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What makes a very good bass ?
- Thread starter pasco jacorius
- Start date
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- boutique electronics price
I couldn't vote. The first choice is the only viable one that fits. The second would be play ability. I have a few more on my absolute requirements list.
I won't say what but I will say who…G&L.
In my opinion there's a holy trinity of if you love a bass:
Sounds Great
Feels Great
Looks Great
Of course all three of those things are subjective and there are different levels to each one, but if a bass has got all three it's a keeper.
Sounds Great
Feels Great
Looks Great
Of course all three of those things are subjective and there are different levels to each one, but if a bass has got all three it's a keeper.
It has to be comfortable to play. If it doesn't fit me, the rest doesn't matter. If it fits but doesn't have "the" sound, whatever that is, electronics can be changed.
- Feb 5, 2013
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- 2,281
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- Endorsing Artist: Used Fender Lead Sleds and Hartke cabs with bent grills
I vote none of the above. When I find a 'good bass' for me, it generally means it feels very comfortable right off the bat. Like an old, familiar pair of tennis shoes.
Of course, it has to look good to me, too. Make me want to pick it up.
Of course, it has to look good to me, too. Make me want to pick it up.
The intangibles of playability and feel are two of the most important to me. Attention to detail is what sets basses apart from one another. Lots of companies and people make basses, but only a certain number do it well.
A very good bass means it has several criteria met.
It has the proper design so it is balanced, ergonomically thought out, and built to last.
It has quality woods, hardware, and electronics that function and will continue to function for decades to come.
The quality of the bass has been thoroughly checked to make sure the finish is good, everything is tightened down, and the frets must be properly dressed. A good factory setup makes a giant difference.
A great looking bass that sounds like a honking goose or a rubber band over a box is useless to me. For me, flexibility and control over the instrument is a must. I have no time for one trick ponies and I'm not scared by knobs and switches. I have a brain and I know how to use it.
Finally, for me, the defining difference between good and great is some kind of unique quality. Just retreading a tired design, configuration, or finish is boring and forgettable. If you instrument is just a copy of something that has been around for decades, why do I want it? Is it cheaper, does it offer a new feature, has the tonal range been expanded, is the finish exciting? Why should I buy your bass? That's marketing 101. If you are just an also-ran, that is lazy in my eyes.
It has the proper design so it is balanced, ergonomically thought out, and built to last.
It has quality woods, hardware, and electronics that function and will continue to function for decades to come.
The quality of the bass has been thoroughly checked to make sure the finish is good, everything is tightened down, and the frets must be properly dressed. A good factory setup makes a giant difference.
A great looking bass that sounds like a honking goose or a rubber band over a box is useless to me. For me, flexibility and control over the instrument is a must. I have no time for one trick ponies and I'm not scared by knobs and switches. I have a brain and I know how to use it.
Finally, for me, the defining difference between good and great is some kind of unique quality. Just retreading a tired design, configuration, or finish is boring and forgettable. If you instrument is just a copy of something that has been around for decades, why do I want it? Is it cheaper, does it offer a new feature, has the tonal range been expanded, is the finish exciting? Why should I buy your bass? That's marketing 101. If you are just an also-ran, that is lazy in my eyes.
Inherent sound in the build is important to me. That said, many sounds can be, and are, coaxed from many builds of basses via other electronics. I always listen to the heart of the build itself first. Of course there is the amp factor you hear it through as well, but if you are used to the amps sound, you can get a viable feel immediately from the build.
My two coppers.
My two coppers.
the wood. Most solid body string instruments require varying degrees of effort to make sounds come out. Very rarely a few pieces of wood are put together into one instrument that requires more work to mute the strings than to sound them. Yet more rare is one of these chatterbox beasts that is neither neck heavy nor over 10lbs.
Though I really do like a thoughtfully crafted, rounded edge, oil finished, small and perfectly leveled and crowned fret neck solidly attached to a body whose electronics and other hardware are rattle and buzz free, all of that can usually be done to a nice chassis.
Nice paint is cool.
Olympic White paint is cooler than most other finishes, thought I'd really like a medium grey P.
I really don't stress about finding one of those great don't-sell-it-ever basses even 0.010% as much as I stress about learning how to suck less at playing Bass on a jenky mim p bass guitar with roundwounds and a non-tort guard.
The way I find good basses is by looks first. If i don’t like it’s look, I won’t even notice it, probably. And if I do, I probably won’t enjoy playing it in public.
If I like something about it, though, (feel, looks, sound, weight, etc.) I can learn to like other things about it.
If I like something about it, though, (feel, looks, sound, weight, etc.) I can learn to like other things about it.
First and foremost it's playability because fretwork, comfort, and ergonomics all come under that heading. Finish and construction are pretty much neck and neck with playability but I've seldom found a well built bass that wasn't playable.
Electronics, pickups, hardware, etc. I can deal with myself if I prefer something else.
Electronics, pickups, hardware, etc. I can deal with myself if I prefer something else.
mark beem
Wait, how does this song start again??
For myself personally I would to this rarity, since the OP added "one you will never sell." If I have to sell a bass that's a favorite, I'd rather it be one I can replace from a retailer or CL/Ebay easily. This strategy has had the unfortunate side effect over the years that I now have a herd of irreplaceable basses.
Two things.
Fender:
Musicman:
Playability, feel, tone.
Also, tone is in the fingers and as we all know, jaco needed only four carrots:
Fender:
Musicman:
Playability, feel, tone.
Also, tone is in the fingers and as we all know, jaco needed only four carrots:
It must sound they way you want it to sound and feel the way you want it to feel.
It’s the connection. Same thing with human attraction. The one that draws my eye may not draw yours. Once the initial attraction has drawn me in, it has to feel rught and sound good. Once that trinity is complete, my perfect bass has materialized..... I have been fooled in the past by the initial attraction only to find I had a dud. To the divorce courts we went. As was said by The Who.... Won’t be fooled again..... Ahhh but then again... I probably will.
Sound is important, but feel and playability are right there too. Of course, in the hands of the right player, any bass can sound great. And (as in my case) a bass player can make a great bass sound pedestrian.
