What are you most picky about?

[sxaxsx]

For me it's the opposite, Id rather have slightly higher action with no buzz. I used to always be chasing low action and constantly adjusting to find the sweet spot where I had it as low as I could get it with no buzz. Then I had a tech set up my bass to Fender specs and I was amazed at how much higher Fender specs were than what I was using. High or low is all subjective. With Fender specs it is still comfortable, no buzz, and I no longer need to obsess over my setup and be constantly tweaking it.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Action. However I'm probably in the minority when it comes to this. I like my action a bit higher than what would be considered factory specs. I don't want to hear any fret buzz (anywhere) while I'm playing. I use a pick for certain songs and I don't want to worry about monitoring my attack when playing. Also, I like to give the strings their full opportunity to vibrate... especially when I strike and open string.

 

[drumvsbass]

drummers

 

[MrLenny1]

White, don't like it on guitars and it seems to be
the big color lately.

 

[mrjim123]

1. Neck thickness (front to back, not nut width) is important enough to me that I have shaved down two necks. Love the results!

2. Nut width has to be be 1.5".

3. String tension; I'm a low tension junkie.

4. Body finish. I wanna see the grain.

 

[nonohmic]

Will it play better than what I already have, or lead me to practice more.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Interesting question as its changed a lot over the past 30 years.

Nowadays:

Under 7 pounds.
Low action.
Enough high end that I have to roll some off.
Enough low end and mids to allow me to feel it.

Earlier career:

Versatility
A midrange knob
Low action
Unique looks
Color

Then:

Now:

 

[lug]

People who are OCD about their basses.

 

[Killing Floor]

Rattles drive me crazy. The hardware or inside a chamber or a pick guard that isn’t fitted. You hit that magic note and the body buzzes like a bee. That’s as annoying as anything. I don’t like fret buzz but I can take care of a high fret or action adjustment. But the built in rattle!

I see all the parts as replaceable so I don’t stress about that. A bass at a certain price point has a certain level of hardware and pickups which is pretty predictable. Color isn’t the most important thing to me. Just don’t friggin rattle.

 

[Killing Floor]

I also would be particular about broken necks. That would bug me.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Upper horn strap button has to be at, or around the 12th fret. I hate playing SG, Les Paul, Thunderbird like basses, and or basses w small bodies and long necks (warwick, spector etc.) I like looking at some of them.

I like the J nut width, 34" scale, passive FSOs, but I can live w whatever.

 

[MegaSwing]

• Consistent string height and spacing
• String-to-pickup height
• Low-to-no neck relief
• Balanced 12th-fret tuning
• Clean and shine
  
  My personal instruments will ALWAYS sport good fighting trim in these areas. I check them vigilantly. They’ll never go to a gig unless they are in perfect adjustment. And I’ll never perform these actions at a gig (except a wipe-down).

 

[Jefenator]

Funny, I am not picky about a lot of the things mentioned thus far (like neck profile, nut width, action, neck dive, color, strings...) And yet I've sold many more basses than I've kept. So what are my hangups?

• Response. The best way for a bass of mine to wind up back on the auction block is to fail to respond to my playing. When I go to the upper register and punch it, I want that note to cry out; I absolutely do not want that note to fizzle! (Lame low B strings are actually the bigger culprit.) Also, general response i.e. the instrument's overall personality. I've been through the mill of cool-looking axes that just don't have much to say musically. (Repeated disappointments have left me wary of budget instruments.)

Oops, I guess I didn't really need a bullet list, because response is the main thing I am fussy about. I can abide high action on my P-bass because the upper register sings and the money zone thumps. I deal with the weight, tree trunk neck and sonic stubbornness of the Warwick Streamer Stage I because it growls like a mountain lion mama defending her kittens - and the low B is sublime. I could go on - every instrument I keep has its own quirks and minor gripes. The one thing they all have in common is that they redeem themselves onstage.

 

[HardNHeavy]

im the most laid back person you'll ever know, but noodling drummers in between songs

 

[Leonid Nidis]

Mostly the low action.
Radious I dont care about,cant notice the difference.

Cant play 1.75 necks specially if its combined with a fat D profile.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I like a 20-fret* 30" neck with a Jazz nut; I can swing either way on radius. I like an obvious place to park my thumb, for those times when I need to do that. And whatever it is needs to be 9 lbs. tops. Tone? You have an issue with tone? Somebody somewhere makes a pedal to get what you want. That's my theory, anyway.

*I go past the 12th fret maybe three times a night. 22 frets confuse me.

Stupid story about letting go of your stupid picky aesthetic desires: For years, if the fretboard wasn't maple, I was not interested. I got past that last summer when I found out Lakland would make me a 30" scale bass, but only using one of their US models, which would put the price well north of $3,000. I could get a 30" Lakland Skyline for a third the price, but maple frets? No dice! So for once Money talked louder than aesthetic desires and I went for the Pau Ferro.

