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Rank your basses in an arbitrary manner

#41
Not at all arbitrary.

1. Custom Zon fretless. Technically one could call it a "Sonus Elite Legacy Custom Special" :D
I'd played a Sonus Special fretless for a few years, long enough to know that it was 90% right for me, and that Joe could build that last 10%.
Set neck, matte finish, extended fingerboard and cutaway, Custom pickups in the Special position (and in radiused housings) with Bart 3 band.
Plays and sounds like a dream, like the sound I hear in my head.

2. Ibanez GWB1 fretless with ACG preamp. Great player, very growly. Fun to gig when I want a change from the Zon.

3. Tobias Classic (pre-Gibson). Alder with a walnut top. Everything that a Tobias Classic should be.

4. Ibanez ATK. My only 4 string. A bass this good for this cheap? How can that be??!!

5. Michael Kelly Dragonfly 5 string fretless. Pretty bass, plays well. I just never get around to playing it, the ergonomics aren't at all right for me.
 
#42
SadowskyTrio2021.jpg


1. Sadowsky P-bass, black w/birdseye maple board: killer aggressive P-bass sound
2. Sadowsky P-bass, CAR w/Brazilian rosewood board: killer aggressive P-bass sound
3. Sadowsky MM-style P-bass, pearl white w/ebony board: killer aggressive MM style sound

All of these basses can sound mellow, too, but I like aggressive better. :ninja:
 
#43
Can you rank anything arbitrarily? The word 'rank' implies some sort of purposeful order, no? You could rank something based on random criteria but any criteria at all would preclude arbitration. You can list arbitrarily, however, in which case this is a "Show Your Bass" thread minus the requirement that there be pics... and that just makes me sad :(.

:D.
 
#44
Kwesi said:
Can you rank anything arbitrarily? The word 'rank' implies some sort of purposeful order, no? You could rank something based on random criteria but any criteria at all would preclude arbitration. You can list arbitrarily, however, in which case this is a "Show Your Bass" thread minus the requirement that there be pics... and that just makes me sad :(.

:D.
Click to expand...

Hahaha that was a very nice textbook buzzkill man! In fact, a bigger buzz kill than buzz killington

959e1-untitled.jpg
 
#45
1. Flamed walnut 5 string my dad and I built together. Sounds incredible. I use it in the studio and live on occasion.

2. Dingwall Super J4, kicks so much butt, jazz bass on steroids. My main live bass

3. Squier Jazz Bass, my first bass. Ive sanded the finish off of it and stained it brown, slapped emg's in it, aged the hardware, put a vintage fender logo on it, defretted and fretted it twice, currently fretless. My baby!

4. Custom MusicMan 4 string that my dad and I built. I'm currently putting a psychedelic paisley fabric finish on it. 18v Nordstrand pickup, sounds amazing!
 
#46
This was more difficult than I imagined since I like all my basses for different reasons. K,here goes.

Rickenbacker 4003 Blackstar totally different sound awesome player and what a looker! There is no other bass more black than a Blackstar!!

1973 Rickenbacker 4001 Autumglo Awesome sound! I imported this bass from England and it drips mojo! It has the bands name etched on a few of the wavy Grover tuners! Also has checkerd binding toaster neck pup and slotted pole pieces treble pup.

1996 Rickenbacker Shadow- really thin fast neck!! Looks are sounds awesome! Checkered binding rules!!

2011 Rickenbacker 4003 in Jetglo. Super thin neck, sounds great and I bought it brand new! It's a tie with the above listed Shadow.

2000 Rickenbacker v63 "Snow White" shaved neck, toaster neck pup and a rewound treble pup with original 1976 magnetic horse shoes. Man, it sounds so damn righteous!!

1981 Fender P. Pretty much sits in it's original hardcase. With so many great Rickenbacker's it gets hardly any playing time. Purchased ti brand new from Manny's in NYC.

Sepp
 
#48
My number (1) '96 Carvin BB75 - First bass to leave my house went I gig, sit right in the mix all the time. Has Bart's and flats on it.
(2) My church bass is now my Marco Passive TFL Jazz 5. I can count on it sounding good with the KB player.
(3) My go between went I just want something different is my Fbass Studio 5. Clean sounding bass with a nice fast neck and tone to match.
 
#49
I'll rank the basses I play the most according to playing time:

1. DB - My favorite to play

2. Azola EUB - fun to play, great portability, and quiet enough for late night practice.

3. Lakland 55-02 fretless - great tone, fun to play

4. '73 P-bass fretless - an old, four stringed, friend

4. Brawley 5-string fretted - when I need a fretted bass

5. Takamine EBG - the bass that goes camping and on car trips. Hate the thin, shrill, sound, but it's better than no bass at all.
 
