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Lets Hear About Some Bad Bass Experiences!
- Thread starter Adamthebassist
- Start date
I've played basses I've loved, basses I thought were okay, and basses I didn't care for... but only once have I ever played a bass that I hated.
And it was a Hofner.
I plug in, sling it around my shoulder and start playing Sgt Pepper. The neck felt horrible, the whole thing was too light and it felt like if I moved the wrong way I would crush it, and the sound... ugh. I fiddled and fiddled and fiddled with the EQ on the amp and I could not make that Hofner sound anywhere close to my liking. It was sooo muddy.
And again, the playability was terrible.
And that's the only bass I will ever refuse to play again.
And it was a Hofner.
I plug in, sling it around my shoulder and start playing Sgt Pepper. The neck felt horrible, the whole thing was too light and it felt like if I moved the wrong way I would crush it, and the sound... ugh. I fiddled and fiddled and fiddled with the EQ on the amp and I could not make that Hofner sound anywhere close to my liking. It was sooo muddy.
And again, the playability was terrible.
And that's the only bass I will ever refuse to play again.
I was a college student, 1979, in Santa Cruz, CA. I was renting a room in a great house on Fair Ave., about 10 blocks from the beach, the one with all the stone and abalone work on it. The upstairs had an open loft of a hallway, and two bedrooms off the hall. My bedroom, oddly enough, had a toilet installed in the closet. Fully functional toilet, in a normal clothes closet. It was nice in the middle of the night not having to go downstairs. Since my clothes hung in there, I always sat, no matter what my business. This last point doesn't really play in the story, but I know some of you were wondering.....
I had my 69 Jazz bass, a Peavey solid state head, and an awesome Sunn 2-15 folded horn cab, and would play in my room quite often. As fate would have it, while playing one afternoon, I was struck with the urge to eliminate. So, with my bass still hanging from my back, I drop my pants and take a seat. I must have happened upon a really cool riff that I just didn't want to stop playing.
Nature takes it's course, and there was a brief moment, when my hands were on the strings, and my turd made a connection between me and the toilet water, when I received a very potent, but thankfully non-fatal shock.
Once the moment passed, and I realized I wasn't going to be found this way, a toasted bass player on the crapper, I laughed so hard I pee'd, thank goodness I was on the toilet.
O.k. so the peeing part was embellishment, but this actually happened exactly as I described it.
I think I missed my only opportunity to win a "Darwin" award.
JBY
I had my 69 Jazz bass, a Peavey solid state head, and an awesome Sunn 2-15 folded horn cab, and would play in my room quite often. As fate would have it, while playing one afternoon, I was struck with the urge to eliminate. So, with my bass still hanging from my back, I drop my pants and take a seat. I must have happened upon a really cool riff that I just didn't want to stop playing.
Nature takes it's course, and there was a brief moment, when my hands were on the strings, and my turd made a connection between me and the toilet water, when I received a very potent, but thankfully non-fatal shock.
Once the moment passed, and I realized I wasn't going to be found this way, a toasted bass player on the crapper, I laughed so hard I pee'd, thank goodness I was on the toilet.
O.k. so the peeing part was embellishment, but this actually happened exactly as I described it.
I think I missed my only opportunity to win a "Darwin" award.
JBY
The first bass I dropped (like, not just one end of it, but the whole thing hitting the ground) wasn't even mine. Luckily, the guy was really chill about it, and said it was no problem. It was a Steinberger from the 90's. I think the strap failed and there was no headstock for me to catch and so it fell and hit the floor, pickups down.
From all the flaming warwick had on TB, this is by far the most *** one. Corroding frets? I live in Canada, in summer it's pretty insane hot and I had my bass for 1-1/2 years and the frets never corroded. That's not what I would "corroding over night". If you fingers went black, well it simply can't be brass oxydation since it's green. :scowl:
I don't care for the heavy/neckdive comment because it's the case, but the staining frets, that's a first.
