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What Bass Was The Biggest DISAPPOINTMENT?

#61
The three Sadowsky Metros I tested....great build quality, but flat and dull tone. Just didnt 'wow' me one bit. No bite and grind like a Fender.

Fender Precision Deluxe (USA) - Dont change a Precision....ever. Heavy and just didnt sound Precision enough for me.

Warwick Streamer 5 $$ - Couldnt get comfortable. Great build, not very exciting tone.
 
#62
Oddly enough, a 1969 Fender Jazz.

A friend owned one, and let me try it for a few days and play it on a few gigs. I had the green light from my wife and it was in my favorite color scheme (burst w/blocks) and being sold by a guy I trust completely. I'd never have a better chance to get a vintage Fender. I desperately wanted to fall in love with it.

But I liked my Sadowsky a lot more, both in feel and tone. I've still yet to play ANY Fender that could hold a candle to either of my Sadowskys either in build quality or tone. The band preferred the tone of the Sadowsky as well.

On the upside, I'm basically cured of vintage Fender GAS.
 
#63
Traben Chaos Obsession 5-string. Looked nice, but had stiff-as-hell tuners, a warped fretboard, shoddy craftsmanship, weak/bland pickups and electronics, and just such a dull tonality, even with new strings, and regardless of how tweaked the 3-band EQ was.
 
#64
Warwick Thumb BO6 Broadneck - Made me understand why it costs less than the 4s and 5s on the used market.

Carvin LB76P-W - would had a better tone with 6 rubber bands on a plank of wood.

Both brands have since redeemed themselves though; Warwick with a Streamer Jazzman 5 which I've sold but not nearly because I didn't like it and Carvin with it's new bolt-ons the SB and B basses.
 
#65
The biggest disappointment for me was an Alembic Series II 5 string that I bought used. The balance was poor, the extension to 1st position was uncomfortable and the set up required constant fiddling to keep it in check. It did sound good and I so wanted to love it but it never worked. I ended up selling it to help fund my current Alembic which works for me in spades.

Funny thing about this bass, I've seen it bought and sold by many different people over the years since I sold it. Maybe this one was just a lemon.

Bones
 
#67
I got P-Lyte on a trade:
FenderP-bass_body4.jpg


Absolutely hated it.
 
#69
Marcus Miller Sig - Hated the tone. Very "rubbery". The thing was also a boat anchor in a previous life. Really sharp looking bass, though.

Rickenbacker 4003 - Tried two of them. All I can say is that any gas I had for them evaporated in about about 5 minutes.
 
#71
Kind of surprised that there are not more votes for Fender Precisions, given that this thread is practically begging for all of the Fender MIA P and J haters to come vent their respective spleens.

As a Fender fan, I am smugly pleased that P-basses are not mentioned here as much as I predicted they would be when I opened the thread.

That is all.
 
#72
Two come immediately to mind:

G&L L-2500 - GORGEOUS instrument, mine had a trans blue bound quilt top. Top-notch workmanship, well balanced, neck played great. But the electronics had that nasal upper-mid (1khz?) bump that I've heard people refer to as "gank," and I could not dial it out no matter what I tried. Two pickups, three knobs and three toggle switches, and I could not get a usable tone out of that thing. Bought it online, sold it online.

Warwick Infinity - Man, I loooooove the looks of this bass! It's so pretty with the fancy woods and the f-holes and the cool body shape. I was sure that if I ever found one I'd buy it on the spot. When I did find one, it did not disappoint in the appearance and craftsmanship department. But it had the most lackluster tone of any active bass I've ever played.
 
#73
FromTheBassMent said:
G&L L-2500 - GORGEOUS instrument, mine had a trans blue bound quilt top. Top-notch workmanship, well balanced, neck played great. But the electronics had that nasal upper-mid (1khz?) bump that I've heard people refer to as "gank," and I could not dial it out no matter what I tried. Two pickups, three knobs and three toggle switches, and I could not get a usable tone out of that thing. Bought it online, sold it online.
Click to expand...

+1

hated the gank
 
#76
These come to mind:

Ric 4003---I couldn't play it fingerstyle at all. For it to feel comfortable I had to hike the strap up high and play with a pick. Just wasn't for me.

Gibson Thunderbird---just felt absolutely awkward, altho had excellent tone IMO

MM Sterling---my first expensive bass. I thought the tone was very thin and there just appeared to be way too much clear coat on it.
 
#77
Kwesi said:
Warwick Thumb BO6 Broadneck - Made me understand why it costs less than the 4s and 5s on the used market.

Carvin LB76P-W - would had a better tone with 6 rubber bands on a plank of wood.

Both brands have since redeemed themselves though; Warwick with a Streamer Jazzman 5 which I've sold but not nearly because I didn't like it and Carvin with it's new bolt-ons the SB and B basses.
Click to expand...

I am so glad you did sell it. I am loving that bass. It really over shadowed the Thumb big time.


I also had an Ibanez SR755 that i was so stoked to buy. It was my first "nice" bass. I played it for about 2 months before I just gave up on getting an interesting tones out of it. It just sounded to sparkly, clean and thin. The action and feel of it was great like on most Ibanez's. Super thin neck for a string. A touch too thin for me. If I was a fusion jazz guy it would have worked but for crunchy prog rock and funk it was failing short.
 
#78
Schecter stiletto studio 5. The sound just isn't there. Also, the bridge (on mine at leat) is the worst bridge I ever tried to deal with. And it eats batteries like crazy. I understand active basses need battery power, but when I'm pumping 9Volts into a bass on a weekly basis, there is a problem. I just can't get into it. I get more play out of my 84sq precision than my schecter. I just can't get it to feel right.
 

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