What makes a bass great?

[postalflunkie]

I don't play with any group, just a home hobbyist, so what makes a bass great to me is my mood. I've got one for when I'm feeling funky, one old hollow body epiphone with flats for when I'm feeling mo-townish, a fretless for those jazzy moments and a short scale for sitting on the couch noodling around (cause I don't poke my wife with the headstock). All are GREAT to me depending on what mood I'm in. Tonight its the shorty.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I've got one bass that satisfies my every mood. I recommend that for everyone.

 

[SoulReflection]

I don't play with any group, just a home hobbyist, so what makes a bass great to me is my mood. I've got one for when I'm feeling funky, one old hollow body epiphone with flats for when I'm feeling mo-townish, a fretless for those jazzy moments and a short scale for sitting on the couch noodling around (cause I don't poke my wife with the headstock). All are GREAT to me depending on what mood I'm in. Tonight its the shorty.

So, it's not a "pokey" night......sorry, couldn't help it !

 

[jamro217]

My mood tells me what makes a great bass. Some days I'm in the mood to play a fretless with lots of Mwah, other days it's the '68 P playing funky jazz, the day after that it might be cranking the Ric and fumbling around with a plectrum. Does that mean on any of those days the basses not used aren't as good as they are when being used? Do they have a shelf life and rot in their cases? No. They are consistently the same. The only deciding factor is my desire to use them at that particular moment. Often we get threads dealing with what bass should be used, etc. I usually answer "whatever inspires you to play your best at that time" because if you aren't in the mood to play bass A instead of bass B, bass A will leave you feeling less than fulfilled. That goes for noodling in your room or playing a gig. The idea of having more than one instrument (aside from a backup at a gig) is to be enamored with them enough to bring out the romanticism and emotion in your playing. We talk about G.A.S., but never about a love of basses. When I'm playing any one of my basses I'm in love with it at the time. The rotation changes and suddenly another instrument beckons. The one calling the loudest is the best bass at that time. No, I'm not off my meds.

 

[postalflunkie]

So, it's not a "pokey" night......sorry, couldn't help it !

Still early, but now I'm thinking I need a Flying-V

 

[SoulReflection]

Still early, but now I'm thinking I need a Flying-V

! Enjoy your night!

 

[MoeTown1986]

When a bass feels like an extension of You, it’s great.

 

[Eilif]

A

I play all these basses at my gigs, and whenever I'm not playing my Mustang, I wish I was playing my Mustang. And this is going on for a while now...

...What's going on here?

Help me please to understand .

I have a theory about this. Unproven and based on my personal experience but here it is...

You found the bass that "fits" you. That happens sometimes. If you're supremely lucky you'll find contentment and bliss with that one bass.

If you're a bit less lucky you'll figure out what about that bass is prefect for you and though unable to attain complete oneness with that bass you'll be able to find that same "fit" in other basses, off the rack or custom. This is where I arrived.

If you're unlucky, you'll spend the rest of your life trying to in vain to find that same "fit" in other basses that will not satisfy.

Good Luck!

 

[BigAlBass69]

Bass choose you.

Tell it to the mountain Steveo...we are not in charge...like having a cat...thats why I have a dog...I seem to be derailing...break over...back to the polka

 

[chris_b]

Great basses are the ones that match preferences.

 

[micgtr71]

I have been going through this as well. I have owned many basses over the past thirty years and I have found in my old age that I do not like the hifi bass sound of active electronics. I don’t care for soap bars anymore either. I have found that my roadstar with the p pickup is the sound for me. I also love my jazz. Passive with some tone rolloff for the p. Maybe it’s older age, maybe just selectiveness. I understand

 

[danesdad]

What makes a great bass is when it's mine. Make or model doesn't matter. If it's mine, it is great.

 

[Bass V]

I have found that my roadstar with the p pickup is the sound for me.

is it a 2 on-a-side headstock style?

 

[Double E]

You dont get sarcasm very well. It was your wording about The player making the bass being a cop out. My sarcasm was towards you. Can you make a bass sound good if it wasnt set up. Well those guys could and im sure Joe Nerve (OP) can as well. The player making the bass is not a cop out.

What I was trying to say is that "The player makes the bass." is not a valid answer to the question being asked. How does that address the matter of what makes the bass great? "The player makes the bass." sounds nice but I believe it has nothing to do with the question.

The real answer is subjective, each player has their own priorities for what they think are ideal qualities that would make a bass great. It has to do with how the bass looks, how it's configured, how it plays and how it sounds... not necessarily in that order. This also depends on what the bass is going to be used for in the first place.

 

[nonohmic]

If the instrument in question INSPIRES you to pick it up, practice on it, drag it to gigs, and try to live out your musical dreams... then it’s a great bass.

