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What Bass Was The Biggest DISAPPOINTMENT?

#583
G&L 5- tree trunk neck made it really uncomfortable to play.
MM Fender- the tone was actually terrible.
Carvin sb 4000- Terrible tone passive or active. Just felt cheap.
2 Carvin 5 string fretless basses that were made out of walnut- No mwah at all and really poor Jaco tone. (???) - I bought a ridiculously cheap Squier VM fretless a few months ago and it has turned out to be one of my favorite basses. Excellent mwah and great Jaco tone. Go figure?? (just sayin'.....)
 
#584
Fender Power Jazz Bass Special. I've owned several of the passive Jazz Bass Specials (which are awesome, BTW), but the active circuitry was just harsh, unbalanced, and really accentuated 60 hz hum.

Also had a Fender Jazz with the S-1 circuit once. Not impressed at all.
 
#587
I was very disspointed with the two Musicman Stingrays that I had. Both had dead spots between teh 7th and 9th frets.

More recently, I bought a Carvin LB75 that had a Jazz pickup, a humbucker and a piezo bridge. I played for a bout a week and could never get any clarity from it. The sound was either muddy or extremely bright, almost guitar like. The best thing was that I sold it for twice what I paid a week after I bought it.
 
#588
About 20 years ago, I custom ordered a Hand-Crafted B.C. Rich Bich Supreme Bass in Ferrari Red, with full-active electronics, a Kahler bass trem and a 34-in. scale length.

After a wait of a year & a half, my bass finally arrived - with the standard Bich 32-in. scale! I should have sent it back as soon as I opened the case, but I didn't want to wait another 18 months, and the bass did look fantastic. I played it for the next year, trying to convince myself that I'd get accustomed to the feel & sound of a medium scale - I never did, and I sold the bass for much less than I had paid for it.
 
#592
Evilpenguin556 said:
I had the opportunity to try out a Rickenbacker 4003 in a music store about a month back, and found myself sorely disappointed. It wasn't really particularly bad in any way, really, but everything single aspect of it could be described as "alright, I guess". I dunno. I guess I was just expecting it to feel and sound like hot chocolate and unicorns and summertime romances.
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You nailed it! If you're buying Willie Wonka's bass then you are going to expect at least a tour of the factory and meet some freaking oompaloompas! In this case you show up and the gates are locked so you look like a weirdo holding a tuxedo with strings.
 
#593
there have been a few. most notably, MM stingray old school 4 bolt, bullet truss rod, rw board. playability wise, maybe my expectations were a bit high. i was young and spoiled over my 76 jazzy. but like the few posts above, i couldn't deal with the harsh, clanky tone. i truly tried to love that bass because i was in my white boy funk phase. ( it was all about the chili peppers!). G&L 2000...too many tone switches. first gen. ibanez sdgr 800. don't know what i was thinkin...on the other hand, there have been a few that far exceeded my expectations. peavey foundation w/ super ferrite p/u and fat barrel bridge...wish i still had that one. and of course, squier classic vibe p-bass. best $180 i ever spent!
 
#594
lucas vigor said:
Musicman Sterling. I really wanted to love this bass, but it had a hollow and sharp sound that could never be tamed. The construction and build were top notch, of course...but that tone..to bright and trebly. Absolutely wrong choice for any roots style music (or blues).

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I have the same feeling with a Stingray. Top notch quality but did not sit in the mix very well.
 
#595
Roy Vogt said:
To add salt on the wounds, I sold a 1963 P-Bass to finance this folly!:bawl:
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:rollno::rollno::rollno:


Mine was a Maple neck/board 3 band Stingray. Neck felt clubby and the pre amp was very spiky, not as good as my SUB. Fortunately I didn't sell anything to get it and as I got it at a good price I didn't drop a ton of change when I sold it on. It was very pretty though.
greystingray.gif
 
#598
I have the same thing with my SR4...had to replace the electronics when it died 6 months after i bought it new. By far the most sensitive neck to humidity and temp I have ever had. And the tone doesn't work for me. I wanted one for so long and even now I can't part with it. Got a MM Jazz used this summer and it is the best sounding bass I've ever had. Oh, well.
 
#599
shadow_FIX said:
Fender Geddy Lee Signature Jazz. I don't even listen to Rush, but I got it because it wasn't MIM and it looked cool. It's Japanese made for those who don't know.

I never could get over how cheap it felt. The heavily laquered neck wasn't my speed either. Ended up selling it, now my MM SR5 is the only electric I play.
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Don't mind the gloss neck on these, as it's vintage correct, but they're just too skinny and unstable for my liking. I've had quite a few early 70's Jazz basses and every one of them had a beefier neck than the Geddy.
 
#600
mine too would be my stingray plays great sounds good when i practice it and all. very comfortable neck killer low action plays like butter. But in a band situation it is too overpowering, i play rock country blues and alternative music and it just stands out too much i guess. I think active electronics don't work well in my band situation or for me in general. i'd love to keep the bass but because it doesn't work well with my band i am forced to get rid of it for the time being.
 

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