 

[TomB]

Agree on the low action and light gauge strings. For rounds I use DR SUNBEAMS or DUNLOP SUPER BRIGHT NICKELS, both 40-100. For flats LABELLA LOW TENSION FLEXIBLE FLATS.
Also agree on weight. My #1 is 8.3 lbs.
I'm more open on color but not partial to bursts. Much prefer solid colors. My #1 is Olympic White with rosewood. Also have Black w/ Maple board. I love both rosewood and maple boards but if I had to choose, I'd pick rosewood.
I also prefer 9.5" to 10" fretboard radius.
12" is the limit and starting to feel too flat for me. When I was younger I loved a shallow/thin neck front to rear but these days I'm preferring a chunkier neck. More control and also prefer the 1.625"/ 1 5/8" nut width. Practically the same. I do have a Jazz bass that I love but sometimes that neck feels too narrow until I'm really warmed up.
Finally, I MOS def like the FSO look and P Bass in particular. There's just nothing more classic and correct looking for any situation.

It took me a long time to realize I prefer P-shaped bodies to J. Almost disappointing, since I grew up on J’s.

 

[REV]

I like my action lowish so keeping the neck flat is really important. I feel like I can tell instantly if there is any deviation from flat and I have to fix it.

 

[Gothic]

Here's my list:

---Super low action and light strings. I'd rather there be a slight fretbuzz than sacrifice higher action. So I get every bass I have as low as I possibly can, and never use anything heavier than 40-100 or 40-120 for 5 string, even when playing flats.

Yep. Same exact thing here, although I can go with heavier strings. I prefer 45-105 for rounds and TI jazz flats for... well, flats!

---Neck radius. Between 9.5" and 12" seems to be my comfort zone for a 4, though I just got a Yamaha 5'er with something like a 24" radius and it feels good. But any rounder than 9.5" and I can't bend strings without choking out or raising the action. And that ain't happenin'.

In the past I was very particular about that. Frets also. I wanted the flattest board and XJ frets. Nowadays, I'm fine on anything, although I do prefer 9.5" and shorter frets. Still, with my action preferences, 9.5" ALWAYS chokes if I bend. So I don't bend...!

---Light weight. I wear the term "weight weenie" like a badge of honor and don't care if you he-men "Just go hit the gym" types like it or not. Wasn't always a weight weenie but a chronic should problem, due to a heavy-as-heck Jazz I used to own on a 2" seatbelt strap, put a stop to that. I've got a limit and I do my best to stick to it, and since I've got light basses that I love already, I see no need to buy any that are going to make my shoulder worse.

I used to not care at all about weight. Then I got a jazz that was about 6kg. It got tiresome at gigs but still, it wasn't much of a dealbreaker, really. Then, I'd just -prefer- a lighter bass. A few months ago I discovered I've got multiple herniated and bulging discs in my mid and upper spine and last month I had ACDF surgery. After that, the only way I'm playing a heavier bass is sitting down. I still can't play standing up with anything heavier than an acoustic and even that's kinda stretching it...

---Black. If it's not black, it must go back. I don't mind other colors interspersed with the black base color, but a bass has to have black as the base color for me to buy it these days since I scientifically proved that I look the best with a black bass. Any bass you might see in my little collection that's not black was grandfathered in before the testing.

For years I've had a strong aversion to black instruments because they were so damn common, especially in metal that I'd gladly play death metal with an orange flake bass. Now I won't really reject a black bass and I'd love an all black one but still, I tend to prefer other colors.

One extra thing I have is neck width and girth. Once again, I'm not picky enough to treat this as a dealbreaker but I prefer a 40-41mm nut width instead of both the standard JB 38mm or the ultra wide P 43-44mm width. On four stringers.

As for the girth, I LOVE a round, fat neck. It's just so comfortable for me. I don't have big hands and I'm not really a big guy but those baseball bat necks are just so damn cozy! Think early German Warwick necks! I'm fine on thinner stuff too, even Ibanez toothpick ones but still...

String spacing is another thing. Only thing that's a dealbreaker, really. Can't stand more than 19mm on a four strings and I will absolutely reject any five string with 19mm at the bridge. I love tighter spacing both on four and five (or six) string basses. If I didn't think it'd look silly compared to the width and taper of the necks, I'd equip all (well, both) my four strings with Schaller 3D bridges and drop that spacing at least one millimeter.

 

[thumpbass1]

These days reasonably lighter weight is a good thing, though I have a couple of boat anchors that just plain sound great. Other than that, the quality of the nut and fret work is one my biggest concerns, besides the other general details, especially on new instruments that ask for a higher price tag.