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

[Gus Borden]

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

Right on - I mean - I am not particularly clumsy, but I don't want to injure myself!!

 

[Gus Borden]

I think some things are obvious though.

Such as:

Neck Dive - who wants neck dive? I love me some bass where the headstock smacks the ground w/o provocation!

Then again, my Warwick's headstock tends to have suicidal issues, but I still own the Warwick ...

 

[malthumb]

Ugly headstocks
Pointy basses (single exception: I'd rock Bootsy's Space Bass)
Basses with f holes (single exception: Warwick Infinity)
Single cuts
6 or more strings (I've already proven that I suck at 6 string)
Metal pickups
Scroll headstocks or horns
Decals if they appear to be a pain to remove
Bad paint jobs
Headless
Grotesquely long upper horn

Th-th-th-that's all folks!

 

[IronLung1986]

High C strings on 5 strings. It's a BASS, not a treble. Go lower, not higher.

hm. a high C string actually seems like an awesome idea hahaha. i might look into that...

 

[NecroticImbecil]

I'm not dead set against anything, as long as the bass works, and sounds/plays good.

I wouldn't pass on a bass that sounded great because it had too many knobs. Nothing's forcing me to mess with them. Uncomfortable neck, neckdive, busted electronics, these things matter.

 

[plangentmusic]

I don't think I could own a yellow bass.

 

[gitlvr]

There are a lot of different preferences here in this thread. All of them are valid for those expressing them.
Me, I'm simple and easy to please. Just give me a Precision and call it done. One pickup, 4 strings, 1 volume and 1 tone. Nothing to confuse me. Nothing to slow me down. I can't imagine needing anything else.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

What are some options that may be popular but you tend to avoid?

I'll look a wide range of instruments with a wide range of options. I figure a lot of things can be modded and altered to be better, mitigated, or to be "right" even though I always keep whatever the bass is as stock and un-modded.

 

[peledog]

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.

I didn't say that. Neither did I trash anyone.

 

[behndy]

I didn't say that. Neither did I trash anyone.

i must have misunderstood what you meant by -

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

i think John Turner considers his 7 strings basses. and all the other ERB users.

personally, i could care less if somebody thinks a bass has to fit into a certain mold or be played a certain way or it's not a REAL bass.

but Bryan Tyler already edited the thread and said to be careful about anti-ERB statements and the like. just meant as a heads-up.

 

[meatwad]

I suppose things I avoid would include -

Hollow bodies
super skinny, Jazz-like necks
traditional, low mass bridges
cheap active electronics
three-bolt neck joints
single-ply pickguard
blank neckplate
short scale

 

[pringlw]

Ok I'll bite. For all of these it's just about my preference. I avoid..

Anything other than 4 string

Necks with less than 4 bolts

Big clunky necks

Pointy

Pickup covers (like the look but...)

Single cutaway

Factory reliced

Bright colors (other than maybe white)

Single pickup (Sorry P Bass)

Not made in USA (I like US basses)

Hard to access truss Rod

24+ frets but a big neck heel making it meaningless

 

[pygmygrizzly]

Intonation, (some bass's get all out above the 15th)
fretware (even new bass's can have flaws in frets)
neckshape (I like jazz bass necks, because of the nut width, but 70's era jazz necks just feel like baseball bats)
active pickups (battery's don't grow on trees)
tuners (I've got to have tuff, rugged tuners... my bass's tend to get thrown around alot)
finish (I like to have a bass that age's well, but can still breath)
and its got to sound good out of (almost) any amp.
its got to rep my look and style.
its got to be in my budget.

 

[Batmensch]

I'm fairly easy to please, so I wouldn't necessarily avoid getting a bass because of any particular features, it's just at this point, I'm less likely to get one because of them.
Right now, I probably would not get an active bass, or anything with more than 4 strings, as the simpler a setup (bass and amp together) is, the better I like it. Even that might be subject to change, if I came across something that appealed to me.

 

[Batmensch]

There are a lot of different preferences here in this thread. All of them are valid for those expressing them.
Me, I'm simple and easy to please. Just give me a Precision and call it done. One pickup, 4 strings, 1 volume and 1 tone. Nothing to confuse me. Nothing to slow me down. I can't imagine needing anything else.

Same here. Goes for the amp. too.

 

[malthumb]

Ok I'll bite. For all of these it's just about my preference. I avoid..
......
Necks with less than 4 bolts.........
........Single pickup (Sorry P Bass)

Doesn't your pre-EB Music Man violate one or two of your preferences? Maybe I ought help you unload it

 

[Kenova]

- neck dive
- narrow string spacing
- picguard
- jumbo frets
- extra heavy basses
- gloss finish on neck
- impossible higher frets acces
- V or explorer shape
- non massive bridges
- relic'ing
- high action
- stinless steel strings
- bass without mids
- neck-through body
- basswood
- narrow neck
- baseball bat neck
- more than 4 in line tuners
- headless
- short scale
- no space to slap and pop
- low output pickups

 

[DrPieZon]

any bass with the jack on the front of the bass! It makes it look like it's tied to life support. I nice side jack and right angle plug looped through your strap keeps everything much cleaner looking and out of the way.

Also, in this day and age, all bridges should be top load/quick change. Why must I run the full length of the string through the bridge?

 

[jim777]

1. really thick, baseball bat type necks. I just prefer thinner necks because I like to play fast and thinner necks are easier on my encroaching/oncoming arthritis

2. sticky lacquered necks. I prefer an oiled neck, though some companies (like EBMM) have painted necks that I don't mind at all. Ibanez has a satin finish that is awesome as well, though I haven't played many of their basses, just guitars. I love a Carvin tung oiled neck.

3. top mounted input jacks - side looks better to me

4. really, obviously, metal 'shaped' basses. I LOVE oddly shaped basses, but nothing that would harm a child who brushed into it

The list of things I like is so much longer!

 

[rojo412]

The only feature that usually turns me off is being priced to high to purchase it.