Most Playable Bass?

[andruca]

For me it's Musicman thin profile necked basses (Stingray5, Sterling/Sterling5). I own three 5ers and nothing comes remotely close for me.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Every bass that I've ever owned was playable!

 

[NoiseNinja]

My current Ibanez Mikro (28,6" scale):

Otherwise the Jerry Jones Longhorn (30" scale) I once owned, but was stupid enough to sell, comes in on a close second place.

 

[Batmensch]

Believe it or not it was this 110 dollar SX Ursa 1 P-bass:

It was a combination of the wide, chunky, old school style P-bass neck along with a very flat 15" neck radius. I immediately noticed the difference between it and very other bass I'd ever played upon taking it out of the box.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I haven't played anything more ergonomically perfect than an Ibanez SR series. They fit my hands like the proverbial glove, light weight, fast neck, great electronics. I've been seriously considering selling off a couple basses to get one.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Kubicki Ex Factor by far. The design gave it a 34" scale "reach" on a 32" scale. OTOH, the design did not translate well with the 34" scale Key Factor series IMO.

Riis

 

[Bassworship1]

Most playable and enjoyable basses I've owned or played are my Warriors. They hold the lowest setup and basically play themselves.

 

[Wiremessiah]

My current Ibanez Mikro (28,6" scale):

Otherwise the Jerry Jones Longhorn (30" scale) I once owned, but was stupid enough to sell, comes in on a close second place.

that probably takes the cake. There is no way a long scale bass is more playable, unless you have huge hands. As long as you get used to a short scale, it's so much easier to play.

 

[NoiseNinja]

that probably takes the cake. There is no way a long scale bass is more playable, unless you have huge hands. As long as you get used to a short scale, it's so much easier to play.

100% agree, and honestly I have a hard time finding a downside.

Sure it will sound a bit different than if it had been a regular 34" scale, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

After I swapped the stock pickups of it with a pair of EMG Geezer Butler pickups, it is up fully on par in quality of tone with some of the best sounding basses I owned, even if some of those were 1000$+ basses.

And I have a hard time imagining anything that would come closer in suitable tone for my application and what has come to be my preferred tone.

I like a relatively mid heavy, fairly aggressive tone with a good deal of punch and growlyness and also a bit of grindy grit added, while still staying clear and defined.

My Mikro naturally doesn't sound anything like the Rickenbacker 4003, Jerry Jones Longhorn or even the 28 5/8" bass build out of Warmoth baritone parts with a Seymour Duncan Rickenbacker neck pickup I owned though, the Mikro has it's own unique tone which is of a far more cheeky and raw character than those other basses, but quality wise it is in the same ballpark, definitely.

 

[byoung93888]

For me it's the current Ric 4003 with the slab neck, just feels like home to me.

 

[hopwheels]

The PJ I just finished building is about perfect for me, but the absolute best neck I still own is on my '98 AVRI '62 stack pot jazz. Neck is just great. The white side dots have yellowed to virtually the same color as the neck, so I need some black dots for my old eyes.

Best player that I don't own anymore was my '96 Tobias Growler. I loved that assymeyric neck, was super fast. Should not have let that one go.

 

[fermata]

Like @Wiremessiah, I have to say Hofner. For me, the narrow string spacing is part of the appeal, too--less movement is needed to hop from string to string, which equals more control. I also like having the bridge closer to the middle of the body, which facilitates palm muting when playing thumb or pick-style. It's definitely an odd instrument vis-a-vis the more standard Fender-style bass, but it's a perfect fit for me.

 

[davy4575]

100% agree, and honestly I have a hard time finding a downside.

Sure it will sound a bit different than if it had been a regular 34" scale, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

After I swapped the stock pickups of it with a pair of EMG Geezer Butler pickups, it is up fully on par in quality of tone with some of the best sounding basses I owned, even if some of those were 1000$+ basses.

And I have a hard time imagining anything that would come closer in suitable tone for my application and what has come to be my preferred tone.

I like a relatively mid heavy, fairly aggressive tone with a good deal of punch and growlyness and also a bit of grindy grit added, while still staying clear and defined.

My Mikro naturally doesn't sound anything like the Rickenbacker 4003, Jerry Jones Longhorn or even the 28 5/8" bass build out of Warmoth baritone parts with a Seymour Duncan Rickenbacker neck pickup I owned though, the Mikro has it's own unique tone which is of a far more cheeky and raw character than those other basses, but quality wise it is in the same ballpark, definitely.

I guess I have big hands, long arms too. And i lived in Seattle for a long time. I may be getting a shorty just to keep from hitting my monitors in the control room, but I love a long neck, slung nice and low. Just feels natural. I feel scruntched up, like an ape on a grinding wheel on most basses under 34". Id love a jazz with a deeper cutaway and a 35 or 36" neck with the neck still being as narrow at the nut as an old jazz. I suppose it would probably warp though.

 

[shrigg]

I guess I have big hands, long arms too. And i lived in Seattle for a long time. I may be getting a shorty just to keep from hitting my monitors in the control room, but I love a long neck, slung nice and low. Just feels natural. I feel scruntched up, like an ape on a grinding wheel on most basses under 34". Id love a jazz with a deeper cutaway and a 35 or 36" neck with the neck still being as narrow at the nut as an old jazz. I suppose it would probably warp though.

Find a good luthier to build you one and you'd really have something special. The neck wouldn't warp if built well

 

[Tom Bomb]

^ I'll second that.

 

[stevieg]

Rob Allen MB-2. The neck feels like velvet

 

[RobTheRiot]

My 1984 Ibanez Roadstar II Rb650... I refinished the body and put on a BadAss II, other than that all stock. It was before they went to basswood bodies, so it's got some weight; the neck is perfect - thin but not too thin. It sings up and down the fretboard pj pickups give my ideal sound, big bottom but with clarity & punch.
I've gotten new and "fancier" basses over the years, and have put it down for times, but every time I pick it up I think this is what a bass is supposed to feel/play/sound like...

 

[mellowinman]

It's my Ric 4003. No contest. I can play the heck out of that one.

 

[Trayster2]

that probably takes the cake. There is no way a long scale bass is more playable, unless you have huge hands. As long as you get used to a short scale, it's so much easier to play.

I don't get why more guitar companies don't jump on this, or even why Ibanez doesn't come out with higher end model shorties.

 

[Russell L]

For feel and playability it's my '87 Jazz Bass Special. Not the best hardware or electronics, but the neck, with its 1-1/2" nut, 7-1/4" radius, and low frets is just marvelous. Plus, the bass is lightweight.