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list your basses' flaws

#41
No cosmetics, only functional flaws mentioned:

'73 P: worn frets, pickup is a little weak
'71 Musicmaster: tuning machines suck, pickup is lacking, low notes are anemic, hard to intonate bridge
'87 MIJ Jazz Special FL: only sounds good with both pickups; noisy as hell with both pickups
'92 MIM Jazz: D string buzzes, bridge vol pot stuck wide open
'99 Jazz: heavy, neck is really beefy
'78 Stingray: worn frets
'03 '59 CS P: too damn perfect to leave the house
'04 Sterling: a bit heavy
'03 L-2500: has an extra string
Warmoth/USACG FL: really heavy
Johnson ABG (resonator): high action, weak acoustic sound, muddy amplified sound, short scale, have to reach way to the left with plucking (right) hand, sticky finish on back of neck
'86 Kramer Focus 7000: can't get low action, bridge pickup mounted too close to bridge
No name plywood short scale: crappy tone (but so unique this is also a positive), sticky painted back of neck, hard to intonate bridge

Seems like a lot, but these are the keepers - except for the Johnson, their positives far outweigh their flaws.
 
#43
Kubicki Ex-Factor
Super-low output, typical of Kubicki basses. No big deal playing live or in a good studio, but impossible to record direct without interface to boost volume. Bass and a laptop in the hotel room? Fuggedaboudit.

Several G&L ASAT's
Relentless neck dive. You should know what you're in for with a tele-shaped bass. Still, the tone and the look made it worth the constant fight.

Peavey Grind 6
Unplayably humped neck. Usable only with intolerably high action.
 
#44
�� 1980 Rickenbacker 4001 - light relicing over the past 29 years (numerous light scratches, chips, and dings, especially on the headstock), no .0047 cap to bypass (I wonder why :confused:), lost the original bridge and pup cover, had to replace the crappy Kluson keywinds (with genuine Ric/Schaller), poorly done bridge pickguard (around BadAss II bridge).

�� 2006 Fender Highway One Jazz Bass (60th Anniversary) - imperfect fit between white pearloid replacement pickguard and stock control plate. Slightly off center drill-out of chrome/white pearloid knobbage. Doesn't have bound and blocked neck (but will soon).

�� 2003 Fender Standard Precision Bass - Slight surface scratching on E-side of bridge, slight color difference on headstock where it was sanded under custom decal. Typical deadspot at the D of G.

�� 2006 Fender Standard Jazz Bass Fretless (60th Anniversary) - Pickguard screw hole needed to be enlarged a few mm to adjust for original hole. Slightly off center drill-out of chrome/black pearloid knobbage. Typical deadspot at the D of G.

�� 2006 Ibanez BTB455QM-TK 5-String - A hint of scratching on the mid-frequency pot. Upper horn StrapLock faces down awkwardly. I prefer the color of the BTB455QM-DA (deep autumn amber)��
 
#45
Warwick Corvette
  • Heavey
  • fret markers very hard to see on stage
  • string spacing narrow
  • bridge needs to be modded for untapered B string

Hwy 1 P
  • It's red
  • Back of neck is "sticky"

SX Jazz
  • I reliced it
  • Has Fender logo
  • Hmm.... my only complaints are self inflicted

T-40
  • To many controls for a hack like me
  • Doesn't seem to sit in the mix of my current band, but It sounds great in practice
  • underated... no love from the rest of the band
  • Heavy...I felt obligated to say that.
 