#51
I have thinned the herd considerably since the days of owning 20 basses!

1. 2010 Gibson Les Paul Oversize bass - LOVE this bass! Sounds killer, the ebony colour looks great and has been my go to bass since I bought it new a few months back. ONLY drawback? It weighs 12lbs!

2. 1969 Fender Jazz with '72 neck - My other go to. Built this from eBay/CL parts after my 1973 was stolen out of my truck. A Old, worn MIA Geddy Lee! Just a killer bass that plays effortlessly.

3. 1974 Fender P - Was my main player for a few years and I still love it for Blues and some rock. Always strung with flats as the frets are going. It is kinda mangled, but it is a great bass and under 8 lbs.

4. 1978 Music Man Stingray - This bass has been played to say the least! It is mangled but sounds great. Neck was so worn, I just had to take it in for a huge refret/plane job and it is gone for a month.

5. Bongo 5 HH - Another great bass. HUGE tone. I play this a lot but playing less and less gigs that require a 5er.

6. Squire VM fretless Jazz relic - Cool bass but doesn't get played a lot as I don't do much that currently requires fretless. Great bass for the $$$ though.

7. Morgan Monroe ABG - nice sounding ABG that I play on patios and around campfires in the summer. In its case most of the time.

As Nigel Tuffnel from Spinal Tap says..... "I play them, I cherish them...." ;)
 
#52
1. 2010 Fender American Special Precision - this one is my favorite. plays the best, sounds the best, fits with everything, on and on. tons of personality in the sound...more aggressive than most p basses i've played. i use this bass for almost everything. i was lucky to find one this good, since assembly line basses can obviously vary a lot.

2. 2008 Warwick Corvette $$ - great versatility, awesome sound for recording and solo bass type stuff. i use this one for more "polite" gigs because it has a very clean, professional sound.

3. 2005 Rickenbacker 4003 - this one has the best neck, easily. goes from a really "wide" underlying sound to super focused and raunchy in the flip of a switch. weird bass, really, but i've learned a lot from it.

4. 2003 Fender Standard Fretless Jazz - this was my first real bass. i keep it around because it's cool to have a fretless for recording and stuff. and the quality is amazing considering i bought it brand new for like $330. i mean you'll pay that much for a squier these days!
 
#53
1. Squier Affinity Precision- Currently strung with D'Addario Tapewounds. I've had this bass since 12/29/08 and we've been through a lot together. Neck feels great, it's super lightweight, tone is good (might upgrade pickup someday) and it just feels like home.

2. Fender BG-31 Acoustic Bass- Soon to be strung with D'Addario Phosphor Bronze strings. This bass is fantastic for noodling on when I don't want to plug in the electric and bother with tone. I just pick it up and play, simple as that.

3. Squier Standard Precision V- Currently strung with D'Addario Chromes. I love the neck on this bad boy; it's MASSIVE. However, the terrible, cheap pickups really are the weakest part of the bass. They sound thin and lifeless; after all, they're really 4-string pickups in 5-string housings. This means that it's incredibly difficult to find replacements for upgrade. This bass has potential, but it's expensive potential. Not sure what the fate of this bass will be..
 
#54
'73 Precision, bought in 81, EMG's since I've owned it (original harness & PUs in box) - this bass has been my consistent live and recording 'go to', strung with D'Addario flats.

'98 (ish) Jerry Jones Longhorn, bought in 2002, stock, with D'Addario flats. Fantastic country, 60's/70's, and 'ticky-tack' sound. Way light, and super fun to sling around.

'73 Gibson EB-0 - because if you have a Fender, you gotta have a Gibson. Massive sound, makes you learn 1st position all over again.

'10 Breedlove ABG (can't remember model#) - Korean-made, but outstanding quality. I use this for almost all gigs in my acoustic/folk/roots band.
 
#55
#1 2004 Mia Fender Jazz. This bass has serious mojo. The neck is more round than most jazzes I've played and has a fairly light and extremly resonant body. Harmonics jump outta this thing! It's never getting sold! ;)
#2 100+ year old Roth German made upright bass. This is my main orchestral bass. Big deep tone and decked out with a C extension!
#3 2006 Eastman Vb605 upright bass, strung with spirocore strings this makes a great jazz upright! Both my uprights see about equal playing time.
#4 1982 Fender P Bass. Strung with Rotosound rounds this is my alternative to the jazz bass when I want that P Bass bump. Extremly heavy so the jazz sees more playing time but a great aggressive bass non the less.
#5 Carvin B4 that's been defretted. This bass sounds exceptional, gets very close to the jaco sound. Doesn't see much playing time because there isn't a huge need for a fretless in the normal music I play. Got marine epoxy on the neck and everything.
#6 Frankenstein Jaco pastorius Jazz Bass, bass sees no playing time at the moment because it is still under constriction. Nearing completion in a few days though. It's got a Squire sunburst body from a vintage modified jazz bass, dimarzio pups, new hardware, a fender Mia neck that's been defretted and epoxyed and schaller strap locks.
 
