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Rank your basses in an arbitrary manner

#61
1. 1982 Washburn Force 8 - Strung with rounds, Reverse-P pickups, beautiful sunburst finish, white binding, solid as a rock, & has the most perfect v-profile maple neck (for me, anyway). I love this bass to death! I bought it because its finish was so similar to my Ric, but it ended up blowing me away with how it plays and sounds.

2. 1981 Rickenbacker 4003 - Strung with rounds, banged-to-hell fireglo finish, lowest action of any of my basses, signature clanky sound. The fact that I got it last October for $750 makes it even better. Very, very close second to the Washburn.

3. No-name P-bass - Strung with Chrome flats, natural finish, super smooth player, classic P thump. I got it at a pawn shop, in mint condition, for $47. Never took the neck off to look for a stamp, but I'm guessing from the quality, it's likely a Warmoth or equivalent. Another great deal!

4. DIY Cigar-box Jazz - Strung with rounds, my first build, cigar box body with blend-able Jazz and piezo pickups, Jay Turser neck. Fun to play, but I still need to work on the setup to make it even better.

5. Yet to be completed: Strung with LaBella tapewounds, wooden art supply box body, f-holes, piezo pickups, gold trapeze tailpiece/bridge/tuners/knobs, de-fretted and polyurethaned Jay Turser neck. Only at number five because haven't finished it yet!

Note: This is today's ranking. Any of the top three can qualify as my favorite, depending on which one I played most recently!
 
#62
1) Squier CV 60's Jazz - This one has the shiniest bridge of all of my basses. The increased surface area of the high-mass bridge helps a lot.

2) Lakland Skyline 55-01 - This bass has a shiny bridge too, but it loses out to the Squier due to scratches in the finish and a slight bit of tarnish due to its age.

3) Epiphone Zenith - This bridge is wood and just doesn't have the shine that chrome provides.

4) Dean EABC - This bridge is also wood, but has more of a matte finish then the Epi.
 
#63
Why not?

In order of what I would do to somebody that stole them:

1) Murder: G&L L2000...I think it is an early 90s model. This bass has everything I love in a bass.....A thick neck, super flexible with a bunch of great sounds (and now with the K mod I put in it a sound that I am in love with...the way the single coil slightly bleeds into the other coil gives it come kinda of jazz w/ a pair sound...why does it not come this way factory?) light weight at 8.5, reliable and somewhat unique (not on talkbass but I never see people giggin them round here). It has a natural finish and I am more of a paint guy but no biggie. This bass drove off a bunch of others...guess its my "dream bass?"

2) Castration: 86 Ibanez Roadstar II PJ MIJ. This bass is a sleeper. Great tone, cool white body w/ black PG and matching headstock. Simple, beat up, light weight @ 8, reliable, and unique for sure. It was cheap and set up easy....Slapped some cream chicken heads on there and it is my go to for that lo-fi country sound.

3) Sugar in gas tank: Ibanez ATK '96 I believe. This bass is beat to S since I bought it in high school new and it has been through college and just about everything else. It was actually stolen and returned. I wouldnt gig it as it weighs 300 pounds and has some problems (duck tape cavity cover) so I keep it at work to fit a few minutes in when I can. These basses are amazing for the money if you like that cajones Stingray tone...I have grown out of that tone.

4) Banana in Tailpipe: Les Paul Ukelele w/ 1/4 jack. yeah its not a bass but I tune it in fourths and take it on surf trips as a cheap travel bass. I love this thing for traveling. Got it for 85$ new highly reccomended for people needing a super small travel "bass"

DONT STEAL MY BASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :ninja:
 
#64
1 - 1962 American Reissue Fender Jazz Bass - The love of my life. My girlfriend would hate to hear me say that, but I will be buried with this bass, no doubt about it. It has single handedly crafted my whole way of hearing bass.

2 - 2005 MM Stingray 5 - Just a great bass. The B string absolutely rings clear as day. And it's LOUD.

3 - 2011 MIM Fender Jazz - Bought completely with gift cards from my birthday (Best family ever), I picked it up to be a "beater" bass because I got nervous traveling every weekend (3-4 gigs every weekend year round) with my '62. Besides the MM 5er, this bass is my new main player. Amazing bass.

