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Tried Some New Basses Today

KingRazor

KingRazor

Supporting Member
Jun 4, 2010
6,747
415
37
Beaverton, Oregon USA
#1
EDIT: After posting this thread I've realized that some of the statements I've made do not accurately convey my opinions. Thus I have edited this post for clarification.

I went to my local guitar shop today and got to try some basses I don't usually get to.

First I tried an EBMM ray 4-string. I realized that I really do not like the neck profile. I had a hard time playing the bass comfortably, which could be due to the setup, or possibly just my own preferences for the dimensions of the bass. Probably a combination of the two.

Then I tried a Modulus 5-string with a graphite neck. I really didn't like how the neck felt. I found my thumb stopping a lot attempting to go up and down the neck. The strings were loose flat wounds that didn't play well. I'd have liked to try that bass with a good set of rounds. But either way, I don't think graphite necks are for me.

I tried a Cort 5-string that was a neck-through and had hipshot hardware. Very nice bass. Playability was pretty good, tone was pretty good. It needed a good setup, but after getting one it probably would have been near-perfect.

But the thing that blew the rest away was, a fretless EBMM Stringray 5.

For some reason I liked this bass way more than the 4-string version, the neck profile seemed significantly different. It played like butter. The B string was perfect. No rattle, no flub. The tone was better (to me) then the average ray, but I could get the "classic" stingray tone by boosting the treble.

The odd thing about it to me was that it was fretless. I've never encountered a fretless stingray before. It made me think again about my preference of fretted vs fretless basses. I could slide all over the place all day long quickly and easily. I'm not usually a fan of round wounds on a fretless, but it totally worked for this bass.

I finally found an EBMM that I liked, although it was absolutely not what I was expecting.
 
#5
A friend of mine has 2 stingray 5, fretted and fretless: The fretted one is nearly impossible to be mixed, on the other hand, the fretless is beautifull. Maybe it has to do with the type of strings as the fretted has the EB Slinkies (wich I avoid buying) and the fretless has Chromes (wich I do like a lot). Or maybe with the frets...dunno.
 
#6
Emibass said:
A friend of mine has 2 stingray 5, fretted and fretless: The fretted one is nearly impossible to be mixed, on the other hand, the fretless is beautifull. Maybe it has to do with the type of strings as the fretted has the EB Slinkies (wich I avoid buying) and the fretless has Chromes (wich I do like a lot). Or maybe with the frets...dunno.
Click to expand...

I actually like that the EBMM didn't have too much of the fretless "mwah" tone that some people love. It just sounded like any fretted bass, but with no frets.

It definitely makes me want to replace the frets on my SX with some banjo/mandolin fret wire.
 
#11
Im looking to buy another bass to add to the collection...although i havent learned to play yet im really leaning towards a six string....the shopping around is really getting me pumped, and i just laugh when they ask me to plug in and try it out....
 
#12
EricHargrave said:
Im looking to buy another bass to add to the collection...although i havent learned to play yet im really leaning towards a six string....the shopping around is really getting me pumped, and i just laugh when they ask me to plug in and try it out....
Click to expand...

My first bass was an Ibanez sound gear 5-string. That was a decent bass, but I wound up replacing it with an SX P bass.
 
#13
KingRazor said:
My first bass was an Ibanez sound gear 5-string. That was a decent bass, but I wound up replacing it with an SX P bass.
Click to expand...

The first bass i bought was a squier p bass...traded it for a fender jazz five string (mex) sold that now i have another squier p bass 4 string and an ibanez 4 string still cant play worth anything but going to take lessons i really want to play in church....its going to happen soon
 
#15
KingRazor said:
I actually like that the EBMM didn't have too much of the fretless "mwah" tone that some people love. It just sounded like any fretted bass, but with no frets.

It definitely makes me want to replace the frets on my SX with some banjo/mandolin fret wire.
Click to expand...

To get that "mwah" sound the action has to be set fairly low. Most EBMM basses are setup for slapping, which is usually medium to medium high action. At that height you don't get much "mwah". I noticed this when I got my Brice 6 string fretless.
 
#16
KingRazor said:
Well, since I can't get a bass setup until after I've bought it, I have to judge it before hand.
Click to expand...


Not entirely true, IME - if I'm serious about buying a bass, I most certainly will break out the allen wrenches, and set neck relief and a quickie adjustment of the saddle heights to see if it has the potential to be a good player without a fret level and recrown... Of course, I make sure it's OK with the shop before doing so - but given my experience(and rep), most don't mind me tweaking the setup a bit before making a purchase decision... If a bass has a decent neck, I can usually have it playing quite well in a couple of minutes...

- georgestrings
 
#17
KingRazor said:
Yeah, although what I was doing today I wouldn't call "shopping", since I had no intention to buy, and don't have any intention of going back to that shop and buying any of those basses.
Click to expand...

I love doing this when time allows. It's fun trying out differant basses just to see what's out there. Found some real nice players out there too. If I had no restraint I'd probably have about 20 basses by now. But I do admit I wouldn't mind owning the "ultimate" 5 string....whatever that might be.
 
#18
An EBMM is out of my price range as well. But, I am extremely happy with my Ibanez ATK 305 which many say cops a similar vibe to the MM. Although with mine I wasn't able to capture the right tone until I acquired my TC BH500 and then all the pieces kind of came together. Might want to check out one of these as they can be had all day long used for around $300 or even less.
 
#19
georgestrings said:
Not entirely true, IME - if I'm serious about buying a bass, I most certainly will break out the allen wrenches, and set neck relief and a quickie adjustment of the saddle heights to see if it has the potential to be a good player without a fret level and recrown... Of course, I make sure it's OK with the shop before doing so - but given my experience(and rep), most don't mind me tweaking the setup a bit before making a purchase decision... If a bass has a decent neck, I can usually have it playing quite well in a couple of minutes...

- georgestrings
Click to expand...

Ah, see, when I go to stores to try out basses, I'm not there to buy, just to look. By the time I have the money to buy, I generally already know what I want beforehand.

I judge basses based on how they play when I play them, I simply can't tell how a bass is going to be after it's setup, so I judge it right "off the shelf". Then it either plays well or it doesn't. If it does play well, then it's good.

I've noticed Ibanez basses tend to play very well off the shelf. More so than basses by a lot of other manufacturers. MIA Fenders tend to be really nice too.

I have learned though that regardless of price point, all basses are hit and miss. Squier, Fender, Ibanez, EBMM, Modulus, they're all hit and miss. Which is why I don't like the idea of buying basses online (still bought an SX and that turned out to be worth it). I really prefer to try the bass in person (before it's setup) before I buy it.

If the bass plays well before it's setup, it tends to play very well afterward.
 
#20
KingRazor said:
I have learned though that regardless of price point, all basses are hit and miss. Squier, Fender, Ibanez, EBMM, Modulus, they're all hit and miss. Which is why I don't like the idea of buying basses online (still bought an SX and that turned out to be worth it). I really prefer to try the bass in person (before it's setup) before I buy it.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but this is a VERY uninformed point of view...
 

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