Please see the thread here about fixing the tone and volume controls to work properly. The pickup is low impedance, but they didn't change the pot values to match. Change the pots to 50K and it will sound and work a lot better!!
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Basses you love that don't get enough recognition
- Thread starter birminghambass
- Start date
Please see the thread here about fixing the tone and volume controls to work properly. The pickup is low impedance, but they didn't change the pot values to match. Change the pots to 50K and it will sound and work a lot better!!
Another vote for the Tobias Growler. I had one, got it real cheap. Absolutely loved it. Amazing bass.
Warwick Fortress basses are super underrated. I have had several great ones. One of my favorite Warwicks (I have owned well over 30 Wicks in my life). You can find them decently cheap, and are a super value.
G&L 5500..... Amazing bass. Comes with stock EMG preamp and pups. Got one cheap, and I love it. One of my faves ever.
Several other i could mention, but these really jump out at me for sure.
Warwick Fortress basses are super underrated. I have had several great ones. One of my favorite Warwicks (I have owned well over 30 Wicks in my life). You can find them decently cheap, and are a super value.
G&L 5500..... Amazing bass. Comes with stock EMG preamp and pups. Got one cheap, and I love it. One of my faves ever.
Several other i could mention, but these really jump out at me for sure.
Peavey T-40, for sure. It gets a ton of love here on TB, but I've yet to see one in the wild. Almost every bassist I run into is playing either a Fender or an EBMM.
I'm surprised that NS Design Radius basses don't get as much love. Perhaps it's because they're not easy to come by, so folks don't have the opportunity to try them.
Check out this young shredder (not me) on his WAV Radius:
Check out this young shredder (not me) on his WAV Radius:
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This one's not for everyone, but that's what makes it special.
It's all about tone...and isn't that what we're all about?
Never really thought about it. I just buy basses that amuse me and do things I like, some are common, some are very rare.
My most recent acquisition, about a month ago.
2000 Peavey Millennium BXP 5
Considered to be a "starter" bass by some of the "reviewers" I've seen online, it definitely feels, plays, and sounds way above it's paygrade. And that's really saying something as it's my first passive "Jazz" style bass and my first 5 string. I paid $200 for it.
The only hurdle I had going from a 4 string to it was a a couple of hours of fumbling fingers on my picking hand due to the tighter string spacing. As far as notes on the neck go, wasn't ever an issue at all. And I love the authority that the gauges of strings on this thing produces. Sad thing is I don't know what the strings are other than they're rounds, slightly worn, definitely a mixed set, and one of the strings is a D'Addario, it has a red ball, the others are a mix of gold and nickel colors. Thinking about changing to some GHS Pressure wounds. I want flats for the feel, but I love the sound this bass produces and I'm afraid I'll lose some of that with flats but I don't want a full on set of rounds either. When sold new, they came stock from Peavey with DR Dragon Skins.
2012 Ibanez SRX2 EX2
It is currently my most "gigged" bass that I bought around this time last year. A pawnshop buy that was listed at $199, I walked out the door with it for $150. Active 2 band EQ, sometimes simpler is better. It's easier to dial in a tone with this bass than my 2018 SR400EQM with it's 3 band EQ and power tap circuitry. The pic is a little misleading as this thing is a very bright snow friggin white, but the lighting doesn't show that in this pic. And the neck profile is a little different on this than on my 2018 SR. I don't know what, maybe not quite as thin, but my left hand can definitely tell a difference between my two Ibby SRs. Whatever it is, I like it a lot.
2019 Fender California Series Kingman V2
I use it live, through a Keeley Compressor and GK gear, and it sports a short scale set of Chrome flats. Jazz based neck profile and radius, but on a short scale length, this thing is really a lot of fun to play, just not for 4 hours live as the body width of the acoustic requires your picking hand and arm to be in a totally different position than an electric body.
Loaded with Fishman electronics I think Fender really knocked it out of the ballpark with this bass, except for the phosphor bronze or as I call em' "cheese grater" strings that comes stock on them. I get it, they're bright, it's an acoustic, but there really isn't much difference in sound between the stock strings and Chromes except the Chromes don't produce that "zing" every time you move a finger across them. For some country, or some MTV style acoustic such as Nirvana, or AIC, this is my go to bass. The sound is incredible, and when needed it looks the part as well.
The neck is Mahogany with a Satin Urethane finish and Walnut Fingerboard with White Pearloid block inlays that is an awesome combination of feel and playability. It also has an "antique white" neck binding. The top is solid Spruce with laminated Mahogany back and sides. Pickguard is 3 ply gold. Headstock is body matching with Fender logo in gold and of course, the stock Fender shape and open back, large clover tuners and nut width is 1.5"
It really is a lot of bass for the money even though it retails for $600 new.
