Ever bought a bass that you really wanted to love?

[rydin4lifebass]

Yes. It happen to me with Music Man Stingray. Bought one and auditioned many. They just don't feel right in my hands and I can't get a good tone out of them . However i really like to hear others play them. Especially the 2band eq models.

Pretty much this...love the sound Cliff Williams and Tim Commerford get out of them, among others, but they just don't feel right to me nor do they sound remotely close to what I hear from others. To me, they're iconic and I love the look, but just not for me apparently.

 

[India_Sierra]

Probably my old Zon Sonus Special. I have always loved graphite necked instruments, and I suppose I expected a little bit more Status style sparkle. I found it to be a rather plain sounding instrument. Nothing wrong with it, and in every respect of look and feel, it was impressively high end. But the tone never grabbed me.

I sold it after a few months. I do wish i had spent a little longer with it trying to gel.

 

[bass40hz]

This one...it is so absolutely gorgeous that I wanted to love it...

For Sale - ESP LTD PT-4 Bass Pancho Tomaselli Signature plus Case LIKE NEW

 

[bolophonic]

I got a deal on a vintage BC Rico Eagle in 2001 and as much as I loved to look at it, it never brought me as much joy to actually play it. I liquidated it at a loss a few years later.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Oh sure.
I bought a Ken Smith - felt the same way. Great instrument, just not for me.
Same with the Sadowsky I had - but that one was much closer -
Now, the Fodera I briefly owned - yeah. That one was *it* - just had to sell it due to $$ issues.

 

[lfmn16]

Four times with the same brand, all different models - Alembic. I wanted to love them all, but they just aren't for me.

 

[micguy]

I have a medium scale that, when I pick it up and play it, it just feels all kinda dinky. I have no other basses with j width necks, and have huge hands, so it just feels wrong. I decided recently that, no matter, what, I was gonna play it that weekend - I'd buckle down, practice with it all week, and then use it that weekend.

That went fine (the thing is so light you almost don'tknow you have it on), and when I got back from that gig, I picked up one of my long scale basses, and ...hmmm. Now that felt kinda off. So, I took the bass with the thickest neck out of the closet, and played that for a week. That got me back on solid foting with most of the herd.

Sometimes you just gotta recalibrate a bit. I'd say immerse yourself for a bit, and see if you can aclimate. If not, it's not for you. If you ship it to me, I won't charge you a disposal fee. I'll send pictures if you get lonely for it.

 

[static0verdrive]

My Mexican Nate Mendel sig Fender Precision. I couldn't hear myself well at all live, so I went back to jazzes and haven't looked back. I loved everything about that bass solo though!

 

[Floridabwoy]

Thanks guys!

 

[60bass]

A few come to mind for me.

One was a Carvin LB70 Sunburst with lots of options. The most beautiful looking bass you'd ever see but I hated the tone of it. Plus the finish and case stunk of chemical smell badly. I thought it would off gas pretty quick but you could still smell it a bit a year later when I dumped it cheap. The neck required almost constant adjusting and just wasn't stable.

Second one was a Fender 62RI Precision. Super lightweight and resonant but I just never bonded with it. The neck had issues and warped and I just could not get used to the skinny vintage frets. I was going to warranty the neck but a friend of mine bought it as-is. He had an older neck that he put on it and it was real nice for him.

Right now I have an Ibanez SRX400 which is a really nice bass and looks damn near new, very little playtime. The action is sick low, solid Korean build, PHAT II active EQ and a big bucker right in the sweet spot. Sounds very much like a Ray. I always wanted one I'm just not feeling it like I hoped. Might put that one on the classifieds here.

 

[NoiseNinja]

The best advice I can give you is to give it to me for free.

Anyway I bought a Rickenbacker 4003 once, and while I loved the look and liked the sound, I just hated to play it.

The neck felt clunky and uncomfortable to me.

I didn't use it much, so it just stood most of the time in a corner at our rehearsal place at the time being.

Eventually it got stolen, and I didn't miss it one bit, beside all the money lost on a resale.

