Define a quality bass guitar.

[marchone]

I see threads here frequently saying this brand is garbage, or that brand only made a few good basses and you have to try them all to find a good one.

Put into words what a good bass is.

Do the same for a decent bass.

Now describe a bad bass.

If you can, articulate what is garbage, and what is not.

Try hard to leave out unadulterated opinion and subjectivity.

Be objective.

I submit it is in the hands and mind of the player.

Blind taste tests in the wine world have upset many apple carts and embarrassed many professional sommeliers. I lived tangentially as a chef in that world. You can’t quantify opinion.

A blindfolded test of top bass makers would be the end-all to this conversation.

 

[luciens]

Yeah, this thread isn't going to end well.....

L

 

[jd56hawk]

More gig-worthy basses today than ever before.
Sure, there are some real duds no matter the name on the headstock, but whether it's a $100 Harley Benton or a $2,500 Music Man, it's all about the bassist.
For me, there are two types of basses...the ones that move me the minute I plug them in, and the ones that simply don't do a thing for me.
One thing I'll admit...if it fails to impress me hanging on the wall, there's absolutely no need to pick it up and plug it in.

 

[AGCurry]

You use the word "quality" in the thread title but simply "good" and "bad" in your post. They are not quite the same. Quality encompasses materials and construction, whereas good and bad are answers to the question: Can I do everything I want to do with this item?

 

[Jefenator]

I heard a photo gear reviewer use the phrase: "least resistance between intent and execution".
IME with "better" gear it responds to what I want to do and lets me hear myself while also blending in with the ensemble with relatively little effort. (If I'm a little soft in the mix I can still hear me and if I'm a little hot I can still hear them.)
"Bad" gear doesn't accommodate that sometimes-tricky balancing act - I'm either buried or I'm burying. The ideal setting becomes frustratingly elusive.

 

[marchone]

You use the word "quality" in the thread title but simply "good" and "bad" in your post. They are not quite the same. Quality encompasses materials and construction, whereas good and bad are simply answers to the question: Can I do everything I want to do with this item?

I chose the words as they are commonly used here. The distinctions are what is in consideration here.

 

[Element Zero]

 

[lowendrachel]

If playability feels good and sound is good. It's good quality to me.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

[skip the other stuff]

Nut dressing! I don't condemn any of my basses for this, because I can fix it myself and I expect to, but some are embarrassing to their brand names. I mean, the mystique is gone; it's just mass produced and evidently just stuck together, and not by anyone with time enough to dress the nut!

I'll do it myself!

[end]

 

[TheReceder]

A quality bass will still a good bass 50 years later.

 

[ctmullins]

I wonder if Robert Pirsig played bass....??

 

[Picton]

Threads like this puzzle me.

Exactly what are you hoping to get at, OP? Do you think people are going to come here and rationally, dispassionately debate something as subjective as "quality," knowing that a dozen other posters are going to pounce on them and point out why they're wrong?

A "quality" bass is a bass that a player can play well. And different players look for different things, so I doubt there's a rational answer.

 

[Bassclef46]

why does this sound like a homework assignment?

 

[Pings Bass]

Good bass: looks, balances, plays, sounds great
Decent bass: plays and sounds great, balances and looks good to great
Bad bass: one or more of those four things is less than decent

 

[BarfanyShart]

Any bass that takes a good setup (with minimal effort), has smooth fret ends, and whose electronic components don't make weird undesirable noises, is basically a quality bass IMHO. You can conceivably get that for $300 nowadays, with some luck, so it's a great time to be alive. Everything else is about personal preference, and there is certainly no shortage of reputable companies who will take your money to fulfill those preferences right now, so also a great time to be alive.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

[another random rant]
I've read that dead spots are "pot luck" because of the variability of wood, even on the elite, small volume brands (that's what I read), even neck-throughs. So how many thousands of dollars would I have to pay to get *someone else* to try out enough necks - with their logo on it - to get a good one, custom chosen?

No, I'll do that myself too; I'll take my chances with Warmoth, Allparts, etc. Not ashamed of them in the slightest.
[end]

 

[JRA]

I submit it is in the hands and mind of the player.

who would argue that point? duh!

Put into words what a good bass is.
Do the same for a decent bass.
Now describe a bad bass.

without regard to build materials, cost, or looks:
good bass = "i like it." (IME: it balances, neck and 'body-hang' both feel good when playing, no dive, etc., don't have to change a thing.)
decent bass = "it's ok." (IME: close to a "good bass" but no cigar! might have to change some things.)
bad bass = "i don't like it." -or- "it has frets." (IME: lots of work --- maybe too much work --- to make it "good" or even "decent.")

seriously: folks who know what they prefer (as a function of a ton of experience) can qualify/quantify bad-to-good easily for themselves. it's the "inexperienced players" who confuse price/looks/hearsay with "good bass" --- and it's hardly mysterious as to 'why'.

i voted "i know it when i feel it!"

 

[Gregc57]

Quality: design, materials, and construction. Execution of said design. Period.

 

[Volker Kirstein]

Here is a quality bass:

You can tell it's quality by how many famous bassists played it:

 

[HELLonWHEELS]

High Quality Materials
- High quality woods (one piece body using [light weight] materials or not using cheap materials like plywood)
- Light weight tuners (brand name, prevent neck dive)
- Decent Electronics (no hums, buzzing, good quality pots, wires etc...)
- Good bridge design (allows for proper intonation and adjustments)

Fit and Finish
- Good fret work (even frets, PLEQ, no sharp edges)
- No gaps (i.e. in between neck and body)
- Paint (No orange peel, consistent coloring )
- Electronics (solid soldering joints

Misc
- Customizability and exotic options(in general if the company provides more options it's regarded as higher quality, not always the case)
- Warranty (companies that stand by their products are considered higher quality)
- Consistent quality output (all products are created to equal standards)