Basses that just sound BAD...

[Number27]

warwicks.

i've tried a bunch at GC and could never get around the neck being shaped like a canoe and the tone being so dead yet zingy. like if you slowly killed hundreds of bees. i believe P-nut plays one for 311? yea i hate his tone.. awesome playing... crappy tone.

 

[thndrstk6]

warwicks.

i've tried a bunch at GC and could never get around the neck being shaped like a canoe and the tone being so dead yet zingy. like if you slowly killed hundreds of bees. i believe P-nut plays one for 311? yea i hate his tone.. awesome playing... crappy tone.

LOL yeah I agree except they changed their necks recently to a more
common shape. I haven't played one yet though. Nor do I plan on it.

 

[Stempelloos]

Actually he plays a custom made Eccleshall semie accoustic bass. Similar to the ones used by Peter Hook of New Order.

It differes from a Gibson by having a full scale 34' inch neck, and active electronics

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A review about Peter Hook's Eccleshall bass said it had a 36" scale with active Yamaha electronics, he ordered it like that.
Simon Gallup has got an Eccleshall too, but i don't know if it has the exact same specs.

 

[Stempelloos]

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.

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I've seen/heard Peter Principe playing an EB0/3. I guess it's the bass you'll hear in the video-link. That one doesn't sound muddy to me.

 

[Dogame]

Back in the 90's I was in Boston and had my Foundation, I loved that bass and people were like.. dude, get rid of it... it's not a REAL bass, so I took it into a music shop and considered hollowing the pickups out and having some humbuckers custom -fitted.
As we went over the price and everything the guy said, yeah it'll sound different.. but it will still just be a peavey.... I packed it up and walked out in disbelief ... had these people even played a Peavey.
MANY years later as I look over my foundation bass , I wonder what carnage I would have brought to my old friend... as I got older I realized that the super-ferrites were incredible sounding and I was letting brand names dictate how i felt about basses.
Ironically enough I placed my foundation in the case and bought a Jackson Concert custom with JUST the piezo bridge pickups to get the right "playing credit"... it was THE WORST sounding and playing bass I have ever heard or played.
On my bass rack today I can still hear my Foundation laughing at me for being such a gear snob sell-out... my Jackson bass would have served me better as a wall decoration than a bass... seriously what a horrible bass that was... BTW My foundation has forgiven me and continues to be my best sounding bass I have EVER played.

Just in case you don't know about it, Roger Glover of Deep Purple fame played Peavey with Super ferrites at some venues during the 80s "reunion" tour, so I guess people ignorance is daring enough to dictate stupid judgements

 

[PsyDocHill]

Just in case you don't know about it, Roger Glover of Deep Purple fame played Peavey with Super ferrites at some venues during the 80s "reunion" tour, so I guess people ignorance is daring enough to dictate stupid judgements

Just goes to show how the dissing of this bass or that bass is probably the most ridiculous, futile pursuit in the life of a bassist. Why add it to the myriad of silly pursuits that are already part of the package? And of all companies to disrespect, the frustrated rockstars who sell stuff in music-stores while they smirk at our playing (funny; they never play much) as we try axes out...yeah, it would make sense that they'd ferret out H. Peavey's Co. for the ugliest treatment. He dares to be honest, down-to-earth, non-pandering (to rockstars), and hails from Mississippi. Hey, I know some folks here work at music stores. I wasn't talking about you. But I was talking about the characters that are the prime movers behind my (and hundreds of y'all's) complete avoidance of music stores. I know what I want: I shop online. If the thing's a lemon etc., I ship it back. There are a few chains (or are they all owned by the same critters?) I'd LOVE to see go down with no bailouts.

Roger Glover: I love his solo on Machine Head's (DP's album; not the band that stole the name ) Pictures of Home. What an innovative bassist. He could do everything all the other bass-dudes IN ROCK (mwahahahah) could do, but his style was never replicated because that's the way it is with truly gifted musicians. Yeah, Richie's ego wrecked the band and probaby did a number on everyone's mental-health on a daily basis, but, God, was he right in pink-slipping Nick Simper and taking Mr. Glover on-board. Dude never was much into doing the "follow the root note" routine that was and remains so common in rock Watching live perfomances from DP Mark II's glorious era is so bassist-affirming.

Why the heck doesn't Roger Glover get more mention when people here rattle off the names of their fav bassists? Because he dared play with a pick? I never play with a pick but I know greatness when I hear it. Musos are supposed to be non-provinicial. DP Mark II would've sounded like $#@! without him.

