this. I bought one before I was playing a lot. I still have and am still trying to get a nice setup on it.
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What Bass Was The Biggest DISAPPOINTMENT?
- Thread starter plangentmusic
- Start date
this. I bought one before I was playing a lot. I still have and am still trying to get a nice setup on it.
I have to vote for the Fender MIA P5
I tried and tried to love it. I do love P bass tones and I dont hang out all day on the low B
but it just wasnt happening for me.
It stayed at my house for a week.
I tried and tried to love it. I do love P bass tones and I dont hang out all day on the low B
but it just wasnt happening for me.
It stayed at my house for a week.
(This is a repost of a portion of a post that I wrote in 2007 regarding different-era Tobias' vs MTDs, specifically about the post-2000 "reboot" Gibson Tobias Basses)
They restarted production of "true" high-end Tobias Basses in the early 2000's and the time away showed - many of us played Tobias' tagged at over $3,000 that has misplaced frets, badly-made finishes and stains, misplaced hardware such as bridges that were hanging off the end of the body (this particular bass was at a NAMM show, where companies show off their best and brightest
) and in the most stupefying bass I personally played, a neck-through that had the body "wings" on a lower plane than the neck section - i.e. the "body" of the bass was a good 1/4th" lower than the neck when it certainly wasn't meant to be, as well as frets so sharp they cut the tips of my fingers. 
They restarted production of "true" high-end Tobias Basses in the early 2000's and the time away showed - many of us played Tobias' tagged at over $3,000 that has misplaced frets, badly-made finishes and stains, misplaced hardware such as bridges that were hanging off the end of the body (this particular bass was at a NAMM show, where companies show off their best and brightest
) and in the most stupefying bass I personally played, a neck-through that had the body "wings" on a lower plane than the neck section - i.e. the "body" of the bass was a good 1/4th" lower than the neck when it certainly wasn't meant to be, as well as frets so sharp they cut the tips of my fingers. 
So, any 34" scale bass with single-coil or hum-bucking pickups? At least give credit where due.
God knows I've played plenty of basses I've hated intensely, but I've only had one purchased bass that REALLY disappointed.
Black 1979 Peavey T-40 - Actually my second T-40 purchase, so it wasn't like the weight or ergonomics caught me off guard. My first was the more common natural finished ash bodied version... and it played and sounded fantastic, despite being beat to hell and back. I'll never sell that bass. So, after getting some birthday cash, I stumbled across a GORGEOUS black on maple specimen on ebay and snagged it for $270. I was stoked. This was to be the go-to, the killer main player of my dreams. Got it, and it looked just as great in person. Not a single dent or scratch, the maple neck was so shiny and brilliant, and this is, without a doubt my favorite looking bass I've ever owned. Then I plugged it in. Thin, bright, wimpy little turds of tone come wafting through my speakers. The tone was literally night and day compared to my other T-40. It also didn't play as well at the neck for some reason. I tried so hard to love it and make it work, but that black beauty broke my heart, and I eventually sold her. Luckily the guy that bought it loved it straight up, and i was able to get a few bucks more than i paid, so we all walked away happy.
Other slight disappointments: 1973 Guild JS-II. Very cool bass, and I actually miss it in a way. Unfortunately I could never make the tone work for me and my somewhat 'untamed' pickstyle playing. Also neckdived like a mother. But it was gorgeous, and played fingerstyle it had a pretty cool tone. And then a 2000 EBMM Stingray 4 in Transparent Teal. Honest truth, I loved that bass. Best neck on anything I've ever owned. Sonically it was great too, much better than some other stingrays I've tried. But that transparent teal never sat right with me. When i ordered it, i was maybe 19 and I specifically asked for Transparent Green with Rosewood. When the jerks at the music store finally got it in 3 months later, it had magically morphed into a Transparent Teal with Maple. The maple was actually pretty cool, but teal was not, and never will be, my jam. I had already given a deposit, and I was young and not all that assertive at the time, so I just bought it and dealt with that color for years. But still, i was disappointed, and eventually sold it. I want another stingray someday though...
For the Ric-haters... yeah, they're not for everybody. I love mine, and that's another bass I'll never sell.
