Disappointing experiences with basses you thought you'd love

[M.R. Ogle]

I think it's an admirable amount of self-awareness when people say, "I just didn't bond with it... " as opposed to those who say, "Those basses are crappy..."

(Somebody out there LOVES those basses... so maybe it's ME!!!) lol

 

[Moving Pictures]

For me it was Ric 4001 that was the biggest disappointment. I wanted one quite badly, mostly because Geddy Lee and Chris Squire played Rics. Got my chance to play one and couldn't put it down fast enough. It sounded fine but the feel was completely wrong for me. Too angular and just not a good match. I was pretty bummed about that. I thought it was just me until I read similar stories on TB.

Another disappointment was the Rumblekat. Also too angular and didn't like the sound at all. Allen Woody made those basses sound amazing but I couldn't get a sound I liked out of it. Sold it.

Definitely learned what I didn't like with those two basses.

Interesting thread.

 

[BBassBassington]

I've got two. My EBMM Stingray. Which was incredible in every way and I wished I kept it. Except I could never find a set of strings I liked with it. After 3 weeks I'd want a new pair. Every time. EB, Fender, GHS, D'Addario, didn't matter. 3 weeks later I'd be like this sounds lifeless and I hate it.

My Dimension also needs newer strings but nowhere near as bad. It feels just as good as the 'Ray did and sounds better though so yay!

The other is the Epiphone Thunderbird. It's so bad I forgot I owned it for a while. Sounded and looked real cool, got it used but it was mint. Brought it out with the band and the neck dive was so bad I literally sat out the last few songs. The drummer was like "are you seriously not going to play?" and my response was "nope." I was so done I went home and put it up for sale.

I didn't even bother putting strap locks on my EB0. It's for sitting and watching peoples faces when I show them the neck dive test.

 

[rmayer]

I'm sure there have been a few, (Rics come to mind) but the one that really stands out is a Lakland Classic J USA 44-60 that I ordered direct from them a couple of years ago. They were supposed to have some "Lightweight Ash Body blanks" in stock, and being a fan of lighter weight basses, I went for it. Tobacco Burst, Rosewood Board, Tort Guard, Passive w/ dual concentric pots, but I had them do a rear rout in case I wanted to add an active preamp later (and it would shave off a few more ounces). It finally arrived and it was a beautiful looking and sounding bass. I really loved the sound, but...

First, it wasn't as light as promised. Then, the neck didn't feel comfortable to me at all, maybe I'm used to my Sadowskys? But the biggest problem, besides the neck was that the body edges and contours were extremely square. The body was much thicker than any of my other basses, Sadowskys and G&L. Maybe this is just a Lakland thing with their full size bodies?

I'm talking to the point of where I would think someone skipped a step in finishing this body. They went from rough shaping, and forgot to radius the edges, and then went to the fine sanding steps.

There is no way I could get comfortable playing this bass, it reminded me of a Ric 4003 with the body binding, I always preferred the 4003S without. The body edges were too uncomfortable. That, and every time I looked at it, my probable OCD kicked in and made it impossible to bond with this bass. A shame, but someone got a great deal on a two week old Lakland.

 

[gazzatriumph]

I almost put these on my list. They are true hollowbodies and offer neither the weight nor balance challenges of other Gretsches, even if they have oversize tuners like I put on mine. But I agree about the pickups; they are . . . uninspiring. If you loaded these basses with original Supertrons or (for roundwound strings) Maxon pickups, you'd have something.

Lovely looking guitars, I really wanted it to be good.

 

[jid]

Biggest disappointment for me was a fodera… always wanted one. I've owned so many basses and thought this one would be the most perfect of all perfection. It wasn't just a let down, but it really took a toll. I expected it to be better than any of the uber-pricey basses I've owned in the past. But it wasnt.

No more bass GAS for me. That experience really took a lot out of me for bass-lust. Very happy with what I have.

 

[dougjwray]

Oh, Yeah….and Jazz basses. I probably owned six of them over the years most of them very good quality including the last one I had which was a US Geddy Lee I just recently sold. For some reason I love the tone in other players hands but something about the feel and tone in my hands is just not for me and I want to love it so badly.

I've been through that same thing with Jazz Basses. I hear someone else playing one, and it's fantastic. Then I play one live, and it's just anemic. I guess I gravitate to the chest-rattling P-Bass effect.
In recent years, though, I have found them useful when a need a smoother, more polite sound in a mix.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

For me, it was a Modulus Quantum 5 with a stunning spalted maple top. That bass was beautiful and sounded amazing. Growl, thump, spank… everything I wanted sonically.

View attachment 4352314

Unfortunately, I could never get used to the 35" scale or the neck profile (too wide side-to-side and too narrow front-to-back). It felt like I was playing a surfboard. I sold it less than a year later and was sad to see it go. I really wanted it to be "the one."

My hands and finger spread are just too small for a 35" scale. Now I mostly play 32" medium scale basses. They are much more comfortable and enjoyable.