#46
2002 Schecter Deluxe 4:
-dull tone from pickups/preamp
-plain black finish with plain chrome hardware
+great value of features and setup for the price
+great playability and string spacing

2006 Fender Aerodyne Jazz (sold):
-body too light
-hate the balance of the jazz style body
-neck too thin
-fretboard too soft
-neck heel joint was gradually cracking
+ P J pickups
+ classy mirror black finish and smoked hardware
- finish was impossible to keep clean of smudges and fingerprints

2008 Fender MIM P:
-dead spots on G (is there anything that can be done about this? truss and bridge adjustments don't fix the problem)
-replaced stock pickups and bridge for greater sustain and attack
+/- body made of 2.1 blocks of ash glued togeather (it looks like the two main pieces of wood were a tad bit too narrow so an extra strip was glued to the widest point near the input jack, kinda looks like a patch job, but I like the character it adds)

Peavey Cirrus 5:
-18V active preamp overloads/distorts all effect pedals
-AMB bridge was difficult to adjust & intonate
 
#48
Hmmm, let's see...

1. Fender 2008 P5 - bit heavier than the rest, but not too bad (9.5lbs). Only 21 frets, and even then the cutaway is a bit small for my fat hands. Lower pickup output than my other basses.

2. Rob Allen MB2 5-string - need to remove the rear cover to change the batteries (every bass mfg. could learn from Dingwall, they have this problem solved IMHO).

3. Dingwall ABII LE - the reach for the low C is a bit too much (would be an issue if I was riding low C, but how often would you do that). Series pickup setting is hotter than the others, makes the other pickup configs less useable.

4. Sadowsky 24F5 - a bit annoying to remove the rear cover to swap the battery (see above).

Later
Rob
 
#49
Lakland Deluxe 4-94. Nothing

Lakland Deluxe 4-94 fretless- came lined, but it was used so I didn't have the options' I'd have had new.

Lakland Classic 4-94. Only that I couldn't keep her and get the fretless one.

Fender VS '62 Precision. Nothing

Fender Sting Signature Bass- Cheap pots.

Fender 1973 Precision- Neck had a wiggle at the 3rd fret, it weighed a ton (well, really about 13 pounds- more than my Les Paul gutiar), big clumsy neck, no blossom nor warmth to the sound, nasal PUPs

Fender Jazz Bass Special Fretless- Thin nasal sound, midrangey honky PUPs, goofy control arrangement

Hammer Cruise Bass w/2-Tek. Nothing, other than I traded it off foolishly...

Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass- Too brittle sounding, impossibly skinny neck.

Guild Pilot Pro- Cheap pre-amp obscured the good points of the EMG PUPs. Sounded MUCH better after I replaced the Mighty Mite pre with a passive Volume/Blend/Treble Cut control circuit.

DeArmond/Ashbory- Awkward balancing act to play it, which is really a bad thing because I have to use my left hand to hold it up while I'm trying to play that 18" fretless scale in tune. But it sound freakin' awesome on Jack Bruce lines.

1978 Music Man StingRay- Weighed a ton, weak G string response, bass control too low to be really useful, and treble control centered too high.

1979 Music Man StingRay- None, other than StingRays got more valuable to the market than it was worth to me at one point. So, the only problem is that its' gone- sold to Dan Lakin in 1994...

Hamer Cruise Bass w/Gotoh bridge- Neck warped and never settled in where I wanted it. Bought it used and it'd hung in the store for about a year with the neck bowed. Previous owner was a heavy pick strummer, judging from the huge scratches across the entire face of the instrument. I think the neck problem wasn't Hamer's fault, but just a total lack of care for too long.

Guild Pilot- None- gave it to my son a few months ago

Fender 1979-ish Precision. None, other than being very generic and faceless sounding.

Kalamazoo something or other- Impossibly warped neck, and no tone. Big Gibson 'bucker a-lá EB-0, except on a particle board body. Gift from a friend when I started playing bass.

Micro-Fret- It wasn't a Fender was its only real problem. I bought it for $100 plus the trade of the Kalamzoo when I started playing bass. It worked well, had a nice, if skinny, neck, and good hardware.

John
 
#50
TimWilson said:
Kubicki Ex-Factor
Super-low output, typical of Kubicki basses. No big deal playing live or in a good studio, but impossible to record direct without interface to boost volume. Bass and a laptop in the hotel room? Fuggedaboudit.
Click to expand...

I'm a little surprised to see this. I know for sure the pre\post Fender ExFactors did not have this problem, what with the 18V preamp.

