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Help me please

gcb34

gcb34

May 9, 2007
202
1
Spencerport, NY
#1
I've gone through so many basses. I can't find MY BASS. I play mostly hard rock/classic rock stuff.I use my fingers but occasionally use a pick. I've had Ibanez, BTB SR, Yamaha BB414, BB3000, TRB5, Fender, Pbass USA, Frank Bello model, Gibson Thunderbird, Blackbird, Musicman Stingray 4 and a couple Stingray 5's, BC Rich Warlock, ESP TA500 Tom Arraya sig., Hohner 5 string, Warwick Vampyre RockBass, Peavey Grind, Millenium, SX Pbass special, Schecter Stiletto Studio-5, Most recently a Rickenbacker 4003. Why can't I find the bas that will keep me happy? Any suggestions? I need help! I think I prefer 4 strings now. I've built a few from parts too.
If anyone can give me some suggestions without breaking the bank I would very appreciated.

Thanks
 
#2
It's early in our relationship, but my Peavey Zodiac DE is really making me forget everything else I've played. And I got it for the same reason/genre, the hard/classic rock stuff. Only other one off the top of my head not listed would be a Spector.
 
#5
I am not sure if this will help, but bear with me.

I have two main basses. I have a five string Ken Rose that I had made for me when I lived in Germany. It is a really sweet bass. I love the punchy tone, and the neck and string spacing are the best I have found on any fiver. However, over time (and as I drifted away from playing in punk and metal bands) I have found that it didn't have "my sound" any more. So I switched out the pups... but that didn't help. I put her in a closet and there she sat for a year (I was in Iraq... but that is another story). When I came back I plugged her in and played around. I still found that fiver to be a little too tinny for what I wanted. Then, I put a set of flatwound strings on her. Oh boy. Now she sounds great! I get this thick fat tone on the lower end and some of the punch is still there for the higher stuff. It was really a string issue... not an instrument issue.

Also, I just picked up a Squire VM Jazz bass... I love it. That is my "funkin' rock" bass. With a BadAss II bridge and a few tweaks that bad boy just funks up the place. I love it.

I guess my point, ultimately, is that I have two basses with two very different sounds. I feel like between the two I can dial in a sound that I want. You may need to find a two or three basses that have very different sounds that you can use.

Lastly, and you may have heard this before... think about taking a few lessons again. You can always learn something more. You might find that using your thumb in "just that way" opens up a whole new tone for you that you have been looking for.
 
#13
I went through a bunch of basses that didn't do it for me. Then I decided to swap out my amplification (all high-quality solid-state, vented cabs etc.) for a tube amp and sealed cab. I wish I had the opportunity to go through all the basses I dumped, I probably would have found "my bass" years ago.

Seriously, if you haven't found your bass after going through so many of them, you might consider trying a few different rigs. You might find out that you already found your bass, you just let it get away.
 
#15
I have a USA made Ampeg SVT 4 Pro head and an Ampeg 810e cab. With a Sansamp pre and a Boss Chorus pedal. Its not the sound I can always find my sound. Its just either right hand positioning comfort or I can gallop like Steve Harris with 2 fingers on a Pbass but can't to save my life on the Ric. I just don't get it. Maybe my wife is right I just am never satisfied. I told her I got this $1800 bass and I hated playing it. She said thats why "You're not a $1800 bass man you're a $350 bass man." OUCH!!! Figures wives don't understand. Keep the suggestions coming please.
 
#18
gcb34 said:
..... She said thats why "You're not a $1800 bass man you're a $350 bass man." OUCH!!! Figures wives don't understand ....
Click to expand...
Actually, in theory she just might be right :hiding:

One of the single best basses I have ever owned was a $350 (at the time) Brice Prestige Z6. I never, NEVER, should have sold that bass and I still regret it to this day. I play basses now that are 10X that cost and I love them, but that Brice was, IMO, right up there in playability and tone.

I can almost guarantee that you have already owned your "#1 bass" somewhere in that long list you gave, but chances are you didn't give yourself enough time to develop that relationship with the axe. TB is a GAS generator and we all think that the next bass will be the #1, when in fact we might well be holding our #1 while lusting after something else.

That's a whole lot of basses to have gone through with a whole bunch of differing configurations. Think back to whatever bass made you the happiest out of that bunch and give it another shot. Mess with the amps, try different strings, but whatever you do allow yourself the time to develop with the gear. Switching basses every few months or so is junkie-like behavior (and I'm speaking from experience :)) and if you keep on jumping from axe to axe you'll never find what you think you need.

I've been where you are and I've let a whole lot of beautiful instruments slip from my hands. Once I gave everything a little time to work the bass shuffle finally stopped ..... :cool:
 
#20
I never said it was the instrument lonote. I'm still waiting for you to be serious.

Pointbass on the other hand, I think has hit the nail on the head. I would have to say either the Stingray or Thunderbird has been my fav. Thanks all that you said has really got me thinking.
 

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