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What makes a bass good?

#62
1. The neck
2. The string spacing and fret spacing up top (especially on short scales)
3. The growl and note separation on the lower E string
4. Even volume and tone across the strings and an octave higher


Many old Gibson's achieve this as do Alembics.
 
#64
zagreus said:
What would make a bass good? What would make a bass bad? I'm in need of a new bass and am wondering what to look out for, and what to avoid. Previously had a cheap PJ squier from one of those kits that came with an amp and everything.
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1) Does it get out of your way? Can you play music on it without having to make accommodations for it?
2) Does it sound good?
3) Does it inspire you to play more?

That's about it.
 
#65
Dincrest said:
Solid construction.

When I run my fingers up and down the neck, do sharp fret ends slice my fingers? Does the hardware appear to be carefully installed? When I sight down the neck, does it appear twisted or warped?

I totally agree, it is a feel as well as the sound. I have a few too many Guitars , but my last Bass, I sat down and once i started, I knew I needed it. Try a few out and enjoy the journey.
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#66
What makes a bass good?

Primarily, the person who's playing it. :-)

licensed-image


 
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#68
For me, it is the magic balance of playability and tone. It has to be so easily playable that you don’t have to fight the instrument to execute the subtleties of the song.
It has to have a robust quality to the sound that places it ideally in a band or recording mix - like the perfect filling between exquisite layers of cake.
That’s a great bass. And it helps if it looks cool.
 
#69
A bass that helps inspire you to play enough that you'll actually practice (a lot) is a good bass. Play everything you can, when you run into one that you don't want to put down....that's it. You become good by practicing (a lot); you need gear that helps you do that.
 
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#70
It depends, I guess, on how you come by the instrument.

If I'm at a store, then whatever subjective impression you get from look (first thing most sighted people experience) which includes observations about features and number of strings etc, weight and balance and feel (second thing most players experience), sound (since we normally only get to hear it after seeing it and wearing/holding it), and knowledge/thoughts about construction quality, longevity, stability under hard use, and possibly warranty (if you are one of those folks who buys new instruments).

That's my personal observation at least LoL.
 
#71
bassfootballguy said:
For me, it is the magic balance of playability and tone. It has to be so easily playable that you don’t have to fight the instrument to execute the subtleties of the song.
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There are some folks (not me, but a lot of punk players ascribe to this theory) that like an instrument to be a little difficult to play. Given the vibe of the stuff they play, they like the instrument to fight them a little - that helps them get into the proper headspace for what they do. Subtleties? What's that?

There's that famous picture (the London Calling album cover) of Paul Simonon swinging his bass - he's obviously about to smash it on the floor. If it played well, he wouldn't want to smash it, now would he? ;-)
 
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#72
zagreus said:
About electronics, I see people buy guitars all the time and just replace the pickups immediately, and other electrical components, which leaves me confused, because if electronics is something that makes a bass good, why would some people go out and replace them right away? I appreciate your help so far. :)
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Because they can. That's the main reason, but not the only reason.

Sometimes, a bass or any other instrument looks and feels great, is great to play, has perfect balance, and does everything you want. Except that it doesn't sound quite right or stay in tune. The wood parts are perfect. The electronics and tuners aren't. Step one is to do a little experimenting with strings and EQ. Strings and EQ make a huge difference. If you can't get it to sound like you want with strings, then pickups are next. People who have a lot of experience with different pickups will know what to expect. A relatively new player probably ought to stick to strings only and see what sounds and differences those make. Over time, you will figure out what you think is lacking from the stock pickups. Then you can start to think about what pickups would address the problems you have identified and cannot fix with strings and EQ. Then there are upgrades for tuning machines so that the bass will stay in tune better or be easier to tune. That's another change that comes after living with it for a while and finding that you want it to be a little different from how it is.

And then, because you can and want to. I did a lot of modifications to a 1991 Thunderbird, including refinishing it. That wasn't because there was any great deficiency in the bass when I got it. It was because Gibson didn't make it the way I decided I wanted it to be. From a practical standpoint, it was a colossal waste of money and time. I thought it was fun and am happy with how it turned out. It's a cheaper hobby than motorcycle racing.
 
#77
When I pick up a bass and play it (acoustically) I like to feel a nice response. Some instruments "sing" with a lively response and some instruments feel dead. I've found some great lively cheap basses and played some rather dead expensive ones. The whole ball game changes once you plug in as a lot of those dead ones will sound fantastic when amplified but I still go for the dynamic when played unplugged.
 
#78
zagreus said:
What would make a bass good?
Click to expand...
Simply - if it does what the player needs it to.

Hand a mid-scoop loving slapper a sweet 1957 P-Bass with old flatwounds on it and they'll be miserable.
Give a roots & blues player a masterpiece $10k Jerzy Drozd and they'll be frustrated.

A bass is a tool, and no matter how fancy my favorite hammer is - it's not good at digging holes.
 

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