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Comparing Basses

F

fastvee

Apr 24, 2012
17
7
#1
Is it common to be able to feel which bass is better by playing un-amplified? I did this with my MIM P bass and my MIM Blacktop Jazz with the same strings, same action, same scale length. The vibes I get from the BT Jazz tell me it is the best bass in my collection, and amplified it just gets better. I realize I might be missing something and would like to hear your opinion.
Thanks
 
#3
Considering how much the tone of a bass can be changed with amp settings, eq, pickup changes, etc, unplugged feel is a good first step. I can tell in 10 seconds of unplugged playing if a bass is a maybe or a no-way. No reason to plug in the no-way ones.
 
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#5
For me it's physical things first. Neck profile, fretboard radius, fret size, ergonomics/balance, pickup location, and how stiff/dense the neck feels. Each of those can be a deal breaker.

Not that they're "better", but I know what I like.

How lively the the instrument feels comes after that. It's easy to confuse "lack of resonance" with bad strings and/or bad setup. For me it is, at least.
 
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#6
lz4005 said:
For me it's physical things first. Neck profile, fretboard radius, fret size, ergonomics/balance, pickup location, and how stiff/dense the neck feels. Each of those can be a deal breaker.

Not that they're "better", but I know what I like.

How lively the the instrument feels comes after that. It's easy to confuse "lack of resonance" with bad strings and/or bad setup. For me it is, at least.
Click to expand...

Finally, someone gets it! :banghead:

ahem…I mean, +1!
 
#7
I like all of the physical attributes of this P bass, and the way it looks, which is why I don't want to write it off so quickly. I am not sure how much I can do to it to make up for a not being lively. Sorry for the crappy pics.

1020141701.jpg
1020141702a.jpg
 
#8
Physical is second to me.

I used to gig a slim asymmetrical necked MTD 535 and a baseball bat necked American Spector 5er. I guess my hand positioning allows me to adjust.i prefer a slim (front to back) neck, but neck profile isn't a dealbreaker for me. Now if a body isn't ergonomic for me at all initially, I will likely pass. A RIC is a good example. I hate the ergonomics but like the tone and briefly owned one recently.

I find a bass unplugged will give you SOME idea of resonance and tone, but for me it has to be played in a band mix. I have fell in love with basses (plugged in and unplugged) at music stores that I hated within 5 minutes at a rehersal/gig.

YMMV
 
#9
Yes I hear that. I have played this P at a blues jam and needed to add lows with the EQ. I never expected a P would need more lows. I have installed a quarter pounder, but would need more foam underneath to experiment with pup height. Your reply is encouraging me to continue experimenting with it, but come jam time it will be difficult to leave the BT jazz at home.
Thanks
 

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