#56
My "team" is more a Sunday League sort of thing, but I´ll play!

1. Squier VM Jaguar "Standard": Loving the sound of this bass, even if it is still the "honeymoon" period!

2. Squier VM Fretless: Also love this bass, but the honeymoon is over!

3. Harley Benton HBB400: This is now retired, and on the waiting list for Plastic Surgery!!
 
#58
1. 1975 Rickenbacker 4001. Best bass I own. Can be the nastiest, meanest sounding bass I have (when playing with just the bridge pickup), or can get the deepest, most pillowy bassy sounds (neck pickup only), and is probably the best playing neck out of all of my basses. Heaviest, too, but I kinda like that.

2. 70's Ibanez 4001 copy. Sounds pretty good, quite Ric-ish. Lighter than the real 4001, but not quite as awesome sounding or playing. Was my main bass for years, but now a backup.

3. 1999-2000 Peavey Milestone IV (P-bass copy). Heavily modified with Ric high-gain pickup, and badass III bridge. Tuned to BEAD, it's my doom metal machine. Doesn't play quite as well as the others with a pick, but is serviceable and sounds great played finger style in its current tuning. Sorta my mod platform. Was my first bass, so lots of sentimental value here.

4. Johnson fretless ABG. Limited in use to acoustic situations mostly, but still a fun bass for jamming with acoustic guitars and such. Would be very difficult to play if I hadn't learned upright before I got it. When plugged in, my only bass with active electronics.
 
#59
"The Rat Rod" - USA Schecter J/P - Plays like it's on rails. Low, growly and scooped up.

"The Blueblood" - Fender Jazz - Nails the classic tones and style. Parts bass built with vintage spec components.

"The Overachiever" - Epiphone Thunderbird - Punches harder, looks better, and is surprisingly articulate.

"The Gadget" - Hohner Steinberger clone - If Q were to design one for 007, this would be it. Little Swiss Army knife of a bass.


For what it's worth, the T-bird is my #1 player these days. Although it's technically my least expensive, I love the thing.
 
#60
Just what I needed on a boring morning at work!

1. 2003 Fender American Standard Precision.
I bought this on a whim & got it for a steal as a NOS piece on eBay. This bass plays & sounds great. It's so forgiving & is perfect in any situation. Inca Silver & all mine.

2. 1978 Rickenbacker 3001.
The sleeper Rick! Not as sexy as the 4001/4003 series but a solid (and HEAVY) bass that plays like butter & has enough of the Rick clank with a great deal of Fender-esque fundamental lows. A studio favorite.

3. 2001 Gibson Thunderbird.
Big. Rock. Bass. Good.

4. 2003 Rickenbacker 4003 (in limited edition Montezuma Brown)
This & the t-bird could easily flip flop. Classic Rick clank. I get a little scared to play it out because of the whole limited edition Color Of The Year thing....

5. 1989 MIJ Fender Jazz.
This poor bass has been through everything. Cross country tours, outdoor gigs, drunken throws across stages, forgotten in musty damp basements, etc....
It's got Dimarzios in it & the latest in a series of pickguard/knob combos but this is the Timex of basses. It takes a lickin' & keeps on tickin'.

6. 1974 Rickenbacker 4001.
Not sure why I'm rating this one so low. I bought it used & abused about 25 years ago. A Fralin rewind on the bridge pickup a couple of years ago....through a full stack it sounds like Roger Glover kicking your teeth in. This one should actually be #4 or #5.

7. 2005 G&L ASAT.
I love the look of this bass. I really do. But I've never actually "clicked" with this bass. Not a forgiving player, & those MFDs are WAY HOT. Doesn't play nice with pedals. I also had to have the neck replaced under warranty a couple of years into ownership.
(Sigh)...maybe someday the magic will happen.

8. Jasmine by Takamine acoustic bass.
It was free. It leans against the wall. I let my kid beat on it. But, it gets picked up & strummed a lot because it's always out. It sounds & plays OK.


Hey, this was fun!
 

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