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Disappointing experiences with basses you thought you'd love
- Thread starter Gothic
- Start date
Absolutely can relate! My last two very expensive custom builds from overseas did not agree with me... now hoping for "third time lucky!" when my upcoming BassLab short-scale gets completed (hopefully before Christmas)
Best of luck with that, Mike! I hope you love that new bass when it arrives.
A 1996 German made Warwick Corvette with the coveted wenge neck. It was a beautiful instrument, the neck was a dream. I got it used and the electrics had been swapped out for some EMGs. Perfect I thought, I love EMGs. But it didn't sound right, too thin and sterile sounding, so I traded the EMG gear for the stock MEC, the active setup. While it sounded better, it still wasn't what I wanted. Even tried swapping in some Dimarzio and Barts. Nothing. I put the MEC back in and sold it. Bought a Spector and never looked back.
Stingray 5HH. Just couldn't bond with it. Neck was too thick, heaviest bass I've ever owned and I only liked 1 tone with the pickup selector in the middle position. Lakland Skyline deluxe 44-02, tone was great, sounded close to my Sadowsky but the craftmanship and fit and finish was absolute garbage. Took a big loss on that sale too because of it and I'll never give Lakland a second chance.
I buy everything used, so I don't have any huge sour grapes experiences. Over the years I've purchased several full packages from guys who were getting out or giving up. I'd end up with amps, cabs, basses, and some of it was great and some not so great. But pennies on the dollar, so easy come easy go.
The disappointments get moved along for what I have into them.
The Ric burgundy glow was beautiful. But not much fun, it got traded for a new Peavey Mark 3 or 4.
A shorty lived affair with a pointy metallic black Jackson concert 5. What a mid range bass that was.
Took a trial run with a T-40, but didn't buy it. It was even heavier than my Kramer 450.
The Zon Vinnie should have checked all my boxes, but after a year of trying to love it, I moved it on.
My Fender Jazz was just ok.
Now for the great stuff. The Dingwalls have been excellent, every single one. And the Peavey Cirrus is crazy good, huge bang for the buck.
The disappointments get moved along for what I have into them.
The Ric burgundy glow was beautiful. But not much fun, it got traded for a new Peavey Mark 3 or 4.
A shorty lived affair with a pointy metallic black Jackson concert 5. What a mid range bass that was.
Took a trial run with a T-40, but didn't buy it. It was even heavier than my Kramer 450.
The Zon Vinnie should have checked all my boxes, but after a year of trying to love it, I moved it on.
My Fender Jazz was just ok.
Now for the great stuff. The Dingwalls have been excellent, every single one. And the Peavey Cirrus is crazy good, huge bang for the buck.
I had a Peavey USA Millennium P/J. Nice bass, but very uneven sound.
I also had an Elrick seven-string. Sounded dull and lifeless to me. I'm sure I was the problem, it was a beautiful, finely crafted instrument. At the same time, I had an LEJ 7 string, and it was awesome. It didn't take me long to give up the seven-string madness, though.
I've also never played an MTD 535 or 635 that I liked. They are beautiful and very comfortable, but they sound blah in my hands.
I also had an Elrick seven-string. Sounded dull and lifeless to me. I'm sure I was the problem, it was a beautiful, finely crafted instrument. At the same time, I had an LEJ 7 string, and it was awesome. It didn't take me long to give up the seven-string madness, though.
I've also never played an MTD 535 or 635 that I liked. They are beautiful and very comfortable, but they sound blah in my hands.
Mid 70's Jazz bass.
Bought it used with no strings and a back-bowed neck. Thought it was a mid 80's instrument (which was worth little in 1995 when all this went down). Nursed it back to health and started playing it. It was a bit on the heavy side and the tone was meh. Just didn't do anything for me. Imagine my surprise when I looked up the SN and found it was a mid 70's instrument.
New owner loved it. I was glad to see it go.
Bought it used with no strings and a back-bowed neck. Thought it was a mid 80's instrument (which was worth little in 1995 when all this went down). Nursed it back to health and started playing it. It was a bit on the heavy side and the tone was meh. Just didn't do anything for me. Imagine my surprise when I looked up the SN and found it was a mid 70's instrument.
New owner loved it. I was glad to see it go.
I can think of a couple...
1. '78 Kramer 450B. I'd read that they were neck divers, but... I've read that about pretty much every bass I own. And, on my shoulder? Most of them aren't, and the ones that are? It's so slight, it hardly qualifies as "neck dive". But, the Kramer? O..M..G!! Holding that neck up is like straight-arming a large cast iron skillet. And, if I let go of it, it will try really, really hard to pull my shirt up over my head. I know, 'cause I've let it try a time or two. But... it just sounds so good, and plays so nice, that I can't imagine getting rid of it. So, I just grin and bear it - and don't play it for more than a couple of songs without a break...
