What Features Do You Tend To Avoid When Choosing A Bass?

[unclejane]

You're mistaken. The wood has almost as much of an audible affect on the instrument's tone as the pickups and electronics. The right wood choices can, and often do, make or break the tone of the bass.

Never noticed it ever - I think it's a placebo effect myself. In fact, I've had basses made out of the exact same woods but sounded completely different because of their design. I.e. my G&L 4 string vs a 5 string version I had (stolen). The 5 string had a much clearer, smoother sound than the 4.

OTOH, basses of the same design all sound pretty much the same to me regardless of wood type (unless it's an acoustic or sem-acoustic)...

LS

 

[unclejane]

I have a fairly specific set of preferences myself, but if there is one thing that I don't see the point in, for myself ...

Push/Pull --> Active/Passive. It's lost on me. I buy a bass b/c I like the sound I get out of it, not to disengage the electronics installed on it.

But that's just me!

Ah, my Carvin has exactly this on the volume knob. But I did find a use for it - take the batteries out and it instantly becomes a poor-man's mute switch. That's incredibly useful, just push the vol knob in and the bass is competely shut off

LS

 

[mas502arc]

For me, it'd be:
-Tight string spacing (anything less that 18mm is a no no)
- narrow neck (I like spacious necks!)
- high gloss necks
- pointy bass/guitars
- active EQ in a 4 knob configuration, like a Spector. It reminds me of Les Pauls. This is just a weird aesthetic thing for me
- excessive body size and weight

 

[s_mcsleazy]

nowadays this is mine

active pre-amps
really glossy necks
top heavy necks
bad tuners are a turn off
if it comes badly set up and there charging alot for it then no
price (theres only 2 expencive basses i want atm)
5+ strings
if it comes with fat stings its a bit of a turn off

 

[Shaky]

I dislike warped unplayable necks

 

[Rodent]

Push/Pull --> Active/Passive. It's lost on me. I buy a bass b/c I like the sound I get out of it, not to disengage the electronics installed on it.

interesting how we're all different ... I like the ability to run either a/p because I can play the same bass live in active mode (to make the most of the tone shaping controls) and in the studio in passive mode (when I can make the most of how the pickups load up with certain signal chains)

what's great is that, even though we like something opposite, in the end we're both holding down the bottom and keeping the band glued together ... and nobody in the audience (with the exception of a rare bassist) even has a clue that there's a difference

all the best,

R

 

[peledog]

When choosing a bass....hmmm....I avoid:

1. Fugly basses - vanilla yellow 'aged' white - yuk. Carl Thompson on steroids type of basses are fugly. Upper horn actually connecting with the neck is fugly. Tortoise PGs with dark colored basses. Yuk.
2. Basses with more than 6 strings. I mean...why? You're playing BASS.
3. Basses over 10 lbs.
4. High action, thick strings - and for the most part, flat wound strings.
5. Single pickup basses. Been there, done that. Tone isn't for me. MM Stingrays on the other hand are AWESOME.
6. Basses that look like they were made for Winger or Trixter or Warrant. You know...Jackson, Charvel, BC Rich, ESP etc etc.
7. More than 4 in line tuners
8. Names I've never heard of - usually on cheaper basses - Arbor? Stagg?
9. Individual volume tones - not a huge pet peeve, but it's hard to get a good blend when one PUP sounds so damn noisy.
10. Low mid to mid tone with bad strings on a passive bass with high action - yeah. That's just torture to me.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

1) I only buy US or western made instruments. My money, my choice.
2) Gold hardware. I think it looks tacky, and it tends to age poorly.
3) Silly inlay on the fretboard. Again, tacky.
4) Neck-through construction. I have owned neck through basses, and I've found that I just like the sound of bolt-on or set-neck basses much more.
7) Painted necks (By paint, I mean a solid color). Actually, same for the body. I like to see wood.
6) Weight. If the bass is a boat-anchor, It will make me miserable on a four set night.

 

[GrapeApe]

I won't even consider a bass with (in no particular order):

Paint - if the wood is good enough to be made into a fine instrument, it should be good enough to see.

Stringtrees - a cluttered, drag-inducing design shortcut. A well-designed headstock is compact, tilted-back to provide a good string breaking-angle over the nut, and reinforced with a volute.

A cheap plastic facade (so-called pickguard) - another unsightly design shortcut.

A bulky slab body - Yet another unsightly design shortcut. Decent ergos and aesthetics matter, and that means deep flowing contours and deeply rounded edges.

Less than five strings or twenty-four frets/fretless stops.

A bulky heel and/or shallow cutaways - what good is a two-octave (minimum) board if you can't reach the highest notes in good position?

A short upper horn/poor balance - a bass with neck-dive is broken.

Four or more tuners in-line (and cartoonish elephant-ear tuners in general) - awkward and looks awful.

Weighs over nine pounds.

Poor truss rod access.

I dislike wide string spacing, too, but I can live with it if the rest of the instrument is up to snuff.

Well, I guess it's true what they say about one man's trash, bc you described my dream bass!

 

[behndy]

2. Basses with more than 6 strings. I mean...why? You're playing BASS.

even tho this is an opinion based thread, still believe you're s'posed to refrain from comments like "6+ string basses are no longer basses". lol, since practically all the mods use 6+ it's prooooooobably not a good idea to trash them.

just saying.

 

[Mikio]

Headless. Singlecut. Natural finish (there might be exceptions, like the '10 American Deluxe Fenders).

And there are some "unfeatures" I dislike, like those basses that don't have an ergonomic enough shape (specially for the right hand/arm), and I don't like them heavy either.


AND DAMN I HATE DAMAGED (relic'ed, roadworned) BASSES!!!!


EDIT: I saw some real pics of the Deluxe Fenders.... and I hated the natural finish there too!!

