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What bass did you not bond with

#441
I've owned 3 basses that I just couldn't bond with at all:

Lakland Skyline Duck Dunn. Maybe I just got a lemon, but the tone was nonexistent no matter what I did.

Fender Precision Lyte Another one with a dull, lackluster tone. I even replaced the stock pickups and it didn't help at all!

Yamaha (I can't recall the model) The neck was not comfortable at all to me.

All basses were professionally set up and had new strings.
 
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#442
FENDER ULTRA METEORA ..... I was speechless from the moment it arrived until the moment I sold it. The looks were great. Surprisingly the ergonomics were fantastic. It looks like it would neck dive, but it sat real well. Then when you plugged it in, it was like "what the ..... I've got something wrong here". Whats that sound like? I'm not too sure, but it aint good. Sounds like the pups are installed backwards and upside down. Can all 4 strings be twisted? Different amps, pedals. In the two weeks I played it, not once did I think it sounded ok. Not even a little bit. I'd wait a week and take it back out hoping that "it was me" and it would sound better ... Nope, that thing was hideous. But it sure did bring joy when I sold it. Why Fender???? WHY would you even produce such a thing?
 
#444
DrBnz said:
FENDER ULTRA METEORA ..... I was speechless from the moment it arrived until the moment I sold it. The looks were great. Surprisingly the ergonomics were fantastic. It looks like it would neck dive, but it sat real well. Then when you plugged it in, it was like "what the ..... I've got something wrong here". Whats that sound like? I'm not too sure, but it aint good. Sounds like the pups are installed backwards and upside down. Can all 4 strings be twisted? Different amps, pedals. In the two weeks I played it, not once did I think it sounded ok. Not even a little bit. I'd wait a week and take it back out hoping that "it was me" and it would sound better ... Nope, that thing was hideous. But it sure did bring joy when I sold it. Why Fender???? WHY would you even produce such a thing?
Click to expand...


This video makes me want one everytime
 
#446
I found a good deal on a nice used Ernie Ball MusicMan SUB Stingray Bass. That version has the two-band preamp which I think sounds great.
The build quality and fit/finish was very good but the neck never really felt right.
After a bit I realized the fretboard edges were too squared off.
I had the same feeling when I tried the Fender Player Series Precision and Jazz basses.
I think rolled fretboard edges is what makes me like a neck regardless of size.
I had a Squire Classic Vibe 50s Precision that had a meaty (54P) neck but it felt great because the folks at Samick Indonesia rolled those fretboard edges properly.
Peavey necks always feel good for the same reason.
Sire advertises that they roll their fretboard edges and I would guess that helps them sell a lot of basses.
For me it's all about the neck. Lots of basses can be made to sound good with a bit of tweaking.
 
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#449
Takes me about 6 months to groove one in... and the best keep on giving.

If I sell within 2 years..it hasn't made the cut.
But I am pretty good working them up so I know within that time scale.

I am selling 3...and I've probably had them all at least 4 yrs.
 
#450
ThaCoast said:
Jazz basses are the first that come to mind i've never bonded with. Until I played an Ibanez black eagle (the RI, not a vintage one). It felt massive, both visually & in sound. Should've bought the one they were blowing out at my local music store...maybe i'll build one inspired by.
Click to expand...
Quoting myself, I did end up building a Jazz bass, but not anywhere near an Ibanez Eagle inspired one. & TBH, this Jazz of mine is miles better than most i've ever had the chance to play (fender & derivatives).

Few other basses have been mentioned by others above, & Rickenbacker & stingray are in my list too.

Rickenbacker sounds good, feels alright. But i also kinda dislike how thin it was. Felt like it had no weight to it. I've had a "copy" for the last 13 years, & aside from potentiometer/switch/output jack upgrade, & new guard/TRC material, it's completely stock & sounds sweet. Enough bite & oumph behind it.

Stingray, i don't like either the 2 band or 3 band electronics. The basses themselves are comfortable, love their necks, & feel. & it's the iconic Stingray tone, but their preamps i can't gel with. 2 band feels easier to dial in than the 3, but it still feels like it's missing proper mids. Three band's mids are not what i'd call the best frequency focus to boost/cut. Boosting just feels honky to me, & cutting removes any sweet pick attack/grind i'd want. Currently in the works of building my own Stingray bass, using a Noll 4 band preamp (separate Lo & Hi mids), will probably yield a better balance to what i'd want overall.
 
#451
I've had a couple of Stingrays which felt good but I could never get the sound I wanted. I also am about thinking about selling my Tony Franklin fretless. It sounds good but it's tough to see on a gig with no markers on the ebony board. I have a Jaco fretless that is much easier to play for the obvious reason.
 
#458
´96 MIJ Ibanez ATK 600. Neck was too wide and flat for my preferences then, it was also pretty heavy, and after the honeymoon phase I didn't really bond with the active electronics (same thing with the US Peavey Millennium I had, though I liked pretty much everything else about that one). I still miss the ATK sometimes, thinking I might have liked it better now, pondering options for swapping the electronics, etc. It seems to be a rare bass, so I'll probably never see one again (there was practically nothing about it on the internet when I got it, in 2006). A newer/cheaper ATK might be an option if I really get the itch to try one again.
 

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