2. '18 Gibson Thunderbird. I'm left handed, and Gibson only makes lefty basses every 5 years or so. I have a Classic Sunburst '13 T-Bird, and when they announced leftys again in 2018, I snatched a black one up, quick as a bunny. Sadly, I could never form a bond with it - unlike my other 'Bird. Why? Well... My '13 T-bird is, aside from my '95 Alembic Epic, the most perfectly built and finished bass I own; and I own some pretty fine basses. The '13's 3-point bridge works flawlessly; is easy to set up; and stays that way. Inside the control cavity? It's a textbook example of how to wire up and solder bass controls. As flawless as everything else. But, the '18? It was as nicely finished as the older one, and played just as well. But... that Babicz bridge? It worked pretty well - after I took it off the bass, and spent almost 4 hours taking it apart; filing all the burrs and flashing off every moving part; polishing all of them; and putting everything back together. Several times. Which, as you might imagine, made me... very unhappy. Inside the control cavity? Well, everything did work, but... there was at least 10x more solder in there than was necessary. Honestly, there were blobs of it all over everything. It looked like it was wired up by a couple of drunken monkeys. I could - and have - done a better job, and it's a Class II misdemeanor to let me anywhere near a soldering iron. The wiring/soldering in my $130 Chinese violin bass is better - embarrassingly better. It finally reached a point where I was asking myself "why the Hell did you buy this thing?!?" every time I took it out of the case. I loathed the sight of that Babicz bridge, and knowing that there was an obscene mess under the control cavity cover annoyed the bejeezus out of me. To the point that, for the first time in my life - I broke down, and sold a bass. And, to my surprise - I don't miss that T-Bird a bit...
1. '78 Kramer 450B. I'd read that they were neck divers, but... I've read that about pretty much every bass I own. And, on my shoulder? Most of them aren't, and the ones that are? It's so slight, it hardly qualifies as "neck dive". But, the Kramer? O..M..G!! Holding that neck up is like straight-arming a large cast iron skillet. And, if I let go of it, it will try really, really hard to pull my shirt up over my head. I know, 'cause I've let it try a time or two. But... it just sounds so good, and plays so nice, that I can't imagine getting rid of it. So, I just grin and bear it - and don't play it for more than a couple of songs without a break...
2. '18 Gibson Thunderbird. I'm left handed, and Gibson only makes lefty basses every 5 years or so. I have a Classic Sunburst '13 T-Bird, and when they announced leftys again in 2018, I snatched a black one up, quick as a bunny. Sadly, I could never form a bond with it - unlike my other 'Bird. Why? Well... My '13 T-bird is, aside from my '95 Alembic Epic, the most perfectly built and finished bass I own; and I own some pretty fine basses. The '13's 3-point bridge works flawlessly; is easy to set up; and stays that way. Inside the control cavity? It's a textbook example of how to wire up and solder bass controls. As flawless as everything else. But, the '18? It was as nicely finished as the older one, and played just as well. But... that Babicz bridge? It worked pretty well - after I took it off the bass, and spent almost 4 hours taking it apart; filing all the burrs and flashing off every moving part; polishing all of them; and putting everything back together. Several times. Which, as you might imagine, made me... very unhappy. Inside the control cavity? Well, everything did work, but... there was at least 10x more solder in there than was necessary. Honestly, there were blobs of it all over everything. It looked like it was wired up by a couple of drunken monkeys. I could - and have - done a better job, and it's a Class II misdemeanor to let me anywhere near a soldering iron. The wiring/soldering in my $130 Chinese violin bass is better - embarrassingly better. It finally reached a point where I was asking myself "why the Hell did you buy this thing?!?" every time I took it out of the case. I loathed the sight of that Babicz bridge, and knowing that there was an obscene mess under the control cavity cover annoyed the bejeezus out of me. To the point that, for the first time in my life - I broke down, and sold a bass. And, to my surprise - I don't miss that T-Bird a bit...
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Ric 4003 - Baseball bat neck, iffy QC. Didn't bond with it at all.
So Anyway, I bought a Czech Spector many years ago...but never 'bonded' with it. Something about the ergonomics just didn't feel right. And maybe I didn't give it enough time.
It was a fine, well-made instrument and had lots of tone options. Can't say I was disappointed.... it just didn't fit me.
It was a fine, well-made instrument and had lots of tone options. Can't say I was disappointed.... it just didn't fit me.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Wow, I'm another one who's quite surprised by the number of people posting about Stingrays. I've owned two, have had my current one since about 2007, and am still madly in love with it. It feels so comfortable on me, the ergonomics feel just right to me, and it has the sound of bass that I hear in my head. Same goes for my first one. I only sold that one to get my current Stingray because it was about two pounds heavier. But, I get that no bass is right for everyone and I certainly won't try to convince anyone their opinion is wrong.
For me, the one that disappointed me was my Warwick FNA Jazzman 5. I had it maybe a year and a half to two years and ultimately had to admit that the ergonomics just didn't fit me. It always felt like it hung too far to the left on me so my left (fretting) hand could barely reach to the nut. I finally sold it. Other than that, I absolutely loved how it sounded, loved the tonal options, loved how well it was made, and loved how it looked. But I just never adjusted to how it felt.
For me, the one that disappointed me was my Warwick FNA Jazzman 5. I had it maybe a year and a half to two years and ultimately had to admit that the ergonomics just didn't fit me. It always felt like it hung too far to the left on me so my left (fretting) hand could barely reach to the nut. I finally sold it. Other than that, I absolutely loved how it sounded, loved the tonal options, loved how well it was made, and loved how it looked. But I just never adjusted to how it felt.
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Only two;
A pre EB Stingray - well made, played well but I just didn't love the sound. I tried to get used to it and adjust eq to find a sound I could live with but it never worked. It went.
An American Deluxe 5 string Precision - sounded great but the neck was too wide and string spacing didn't work for me either. It also went.
In fairness, these are subjective disappointments. Both basses were well made. Just not to my liking.
A pre EB Stingray - well made, played well but I just didn't love the sound. I tried to get used to it and adjust eq to find a sound I could live with but it never worked. It went.
An American Deluxe 5 string Precision - sounded great but the neck was too wide and string spacing didn't work for me either. It also went.
In fairness, these are subjective disappointments. Both basses were well made. Just not to my liking.