4 - 1980 Guild B-302A - I mainly use this bass for recording when I need that "certain tone". Originally my Dad's bass, it was passed down, and it's still perfect. Great solid bulky feel on this beast. Honestly, it should be higher up in the count, but sadly it never comes out live. It's used indoors at home, or in the studio only. It's really more a member of the family :)

5 - Frankenstien Jazz - Built with random parts, a random relic'd body, and a 2003 AM Standard maple Jazz neck, this is also a studio bass. I use it mostly for distorted tones. I dropped 2 humbuckers in it, and it gets the job done. Too ugly to take to a wedding though! And I'm not a maple neck fan.

6 - 2011 Epiphone Thunderbird - Bought this because it was cheap, and it was the new White model, with the chromed out pickups, and the strap peg moved to the back of the bass to get rid of the neck dive. Hey, it is what it is. RAWK! Just a cool looking bass I can shred on when I need to get a little silly during practice!

7 - 19?? Hohner Acoustic bass - Even though I play it everyday, I put it last just because I use it to practice in my apartment. Still a great acoustic though. It also looks really nice in the TV room on the stand.
 
#65
Both 1) Nordy vP5 & vJ5 - I love them both equally, and they completely nail the sound, feel and playability of Fender P and J style basses but in a 5-string format. Superlative design, construction, build quality, materials, and attention to detail, but most importantly I love playing them.
2) Lakand DJ5 - I love the sound and feel but it is HEAVY so sits on the bench most of the time. However, it is a great recording bass even if the electronics are a little noisy.
3) NS WAV4 - Fun to play and sounds great. Crappy stand.

They're all keepers!
 
#67
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...

Because the standards by which we rank them are completely arbitrary. It all comes down to which one we subjectively like best.
 
#68
1. 2003-ish MIM Precision. Modded with some vintage chicken head knobs and a Babicz bridge. It currently has some Rotosound stainless rounds on it, but I'm about to put flats on it. Plays really well; the neck is perfect for me and it takes a beating. The stock pickup actually has good tone but I'm hoping to replace it with something more vintage sounding soon.

Um...that it. I only have the one bass so far and its my #1.
 
#69
Kopfjaeger said:
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
Click to expand...

Damn, I'm envious. The Blackstar and the V63 especially make a really classy pair.
 
#70
1. Squier Classic Vibe 60's Jazz with GHS Precision flats. My go-to bass. Fits like a glove & gets 80% of my playing time.

2. Lakland Skyline 44-01 in natural ash, also with GHS Precision flats. Great bass with a sweet neck and great feel. Love it, but the CV Jazz is my baby.
 
#72
1987 Wal Mk1: Wenge facings. Absolute focused power.

Frankenbass, the "KenWalMan": Wal neck, Basslines MM Alnico pickup, Ken Smith 2band preamp.
Home made body in Wal Mk1 shape using Aussie timbers in Tassie Oak, Tassie Murtle and WA Marri. Lighter than the Wal, naturally more scooped with a sweet top end.

1982 Aria SB R60: My passive bass with a briliant new wave tone but doesn't quite match the other 2 in construction and feel, though it's still a keeper.

(The necks of the first 2 are interchangable, currently the Wal has the fretless neck while the Kenwalman has the fretted)
 
#73
Only have one at the moment. A Spector NS2000/4. Absolutely amazing bass. Very versatile.
I would also like to have a Spector NS2 or Forte. Spectors are pretty hard to find in Sweden though.
I'm also a jazz bass fan. Used to have an american standard which I regret deeply that I sold. Have to get a couple of them again sometime.
 
#74
The standard: Fender Jazz Aerodyne, CIJ, 2004 with PJ pickups. Plays great, looks great, sounds great. Good for most anything, an all-rounder that no-one can turn their nose up to. There's never been a point on gigs with reggae tunes, rock tunes or jazz tunes that this bass hasn't covered.
The flash: Overwater Progress III. Again, a great bass, but I'd never use a pick on it. Paying £3000 for something then giving it a good scratching? No thanks. Probably my favourite bass to play.
The history: Stagg 4-string fretless conversion. A project I took on about 2 years ago on my first ever bass. Still sounds nice despite the lack of pedigree in the building of it.
The fretless: MIM Fender Jazz '94. Picked up in a very-near new condition for a measly £300 off eBay, it's a nice bass with a great feeling neck.
The 5 string: Wesley acrylic lump. too heavy for me, but when you need that low end, there's only one way to go.
The acoustic: Fender acoustic; I'm not sure on the origins of this. It's a Korean-made, all solid wood single-cutaway, yet I've never seen any like it.
The upright: A cheap-ish 3/4 upright. Plays nicely, but I haven't got room for it at the house, so it's with my parents.
The weird one: The contrabass, a 6-string acoustic bass, tuned EADGBE (like a guitar but an octave below). Great for classical ensembles or those Latin moments.
 
