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Forcing it?

twinjet

twinjet

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Sep 23, 2008
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#1
Did you ever find a bass that you wanted to love, but just couldn't?

Today I was half-expecting to NBD post. At a jam last night, a fellow I had met told me about a fretless parts Precision bass at a pawn shop. I had been looking for such a thing for quite some time. Against better judgement, I decided to check it out.

Today, I took my Rumble 15 out to give the bass a spin. It had an unfinished, featherweight Squier Precision sunburst body, with attempted relicing and an ebonol Squier Jaco fretless neck. The back had two stenciled sticker words, one spelling some S word I couldn't pronounce. The other, a phrase prohibited on TB. The salesperson told me it was at one point a project bass. I could tell - it was ugly and Squier had been sanded off!

Using my L-2000, that amp sounded great. With the parts bass, it sounded... mediocre, at best. I tried playing some walking lines, a few improv takes and a Bird head. Not even remotely close, and certainly no cigar. The bass had D'Addario Chromes which are GREAT on my G&L, but were not on this bass.

After wrestling with the decision and almost taking it home to try and warm up to it, I decided if the magic wasn't there from the get-go, it wasn't gonna happen.

That bass belongs to someone, but not to me. Has this happened to you?
 
#2
Jetglo Rickenbacker 4003. I was so excited to be able to sound like Geddy and Squire but the second I plugged it in it just sounded like any other bass. My heart sank. It looks so cool, too. I wanted it to be the only bass I'd ever own, but I sold it after three years of frustration.
 
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#4
Jloch86 said:
Jetglo Rickenbacker 4003. I was so excited to be able to sound like Geddy and Squire but the second I plugged it in it just sounded like any other bass. My heart sank. It looks so cool, too. I wanted it to be the only bass I'd ever own, but I sold it after three years of frustration.
Click to expand...

I played one for the first time last week and thought the exact same thing. Actually, Ive had MIM Fender Jazzes with more balls than what came out of that Ric...
 
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#5
Jloch86 said:
Jetglo Rickenbacker 4003. I was so excited to be able to sound like Geddy and Squire but the second I plugged it in it just sounded like any other bass. My heart sank. It looks so cool, too. I wanted it to be the only bass I'd ever own, but I sold it after three years of frustration.
Click to expand...

mbell75 said:
I played one for the first time last week and thought the exact same thing. Actually, Ive had MIM Fender Jazzes with more balls than what came out of that Ric...
Click to expand...

Interesting. That's why I'll probably never buy before i try ... a Ric is the only thing on my GAS list, & i couldn't drop that much coin (even possibly used) without being sure i bonded with it. They're like cats ... all different! (Tho, i usually bond with all of them >^..^< )
 
#6
catcauphonic said:
Interesting. That's why I'll probably never buy before i try ... a Ric is the only thing on my GAS list, & i couldn't drop that much coin (even possibly used) without being sure i bonded with it. They're like cats ... all different! (Tho, i usually bond with all of them >^..^< )
Click to expand...

IMO, the signature Ric sound comes from when its being played thru an amp LOUDLY pushing an overdriven sound. It also has a really bright sound due to the maple body and maple neck, bright tones aren't really my thing and it lacks a good bottom end IMO. Unless you are running it thru a classic SVT pretty much dimed out with an 8x10 cab, its going to sound like any other bass. Kinda how a Plexi sounds like a random amp unless its cranked, thats when the real unique tone comes out.
 
#7
mbell75 said:
IMO, the signature Ric sound comes from when its being played thru an amp LOUDLY pushing an overdriven sound. It also has a really bright sound due to the maple body and maple neck, bright tones aren't really my thing and it lacks a good bottom end IMO. Unless you are running it thru a classic SVT pretty much dimed out with an 8x10 cab, its going to sound like any other bass. Kinda how a Plexi sounds like a random amp unless its cranked, thats when the real unique tone comes out.
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That's exactly what I'm wanting to contrast with my one and only lovely dark thunderous neck thru Spector! :bassist:

And i play thru a v4b and/or a Genz Shuttle 6.2 with 410 & 212 respectively, so everything else is already in place waiting for that sweet clanky mid range growl :bassist:

:cool:
 

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