 

[no1likesme]

Seems that you like the woody "double-bass" muffled thump. Don't you think you're wasting a bit too much psychic energy Absolutely Despising basses capable of producing the "'sterile' modern 'piano' like tone?" After all: Most of those basses can sound totally different with different strings (say, remove the stainless-steels and slap on some alt-set?), and, also, "sterile" is a ridiculous indictment of a sound. What's a "sterile" sound? Funny, the Who's what's-his-name bassist didn't sound "sterile" with his stainless-steel rotosounds w/the treble way up and the bass way down.

Unlike you and me, he revolutionized bass playing.

Hardly sterile, a revolution: That much I know.

Play your muffled bass and enjoy it. Some will share your preference; plenty won't.

I guess I should have been more specific in my earlier post, I dislike that style tone when I play. There are many bassists that can make it work.

 

[Number27]

Why the heck doesn't Roger Glover get more mention when people here rattle off the names of their fav bassists? Because he dared play with a pick? I never play with a pick but I know greatness when I hear it. Musos are supposed to be non-provinicial. DP Mark II would've sounded like $#@! without him.

i love roger glover but you're right when you say that he doesn't get a lot of press around here...

 

[Roy Vogt]

Carvin Icon 5, very modern, very touchy tone knobs, and a sweepable mid control that seemed to take the tone from unusable to unusable deluxe. Too bad because it had a incredible feel and balance and fret job. Thought about putting Nordy j pick ups in it but I couldn't bring myself to accept the space that would be left in the pick up cavities>

I've actually been able to get a decent tone out of my IC-6, but you really have to tweak the midrange sweep and levels to do so. A little goes a long way.
On the other hand, their new Sekou Bunch SB5000 flat out smokes! I realize I endorse these basses, but the one I just got (maple/maple neck with ash body) has amazing clarity and punch. It actually is so articulate I seem to be able to play quicker-the notes just pop out. Well done!
Now if they'd only do a 6 string of this

 

[jmain]

I've actually been able to get a decent tone out of my IC-6, but you really have to tweak the midrange sweep and levels to do so. A little goes a long way.
On the other hand, their new Sekou Bunch SB5000 flat out smokes! I realize I endorse these basses, but the one I just got (maple/maple neck with ash body) has amazing clarity and punch. It actually is so articulate I seem to be able to play quicker-the notes just pop out. Well done!
Now if they'd only do a 6 string of this

You may be an endorser, but I've heard you play and will take you at your word!! (Mere Bulls a couple years ago with my brother on drums - John Maines.)

The SB5000 just may be my next bass. Seems to have all the specs I've been looking for.

 

[Roy Vogt]

You may be an endorser, but I've heard you play and will take you at your word!! (Mere Bulls a couple years ago with my brother on drums - John Maines.)

The SB5000 just may be my next bass. Seems to have all the specs I've been looking for.

I don't think it will disappoint if you get the ash/maple fingerboard configuration. It rings like a bell and is surprisingly light

 

[Paul262]

I don't see the point of this thread... It's soul purpose it seems is to incite rage amongst people...

Come on... Do you think there are luthiers out there who decided to make Basses sound like ****? It's all subjective, it's all opinion at the end of the day...

 

[G00D+~VIBES]

What constitutes a "cheap active Ibanez"? I have a 5 somethin ergodyne that smokes my MIM J

 

[jmain]

I don't think it will disappoint if you get the ash/maple fingerboard configuration. It rings like a bell and is surprisingly light

Good to hear!! That's the way I was leaning.

BTW, there are a couple threads floating around about the SB5000.

 

[spade2you]

Come on... Do you think there are luthiers out there who decided to make Basses sound like ****?

There's the old saying that one man's trash is another man's....wife!

 

[michael_atw]

We all have our ideas of "tone" and what sounds good vs. bad, so... Name some basses that sound bad (in your opinion), and what it is about the sound you don't like.

Anything hooked up to too many effects pedals.


ps - I didn't even have to read this thread and I already know there is probably an argument going on 2 pages up about why it even exists.

 

[humpy thumb]

I don't see the point of this thread... It's soul purpose it seems is to incite rage amongst people...

Come on... Do you think there are luthiers out there who decided to make Basses sound like ****? It's all subjective, it's all opinion at the end of the day...

I'm with you Paul.Well said mate.

 

[stang_bass]

I think the Morgan Monroe mandolin bass was the worst for me to find a good tone, probably because of the single piezo pickup; I gave up and Ebayed it. Another bass I Ebayed was the USA Ernie Ball MM Sterling bass, it played great but I could never find a usable tone with it, which surprised me because I have a StingRay V that I'm really attached to.

 

[john turner]

the problem with necromancing a 7 year old thread is talkbass was a very different animal back then, with less than 1/10th the number of members, and a lot less moderation and fewer rules.

threads like this one, while not being outright "flamebait" are still not as welcome now as they used to be, due to their naturally confrontational/non-constructive nature.