Epiphone Jack Cassidy. Loved the look. Was into hollow bodies at the time. It just didn't work for me. The body was a tabletop and the neck felt too long. I sold it to someone who was searching for one and I hope he is still enjoying it.
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What bass did you not bond with
- Thread starter Willie5String
- Start date
This Sterling Ray24. The neck shifted a lot and it was just hard to keep a good set up.
I would have to go through the long list of basses that I've had over the last 43 years and try to remember why I had sold them off.
Some where sold to acquire something better.
Some just had a undefinable lack.
Some where sold to acquire something better.
Some just had a undefinable lack.
Jazz bass for the uncomfortable ergonomics, though I played one for years because I loved the tone.
Rickenbacker 400X due to it being like a very boney lover, all knees, ribs and elbows everywhere. Very awkward and uncomfortable bass to play despite being attractive with a distinctive tone.
Rickenbacker 400X due to it being like a very boney lover, all knees, ribs and elbows everywhere. Very awkward and uncomfortable bass to play despite being attractive with a distinctive tone.
You and I are in the same boat! But I also like a nice Precision Bass for a different set of tones and my first bass wasn't a Ric.
Otherwise, here's my list:
1. Epiphone SG / EB-3s - I owned one of these when I was a teen and was probably the worst bass I've ever owned! The neck dive was insane, the body was too small, the electronics were cheap, and it was ergonomically uncomfortable. Never again!
2. Ibanezes- I owned a beautiful looking SR 405 when I was a teen. But I didn't like its electronics, poor hardware quality, or 5th string. Owning that bass has turned me away from Ibanez ever since. Needless to say, I recently played a premium Ibanez whose QC was much better than the SR 405 I owned. But I still didn't like the electronics, so my opinion stands.
3. Gibsons - They're overpriced, heavy, often have QC issues, and don't sound right to me. Special mention goes to Thunderbirds because they're also ergonomic nightmares whose tone is too dark.
4. Semihollow Basses - I feel like there's something missing tonally when I play them in music stores. I also can't think of a use for them musically.
5. Jazz Basses - I don't like VVT preamps! In other words, Leo had it right the first time with the stack knob configuration. I switched the preamp on my Squier Jazz Bass to a volume-tone-pickup selector configuration similar to my Rics.
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I had a beautiful Peavey Cirrus. Granted, it was the import version, but that didn't matter. It looked great, sounded cool, but I just didn't jive with it as well as I did with some of my other basses. The neck was a bit too skinny for me, and I really hated the active preamp. I'd forget to unplug my bass overnight and it just wouldn't work the next day. On top of that, some of the pots came disconnected from the circuit board, and it would've been more to fix that compared to a passive. I also just hate having a bunch of knobs on a bass, so no active systems for me.
Same here with 2018 SBMM Stingray34QM [QM had 1.5 nut width neck like Ray24] wouldn't hold a setup
Sometimes played fine one day next day strings were laying on top of frets.
My '80's Fender P was my main stay for several years, but I did not like the heft or the wide neck from the start. Ive never since played another that was such a slab of wood. It was my second bass in my earliest days and I was very ignorant of brand variety.
The only other bass of the 11 I've had was an Ovation hollow body with the round back. F* those round backs for constantly slipping away from you. Whether strapped across the shoulder or on the knee, it'a constant battle to keep the thing in one place while playing.
Where Fender is the pedestrian and 'everyman' of the two, Ovation is more high-falutin' and hoity toity, from them I learned that neither is me by style. aesthetic or design.
The only other bass of the 11 I've had was an Ovation hollow body with the round back. F* those round backs for constantly slipping away from you. Whether strapped across the shoulder or on the knee, it'a constant battle to keep the thing in one place while playing.
Where Fender is the pedestrian and 'everyman' of the two, Ovation is more high-falutin' and hoity toity, from them I learned that neither is me by style. aesthetic or design.
I've been through so many basses and I liked most of them, they just moved out to try something new. A few come to mind that I didn't like
Lakland 55-94 fretless - as if fretless wasn't difficult enough, the 35" scale made it something I just couldn't deal with. I might love a fretted version though.
Lakland Decade - the inset bridge made the reach feel like it shifted an entire position away from me and the short upper horn made it dive badly. I liked the sound though.
Spector Euro 4 LX - same ergonomic issues as the Decade. I'll never buy another short horn or inset bridge design.
Musicman Caprice - I love EBMM stuff and PJs but I really didn't care for the sound of the pickups solo or blended.
Lakland 55-94 fretless - as if fretless wasn't difficult enough, the 35" scale made it something I just couldn't deal with. I might love a fretted version though.
Lakland Decade - the inset bridge made the reach feel like it shifted an entire position away from me and the short upper horn made it dive badly. I liked the sound though.
Spector Euro 4 LX - same ergonomic issues as the Decade. I'll never buy another short horn or inset bridge design.
Musicman Caprice - I love EBMM stuff and PJs but I really didn't care for the sound of the pickups solo or blended.
I had a Fender 60s Jazz reissue that I just couldn't get any good sound out of. Changing pots, pups, bridge… nothing. I'd sold a buddy of mine my 76 Precision, he couldn't bond with it, loved the Jazz so we traded and nothing but smiles and bonding on both parts!!
My 1982 Ric 4001 Maplego is sad that there's so much unlove for their kind. Personally, I love my Ric- it's an old, comfortable and lovable friend.
Two I thought I would love for different reasons but just weren't for me. Played a a jazz bass until I went after these thinking I needed to "upgrade".
Stingray 5 HH - thought i wanted a Swiss Army knife. Realized I mainly only play controls wide open and only one pickup position selected. Too heavy.
Peavey Cirrus 5- shooting for lightweight 5. Scale length was too long and never found "my tone" on it.
both incredibly well built high quality beautiful instruments. Just not for me
Stingray 5 HH - thought i wanted a Swiss Army knife. Realized I mainly only play controls wide open and only one pickup position selected. Too heavy.
Peavey Cirrus 5- shooting for lightweight 5. Scale length was too long and never found "my tone" on it.
both incredibly well built high quality beautiful instruments. Just not for me
I had the same bass, a different issue in that I could never "tame" the thing; it always sounded too bright.
A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a Ray34CA, and what a world of difference!
Gibsons...they could not invented neck dive, but perfected for sure.
Anything more than 4 strings.
Anything more than 4 strings.
I didn't bond with the three Rics I've owned. The most recent one was almost a keeper for me. I'll try again at some point. Maybe I need to try a 4004. I also didn't get on with a couple of Jazz basses I've owned.
A Wal in the early 90s, couldn't gel with the electronics. Musicman Stingray 5 string in mid 90s, a weak G string (I've heard that's a common complaint), Cirrus 5 a few years ago, couldn't get a nice traditional tone.
An emerald green guild starfire bass ii. There was nothing wrong with the bass, I just couldn't bond with the color. In my mind , a starfire bass MUST be red.