The bass player in the cover band I'm in plays an FCS 9V ExFactor and doesn't have this problem either, in either of the Active modes. Passive mode, yes there's significant drop off.

I owned an FCS 9V ExFactor for a bit and only found the output weak in Passive mode as well, but fine in both Active modes.
 
#52
my bass sounds as i like it, open and big.
The next one will have a no-radius fingerboard, less belly cut, the same pickup ,but that one moved towards the head by two mm.socket 's gonna be on the top rather than on the side.
Maybe thinner frets.
 
#54
Squier Affinity Jazz V- A bit heavy, currently wearing Rotosound Swing Bass 66's. :hiding:

Squier Affinity Precision- None really.

Fender BG-31 ABG- Electronics are crap so remains unplugged, stringing through bridge is a very delicate, time-consuming process as the bridge appears to be made of plastic wood.
 
#55
Status Energy 5 lefty:

-Not too keen on the body shape
-The body scratches easily although the wear looks kind of cool
-Dodgy battery compartment/cover whose wires would often snap when I opened it, I eventually took it out and replaced it with a screw-on plastic cover (Not a big deal as I won't be selling the bass ever)
-Some buzz on like the 17th fret on the D and G string which I need to get sorted out but keep putting off
-The bridge pickup seems a bit too quiet compared to the neck pickup which can be a super hot and aggressive mofo
-Two dings in the back of the neck (to be blamed on my stupidity)
-pots are scratchy
-Electronics could be more versatile, while the bass is active, it only has a treble boost/cut knob

Other than that it plays and sounds fantastic, it's my main bass.

SX lefty fretless modded with a SD Quarter Pounder and a bridge humbucker made by a German luthier:

-Horrid photo flame top finished in Sunburst (I may have the thing refinishied once I have a bit more disposable income)
-Slightly buzzy electronics after I had a friend install the bridge pickup, probably his fault but it could be worse
-Two of the screws used to hold the bridge humbucker in place seem broken, it may be difficult to fix them without damaging the pickup
-Buzz on the 20th "fret" on the D string
-My first bass with a noticeable dead spot (the C on the G string)

Other than that I'm super happy with it, it sounds great and I play it all the time.

I currently don't really play my other two basses (they're not worth enough to make selling them worthwile) so I'm gonna ignore 'em. :ninja:
 
#56
eaaa410 said:
Gibson Thunderbird
- No matter how careful I try to be, I can't adjust the POS three point bridge without damaging the screw driver slots on the head of the studs and nearly gouging the wood.
- Need to order $40+ tool to be able to adjust bridge studs without damaging them.
- Nearly impossible to find a replacement for the smaller stud at the bridge point.
- Had to order Hipshot replacement bridge to correct the first three flaws.
Click to expand...

BEEN THERE DONE THAT...i hated that bridge

Fender Precision Plus: Had Barts put in it and the guy did a poor wiring job so everytime i go to rest my thumb on the P pickup there is no sound until i slap it again! winter sprout frets (having both issues fixed soon)

MIM Fender Jazz Deluxe: its MIM and im a label whore.
 
#59
mmmm thats going to be interesting...

Fender jazz 1966:

_ deadspot G string 6th fret
_ Can hear noises when i touch the pickups


Fender Jazz 08

_ Dead spot G string 7th fret
_ 2 piece body with bad joint between the pieces
_ Bridge doesnt sit flat n the body
_ Pickup poles not aligned properly

G&L SB2

_ Small deadspot G string 7th fret

Rickenbacker 4003 81

_ Bridge is off center by maybe 5mm
_ Pickup magnets not even close to strings
_ 1 truss rod is shorter than the other ( i admit i cut it but i had to fix it one way or another)

HumanBase Class X

_ A jigsaw hit on the fret board, apparently Siggi slipped or miscalculated the fret position, no big deal, filled it with super glue....

I think thats it...

PS: Those are just what i call "build issues" not weight, wear and things like that...
 

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