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Do you have a perfect bass?
- Thread starter joel406
- Start date
Do I have a perfect bass? No... no, I do not. Out of 24 basses, I have;
- one that was bought as a "med school cadaver" for practicing luthier skills on; it was perfect for that, but... nothing else;
- one that was bought strictly as a parts bass;
- one that I knew when I bought it, wasn't really playable as-is; it was intended to be a project bass from the start...
As for the others?
- My '06 Carvin LB-20 was originally built as a Rickenfaker (long story); It was converted to BEAD because I didn't need it as it was. Now it's back to EADG, but there never was anything wrong with it to begin with; and there's nothing I want to change on it now.
- I have a '94 Gretsch Broadkaster that I'd kinda like to modify; the original pickups, pots, and wiring are... less than perfect. But, I won't, because it plays and sounds fine for what it is, and because it's the only left handed Gretsch bass I've ever seen - that wasn't a '50s custom. It'll stay stock as long as it's mine...
- My '74 Rick 4001 is beginning to suffer what's called "negative neck angle"; it will eventually need serious repairs, rather than "improvements". As a result of the repair work, it will have to be refinished, but it will still be a stock '73 4001. Not a Jetglo 4001, though..
- My '78 Fender P-Bass had to be refinished and re-fretted (Roto 66's will eat a P-Bass' frets, too), and I replaced the broken black pickguard with a cream one. Other than that? It's just as it came from the factory - with an "A" spec neck...
All the rest of my basses are just as they came from the factory - except for the strings. A couple of them needed to have a new nut installed, but that's maintenance, AFAIC. However...
I do have one bass that I guess could be considered... sorta perfect. It's my '17 Warmoth 30" Mini-Precision Bass. Since it's exactly what I wanted from the start, I suppose you could say it's perfect - for me, anyway... Except for maybe the neck contour...
I have a “perfect for me bass”.
warmoth 5 string lightweight ash p bass body
Maple neck
rosewood board with block inlays
Noll preamp with Fender American jazz pickups
hipshot bridge, hipshot ultralight tuners
the only thing I’ve thought about doing is adding a string tree as the E string pops out of the nut sometimes if I hit it too hard.
warmoth 5 string lightweight ash p bass body
Maple neck
rosewood board with block inlays
Noll preamp with Fender American jazz pickups
hipshot bridge, hipshot ultralight tuners
the only thing I’ve thought about doing is adding a string tree as the E string pops out of the nut sometimes if I hit it too hard.
I'm easily pleased. But I hit the jackpot, every time. Perfect x five
Quitting while I'm ahead 
… I may have one more crack 
…
Greetings from the North,
This is my Serek Chambered Sacramento. It's the only bass that I have which I have no desire to make any alterations to.
Rezdog
This is my Serek Chambered Sacramento. It's the only bass that I have which I have no desire to make any alterations to.
Rezdog
Steinberger XL2. The only mod to it had been replacing the pivot plate for the later Boomerang. There was nothing wrong with the PP and I'd still be using it happily but Andy at Steinberger World got a group buy a decade back and I jumped in for fun. It was worth it as it hangs a bit better on me, but even with the PP it's the most ergonomic bass I've ever played. And I've owned a couple of hundred.
This bass is specifically mentioned in my will so that it goes to someone who'll appreciate it.
Won't change a thing on my ovation Magnum. It is what it is.
My Fender starcaster, I added push/pull to get parallel settings, haven't ever used parallel live.
Big Al 4
EBMM 25th anniversary 5
DP custom 5 single cut.
Epiphone classic pro IV Thunderbird
All the above have and will remain unchanged. I love what each of them do.
My Fender starcaster, I added push/pull to get parallel settings, haven't ever used parallel live.
Big Al 4
EBMM 25th anniversary 5
DP custom 5 single cut.
Epiphone classic pro IV Thunderbird
All the above have and will remain unchanged. I love what each of them do.
4 strings:
These two. CIJ/MIJ Jb75-94us's although technically, I did put lollipops on both, but that was a personal aesthetic choice.
Fivers:
Devon basses. Probably the best bang for the buck of any U.S.-made custom made instruments, to my knowledge, anyway.
These two. CIJ/MIJ Jb75-94us's although technically, I did put lollipops on both, but that was a personal aesthetic choice.
Fivers:
Devon basses. Probably the best bang for the buck of any U.S.-made custom made instruments, to my knowledge, anyway.
Last edited:
This is the 2nd time I've seen this today. I'm curious as to what makes it lightweight. Is it chambered?
I know ash isn't exactly a light wood. It's about the same as hard maple. Not as heavy as stuff like ebony, rosewood or Wenge, etc. But definitely not light.
I would consider alder and poplar, light.
About 70% the weight of ash or maple.
Anyway, don't want to nerd out on wood or derail the thread. Just wanna know what lightweight ash means.
Thanks.
Sadowsky NYCSatin. This one needs nothing.
well maybe a white pick guard change to make the blue pop.
well maybe a white pick guard change to make the blue pop.
I usually mod most of my basses to make them perfect FOR ME, but
I’m quite happy with my US GL L1000 as it came from the factory, as well as my US GL JB2.
They do what they do perfectly.
I’m also really fond of my stock ‘81 Veillette-Citron.
I have modded every Rickenbacker I’ve ever owned, though.
I’m quite happy with my US GL L1000 as it came from the factory, as well as my US GL JB2.
They do what they do perfectly.
I’m also really fond of my stock ‘81 Veillette-Citron.
I have modded every Rickenbacker I’ve ever owned, though.
Not changing anything on my moollon but the strings. My fender AVRI p is staying as it is now unless a string breaks. My American standard p bass has a pickup swap that was done before I got it and I decided not to change it
Yeah, whoo hoo and all that bells and whistles involved.
I have one in my possession I consider perfect, meaning: I don't want to play anything else and no change could improve on it.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,612
- 222,129
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I have 6 basses, 5 have never been modified and are - for me - perfect since I bought them. 2 Jazz MIA, 2 Sandbergs and a Marleaux Diva 5. The only one modified is an AM Performer, even so it wasn't modified out of necessity, I just wanted to upgrade the pickups and the bridge, and it turned out as I wanted.
This one makes all of my other basses seem like firewood