2015 Squier FSR Jag
This bass only came in tobacco sunburst if you bought the "package" deal with gig bag, combo amp, and strap. I got it last July for a $100. Great feeling neck, great playing bass. Sound is weak, but then the pups and pots are about shot and eventually I will most likely throw a EMG GZR P/J pup set and controls in it. I just keep buying other stuff, a lot of recording gear lately, so it's kind of taken a back seat. So this bass is even under appreciated by me and I own it. Eventually it will get the new pups and a set of short scale Chrome flats. And when it does it 'll get played a lot.
Then there's my recording bass, a 1985 EMG GZR split P pup equipped Epiphone I call "Epicision". But you said no P basses... So I'll have to leave the audience wondering about it.
2000 Peavey Millennium BXP 5
Considered to be a "starter" bass by some of the "reviewers" I've seen online, it definitely feels, plays, and sounds way above it's paygrade. And that's really saying something as it's my first passive "Jazz" style bass and my first 5 string. I paid $200 for it.
The only hurdle I had going from a 4 string to it was a a couple of hours of fumbling fingers on my picking hand due to the tighter string spacing. As far as notes on the neck go, wasn't ever an issue at all. And I love the authority that the gauges of strings on this thing produces. Sad thing is I don't know what the strings are other than they're rounds, slightly worn, definitely a mixed set, and one of the strings is a D'Addario, it has a red ball, the others are a mix of gold and nickel colors. Thinking about changing to some GHS Pressure wounds. I want flats for the feel, but I love the sound this bass produces and I'm afraid I'll lose some of that with flats but I don't want a full on set of rounds either. When sold new, they came stock from Peavey with DR Dragon Skins.
2012 Ibanez SRX2 EX2
It is currently my most "gigged" bass that I bought around this time last year. A pawnshop buy that was listed at $199, I walked out the door with it for $150. Active 2 band EQ, sometimes simpler is better. It's easier to dial in a tone with this bass than my 2018 SR400EQM with it's 3 band EQ and power tap circuitry. The pic is a little misleading as this thing is a very bright snow friggin white, but the lighting doesn't show that in this pic. And the neck profile is a little different on this than on my 2018 SR. I don't know what, maybe not quite as thin, but my left hand can definitely tell a difference between my two Ibby SRs. Whatever it is, I like it a lot.
2019 Fender California Series Kingman V2
I use it live, through a Keeley Compressor and GK gear, and it sports a short scale set of Chrome flats. Jazz based neck profile and radius, but on a short scale length, this thing is really a lot of fun to play, just not for 4 hours live as the body width of the acoustic requires your picking hand and arm to be in a totally different position than an electric body.
Loaded with Fishman electronics I think Fender really knocked it out of the ballpark with this bass, except for the phosphor bronze or as I call em' "cheese grater" strings that comes stock on them. I get it, they're bright, it's an acoustic, but there really isn't much difference in sound between the stock strings and Chromes except the Chromes don't produce that "zing" every time you move a finger across them. For some country, or some MTV style acoustic such as Nirvana, or AIC, this is my go to bass. The sound is incredible, and when needed it looks the part as well.
The neck is Mahogany with a Satin Urethane finish and Walnut Fingerboard with White Pearloid block inlays that is an awesome combination of feel and playability. It also has an "antique white" neck binding. The top is solid Spruce with laminated Mahogany back and sides. Pickguard is 3 ply gold. Headstock is body matching with Fender logo in gold and of course, the stock Fender shape and open back, large clover tuners and nut width is 1.5"
It really is a lot of bass for the money even though it retails for $600 new.
2015 Squier FSR Jag
This bass only came in tobacco sunburst if you bought the "package" deal with gig bag, combo amp, and strap. I got it last July for a $100. Great feeling neck, great playing bass. Sound is weak, but then the pups and pots are about shot and eventually I will most likely throw a EMG GZR P/J pup set and controls in it. I just keep buying other stuff, a lot of recording gear lately, so it's kind of taken a back seat. So this bass is even under appreciated by me and I own it. Eventually it will get the new pups and a set of short scale Chrome flats. And when it does it 'll get played a lot.
Then there's my recording bass, a 1985 EMG GZR split P pup equipped Epiphone I call "Epicision". But you said no P basses... So I'll have to leave the audience wondering about it.
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The bass I am really gassing for after building a '51 P with two thundertron pickups in the cavern position. I am loving the tone and now want a hofner. I love a good neck pickup!