Black 1979 Peavey T-40 - Actually my second T-40 purchase, so it wasn't like the weight or ergonomics caught me off guard. My first was the more common natural finished ash bodied version... and it played and sounded fantastic, despite being beat to hell and back. I'll never sell that bass. So, after getting some birthday cash, I stumbled across a GORGEOUS black on maple specimen on ebay and snagged it for $270. I was stoked. This was to be the go-to, the killer main player of my dreams. Got it, and it looked just as great in person. Not a single dent or scratch, the maple neck was so shiny and brilliant, and this is, without a doubt my favorite looking bass I've ever owned. Then I plugged it in. Thin, bright, wimpy little turds of tone come wafting through my speakers. The tone was literally night and day compared to my other T-40. It also didn't play as well at the neck for some reason. I tried so hard to love it and make it work, but that black beauty broke my heart, and I eventually sold her. Luckily the guy that bought it loved it straight up, and i was able to get a few bucks more than i paid, so we all walked away happy.
Other slight disappointments: 1973 Guild JS-II. Very cool bass, and I actually miss it in a way. Unfortunately I could never make the tone work for me and my somewhat 'untamed' pickstyle playing. Also neckdived like a mother. But it was gorgeous, and played fingerstyle it had a pretty cool tone. And then a 2000 EBMM Stingray 4 in Transparent Teal. Honest truth, I loved that bass. Best neck on anything I've ever owned. Sonically it was great too, much better than some other stingrays I've tried. But that transparent teal never sat right with me. When i ordered it, i was maybe 19 and I specifically asked for Transparent Green with Rosewood. When the jerks at the music store finally got it in 3 months later, it had magically morphed into a Transparent Teal with Maple. The maple was actually pretty cool, but teal was not, and never will be, my jam. I had already given a deposit, and I was young and not all that assertive at the time, so I just bought it and dealt with that color for years. But still, i was disappointed, and eventually sold it. I want another stingray someday though...
For the Ric-haters... yeah, they're not for everybody. I love mine, and that's another bass I'll never sell.
Roscoe Beck IV. The 5 rocks: my favorite bass of ALL TIME.
The 4 doesnt. The pickups are not Bill Lawrence and the mojo is not there. I bought both a maple IV and a rosewood IV. Didnt cut it. Luckily unloaded both for minor losses.
The 4 doesnt. The pickups are not Bill Lawrence and the mojo is not there. I bought both a maple IV and a rosewood IV. Didnt cut it. Luckily unloaded both for minor losses.
YES! I played a few sterlings on different occasions. They sounded hollow, but the neck felt great.
My DP Custom singlecut (the one pictured by my name). I decided to pull the trigger on a custom bass, and DP Custom seemed to offer the best value for the price. I got the bass and the neck was WAY thicker than I wanted (I specificly told him I wanted a thin neck profile similar to a Peavey Cirrus or an Ibanez). The bass weighed in at about 14lbs (my bad for choosing red oak for a body wood), and the hand-rubbed polly finish came off the bass after one gig. Needless to say after forking out $2000, and waiting 9 months. I ended up selling the bass. It completly turned me off from the whole "custom built" thing.
I've owned 2 Thunderbirds and got rid ofthem both. I hate the way they play. I think they look awesome , sound pretty good, and play like crap. I'm sure I will get another one and Im sure I will feel the same way.
Alembic Series I 
. Not my kind of bass at all, though I had such high hopes for it. Worst of all was its lack of tuning stability, which along with the neck dive gave me a bear of a time on stage. I'd be struggling to get back on pitch on the fly, catching stern glances from the other players. That alone is enough to make any bass unfit for gigging. Also, I found the eq too complex and finicky to deal with in the heat of the moment, and the general character of the sound never sat right with our rock'n'roll format anyway. A costly mistake.
. Not my kind of bass at all, though I had such high hopes for it. Worst of all was its lack of tuning stability, which along with the neck dive gave me a bear of a time on stage. I'd be struggling to get back on pitch on the fly, catching stern glances from the other players. That alone is enough to make any bass unfit for gigging. Also, I found the eq too complex and finicky to deal with in the heat of the moment, and the general character of the sound never sat right with our rock'n'roll format anyway. A costly mistake.
