Not sure if everyone says they suck but my old Fender Musicman. Bought it ~'76, short scale, entry level instrument. Really generated a surprisingly big, beefy sound. Replaced it with a Fender Jazz but always missed it a bit.
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Basses you like that everyone else said sucks.
- Thread starter Shifty eyes
- Start date
My '67 Hagstrom H8 8-string bass. I think they named it H8 'cause people hate it. Even Tom Petersson from Cheap trick seriously bashed this bass in an interview when people asked him how he came up with the idea for a 12-string bass.
I mean, yeah it's kinda ugly, It's an "Old Hag" from the 60's, but the neck is super thin and fairly narrow, yet quite stable and straight even after all these years. Some say it feels like a "cheap-toy" because it's so lightweight, yet everyone complains about their heavy jazz basses these days.
I love it, but if I pull it out of my gig bag at a session, I'm almost guaranteed to see someone curl their lips and say "what the hell is that thing?"
It's pure vintage awesomeness, that's what.
I mean, yeah it's kinda ugly, It's an "Old Hag" from the 60's, but the neck is super thin and fairly narrow, yet quite stable and straight even after all these years. Some say it feels like a "cheap-toy" because it's so lightweight, yet everyone complains about their heavy jazz basses these days.
I love it, but if I pull it out of my gig bag at a session, I'm almost guaranteed to see someone curl their lips and say "what the hell is that thing?"
It's pure vintage awesomeness, that's what.
let's see 80 posts in and nobody claimed CHARVEL/JACKSON. A lot of hate for them 
Or how about Kramer "plywood era" Korean units?
lots of people hate them....not me
I never bought a Jackson or Kramer new, used, or beat to hell condition that had a bad neck/frets, bad electronics or a bridge or tuners that failed...( I still have quite a few to noodle on )
Or how about Kramer "plywood era" Korean units?
lots of people hate them....not me
I never bought a Jackson or Kramer new, used, or beat to hell condition that had a bad neck/frets, bad electronics or a bridge or tuners that failed...( I still have quite a few to noodle on )
^^^^^^ if you see this Rilander, I still have one and the matching year guitar ( 1989-beak head ). I liked it so much that after 20 years it is in the shop for a restoration ( I hit the headstock and cracked it so I figured it was time to have the whole thing repainted to match my white units, and where the double-j "was" is now a normal HB and it has a preamp and Kahler bridge in it ) so I can use it at gigs again this summer for those "passive bass" moments.
I hear you. I was going to say Traben as well. I don't really care what the gear snobs think let them play what they want and I'll do the same. I've had some excellent Trabens.
Yep, Jaco was the worst bassist ever, a total failure, that kid OBVIOUSLY knew just what he was talking about.
He should run for office.
Squier Bronco!!!
For serious!
I got it in brand-spankin-new condition for $70, and was amazed at how it sounded, stock! I got an SD Hotrails strat pup from GC with a christmas giftcard, and it sounds GREAT now!!
It's getting a new coat of paint and some frills (racing stripe, Fender amp-style knobs, and some flats)... and for about $120 total, i have a bass that not only sounds incredible, but is pretty unique!!
For serious!
I got it in brand-spankin-new condition for $70, and was amazed at how it sounded, stock! I got an SD Hotrails strat pup from GC with a christmas giftcard, and it sounds GREAT now!!
It's getting a new coat of paint and some frills (racing stripe, Fender amp-style knobs, and some flats)... and for about $120 total, i have a bass that not only sounds incredible, but is pretty unique!!
Back in the early 80's, I got a lot of crap for playing a Peavey T-40.
It seems to be getting a little more respect now, though.
It seems to be getting a little more respect now, though.
Kramer Duke. Everyone in the band gave me crap for buying the cheap imitation Steinberger. Yea a little cheap and a bit of a one trick pony but it was a good sounding/playing bass.
+10 I've heard good players make cheap crappy basses sound great and bad players make a great bass sound horrible.
+10 I've heard good players make cheap crappy basses sound great and bad players make a great bass sound horrible.
My GSR-100EX Made by Ibanez. I don't think I possibly could have fallen in love with bass had I not purchased that bass as a grad gift for myself in '08. Its the reason I ever learned to play. It's no longer my favorite but it'll always be my first and will likely never be traded or sold.
- Nov 8, 2010
- 1,391
- 9
- Disclosures
- Unofficial Endorser: Ibanez, D'Addario, Zoom
I'm not sure what "everyone else" thinks about this, but because it's a Squier, I'm sure they say it sucks.
