What makes it your bass?

[Bliff Curton 2]

By the lack of fret buzz

I dont get the appeal of buzzing and choked out notes when playing - and I see it a lot, especially in jazz and all tha shiznit.

I require a defined piano-like ring to my notes along with a percussive harmonic from the way i finger pluck hard and at an angle a la Geezer in NIB.
Bell-like harmonic on the attack with a bit of mwah, especially with a slight 1/8 bend using my left hand.
So, all the strings and necks are set up to achieve this, and if it can't, its not one of the basses I play.

Towards the end exhibits that percussive attack

 

[staurosjohn]

Is that blood?

Yup - popped a callous, mid-set, and didn’t notice until our break … it was dark, etc.

(for those who didn’t see the original post)

 

[Bass Ape]

It just is.

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Holy Rumblefish, Rev Man!!! Where did you get that top finish and those are some unique PU in that Fish. What year is it?

 

[xenobass]

Yup - popped a callous, mid-set, and didn’t notice until our break … it was dark, etc.

(for those who didn’t see the original post)

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A murderous axe indeed!

 

[Bass Motifs]

They're mine because of the customizations. I like simple. Single coils, passive, one tone, one volume and 4 inline tuners, short scales. My kids artwork on the two parts basses add a special personal touch. There was alot of frustration, learning, and mistakes made on those to get them playable. Not everyone gets it or likes them and that's ok.

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This has made me happy today! Love them

 

[WI Short Scaler]

This has made me happy today! Love them

Thank you!

 

[stigbeve]

High action. Whenever another bass player tries it out they tell me I need to set it up properly. lol

 

[Chris 'Wighat' Jordan]

Holy Rumblefish, Rev Man!!! Where did you get that top finish and those are some unique PU in that Fish. What year is it?

Good eye, but not a Rumblefish! It's a Brad Houser 5. They called the metallic finish Lava Swirl. There may be one other Lava Swirl BH5 out there. At one time I had info on exactly what finishes were on all 79 of the BH5's made, but I can't find it just now. Those are the original pickups. Some had plastic covers on them, some not. Mine was made in 2001. I have owned five other BH5's and a sixth one that I made from a factory surplus body and neck but sold without finishing it.

 

[micguy]

I give each bass a good swipe through the sweaty buttcrack like a credit card. Mine!

I believe you’ve been banned from selling anything on Talkbass for life.

 

[MCF]

There are millions of ps, and js and string rays, Rick’s, danos, foderas, wals, Warwick’s, Yamahas, Ibanez, , etc. What makes it yours? A particular dead spot? A rattle? A bit of wear only you could have put there.?

What makes it yours?

Thunderbirds are my main thing. I have 14 Gibsons, Epiphones, and a wonderful BaCH II (single pickup with a Gibson Vintage Reissue pickup). I love humbuckers. I’ve modded some with custom pickguards, TR covers, Babicz three point bridges, etc. I also have a variety of other basses, including Pbasses, a Mustang, a Peavy Foundation, and others.

My #1 is my ‘15 Gibson Thunderbird with the coil tapped DeCola pickups.
My only mod to it is the black pickguard (instead of the stock white). It is a tonemonster.

P

 

[edencab]

I put thumb rests on most of mine, I made this kit bass, my Sterling SUB was stolen from a home break in and I got it back by a random fluke at my local music store...so 3 of my basses are "my" basses just because

 

[mr80htz]

There are millions of ps, and js and string rays, Rick’s, danos, foderas, wals, Warwick’s, Yamahas, Ibanez, , etc. What makes it yours? A particular dead spot? A rattle? A bit of wear only you could have put there.?

What makes it yours?

I think a better question is if a bass is your bass if you bought it with alimony cash?

 

[Turnaround]

NOBODY but me (and you) :

Actually, not me. It was a lie. I really dislike tort - FAKE tortoise shell. And I dislike FAKE Mother of Pearl. My only bass with a 'guard has real wood. I had a bass with real black plastic though. But I was intending to replace it with ebony , but sold it instead.

 

[Number179]

My thumb rests RIGHT there:

 

[MrB64]

Mine is a built to order G&L L-2000. It's an L2K with a #8 neck (JB, or jazz bass). True, there are several of those floating around, but mine came with a bit of highly figured rosewood fingerboard. This makes it mine, as there is no bass anywhere exactly like this. It plays like a dream and sounds even better.

 

[stevensivak]

I have a couple basses that are uniquely mine, that are distinguishable from ever other bass on the planet. First is my former #1, a three pickup Warmoth Jazz. Warmoth Jazzes are not necessarily unique, as lots of people have them. The three-pickup arrangement is unusual (not necessarily unique), more so because the pickups are placed symmetrically. The control system is unique, it's the only one of its kind. Three independent V/T controls, plus five preset voices using a Turnstyle Switch, allow a virtually unlimited variety of sounds. Assembled, set up, and PLEK'd by Mike Lull, and this bass is the only one of its kind. Add to that the years of fingernail wear under the strings and some interesting checkering in the paint, and this bass is mine in a way it can never be anyone else's, and there will never be another bass like it.
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My current #1 is also unique. It's made in Poland by the artisans at Maruszczyk. The Frog is a model they offer, so not unique by itself, but mine has some features that set it apart and make it truly unique. The dragon-burst finish is unusual, but not unique. I had the back of my neck painted to match the color scheme, which is not an option they offered. It has a stainless steel zero fret, and the neck is slimmer than what they usually offer (20mm at the 1st fret instead of their usual 21mm). It has luminlay front dots and side dots (not too unusual) and knobs (unusual). But the thing it has that no other Frog has, and what makes it visually distinguishable from every other bass on the planet, is the extra finger room I asked for in the lower bout that gives it a bit of a can-opener look. Add the growing patina under the strings caused by repeated fingernail impacts, and this bass is mine, unmistakably and uniquely mine.
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A couple other things help to set my basses apart -- DR neon strings, and fishing lure stickers as fret markers. Since I paid for the luminlay side dots on my Frog, I didn't want to obscure them, so I punched holes in the stickers. And now it looks like a bunch of fish eyes looking up at me.
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Can you post a link to your "fishing lure stickers". Excellent idea!

 

[Gervais Cote]

Actually, not me. It was a lie. I really dislike tort - FAKE tortoise shell. And I dislike FAKE Mother of Pearl. My only bass with a 'guard has real wood. I had a bass with real black plastic though. But I was intending to replace it with ebony , but sold it instead.

Interesting…………
Just asking but do you think you would be able to make a pick guard out of padouk wood to fit on this :

 

[BlueTalon]

Can you post a link to your "fishing lure stickers". Excellent idea!

Sure thing. They are available in different colors. That particular page isn't very clear on what color is what, but this one will help in that regard.

 

[stevensivak]

Mucho gracias...

 

[retslock]

There are millions of ps, and js and string rays, Rick’s, danos, foderas, wals, Warwick’s, Yamahas, Ibanez, , etc. What makes it yours? A particular dead spot? A rattle? A bit of wear only you could have put there.?

What makes it yours?

I made two of them and a third was made for me. Though they share some aesthetic qualities with a very well known bass, they have features that make them unique in design and layout. The fourth - on the left in the picture, is a brand name bass, has been stripped back and refinished.