I think my Aria will be perfect after I play it for about 10 years. It’s too fresh right now XD. Needs to be broken in. It was built in 2024 of course, so it is yet to take on the roadworn vintage charm. That just means I need to practice more
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Do You Own Your Perfect Bass?
- Thread starter Smallmouth_Bass
- Start date
I'm glad the OP added the last sentence.
After 50+ years of playing, my answer would have to be "No". Either the designs, or the executions (i.e. QC), or both, have been faulty on every one of them. Some glaring, some minor enough that I could remediate myself.
All well-known names, too.
After 50+ years of playing, my answer would have to be "No". Either the designs, or the executions (i.e. QC), or both, have been faulty on every one of them. Some glaring, some minor enough that I could remediate myself.
All well-known names, too.
Any bass that takes a decent setup and has a good signal is perfect for me. I own several production instruments that fit these criteria.
Yep. Spent a fortune on it. And guess what? It lives in it's hard case at all times because it's too perfect to use.
Find myself always grabbing my "cheaper" basses so as to not worry about scratches, damage, or fret wear
Find myself always grabbing my "cheaper" basses so as to not worry about scratches, damage, or fret wear
No plans to change anything on my best two basses. They both keep giving.
No, but that's because no one bass can cover everything I need. I have enough to cover my needs, though.
Yep. I’m significantly younger but I’ve come to the same conclusion. There are no perfect guitars or basses. Lol
I hope so. I made a custom order with Maruszczyk and am awaiting completion and delivery. It was built to my specs (5er, 32” scale, humbuckers that can be run in parallel, series, or single coil, purple). It seems like it will be everything my Korean Spector is but hopefully more comfortable and versatile.
I've had a MIA N series ( 90's) Fender 40 string PBj for 20 years now. This is after almost 30 year of using various series of Fender basses, PBs, JBs, and even a 70's Mustang ( a highly underrated bass at the time). I've even played most of the series of Fender basses that are going for big bucks these days. I wouldn't take one of those in trade for mine. It plays like a dream, and the tone is truly special. It's a unicorn.
Shop worn by now because I played the snot out of it, over a thousand gigs and many recording sessions later. it's still presentable even in it's aged condition.
I voted "yes" for my Sandberg TT-5 Superlight. I love J-basses with maple fretboards, I often want or need a five, and this one feels and sounds great. I love the relatively flat 14" radius fretboard, and the incredibly light weight (under 7 lbs.). Since I bought it in December of 2022, I've played it more than any of my other basses.
The only issue, which is intermittent, has been string-to-string balance. This is mostly about the A string being a little weak at times, even after a few rounds of adjustment with guidance from Sandberg. I've thought about getting pickups with staggered poles to track the radius, but on stage at high volume, when it really counts, it's been fine.
The only issue, which is intermittent, has been string-to-string balance. This is mostly about the A string being a little weak at times, even after a few rounds of adjustment with guidance from Sandberg. I've thought about getting pickups with staggered poles to track the radius, but on stage at high volume, when it really counts, it's been fine.
Perfect would be some unicorn carved upright for free, not holding my breath on that though. But I do have one fretless four I wouldn’t change at all, and another one that’s just one new preamp away, which I will get to designing one of these days.
This custom Crescent Moon build took four pickup tries, several string experiments, and I’m not sure how many preamps to get to “perfect”:
That was pickup try three, Q-Tuner BL-4s. Very good, but still a bit dark for my taste. So back to single coils, LeCompte Triple Threats, and then yet another DIY preamp to leverage what they brought. Like so:
The one on the right is from Marco Bass, and I think it wants a filter preamp combined with a regular active bass section, but with a few other twists. I know a guy, it’ll be done sooner than later…
What I want doesn’t exist. It’s have to be a real custom job.
Neck through 35in scale length Ibanez ATK shaped 5 string body with early 90’s Warwick Streamer electronics and pickups routed in the exact Streamer position, the neck somewhere in between the thickness of an Ibanez Soundgear neck and the ATK neck with 16.5mm spacing, Hipshot brass hardware for bridge and tuners including D Tuners on E and B strings.
I would want this to be built by Ken Smith using all of his building techniques and philosophies with flamed maple body wings and finished in a satin natural to blue to white oil finish ala Michael Tobias.
“It could happen.Sha… and monkeys might fly outta my butt”
Neck through 35in scale length Ibanez ATK shaped 5 string body with early 90’s Warwick Streamer electronics and pickups routed in the exact Streamer position, the neck somewhere in between the thickness of an Ibanez Soundgear neck and the ATK neck with 16.5mm spacing, Hipshot brass hardware for bridge and tuners including D Tuners on E and B strings.
I would want this to be built by Ken Smith using all of his building techniques and philosophies with flamed maple body wings and finished in a satin natural to blue to white oil finish ala Michael Tobias.
“It could happen.Sha… and monkeys might fly outta my butt”
Hmmm... they're all very particular -
One-off FSO 33"scale fretless jazz
'79 Music Man Sabre fretless
Guild Starfire
Dano Longhorn
Shen 5/8th hybrid upright
... and in another couple of months a SBMM Joe Dart. I suspect the Dart will end up being the most veratile despite just having one big volume knob.
I voted yes for my two Lulls - a P4 and a V4. Both are dreams to play and I wouldn't change a thing about either (though I did change the pups in the P as it came with non-stock pups which were a little too aggressive for me).
almost... if only my spector NS pulse had a gloss finish, i'd have said yes. but the spector is as close as i've come to perfect, so i'm still very happy.
Wow. Yeah that is an interesting selection indeed. I own four basses: Epiphone EB0, a Squire P-Bass, a Rickenbacker 4003, and my favorite, the Aria SB-1000. Of the basses I have, I think the Aria is the most versatile. It has a single pickup, but it is in the middle sweet spot. Kinda like a P-bass. It’s a humbucker, so not much noise. It has the ability to be an active or passive bass, and the 18v active preamp has six presets that….sort of emulates having two pickups I guess? It does the Rickenbacker thing better than my Rick and the P-bass thing better than my P-bass! Of course not the same tones really but the vibe/style. You can pull anything from geddy or squire tones from it, to punk rock, to cliff burton master of puppets era, to killer jazz & reggae tones. More people need to give them a try, IMO. If you like things like neck-through stingrays.. or spectors.. don’t overlook the SB-1000.
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No, but Cliff Bordwell just started building it. Here is the top;
Yeppers. My parts p bass. I’ve even tried to replace it on several occasions but it keeps crawling back. Main bass since about 2017…
Yes. 1963 Fender P. It sounds, plays, and feels like “me”. Another second place would be my squier rascal hh bass. That one’s a keeper for sure.
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