#75
Yamaha BB414-Plays beautifully, looks killer in metallic orange. Not the greatest slap bass, but is incredibly versatile (I love P/Js). I can get more or less any sort of tone for any sort of music out of this bass, and sound good doing it. This was my first bass, bought when I was 16, and I've been trying to "upgrade" for the past four years, but keep coming back to this one as my go-to bass.

'80s USA Peavey Foundation. Good bass, also a P/J, love the tone especially with the P pup, but the Yamaha does everything it does, and does it better.

MIM Jazz- Bought when I felt like I needed a Fender. Sounds great, but the quality of construction could be a lot better. Rarely played anymore.

SX P copy- my "public" bass. When there is a party and people want to jam, this is the bass that is out.

Ibanez ABG- Low-volume practice bass.
 
#76
-Carvin SB5000 fretless: basically a toy for around the house, but it's a blast to play. Sounds awesome and feels great. Best Carvin I've owned by far. I wouldn't mind having a fretted one.

-Fender Am. Std. Precision 5: sunburst/tort/rosewood. Plays, sounds and looks amazing. The only bass I really need.

-Reverend Mercalli 5: cool-looking bass that sounds huge. Needs some Hipshot Ultralites. Chunky neck. I want to love this bass, but I think we're just friends.

-Reverend Rumblefish: best-sounding bass I've ever owned. 4-string isn't my thing anymore, but I was foolish enough to part with this bass once and now that I have it back, it's under lock and key.
 
#78
In no particular order:

- Stambaugh custom: All what I like to hear, see and feel from an electric bass guitar joined in one single instrument.

- Kubicki Ex Factor: The most beautiful-sounding bass ever made*.

- EBMM Bongo: A tone monster. Pure power.

- Höfner Ignition: A real fun bass that I would have never imagined I was going to enjoy that much. The only one that, while I can play it fingerstyle with no problems, I feel it's meant to be played with a pick.

- Peavey T-40: My first bass. The heaviest 4-string single neck bass ever made*. Also the fattest-sounding passive bass ever made*.

- Steinberger XL2: The most innovative bass ever*. Inimitable tone and feel*.

- Cort Axe: The dream made truth for all of us Kiss freaks (not anymore, but I used to be one of them).

- Rickenbacker 4003: The indisputable rocker in the herd.

- Honda ABG (made by a local luthier): No electric bass can cop the tone of a real ABG* (whether you like that tone or not).

*: In my opinion and/or experience.
 
#79
In order of importance to me...

1) My bastardized VM Jazz... The neck and electronics are all original, the body is alder and the cavities are shielded. Simply put I love the feel of the neck and the sound of the electronics, literally the most played bass I own.

1) My much bastardized CV Jazz. With the Fender neck, DiMarzio pups CTS pots and the rest original, it is a very nice playing and aggressive sounding bass. I love it on songs that it "fits' tone wise...

1) My '81 Peavey T 40. I love this bass as much as any, and as much as my old beloved '83 T 40 I had as a kid. I usually have the bass set for a Rickenbacker - ish tone and play it when it feels right to me. Though I am playing with the bass and its tonal capabilities more and more, the way I normally have it set is pretty okie day with me!

(you notice I set them all at #1, right?. Depends on the day or the song which is my # 1. Can't imagine ever selling any of them...)
:bassist:
 
#80
Fender Jazz: Strung with ti flats; this one gets almost all of my attention. The tone is just perfect.

Fender Precision: Also wearing ti flats; this one is super thumpy and exactly what I reach for when I want classic p tone.

Sterling ray34: Strung with chromes tuned to drop c; this one gets very little play time at all. I was thinking about selling it and tuned it to drop c to try to convince myself it would be worth keeping to have a down tuned bass...it didn't really work ha.
 

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