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The perfect bass has....
- Thread starter Greenman72
- Start date
For me:
1. 4 or 6 strings
2. Multiscale
3. Headless
4. Balances correctly
5. Stainless frets, if it has any at all
6. Composite Materials
7. Basically, the same neck profile as my Basslab, unless it’s a 4-string. Then, the template is my brother’s 1973 P-Bass.
8. Not boring
Basslab ticks most of those boxes, except for multiscale (Heiko doesn’t care to make them, but I’m sure he’ll do it). Mine was built in 2004, when stainless steel frets weren’t readily available, but, when I get this bass refretted, it will be with stainless.
1. 4 or 6 strings
2. Multiscale
3. Headless
4. Balances correctly
5. Stainless frets, if it has any at all
6. Composite Materials
7. Basically, the same neck profile as my Basslab, unless it’s a 4-string. Then, the template is my brother’s 1973 P-Bass.
8. Not boring
Basslab ticks most of those boxes, except for multiscale (Heiko doesn’t care to make them, but I’m sure he’ll do it). Mine was built in 2004, when stainless steel frets weren’t readily available, but, when I get this bass refretted, it will be with stainless.
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,793
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
I find my US Lakland 4460 to be 100% perfect in every way. Four string, alder body, rosewood fretboard, concentric pots (stack knob), Hipshot Bass Xtender installed, strung through body, roundwounds,quarter sawn neck, factory Lakland single coil jazz pickups, and lots of dings, dents and wear from thousands of gigs (by me).
- 4 strings
- passive
- white (other colors or stained wood are possible though [could still be perfect, depending on the overall look], but in general I’m a sucker for white)
- nitro finish
- rosewood fretboard
- medium jumbo frets
- balances (no neck dive)
- under 9 lbs.
- I’d prefer one pickup and 2 knobs a la a P bass; however, if I can get my sound via two pickups and 3 knobs, that can be absolutely completely fine, too. But perfect, I guess one pickup.
- I get a sound I love out of it
- Feels great (I like P necks and J necks both perfectly fine, as well as I love both of my 30" short scales and my two main 34" regular scales, so I don’t have one exact spec there that my perfect bass would have to meet. However it’s constituted though, it’s gotta play and feel great to me. A short scale would be easier on the old body [mine], so maybe a short or medium scale would be more perfect then… Hmm. Also, a J neck just seems like it would be easier to be perfect for me [but arguably my favorite bass ever is a P and I’ve never wanted to put a J neck on it, so hard to say]. I’m flexible here)
- I can get the setup I want out of it, and it holds the setup and stays in tune well
- Looks great (subjective, obviously)
- Not so expensive/precious that I can’t relax
- Would have heritage from one of the classic brands, like Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, etc., or would somehow seamlessly capture the essence of what one of their instruments could have or should have been back in the 50s/60s
- passive
- white (other colors or stained wood are possible though [could still be perfect, depending on the overall look], but in general I’m a sucker for white)
- nitro finish
- rosewood fretboard
- medium jumbo frets
- balances (no neck dive)
- under 9 lbs.
- I’d prefer one pickup and 2 knobs a la a P bass; however, if I can get my sound via two pickups and 3 knobs, that can be absolutely completely fine, too. But perfect, I guess one pickup.
- I get a sound I love out of it
- Feels great (I like P necks and J necks both perfectly fine, as well as I love both of my 30" short scales and my two main 34" regular scales, so I don’t have one exact spec there that my perfect bass would have to meet. However it’s constituted though, it’s gotta play and feel great to me. A short scale would be easier on the old body [mine], so maybe a short or medium scale would be more perfect then… Hmm. Also, a J neck just seems like it would be easier to be perfect for me [but arguably my favorite bass ever is a P and I’ve never wanted to put a J neck on it, so hard to say]. I’m flexible here)
- I can get the setup I want out of it, and it holds the setup and stays in tune well
- Looks great (subjective, obviously)
- Not so expensive/precious that I can’t relax
- Would have heritage from one of the classic brands, like Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, etc., or would somehow seamlessly capture the essence of what one of their instruments could have or should have been back in the 50s/60s
Last edited:
4 strings
1.5” nut
9.5” radius
30” scale
6-7 pounds
Singlecut body style
Good balance, no neck dive
Rounded fretboard edges
19mm spacing
24 frets (or 2 octave fretless)
No fretboard inlays
High contrast side dots
Mandolin fret wire
Gotoh resolyte tuners
Hipshot bridge
Schaller S straplocks
Performaxe for playing seated
4” padded Neoprene strap
Stunning top, fretboard and neck wood
Here are 4 of them:
1.5” nut
9.5” radius
30” scale
6-7 pounds
Singlecut body style
Good balance, no neck dive
Rounded fretboard edges
19mm spacing
24 frets (or 2 octave fretless)
No fretboard inlays
High contrast side dots
Mandolin fret wire
Gotoh resolyte tuners
Hipshot bridge
Schaller S straplocks
Performaxe for playing seated
4” padded Neoprene strap
Stunning top, fretboard and neck wood
Here are 4 of them:
Last edited:
Just give me a bass and I’ll figure out a way to make it work…unless it’s heavy.
A lot of my preferences have shifted over the years and will likely continue to shift. But my #1 for years now has had:
- A Jazz bass nut width
- A pseudo Pbass pickup
- A John East preamp
- Hipshot hardware - including a Detuner
- An alder body
- A rosewood fingerboard
- And my favorite thing - a wenge neck
Nowadays (it might change in the future)…
1. Four strings (with hipshot D-tuner)
2. Zero batteries
3. Non offset body
4. Precision neck
5. P-MM pickup configiration
6. VVT
7. Open to different colors
8. Maple headstok
9. Maple fingerboard (but ebony is cool)
10. Front Jack
Passive p pup
Maple board
Fat mid 70’s profile neck.
Body shape not hugely important but needs to be weighty
Maple board
Fat mid 70’s profile neck.
Body shape not hugely important but needs to be weighty
Perfect bass?
NS Radius CR5 with a passive bypass.
Used pre-CBS P bass in custom color selling for $250.
Pedulla Buzz Bass with no fret markers.
NS Radius CR5 with a passive bypass.
Used pre-CBS P bass in custom color selling for $250.
Pedulla Buzz Bass with no fret markers.
D
