shootoff from WESTONE)

The sound of it - nice (probably not a stock pickup)
It plays like a bitch though - a centimeter high action on 12th fret, and a neck like half a tree trunk...

 

[Tbirdbassist]

All Ibanez basses under $500 will be crap unless you change out the pickups and electronics. Period.


I played a used 6 string Alembic Epic bass in GC and it sounded like all hell. It was incredibly muddy on the lower notes. Especially on the B, Every note just sounded bad, Like the Gibson mudbucker. The notes below the 9 fret on the D, G and C strings were too muddy as well, But yet above the 9th fret they were too bright and very metalic/clicky(think Fieldy). I was appualled by hoe bad it sounded, I know all alembics arent this bad but DAMN, Talk about dishing out 8K+, You expect something great, Not in the case with this epic.(BTW, GC had it tagged for 2600 or so, It might have been sold, But I doubt it.)



I also dont like the way Warwick Corvette standard fretted's sund, Just seem too muddy for my liking. They play awsome, I just dont like the sound. The fretless Id kiil for though.

 

[The Owl]

ANY Gibson bass, just pure MUD!!!

Fender P-Basses and their copies-just too clanky for me with few exceptions

Line 6 Variax bass - It REALLY sounds digital and lacks depth and warmth.

And I know I'll get BBQ-ed for this, but I really cannot stand instruments where the luthier makes it from 500 different kinds of exotic hardwoods just because they can and puts on tons of brass and the thing's wired like a 747. Yeah, it makes a real nice coffee table but sounds like complete GARBAGE, no resonance, no tone, just a lot of flash. A lot of these guys in their quest for visual appeal sometimes fail to take into consideration that all that glue and differing wood densities will kill any tone or resonance, not to mention all the excessive metal on some. I'll take a simple instrument with 3 well-chosen woods any day of the week that sounds beautiful as opposed to some flashy exotic wood coffee table that sounds like crap.

 

[JimmyM]

The worst sounding basses are ones played by bad players. The best sounding ones are the ones played by good players. I have heard people make basses that I don't particularly care for sound absolutely wonderful. Paul McCartney sounds awesome on a Hofner and a Ric 4001, neither of which I care for. Bakithi Kumalo sounds awesome on a little junker Washburn fretless.

So with that in mind, please feel free to give me all your bad sounding basses. PM me and I will send you an address to ship them to.

 

[Tbirdbassist]

ANY Gibson bass, just pure MUD!!!

WHAT?!?!?!?



Have you ever played a Thunderbird, A Ripper, A G3, A RD Artist, A Les Paul bass? You must be jumping on the band wagon with people because all these basses provide great lows and great highs. The only Gibson basses that were "MUD" were the EB basses, Because of the Big Bucker right at the neck. The EB-3 had the bridge pickup which helped even out the sound, But its still muddy from what Ive heard.


Ive owned a Ripper and currectly have a Thunderbird as my main bass. The Ripper to me, Was like a P bass, but just with more "umph" and volume. Aid buy one again before a Pbass anyday. My Thunderbird is just "IN YOUR FACE", Its got amazing low end (clear low end too) and very good treble, its not at rickenbacker status but its not "MUD" at all. Infact, Nothing about the bass would make you think mud.

Ive only played the Les Paul bass and only heard the RD Artist. The Les Paul is similar to the Thunderbird in sound, But not exactly. Ive only played an early '90's one (With the Bartolini's), But I can definitely say it ws As in you r face as my Thunderbird.

There are a few guys on here who owned or still have a RD and From what ive heard them say, the bass is great. And from the songs Ive heard the bass on, I can say that It sounds good with a band and cuts through the mix well.

Please tell me you had a bad experience or where just jumping on the wagon. Because That comment sounded very close minded.

 

[keno]

Dear UglyBassPlayer,
I hate the ones that have pickups and uh wood and, oh yeah, strings! J/k, but this thread is really just a put down to basses in general... :scowl:

Obviously a cheaply made bass is not going to have a professional sound but I started out on a squire P and it didn't stunt my ability to play bass. So bassists, I don't care what you're rockin', just keep rockin'!

 

[Ripper]

THATS IT!!!!!!!! How many years has this post been running and no one has said this!!!!!!!! (BC Richers where are yooouuu???)


What is this bashing of the BCR??? I can't BELIEVE you people!!! Obviously all the experience that you've had with a BCR is using a Bronze Warlock demo at a GC. I own a BCR NJ-Series Beast and it sounds better than any other bass I've ever played that I haven't had to put a security deposit on to play. The pick-ups are great and the tonal flexibility of the thing can play anything you want to play with it.




WHEW!!! Glad to get that off my chest.


Anyways the worst sounding basses are any of those that come with their own amp (AKA a starter pack)
Thats why I'm using my old Silvertone to test out odd pick-up ideas

 

[74rickbass]

The only Gibson basses that were "MUD" were the EB basses, Because of the Big Bucker right at the neck. The EB-3 had the bridge pickup which helped even out the sound, But its still muddy from what Ive heard.

Very true about gibsons! Not all are Mud! All the ones you mentioned are not muddy at all, but even the EB's can sound good with some thoughtful EQ'ing and using them in the right situations. I'm actually saving up for a EB-O/3 righ now.

 

[PilbaraBass]

p's = muddy
washburn = cheap
yamaha are just really transparent
rics are tinny
cort sound cheap as well
and passive MM's just aren't ment to be

hand me a kubicki anyday, deep, punchy sweet and have their own sound, i mean 5 completely different tones

but is it just my opinon.....but its also my opinon that p's suck

P's are NOT muddy, Heath...unless you turn that blasted tone knob all the way down...IMO P'bass is the standard on which I judge that vintage bass sound.

Nothing wrong with a transparent sounding bass (like my cheapy Yammy), they sound great in a mix.

I don't like the ric sound, either...but then,to be fair, I didn't have a decent enough of a play on one before to get what I thought was nice out of one...

 

[XtromatriX]

I had a 2003 Ibanez SR505 that sounded Great, powerful punch nice neck, nice tone ect... Had a problem with it, Ibanez sent me a brand new (Iwas told) 2005 SR505-BM. The thing sounds like one of those "Bass in a BoX" that you might get from wal-mart. It feels terrible and sounds worse. I have this same bass in the 6 string version and this bass KICKS... Nice punch and great tone. I don't know what they did to the new model SR505 but this one sounds weak, hollow and the A string sounds almost as though it's not even there, even with new strings. I think I'll make this six string my last bass from Ibanez, It's a good bass but I fear that anything els from them will be horrible in quality. And I feel like if I do ever have the money to get one of their higher end basses, there will most likely be a better bass out there for the same money.

 

[Tim Schnautz]

A box stock late '70's Fender Music Master....

you gotta hate it! I mean, my Ampeg Punisher can't even clean it up.

the final insult? My 60's Lyle, and Kingston "Beatle" bass's even sound better.

 

[fat possum]

Strange you should have problems with a Musicmaster...With a little EQ and experimentation the little short scale critter will pull some nice sounds..

 

[Tim Schnautz]

Strange you should have problems with a Musicmaster...With a little EQ and experimentation the little short scale critter will pull some nice sounds..

I wish,

No. This one's a natural born loser.

Needs a Duncan really baaaaaad!

 

[addylewis]

A box stock late '70's Fender Music Master....

Wouldn't a Musicmaster sound something like a Mustang? - I don't know what a musicmaster sounds like, but I got a mustang and its fine...