I have a 1989 Squier II Precision bass Made in Korea. It's all black, maple fretboard, no pickguard, Schaller licensed tuners (and I'm in the process of adding a Badass II bridge and a Seymour Duncan Basslines Quarter pounder pickup)
The neck on this thing plays better than most American Fenders that I've played and blows away most Mexican P-basses (with the exception maybe of the Road Worn series, I liked the neck on the one I tried). My band mates can't believe it's a Squier. In fact, my friend said he thinks that Fender screwed up and put the wrong name on the headstock.
I have a 1989 Squier II Precision bass Made in Korea. It's all black, maple fretboard, no pickguard, Schaller licensed tuners (and I'm in the process of adding a Badass II bridge and a Seymour Duncan Basslines Quarter pounder pickup)
The neck on this thing plays better than most American Fenders that I've played and blows away most Mexican P-basses (with the exception maybe of the Road Worn series, I liked the neck on the one I tried). My band mates can't believe it's a Squier. In fact, my friend said he thinks that Fender screwed up and put the wrong name on the headstock.
The ones that baffle me most are non-Thunderbird Gibsons:
Every couple months there's a thread about Gibson basses and without fail people come out of the woodwork to rip on them. Rickenbacker threads generate a lot of heat, but I think it's based more on people upset with the Rickenbacker company, or thinking they're overpriced for what they are, but not the same kind of dismissive contempt for the instruments. Which is completely groundless. Both of the basses pictured above (an early Ripper and a Les Paul Money Bass) are fantastic playing and sounding instruments, which I have used in bands with great effect, because they are quite punchy.
I don't know if it quite rises to the level of "sucks", but the good old MIM Fender Standards seem to be suffering a severe lack of love lately:
Link Removed
Everybody seems to respect MIA Fenders, and there's a huge and vocal crowd that loves Squiers, but MIMs seem to fall through the cracks in between. I've played several MIM Fenders (including the pictured '92 Precision) that could go toe-to-toe with just about any Fender ever made. It pains me a little that they don't seem to be treated as viable options anymore around here. Yes, they cost more than the average Squier, and if you were guaranteed of always getting an average example of whatever model, a Squier CV is probably a better bargain, but you can find MIM Fenders without thatmuch trouble that are definitely worth the price difference over an average CV or whatever.
Finally, while I don't think anyone has actually come out and said these suck, it's another bass that I don't think gets much respect:
Laugh if you must, but this thing actually has a pretty good neck on it. Cheap Deans are some of the best unappreciated bargains out there. My band has a gig on St. Patrick's Day...guess what I'm playing!
Every couple months there's a thread about Gibson basses and without fail people come out of the woodwork to rip on them. Rickenbacker threads generate a lot of heat, but I think it's based more on people upset with the Rickenbacker company, or thinking they're overpriced for what they are, but not the same kind of dismissive contempt for the instruments. Which is completely groundless. Both of the basses pictured above (an early Ripper and a Les Paul Money Bass) are fantastic playing and sounding instruments, which I have used in bands with great effect, because they are quite punchy.
I don't know if it quite rises to the level of "sucks", but the good old MIM Fender Standards seem to be suffering a severe lack of love lately:
Link Removed
Everybody seems to respect MIA Fenders, and there's a huge and vocal crowd that loves Squiers, but MIMs seem to fall through the cracks in between. I've played several MIM Fenders (including the pictured '92 Precision) that could go toe-to-toe with just about any Fender ever made. It pains me a little that they don't seem to be treated as viable options anymore around here. Yes, they cost more than the average Squier, and if you were guaranteed of always getting an average example of whatever model, a Squier CV is probably a better bargain, but you can find MIM Fenders without thatmuch trouble that are definitely worth the price difference over an average CV or whatever.
Finally, while I don't think anyone has actually come out and said these suck, it's another bass that I don't think gets much respect:
Laugh if you must, but this thing actually has a pretty good neck on it. Cheap Deans are some of the best unappreciated bargains out there. My band has a gig on St. Patrick's Day...guess what I'm playing!
I have to say MIM Fender Precisions. I play a all stock (besides strings obviously) MIM four string Fender Precision for my main bass. I love the way it feels, plays and sounds. I know most would say when going Fender MIA is where it's at and perhaps I did luck out and got "one of the good MIM's," however I have yet to be disappointed by my bass. To me it is about overall personal preference, not so much "having what the other guys have."
