Most unforgiving bass guitar?

[Usidore T Blue]

F-bass. The pickups will capture the sound of your breath. It gets worst if you eat garlic.

So a really crappy, microphonic pickup might have a similar effect to a really fine one, in the context of exposing your every move?
I need that growl the garlic bringz!

 

[Usidore T Blue]

Any "German" Warwick.. Very unforgiving when mistakes happen..

Listening to a Warwick being set up and played is what prompted this question. I noticed that it had a piano-like sound.

 

[Watchootognbout]

This bass.

 

[SteveFromBerlin]

If possible: Back pickup. Also roll off the comfy warm bass frequencies and push something revealing like 800 and 1.5K...

 

[lz4005]

Almost any 34" scale solid body with new roundwounds, one pickup wired direct to the jack, plugged into a loud clean amp with the EQ all at noon.

Nothing to hide behind and no excuses. My favorite way to play.

 

[Usidore T Blue]

As did my EBMM Bongo. I was SO not worthy.

Active basses seem to be among the most common responses. (OT--The darn Bongos keep getting more expensive, just a bit faster than I can save for one.)

 

[Usidore T Blue]

View attachment 3306943

"The person who lives with me plays bass. Who are you to judge? Meow."

 

[GIBrat51]

Yeah, my Alembic is not a bass that rewards sloppy playing - at all. But, this Kramer 450B? Trying to play that thing cleanly makes the Alembic seem easy. Those Kramer-wound pick ups aren't just hot; they're radioactive...I swear, those things can hear you breathe; you will get away with nothing. Everything you do will come right out of your rig - loud and clear. And the fact that it's a neck diving fool, is no help at all...

 

[Usidore T Blue]

I once owned a dog of an Alembic bass that would not hold its tuning, but would faithfully reproduce all the duff notes that resulted. They used to say a Fender Telecaster guitar will give you nothing for free. That's sort of unforgiving, but this was pitiless.

Will they fix a bass, no matter how old or who originally owned it? Don't laugh, I'm serious.

 

[Usidore T Blue]

Musicman Sterling is very unforgiving.
It exposed how awful my technique was and made me clean things up a great deal.

If you want to hide in the mix and be felt but not heard, it's the wrong bass for you.

They do feel great. I can't actually hear my crappy notes, they feel so good.

 

[MattZilla]

No contest.

View attachment 3306739

To whom it may concern,

This needs to be a TB T-shirt. Would buy.

 

[GIBrat51]

Will they fix a bass, no matter how old or who originally owned it? Don't laugh, I'm serious.

From what I've heard from other Alembic owners around here? Seriously - yes, they will. If you still have yours, give them a call (email can be iffy) and talk to Micah. I'm betting you'll be happy you did.

 

[Usidore T Blue]

View attachment 3306984 View attachment 3306985 Yeah, my Alembic is not a bass that rewards sloppy playing - at all. But, this Kramer 450B? Trying to play that thing cleanly makes the Alembic seem easy. Those Kramer-wound pick ups aren't just hot; they're radioactive...I swear, those things can hear you breathe; you will get away with nothing. Everything you do will come right out of your rig - loud and clear. And the fact that it's a neck diving fool, is no help at all...

Is that an aluminum neck? So it dives, but it stays straight to the bottom of the Marianas Trench? I can't imagine that neck gives you much leeway, technique-wise, either. Pretty Alembic.

 

[Usidore T Blue]

To whom it may concern,

This needs to be a TB T-shirt. Would buy.

DO NOT REPRODUCE ITS IMAGE

 

[GIBrat51]

Yes it is - what Kramer owners call a "lumie". And, yes, they dive like an angry Stuka on an attack run. If it could get my shirt collar over my head, it would take my shirt with it, too. I know, 'cause I've let it try a time or two... Which is kind of ironic, because this is my other Kramer lumie; a headless, short scale Kramer Duke. It's the exact opposite; it's butt heavy (Slightly). I have to hold the neck down when I play it...

 

[thewildest]

So a really crappy, microphonic pickup might have a similar effect to a really fine one, in the context of exposing your every move?

I must clarify that not only the F's PUs will bring up sounds that scape most instruments (highly sensitive) but also will bring down your house with massive growl, using any pickup combination.

I own a BNF6 (fretless) equipped with piezos; I often eq the beast for no treble, high mids and high bass so the Godzilla comes out of it, and add a touch of piezo over it, so it becomes a Godzilla with a butterfly. The beauty and the beast blended in a perfect rhapsody of Low End.... or some'n like dat

 

[CaseyVancouver]

View attachment 3306691
It is uncomfortable to play without a forearm contour. I'm playing this bass more often often in lieu of the upright and my right wrist and shoulder just ache after a few hours. I am trying out sitting on a stool and it seems to work better. Not giving up on this baby, just yet.

So it's the bass body that is the issue, not the fretless board?

Here are just some of Pablo Casals comments/opinion on intonation, a topic close to my, and many a bass player's, heart. Courtesy of an old Strad article.

 

[Wasnex]

If I wanted to work on my chops, and I do, I might use an instrument that revealed every excruciating detail of my technique, or at least crank the tone knob. What's the most revealing bass guitar/strings combo you've ever played? Did it make you better or did you abandon t?

My technique is pretty clean for the most part, but I don't have super chops. I like a very open sound with extended highs so I can hear the nuances in my playing, but I don't typically want excessive clank and fret rattle on every note. IMHO there's a difference between a sound and setup that is revealing and responsive versus one that make you play bad...to some degree it's genre specific; sometimes a lot of clank and fret rattle is exactly what you need.

My opinion is you should use a sound that you like, so you will be more inspired to practice. I am also an advocate of practicing like you perform...but some concessions are necessary, because you can dial in a really nice tone when you are playing alone in your room that typically won't work on the bandstand. I usually add a lot of mids and highs when I am performing versus practicing alone.

Probably one of the most frustrating things about performance is it is difficult to hear and get a good tone. Maybe practicing like you perform should entail practicing in a way where you can't hear as well as you like. Some players practice without plugging in. I have always thought this is a bit ridiculous, but perhaps it simulates the performance experience better where you have to play by feel more than sound. If this is your approach, you probably feel inspired and excited when you perform and can actually hear the tone of your bass coming through the amp. All of the players I have seen use this technique really attack the strings though, and this is not my style. I use a relatively light touch overall, but vary my attack from soft to aggressive as required by the music...again some of this can be genre specific.

Ultimately each of us are different, so you have to find your own path.

 

[Rabidhamster]

To whom it may concern,

This needs to be a TB T-shirt. Would buy.

The best part of that photo is always cropped out...

 

[jeff7bass]

Every bass I play...