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What Bass Made You Stop Looking for Others?

#101
Nicoo said:
Just curious, has anyone here found the bass that completely stopped the gear hunt for you?

Was it something boutique or surprisingly a production model? For me, certain basses just feel instantly "right" and make me play more instead of searching for upgrades.

What was your endgame bass and why?
:bassist:
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Well...
Decades ago, I made a list of all the basses I wanted, and set out to complete it. There were 24 basses on that list. Since I'm very left handed, it was not an easy list to complete; took me about 32 years, in fact. The '24 Birdsong Fusion Lined Fretless was the last bass on the list. Along the way, I had bought basses that got replaced on the list by a "better" bass, and a couple that... well. I just wanted. So, I wound up with 29 basses, with a '25 Birdsong Fusion II fretted bass being the last bass I bought. Yes, it was an "extra", but... my fretless one is so nice, I just couldn't resist... :whistle: However...
My "Medium Scale Fretless" spot filler is a '93 Canadian Fury Anthem lined fretless. Super nice bass, and a joy to play, but... it was built to wear tape wound strings only, and to emulate an upright bass as much as a solid body electric bass can. It does a scarily good job, but... it's pretty much a one-trick pony. There's a lot of music I like to play, that doesn't really benefit from an upright's tone. So, I'm in the process of ordering a 32" scale Serek Lincoln bass - which, if they will make a lined fretless, I will order. And, maybe - just maybe - that will be my "endgame" bass...:cool:
 
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#105
This.
bass.jpg
 
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#106
Not as a whole thing, but within specific niches then yes. I have owned five Stingrays, I still owned #2 and #4 when I got #5 in a trade deal. Once I got #5 I sold all the rest and I haven't looked a Stingray since. I have found my Stingray. But I still look at plenty of other basses! I sort of did the same thing with Spector, whenever I wanted to play a Spector I always reached for my Pulse II over my 2 euros, so I eventually sold the euros. But I haven't ruled out another one, particularly a proper NS2.

I wonder which Warwick will survive as my Warwick...
 
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#108
Jim C said:
Sandberg Superlight. I rarely visit this forum or the instrument classifieds these days.
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Similar here. My Sandberg TT-5 Superlight (J5) was intended to be my last bass, and it's almost ended the GAS. Unfortunately, it's been difficult to achieve satisfactory string-to-string balance with this bass, especially through the stage rig at my bands' rehearsal/performance space. (It's much better through my G-K rig for some reason, but still not ideal.)

But, just yesterday, some Nordstrand Big J Blades arrived in the mail, which should cure this issue for good. If they do, then I'll probably be done unless I find the need for a five-string P-bass.
 
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#109
J Wilson said:
View attachment 7442413

The Alembics. I bought the red one on consignment locally here in Nashville, the green one I worked with Alembic to spec and build just for me. By any measure, level of expertise in the woodworking, finish, electronics and playability simply were on a different planet than anything else I ever owned, and I owned several top shelf basses before these came into my life. The only basses I ever owned that absolutely required me to up my game to play them well.

When they were around, out of habit I'd go to guitar stores as I always have. I'd see this or that bass, and think, 'gee that's nice', which would inevitably be followed by 'but . . . . . '.

There is simply nothing else out there that's on the same planet as Alembic. And they are not for everyone.
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Wow! For me, Alembic represents the final frontier in Bass ownership. I'll probably never acquire one since I would need to test drive it first and they're about as rare as a Sasquatch sighting. Bass Central carries them but I haven't seen any in the store. I was told they're kept at the owner's house.

I do have an Alembic Superfilter, which gives me a taste of what an Alembic bass can do!
 
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#110
J Wilson said:
Alembics are brutally clean, which is why you often hear new Alembic owners talk about having to improve their technique as now you hear EVERY last foible and shortcoming in your technique, and why we often talk of them making us play better. The good part though is if you can play an Alembic cleanly, everything else is a laugh. Plus, both of these, I'd adjust the fingerboard to dead-straight, then let back in .010" relief, which is another reason I had to get clean.

And yes, big time tone.
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Can you adjust the filters to hide uneven technique? My Superfilter can be set to deep throbbing bass tones that obscure sloppiness.
 
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#111
Nedmundo said:
Similar here. My Sandberg TT-5 Superlight (J5) was intended to be my last bass, and it's almost ended the GAS. Unfortunately, it's been difficult to achieve satisfactory string-to-string balance with this bass, especially through the stage rig at my bands' rehearsal/performance space. (It's much better through my G-K rig for some reason, but still not ideal.)

But, just yesterday, some Nordstrand Big J Blades arrived in the mail, which should cure this issue for good. If they do, then I'll probably be done unless I find the need for a five-string P-bass.
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I am debating if I should go for a 130 mile drive just to look at one.
The only downside is it green.
 
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#112
Nedmundo said:
Similar here. My Sandberg TT-5 Superlight (J5) was intended to be my last bass, and it's almost ended the GAS. Unfortunately, it's been difficult to achieve satisfactory string-to-string balance with this bass, especially through the stage rig at my bands' rehearsal/performance space. (It's much better through my G-K rig for some reason, but still not ideal.)

But, just yesterday, some Nordstrand Big J Blades arrived in the mail, which should cure this issue for good. If they do, then I'll probably be done unless I find the need for a five-string P-bass.
Click to expand...
Mine came with Klopman pups (as well as the originals). I thought I would go back to active but love the Klopmans. Great string to string balance and growl when needed.
 
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#113
Bass Viking said:
Wow! For me, Alembic represents the final frontier in Bass ownership. I'll probably never acquire one since I would need to test drive it first and they're about as rare as a Sasquatch sighting. Bass Central carries them but I haven't seen any in the store. I was told they're kept at the owner's house.

I do have an Alembic Superfilter, which gives me a taste of what an Alembic bass can do!
Click to expand...
I bought both of mine on faith, if you will: I'm not real fussy as bout necks, string spacing, etc. And getting used to them at first was somewhat trying. And as far as your other question, the point is to not hide crappy technique, but to practice out of it.
 
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#117
Nicoo said:
Just curious, has anyone here found the bass that completely stopped the gear hunt for you?

Was it something boutique or surprisingly a production model? For me, certain basses just feel instantly "right" and make me play more instead of searching for upgrades.

What was your endgame bass and why?
:bassist:
Click to expand...
I've been happy with Fender Basses I have one PBj 4 string and one JB five string. Search over.

Over the years I've had two Gibson EB3, and Rick 4001 (unparalleled with a good ROS set up. Otherwise an acquired taste), a MIG Active Warwick Corvette) and and pair of Music Man Stingrays. Not an expansive list for sure, but enough to realize that I've never played a genre where the voice of a Fender bass sounded out of place.
 

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