Define a quality bass guitar.

[mattj1stc]

I'll take a stab at the original question.

A good bass sounds and plays great all over after being set up properly with appropriate strings. What makes it good is that once it is set up and playing/sound good, it tends to stay that way for long periods of time. It also helps if the bass is not fragile or easily damaged.

A decent bass is similar to a good bass, but it's somewhat lacking in sound, playability or durability compared to the good bass. Also, maybe it can be a good bass for 15 minutes, but then requires some further adjustment to remain in the good zone.

A bad bass cannot be made to sound or play well - there's something inherently wrong with hot it's made. Also, it may be a good or decent bass with poor quality components that fail regularly.

 

[Benj-jammin]

I guess for me, it's about a bass that has correct intonation from top to bottom, no dead notes, or wonky electronics, etc. Personally, I've found that a lot of the "cheaper" basses suck (dull, dead sounding)on the E string above the 12th fret. JMO from experience.

 

[Bonafide]

...and to define it is only impossible to people who haven’t a significant amount of experience in whatever subject which is being subjected to that word.

^^^

This is the bottom line. This is the internet forum in a nutshell and it's consequence is what manifests as the majority of 'subjective' gear threads. Opinions... based on limited experience. Even 'alot of years' does not equate to alot of experience, nor does alot of gear for minimum time in minimum settings. And especially 'alot of post count' ...Yet it is those dynamics who consistently engage in the 'subjective' dialogue. Quality does exists as does a lack of it. Explaining it, without introducing opinion is possible but always challenged or mis-understood.

My answer is...blue basses.

 

[Jim Nazium]

Good: flats and tort.
Decent: flats or tort (but not both).
Bad: neither flats nor tort.

 

[marchone]

Thanks for all the responses. Some got it; most didn’t.

This guy got it. My opening post was meant as a challenge that, in my opinion cannot be met.

Sorry if I offended anyone. I did not intentionally do so.

Thank you for my first good laugh of the day.

I've been involved in DBT/ABX testing in the hifi world for well over 30y and have shown that pretty much everyone hears with their eyes. I did not get a single statistically significant result and I very closely followed the protocols. When developing product I actually wanted people to be able to hear anomalies in the DUTs to potentially wean them out. However, no one was ever able to do so in a reliable manner.

About 15y back there were a couple of tests where a selected MIA Fender was compared to a Squier or SX and the votes came out about 50/50 or no better than guessing. A similar one was done between a Stradivarius and a decent modern violin with a similar result.

As for a blind test with an instrument, it won't work as no two will feel the same in a player's hands, and they will always prefer one over the other. Playing is unlikely to be similar enough either. This is also the same if one person played them behind a curtain and the audience voted without seeing.

 

[Jefenator]

I also look for expressiveness on the face of inlaid dragon. (And of course the detail in the scales.)

 

[Killing Floor]

The first measure of "quality" to me is whether it feels good in my left hand.
The rest is details. My 2021 Fender MiA P Bass arrived with a nut cut so low that 3 of the strings were benched against the first fret. There were several frets that needed pretty significant filing and one that wasn't fully seated, you could see the tang underneath the crown. The bridge wasn't grounded, wire was connected at the controls but not pulled all the way through the routing to the bridge. FYI this passed QC in Corona.
But once I brought it to Danny at Straight Frets it became a high quality bass that I am proud to own and happy to play.

So the sassy answer to your OP, what defines a quality bass? As much as I love Fender, as sure as I will buy another Fender, my vintage P and J basses represent quality to me. My 2020 MiA Tele and my 2021 MiA P are basically really valuable Glarrys with better hardware.

 

[rantbot]

Forty years ago I ran into a bass I couldn't tune. The damn keys just twisted off as soon as I touched them.

That was not a good bass. Probably my fault, but that doesn't matter - for me, it was not a good bass.

Everything better than that is a good bass.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

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.

One that feels good and plays well, regardless of price.

 

[Buster Brown]

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.

Simple. A good bass is the one that works best for you. End.

 

[zortation]

Good bass: well designed, good woods, fully adjustable with no issues.

 

[wazzel]

A good bass is one that is structurally sound, has all the mechanical and electrical bits working like they should, stays in tune, is able to be intonated, and handles wear and tear of being used without falling apart. A bad bass does not do those things in some degree. Everything else is personal preference. Not saying those preferences do not matter to an individual, but they do not make a bass good or bad.

 

[longfinger]

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)

This is a solid start. Thanks for the Bold titles and bullet points. Presentation matters, and this post conveyed your key points with clarity.

I'll add in

Fit and Finnish
- Fret metal is appropriate hardness and thickness
- Truss rod works well
- nut material is excellent

Design
- design is ergonomic
- output jacks well placed. (Not in the way of stands, hands or straps)
- electronics are well shielded.
- if active, battery draw is reasonable. If battery dies, BYPASS to passive is appreciated (bonus)
- output jack is sturdy and can last multiples of 10,000s of pairings
- Components can be maintained or replaced easily

Then there is the actual build of the specific instrument:

Build:
- Neck is not warped
- Frets are in the right places
- Wood is not cracked in areas that matter
- Things work as they should

A person should be able to setup the bass to be adjusted, intonated and in-tune, without undue hassle from the instrument.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

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.

A good bass is stable. A good bass has a tight fitting neck. A good bass has hardware that lasts more than a year. A good bass stays in tune. A good bass has a nut that has been cut properly. A good bass does not have fret spout. A good bass can be set up. A good bass does not have abnormal hum. A good bass sounds good. A good bass plays good. A good bass looks good. A good bass is good.

 

[SgtHulka]

A good bass is stable. A good bass has a tight fitting neck. A good bass has hardware that lasts more than a year. A good bass stays in tune. A good bass has a nut that has been cut properly. A good bass does not have fret spout. A good bass can be set up. A good bass does not have abnormal hum. A good bass sounds good. A good bass plays good. A good bass looks good. A good bass is good.

LOL. So a good bass is good? Genius!

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

LOL. So a good bass is good? Genius!

Exactly

 

[MVE]

1. Nicely chosen piece of wood. (Is the grain on the neck wonky looking? Is the body 1 piece of wood? Etc..)
2. Are the pickups and electronics quality and properly shielded? (I love me some Bourns pots, lol)
3. Are the frets level and well dressed? Are any of them popping up?
4. Is the nut, tuners and bridge decent and installed and adjusted well?
It takes me about 2-3 seconds to evaluate everything except the electronics.

 

[projectapollo]

The 10 things I look for:
1. Sounds unusually good unplugged.
2. Bridge loads strings easily without damage to finish or forcing the end in.
3. Tuners are easy to find the correct intonation, little hunting back and forth.
4. Truss rod adjustment is straight forward, not like a Fender.
5. The blend control has a useful range of control, rather than abrupt tone changes.
6. The instrument cable snaps in place with a quality click.
7. Balances nicely on the strap.
8. Under 8.5 pounds.
9. The G string tone and volume blends with the rest of the instrument.
10. No dead spot on the G string.

 

[bassliner50]

A quality bass is anyone one that gets me through the gig without drama.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

If just one audience member hears it and goes "Wow!" and the bass somehow brings a moment of joy into their life, it's a good bass.