 

[Chinchano]

Plenty:

Modulus Quantum 5- sterile sound and tight spacing
Sire V7- can't do jazz necks (bass sounded INCREDIBLE)
Alembic Persuader 5- weighed a zillion #, 32" B string flap, & tiny string spacing
Peavey Millenium 5- string spacing
Warwick Streamer Pro M fretless 5- weird neck and only one tone (not enough booty)

I've found the neck profile I like in my MTD styled Gecko basses- fortunately I can afford to have a few of them and have no issue making modifications to get different tones.

Functionality is everything to me- if I bass doesn't hang properly/balance, allow for my techniques, and allow me to stand upright after a 2 hour set then good looks and wonderful sound don't mine a thang!

Took me a while to get used to the Sire V7 when I first got it....but now??! I am in love with that bass.

 

[And I]

I bought an Ibanez SR505 used early on in my bass playing career. Wanted to love it, and did for a short time. Decided to switch back to 4 string to learn the instrument properly. Trying to switch between the SR505 and any of my 4 strings was a mess due to the tight string spacing of the 505. So I sold it to a friend, and when i wanted to get back into playing 5 string years later I knew to get 19mm spacing... Other than the spacing i really did love the 505. huge thick sound, lightweight, fast neck, attractive finish (to me at least), but the string spacing was a deal-breaker.

 

[bass40hz]

Took me a while to get used to the Sire V7 when I first got it....but now??! I am in love with that bass.

Love my V7 ..Ash and maple, the preamp is worth the price of admission, but I actually prefer the passive tone.

 

[david barnes]

I bought a bass recently that I really really really want to love. It is a rare rare rare bucketlist bass...

The issue is I am used to playing a long scale P bass with 20 frets, and this is a short scale with 23 frets... The other thing is that is so hi fi that when I rest my thumb on the bridge pickup I can hear it when I play... lol. It is gorgeous to look at, but I am not sure about the ergonomics for me....

Ugh.... should I keep it and try and adapt or just let it go and get my money back....

I got lucky pawn shop find.. The fender black top bass.. Perfect condition. Played a hand full of gigs and many hours of using it for practice.. And it was just too heavy.. Killed my neck every time i play it... Now it just hangs

 

[mysteryclock]

I'm going to get stoned by the group, but here goes....

Spector NS/2 CR (import, very early 2000s). Beautiful instruments, absolutely magnificent sound (to the point that music store owners would come over when I was trying amps and go "What is that?!?"), great curved body shape and ergonomics, fantastic playing.

Sadly, the early batch ones I got must have been made out of "floppy soft maple" instead of "hard rock maple" because I could deflect the necks with just finger pressure, and the setup shifted at least once/twice a month to the point of needing constant truss rod fiddling.

I loved them, but I hated them.

 

[electracoyote]

Lol...

Its really that the scale and frets are very tight compared to my long scale basses.... I may hold on to her, or you might see her on the classifieds on Monday.. lol.

No pics... no bass right...

View attachment 1075478

Beautiful bass. I can see why it was a bucketlist bass.

Now, if you played guitar too, you'd appreciate that short scale more.

Maybe here's your chance to slowly warm up to and build your chops with a shorter scale instrument? No need to rush it.

 

[seansbrew]

Yes, about twelve of them.

 

[40Hz]

I've wanted to love the PB and the JB for as long as I've been playing bass. But while I respect and admire what they bring to the table tonewise, I've just never developed the love so many other owners feel towards them. And I've tried. Lord knows I've tried! But a certain fondness is about all I can manage. That Fender sound, classic though it is (and wonderful in its own right) just isn't what moves me.

I've got 2 PBs and one JB I'm happy enough owning and using when I feel they're the best choice for what I'm playing. But they'll never be my favorites...

And I'm comfortable with that.

 

[rmayer]

Probably the Rick 4003 I bought a few years back. Couldn't get used to the neck, or the weight, or the body edges, or that damned pickup surround. Other than that I really wanted to like it, I liked my 4001 back in the mid 70s. At least I think I did, memories are a bit fuzzy. Oh yeah, also add to this list every re-issue Hofner, Violin and Club bass that I've bought and sold over the last 6-7 years or so trying to re-capture my '65 500/1. My first bass. I wasn't as bothered by the square front edge back then and my stomach didn't make the bass roll forward (what stomach?). I had Paul's bass!! Have I learned my lesson, Nah. I'm sure I'll probably see another Hofner in the future. Just for a little nostalgia.