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

#121
Things I will not go for in a bass:

Gold hardware: It's gaudy. I prefer black hardware only, but chrome is tolerable. Not on a bass I own, though.

A bolt on bass with a blocky heel. It's 2011. This is a stupid design. For real. It's uncomfortable and easily fixed. That's the dealbreaker for me on G&L's.

Single coils (unless it's a Warwick)

Any sort of color. I only like natural basses.

Quilted and flamed tops. I like spalted and burled, preferably spalted.

Less than 5 strings.

I really prefer a blend knob, but my Rebop has VV and it's my favorite bass I've owned, so not a deal breaker.

Pickguards

Any sort of jagged/pointed edges

Bartolini pickups

Wenge necks

Basswood bodies

Anything Fender or Fender-inspired, Ibanez, Ernie Ball, B.C. Rich, or Lakland.

Clover tuners

Wide string spacing

Flat necks

Pretty much, I like Spectors and Warwicks. Natural woods, chunky necks, great tone.
 
#122
Some turnoffs, but with exceptions:
Pointy bodies - unless maybe a Mockingbird
Cheap active electronics
More than 5 strings - but I LOVE octave strings
Lined fretless - I don't like the look, I prefer a nice blank slab of rosewood or ebony
Pickup blend/balance knob - nothing wrong per se, I'm just used to separate volumes for each pickup
 
#123
pjmuck said:
How about affixing name brand logo stickers to a blank/no name headstock? Purely aesthetic, but who are you trying to fool?
Click to expand...

So, because I replaced the neck on my Fender Jazz, does that suddenly no longer make it a Fender? Nevermind that Fender won't sell a replacement neck at any price. It's a Fender lic. neck and wears a Fender headstock decal proudly!!! :spit:
 
#124
Gold hardware or pearloid pickguards. Never been a fan of either, suggests a level of class a bass does not deserve.

Pre-reliced. I like to do all the damage myself.

Pre-amp. I have an EQ pedal, I don't need any more EQ on the bass, plus knowing a battery is slowly draining inside my bass always gave me a cold feeling (I converted my active bass to passive and still have the pre in a box).
 
#127
I guess I don't really like 35" scales, but I'm dying to try a Dingwall 5er. I can't see myself really using a high string (be it C or B). I won't consider a thin neck profile. I actualy like the baseball bat feel, especially on my 1-5/8" Warmoth fretless P-Neck Peavey T-40, and Fender 70's Classic Jazz. Narrow spacing is also tough on my big mitts. I've sold basses with less than 18mm.

Fretless-wise, I much prefer the blank plank. It's a bit tougher on the learning curve, but ultimately I gotta use my ears anyway, so why build a reliance on visual inputs? My fretless is also my only maple board, so I guess I prefer rosewoods, bubinga, and pao ferro.

Aesthetically, I'm not a big fan of pastel or super-bright colors (I have a CAR Lakland, but would never buy a pastel or yellow/purple bass). The sharpest/pointiest bass shape I'd want is probably a Mockingbird, although my Ric is certainly got some 90º binding edges I don't love. I don't like gold hardware, or even black for that matter. Chrome or brushed silver is fine.
 
#128
I avoid:
  • Active electronics
  • Too many knobs (see above)
  • Pickups that make bad thumb rests
  • Natural finishes (usually)
  • True single coils (don't like 60 cycle hum)
  • Low radius fingerboards (I like em flat)
  • Thick, plasticy finishes on necks
  • Necks that aren't easy to play
  • Neck dive (see above)
  • Bodies that are shaped in a way that makes them uncomfortable to play while sitting
  • Really heavy basses
 
#129
KingRazor said:
I avoid:
  • Too man knobs (see above)
Click to expand...

Oh yeagh...I forgot those. I don't like man knobs either.
coffeescreen.gif
 
#134
Hmmm..

Things I tend to avoid:

Active basses (I have played a couple nice ones, though)
More than 4 or 5 strings
Too many knobs (that's what the amp's for)
Under 32" scale
Headless basses
Light basses
Gold hardware
Over 34" scale
Pearloid pickguard. Gaudy.
Sparkle finishes or pickguards. Also gaudy.
Tort pickguards. Looks like bloody puke to me.
Maple fretboards
Unfinished necks
Hollow body basses
 
#135
I usually avoid:

Pointy bodies or headstocks
Headless basses
Sunbursts
Tort
Y-shaped tuners
4 strings
6 strings
More strings
Basswood
Anything gold
Bazillion-knob preamps
Wenge
Neck plates (though I hadn't even thought about this when I bought my Fender last year.)
Baseball-bat necks
Neck-through
Set neck
Short scale
Signatures
Manufactured 'mojo'
Excessive weight
Narrow (EBMM or Godin-style) string spacing
 
#137
I try not to get too hung up on any particular set of features. I take a Swiss Army knife approach to basses and guitars. In a typical week, I'll play a wide variety of configurations, scales, neck dimensions, pickup configurations, etc. I get comfy with most basses pretty quickly, a good 20 minute warm up and I know the bass's strengths and weaknesses, and play accordingly. This week, I played Precision-style, Jazz-style, Rics, Hofners, and my beloved Peavey USA Cirrus basses, they all served a purpose and got the job done.
 
#138
I really like a few of the things that most people so far have wanted to avoid!

Avoid:
1 pup basses - I want versatility!
To few knobs (often associated with 1 pup) - I like a lot of control so I can really grow into my bass. It is one of the reasons I do not play my P nearly as much as my 4001.
Solid colour finishes - the texture of the wood is really important to me. Art you can play. One of my basses is black... but it was 30 years old, in good shape and I got it at a good price (my P-bass).
Long scales - I have really gotten used to the length of my 4001 and I quite like it. Not a deal breaker, but even the extra 0.75" on the P makes me look down at the fretboard a little too much if I have not played it in a while).
Bolt on necks - also not a deal breaker, but there is something sexy about a through neck, especially when there are multiple layers of wood (like my 4001 with the skunk stripe) and I love the sustain.

And could someone help me out here... people have used the term 'relic'd'. I am assuming this is referring to old/vintage basses? I love my old basses... but I'm keen for a new custom Alembic Series II. Maybe I should sell the house.
 

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