If Modulus ever offers a 32" Quantum, I'll be the first in line to buy one.
Come on Modulus, I'm rooting for you! You can do it!

You could always ask Geoff Gould if he could do it for you. He's a member and frequent poster in the Modulus Mob thread.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Got a few:

1. Fender Marcus Miller Jazz - gorgeous bass but a total boat anchor. Sound was a bit dull, but I did enjoy the feel.

2. EBMM StingRay5 HH - my first 5 and the first bass I ever bought brand new. I really wanted to love it, but it didn't feel quite right in my hands and it had a dead spots all along the first several frets of the B string. Total let down.

3. Spector Euro4 LX/Warwick SS1 - beautiful basses and great sounds, but the ergos don't work for me. The first several frets are a reach for me.

4. Lakland 55-02 - really nice 5 string, but the Bart pickups got lost in the mix no matter what I tried.

5. Modulus Flea - nice 4 banger, but it also had Bart pickups that would get lost in the mix. It also suffered from some fret buzz on the lower frets that you couldn't fix because there was no truss rod.

 

[Snakeman1066]

When Dingwall's became all the rage I managed to track down a used Gen-1 Combustion for a decent price...and drove a couple of hours to buy it off a kid out of the Bay Area....Meh is all I can say about it...it was comfortable to play and felt well constructed....but again...Meh I guess I was expecting some sort of magic...just don't understand the hype....I feel about it the same way I do Darkglass Electronics pedals...I don't get the praise and worship heaped on them...

 

[A9X]

just don't understand the hype

The probability of being let down by a product is directly in proportion to the hype around it.

 

[India_Sierra]

It will be the Stingray for me, in particular the Stingray 4.

I have played some good and some bad, but it was enough that I created a mantra of 'never buy a 'Ray you can't play'. The logic being that some really seem to suffer from dead spots and weak G strings. You might get a good one or a bad one and that's a risk I just won't take.

I don't know if the various changes between the Ray 4 and 5 are to blame, but I've found the Ray 5's to be consistently better.

 

[Les Fret]

Really an overwhelming amount of Stingrays mentioned here! That is a surprise for me.
People who are disappointed in them; curious what is the main reason is?
Different expectations? Didn't have the sound you heard on the records?

 

[Jose Kafka]

The only thing not so positive about my Sterling Stingray 5 (Indonésia) is that its heavier then my other basses, the rest its a very cool bass with good construcion, neck, sound and feel. spacing between strings is a little wide you have to get used to. Maybe its a question of try before buy.

 

[mikewalker]

I've got numerous other stories, but what just came to mind was Sadowsky. Last time I was in NYC, (three years ago, before I completely swore off of long scale basses) I made a point of giving a couple of brand new Sadowsky basses the once-over. (My mom's maiden name is Sadowsky, and I was primed to bring one home to show her). It was a huge letdown, they both immediately just felt 'wrong'. Excellent quality basses. Just not.for.me. I played a lot of very nice basses that trip, but my Sadowsky experience was very deflating...

 

[Snakeman1066]

Really an overwhelming amount of Stingrays mentioned here! That is a surprise for me.
People who are disappointed in them; curious what is the main reason is?
Different expectations? Didn't have the sound you heard on the records?

for me it was the neck (too wide and too chunky front to back) felt like playing a baseball bat...combined with the big butt of the body...I did however love the the American made Sterlings...

 

[relayer66]

For me it was a 2012 Fender American Standard Jazz Bass. I love JBs, have had quite a few nice ones and currently have two awesome ones. This one I just couldn't bond with for some reason. The sound, the feel, the neck, the bridge, pickups, tuning machines…it just wasn't my thing.

 

[woodyng2]

I've been curious about the Peavey Palaedium for years, and bought one last summer.
Overall there's a lot to love, but my left hand didn't particularly take to the super narrow neck,
and very flat radiused fretboard, so I will be moving it on.

 

[OldFenderPlayer]

Around 2007 I picked up a Squire Vintage Modified Precision Bass after reading a positive review in Bass Player Magazine. Because it was supposedly modeled after the white P-Bass Sid Vicious played in the Sex Pistols, I assumed it would have what I was looking for - a classic, aggressive 1970s Precision tone.

I never warmed up to the bass; it sounded and played okay but it didn't have the same feel as my two main basses - a '65 Jazz and an '87 String Ray; it felt too light and too unsubstantial. I played it for a year or so, then put it on consignment at a local music store, where it sold for its asking price in less than a week. A few months later I found my Bill Nash PB-57, which was exactly what I was looking for and was my #1 for 10 years. I'm playing the Squire VM in the photo.

 

[tindrum]

I've been curious about the Peavey Palaedium for years, and bought one last summer.
Overall there's a lot to love, but my left hand didn't particularly take to the super narrow neck,
and very flat radiused fretboard, so I will be moving it on.
View attachment 4354902

If you put that in the classifieds here it'll sell in 24 hours easily.