 

[geddyfan]

Right Handed !

 

[pringlw]

The string gauge used has nothing to do with the range of the instrument. A 4-string with 36 frets goes higher than the high F string on many 7-string basses.

And staying in the lowest part of the given range of an instrument simply for the sake of doing is silly. If John Coltrane stayed in the "tenor" when he was using a tenor saxophone, we wouldn't have some of the greatest solos in jazz or music in general.

+1 on that. I say to heck with orthodoxy when it comes to playing an instrument. If someone can make worthwhile music by tapping on the headstock with a beer bottle then power to them. Someone more talented than me once said; "When exploring an instrument, you should seek to discover every conceivable sound it is capable of producing, and then decide which ones you will make your own".

So is it more valid to play on the bottom strings and frets? No it is not. Personally I play more often in the lower register but that's my style. Everyone has to find theirs.

But..... 36 frets? Where the heck does the pickup go?

 

[pringlw]

Never noticed it ever - I think it's a placebo effect myself. In fact, I've had basses made out of the exact same woods but sounded completely different because of their design. I.e. my G&L 4 string vs a 5 string version I had (stolen). The 5 string had a much clearer, smoother sound than the 4.

OTOH, basses of the same design all sound pretty much the same to me regardless of wood type (unless it's an acoustic or sem-acoustic)...

LS

Great luthiers know better.

The electronics clearly matter, but so does the wood.

I understand your point, I used to think this as well. Until a great local luthier demonstrated to me what tone wood really means to an instrument. The sad truth is that most people don't believe it because most production basses are not using great tone wood.

The myth of the "magical, one in a 1000 Fender" is usually a bass that lucked upon a great piece of wood.

 

[Gus Borden]

Ah, my Carvin has exactly this on the volume knob. But I did find a use for it - take the batteries out and it instantly becomes a poor-man's mute switch. That's incredibly useful, just push the vol knob in and the bass is competely shut off

LS

Interesting! The cable on my wireless mutes when I pull it out of the jack - not like I prefer to temp fate live ever - but it's there.

 

[Debased]

Never noticed it ever - I think it's a placebo effect myself. In fact, I've had basses made out of the exact same woods but sounded completely different because of their design. I.e. my G&L 4 string vs a 5 string version I had (stolen). The 5 string had a much clearer, smoother sound than the 4.

OTOH, basses of the same design all sound pretty much the same to me regardless of wood type (unless it's an acoustic or sem-acoustic)...LS

I was on the fence about the audible affects of so-called tonewood, too. Then I had a chance to play three MTD 535-24s in different wood combinations that were otherwise identical--same MTD strings; same preamps and pickups; same build quality/construction techniques/dimensions, etc.--through the same amp, and they all sounded different enough that I actually disliked one, appreciated one for its slap tone but not its finger tone, and was absolutely floored by another one in every way save looks (I don't like the look of a flat-sawn ash neck - reminds me of a baseball bat ). The tonal differences were clearly obvious unsighted, as well. If you find that difficult to believe, try a couple different MTD basse through a decent amp next time you visit a good "high end" music store.

Well, I guess it's true what they say about one man's trash, bc you described my dream bass!

Sooo, your dream bass is an overweight neck-diver that's ergonomically compromised to the point of discomfort and limited playability, and chock full of serious design shortcuts that were intended to maximize the ease of assembly-line fabrication and the manufacturer's profits at the buyer's expense?

 

[Chrisk-K]

Aesthetically unpleasing headstocks.

 

[Debased]

But..... 36 frets? Where the heck does the pickup go?

 

[Psycho]

Here's my ticket to bassist Hell.

Natural finish: Extremely few woods look good natural to me, so why not give it some paint? Even a burst or transparent pattern would be good, if you want to show off the wood grain.

Too many knobs: I want volume, tone, and i'm set. My Warlock fits all my other needs, so i'll forgive the treble, bass and blend knobs. Individual pick up volume and such is a mental overload on my behalf. Keep It Simple Stupid!

Small frets: My hands are used to big necks and wide frets, so anything less makes me feel cramped.

Headless: To me, the headstock can be a big part of the look and attitude.

Upper horn connected to neck: Unsightly, in my opinion.

Too wide of a neck, and too thin of a neck: I very much dislike 6 string basses, simply due to the neck being so wide. It feels like i'm trying to play a plank, not a bass neck. Too thin, and that results in tighter string spacing and that's not good for me either.

Unnecessary wood: I mean things like the layered necks of various woods, and the super big horns.

Blob basses: I mean basses that are just smooth blobs of instrument. There's a point where smoothness and a softer look is good, but one like most Ibanez models just don't look appealing, or the BC Rich Stealth.

No thumb space: I usually rest my thumb on a pick up, or other small ledge to play on.

Passive: This is an iffy one. It all depends on the tone, if the tone is worth it and the passiveness works with it, i'll dig it.

"Sticky" necks: Some necks to me feel very tacky and sticky, like my fingers have issues moving across them. Most cheaper basses do this to me.

Short scale: I wear my bass rather low, for comfort and have my arms relaxed and extended. I moreso let the bass rest in my hands and on my body than hold it per say. Short scale makes me use effort!

Two and two tuner set ups: Don't look super good to me.

Jagged and blocky bodies: I know, a Warlock is big and pointy but has some flow to it. Other designs like the B.C. Rich Widow and ESP Ax look dorky to me.

Ridiculous body styles: A picture is worth a thousand words. Invalid Link Removed

Ugly colors: Pretty self explanatory, but yellow, orange, brighter purples, browns, and pink are the worst.

Heavy basses: There's a difference between a nice weight, and a back breaker.

I think that's it.

 

[WoodyG3]

Boy, are you guys picky!

Pickup and bridge covers bug me, but I can take them off.