I like this thread!
if I had any GAS left, now it's all gone!!!
My friends once talked me into getting a Ibanez hollow body, that actually felt real good and had a pretty sweet neck and all. But I hated the sound. Thought about changing pick ups, or moving the pick up closer to the neck, but well... I already have a P bass, so I just sold it.
if I had any GAS left, now it's all gone!!!
My friends once talked me into getting a Ibanez hollow body, that actually felt real good and had a pretty sweet neck and all. But I hated the sound. Thought about changing pick ups, or moving the pick up closer to the neck, but well... I already have a P bass, so I just sold it.
Too me... Basses are like women. I end up finding something about them that I like. But to answer your question, I would say that it would have to be either a Modulus or a Turner Renaissance. The Modulus for the sound and the Renaissance for the action or how it played. The Modulus has great attack and it just feels great playing it, but the note kind of just thuds at the release. Nothing a little chorus can't help though. The Renaissance was just set up for way too low tension a string. Kept the Modulus because I'm working out how to get a better release from strings but obviously the neck is the culprit. Also, the bartolini's may just be too transparent for this bass... May go with Aguilar's. I sold the Renaissance after about a month of trying to like it. However, nothing plays like my Alembic Mark King Deluxe balanced 5 string... worth every penny! Just goes to show how subjective all of this can be.
Alembic Epic. Dead tone, heavy, fat neck. I do NOT know what I was thinking buying it. I didn't keep it more than 6 months before I sold it on the bay... And I bought it new at GC in 1996...
It was pretty, however.
It was pretty, however.
This is probably the worst website in the world to post this but I was really disappointed with my custom Alleva Coppolo KPB4. The bass arrived needing a fret level and comprehensive and expensive setup - and I paid a fortune in shipping via UPS to get it to Australia safely. It had beautiful components but shockingly little low end. I tried swapping out the bridge and dropped a fortune trying to make the bass what I expected but in the end it turned out to be an really expensive mistake. For those of you claiming Sadowsky are expensive Fenders, I think I spent more
To balance out my comments a little, I owned an AC jazz before this build that was phenomenal. I knew I was spending alot of money but if my Pbass had been the equal of the jazz I owned at the time I would have been happy. I know Jimmy Coppolo builds some incredible instruments and about 70% of the hype on this website is justified. I'm afraid I got a dud.
To balance out my comments a little, I owned an AC jazz before this build that was phenomenal. I knew I was spending alot of money but if my Pbass had been the equal of the jazz I owned at the time I would have been happy. I know Jimmy Coppolo builds some incredible instruments and about 70% of the hype on this website is justified. I'm afraid I got a dud.
For me it's my MIM Fender 5 string Jazz Deluxe. When I got it last December all 5 string basses felt awkward to me, but I got the Fender because I've always liked the sound and I have a '73 J at home. Yeah, it felt a bit bulky but 5 strings were new to me and I thought in time I would get use to it.
It's a great sounding, well put together instrument and while I love having a low B string at my finger tips I have never been able to feel fully at home on that bass. I just find it to be too big and to bulky for me. The body is too big, the neck is too wide, the radius is too small and just lately the weight of it (10.5 pounds) is too much.
Never fully realized how much I'd been struggling with that bass until fairly recentley when I started trying out some differant basses. There's some out there that are much better players and that feel more like home. Just a matter of finding the right one.
It's a great sounding, well put together instrument and while I love having a low B string at my finger tips I have never been able to feel fully at home on that bass. I just find it to be too big and to bulky for me. The body is too big, the neck is too wide, the radius is too small and just lately the weight of it (10.5 pounds) is too much.
Never fully realized how much I'd been struggling with that bass until fairly recentley when I started trying out some differant basses. There's some out there that are much better players and that feel more like home. Just a matter of finding the right one.
I had a Godin SD5 passive 5 string. The low B was mud below the D and the tone was meh. It wasn't a bad sounding bass but it wasn't very good either. I sold it. It was my first 5 string. I really should have taken my time and looked around more.