Doesn’t matter if it’s a cheap bass played by a world-renowned virtuoso or an expensive bass played by an unknown bedroom player, if the instrument in question inspires the player to make music, it’s a great bass.

This is it.

I've got one bass that satisfies my every mood. I recommend that for everyone.

I'm going to go ahead and assume that's a P bass.

 

[Yammybass]

What I was trying to say is that "The player makes the bass." is not a valid answer to the question being asked. How does that address the matter of what makes the bass great? "The player makes the bass." sounds nice but I believe it has nothing to do with the question.

The real answer is subjective, each player has their own priorities for what they think are ideal qualities that would make a bass great. It has to do with how the bass looks, how it's configured, how it plays and how it sounds... not necessarily in that order. This also depends on what the bass is going to be used for in the first place.

I understand what your saying. I agree with the points you are making, all valid points. I Have just heard so many phenominal players that do so much with so little or inexpensive guitars. I can only imagine how they would sound with a properly set up rig like you are saying. I apologize again for what i had said.

 

[MCF]

As the years go by and the basses pile up in my closet, I have to humbly admit that I no longer have a clue regarding this.

I think I finally get it when I see someone playing an OLD, no name POS and being completely content with it. While sounding great at the same time.

When I first started playing bass, all basses sounded the same to me, and I'm starting to feel the same way again. Admittedly, that might have a lot to do with the fact that for the past 2 years I've been using IEMs... and well, all basses are pretty much sounding the same . Or that I'm going deaf ? But I can still hear them... in my house... and in the gigs where I'm not using IEMs.

I own far too many basses and I'm reluctant to sell because I feel like I'm going through some sort of temporary insanity here. I therefore thought I'd open the topic up to conversation. And to add a little to what inspired this post...

The last bass I fell head over heels in love with was my Rickenbacker. I can't put a D-tuner on it, so I don't use it with my current band. Since then I've purchased TMB 30, A Caprice, a Jazz, a Mustang, and most recently dropped a big fat chunk of dough on a Huntington 3.

I play all these basses at my gigs, and whenever I'm not playing my Mustang, I wish I was playing my Mustang. And this is going on for a while now.

I paid $400 for that Mustang, new.

I can't lie to myself anymore and felt I needed to make that admission openly.

What's going on here?

Help me please to understand .

I’ve got one in Sonic Blue. Got it shortly after they launched. Nicely finished and sounds great. I am going to upgrade the tuners when I get ‘round to it, but will keep it otherwise stock. I can’t say it’s my favorite, but I like it a lot. I totally understand it being your number one.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I'm going to go ahead and assume that's a P bass.

Definitely not!

 

[Snakeman1066]

As the years go by and the basses pile up in my closet, I have to humbly admit that I no longer have a clue regarding this.

I think I finally get it when I see someone playing an OLD, no name POS and being completely content with it. While sounding great at the same time.

When I first started playing bass, all basses sounded the same to me, and I'm starting to feel the same way again. Admittedly, that might have a lot to do with the fact that for the past 2 years I've been using IEMs... and well, all basses are pretty much sounding the same . Or that I'm going deaf ? But I can still hear them... in my house... and in the gigs where I'm not using IEMs.

I own far too many basses and I'm reluctant to sell because I feel like I'm going through some sort of temporary insanity here. I therefore thought I'd open the topic up to conversation. And to add a little to what inspired this post...

The last bass I fell head over heels in love with was my Rickenbacker. I can't put a D-tuner on it, so I don't use it with my current band. Since then I've purchased TMB 30, A Caprice, a Jazz, a Mustang, and most recently dropped a big fat chunk of dough on a Huntington 3.

I play all these basses at my gigs, and whenever I'm not playing my Mustang, I wish I was playing my Mustang. And this is going on for a while now.

I paid $400 for that Mustang, new.

I can't lie to myself anymore and felt I needed to make that admission openly.

What's going on here?

Help me please to understand .

Joe...

For me it has always been about one thing...Feel

if it does not feel good in my hands...if i can't connect with it...it doesn't matter how good it sounds or looks, or who made it, or what cool color it is...'cause i'm not going to want to play it if i don't like the feel...

At one point i was up to about 30 basses...i went nuts buying everything i had ever wanted to play growing up (now that i'm in my 50's and have the means) recently i walked into my studio and decided that if i didn't like the way it felt regardless of the brand style, design, color, etc. it had to go...I am now down to 10 and to be honest if i really thought about it, i would be down to three...three that all have one thing in common...yep you guessed it...feel...

 

[pappabass]

Big question.
1st, it is you. If you like it. And if it fits you. If you are OK with the brand, color, & shape and sound. I am a old soul when it comes to basses. I like Fender basses. I have a nice MIM P with mods. Black on black. But like most passive P basses, they have the single tone and have a slightly muddy sound. I also have a active neck thru. Not a old soul bass but has a good sound. So, its OK to have 2 different basses