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Most unforgiving bass guitar?

#61
Wasnex said:
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.
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Very thoughtful, thank you. I think the sound I aspire to will require both new-to-me instrument and a lifetime of practice. But that's the fun part, riiight?
 
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#62
thewildest said:
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
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Mothra, I think? I can really hear your love for this bass, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
 
#63
I thought the goal was to find a bass that facilitates one's skills and not present a barrier to playing? If a bass got in the way of my playing then I would get rid of it. Isn't that the goal when one searches for a bass that is an ideal fit for oneself? Have I misunderstood something?
 
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#64
GIBrat51 said:
View attachment 3307001 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...:rolleyes:
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I have never heard of that! They should revisit aluminum; with modern techniques, the metal could have a lattice inside and have the stiffness without the weight. Or carbon nanotubes--those will solve every problem the world has.
 
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#65
Doctor Intrepid said:
I thought the goal was to find a bass that facilitates one's skills and not present a barrier to playing? If a bass got in the way of my playing then I would get rid of it. Isn't that the goal when one searches for a bass that is an ideal fit for oneself? Have I misunderstood something?
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Right! I was interested in what people experienced. Nowadays it is quite possible to get an instrument without having tried it first--in some cases, that is the only way.
 
#66
SteveC said:
For a while I played a couple Modulus Q5's (Bart soaps and preamp, rounds) through an Avalon U5 rig. Not much room to hide. I play a Roscoe 5 now and while it's a fabulous bass (I prefer it to a Modulus now) I don't think it is quite as "exposing" as that Modulus was.
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The first basses that came to mind as unforgiving for me were also the Modulus basses I owned-a Q5 and a Q6. They *made* me clean up my technique.
 
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#70
Usidore T Blue said:
I have never heard of that! They should revisit aluminum; with modern techniques, the metal could have a lattice inside and have the stiffness without the weight. Or carbon nanotubes--those will solve every problem the world has.
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For your edification and enjoyment - I give you The Aluminum Neck Club. Right here on this very Forum...:cool:
 
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#71
Kevin Wolfe said:
... just acquired a new Stingray Special 5H and boy does my technique suck. Not gonna bail on it though, just practice more and unlearn all those bad habits.
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Same experience here except mine is the 30th Anniversary Stingray 5 (very hot preamp) instead of a Special. Of all my active basses, that's the one that'll tell on you the most.
 
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#76
StyleOverShow said:
View attachment 3306691
This Precision MIJ A4E has a piezo and a standard P pup. It's lightweight, has a variety of tones and looks great. 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.
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That is a beautiful bass!!! I don't play fretless, but if I did, I think I'd try really hard, like you, to make it work. Just a stunning instrument to my eyes!
 
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#79
songwriter21 said:
Ric 4003 (the one with binding)...the most non-ergonomic, uncomfortable, and unimpressive action I've ever played, at least for all of the hype and price. It didn't intrigue me enough to buy two rigs for "Ric-o-Sound", either (even if Squire, Glover, and McCartney made theirs their own).
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It's got a sound and a look that people dig--I use a specific computer keyboard that requires several adapters to work and sounds like the end of the world, but since it feels like a Selectric typewriter I will die to keep it. Did the difficulty you had with it make your technique better or worse?
 

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