-Any Aria Pro II with an "SB" in it's model name between the late 70's and 80's, hold maybe the SB 1000. Especially if we're talking CSB/RSB/CSB. Many of the lower end models w/out any crazy electronics make great P alternatives with some bite (some also coming in med. scale).
-Many other Matsumoku/Fuji factory branded basses from the same era that I can't even begin to list.
-Basses with Dual or reverse P setups.
-Various other brands (IMHO)- Cort, EGC/Travis Bean, G&L, Reverend, Sandberg, Serek, vintage Washburn, Yamaha.. The list goes on, I'll probably be back to add some more in.
-Many other Matsumoku/Fuji factory branded basses from the same era that I can't even begin to list.
-Basses with Dual or reverse P setups.
-Various other brands (IMHO)- Cort, EGC/Travis Bean, G&L, Reverend, Sandberg, Serek, vintage Washburn, Yamaha.. The list goes on, I'll probably be back to add some more in.
For those in-the-know, what are your feelings about the Kubicki Factor Bass?
I first heard about them by way of Stu Hamm's "Kings Of Sleep" album. (Damn, I love that album to pieces! It's probably one of the factors
that pushed me towards picking up my first bass.) Back when I was a drummer in the mid-'80s/early-'90s, I came across one at the Sam Ash in Edison, NJ. I saw one hanging on the wall and pulled it off to get a feel for it. I can't say why, but it felt super-nice in my unexperienced hands.
I first heard about them by way of Stu Hamm's "Kings Of Sleep" album. (Damn, I love that album to pieces! It's probably one of the factors
that pushed me towards picking up my first bass.) Back when I was a drummer in the mid-'80s/early-'90s, I came across one at the Sam Ash in Edison, NJ. I saw one hanging on the wall and pulled it off to get a feel for it. I can't say why, but it felt super-nice in my unexperienced hands.
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Well, I post this all the time, so hopefully it’s not getting annoying, but this headless short scale model by luthier Brady Muckelroy is, to me, different and special in all the right ways.
It was designed to be ultra-light, so it’s made of swamp ash with a cherry and maple neck and comes in at 5.25 lbs.
Headless means it balances perfectly, and stays in tune for months at a time. Also, having tuners at the bridge is a real benefit for anyone with shoulder issues, as you don’t have to stretch for tuners at the end of the neck.
Headless also means you have to endure “what happened to the rest of your bass haha” jokes
but that’s a small price to pay.
Added bonuses, as a 30” scale headless, it’s shorter than a strat and fits in a guitar gig bag.
Weird extra benefit that is more useful than one might think— it doesn’t need a stand—it can be rested on it’s butt and leaned against a cab or wall.
Sound? very versatile with a set of Passive Kent Armstrong Custom Wound J80 pickups and series, parallel and single-coil switches.
It was designed to be ultra-light, so it’s made of swamp ash with a cherry and maple neck and comes in at 5.25 lbs.
Headless means it balances perfectly, and stays in tune for months at a time. Also, having tuners at the bridge is a real benefit for anyone with shoulder issues, as you don’t have to stretch for tuners at the end of the neck.
Headless also means you have to endure “what happened to the rest of your bass haha” jokes
but that’s a small price to pay.Added bonuses, as a 30” scale headless, it’s shorter than a strat and fits in a guitar gig bag.
Weird extra benefit that is more useful than one might think— it doesn’t need a stand—it can be rested on it’s butt and leaned against a cab or wall.
Sound? very versatile with a set of Passive Kent Armstrong Custom Wound J80 pickups and series, parallel and single-coil switches.
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never played one, but I knew a chap who had one in the 90’s and he played the heck out of it and it had amazing tone.For those in-the-know, what are your feelings about the Kubicki Factor Bass?
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I first heard about them by way of Stu Hamm's "Kings Of Sleep" album. (Damn, I love that album to pieces! It's probably one of the factors
Definitely the Ibanez ATK. Those that know, know. But for the most part it seems to be a pretty obscure out of production instrument. It fits me like a glove. It sounds amazing for a myriad of situations.
I've tried to give myself gas for other basses, even MM stingrays that this is supposed to be modeled after. But I can't find anything I'd rather play than my ATK.
I've tried to give myself gas for other basses, even MM stingrays that this is supposed to be modeled after. But I can't find anything I'd rather play than my ATK.
The T-40 is getting a lot of interest these days from a new generation of players but the T-45 is still unjustly ignored.
Now we’re talkin’. I’ve got that exact bass and I gravitate to it the most.
I won't be parting with mine anytime soon, been my #1 for 24 years now.[/QUOTE]
I won't be parting with mine anytime soon, been my #1 for 24 years now.[/QUOTE]
