What's the bass with the most "fake"/synthetic tone you've played/heard?

I played a Steinberger copy (can't remember the brand) back in the Eighties that had a pair of soap-bar looking pickups that sounded like a real Steinberger played through an AM radio. It was the BL's bass, and he insisted I play it because it had "the look". Regardless of how much drastic EQ I used it always sounded thin and honky.

 

Nah. I did that on my own! It was the Eighties after all!

Opps, I thought you meant insist on ME sporting a mullet and wearing weird shirts...

 

it’s Geddy! Hi Geddy!

 

The bass synth keyboards used by many groups during the 80s and for the Sienfeld sitcom.

 

Sire fans may crucify me, but I had two first gen. V7 and both sounded to me like a bit like synthetic midi bass sounds. They were far from worst bass guitars, it's just that I expected much more. In the mix they were ok, but I flipped them in the end.

 

Line6 Variax.

 

Alembic Series 1.
(& It was awesome)

 

Have to agree.
Sounds like a bass that went through this and came out looking like a bass but somehow sounding...bland?

 

Those Nuclear Green Dean basses. I'd own one if not for the videos I saw of the synthetic sound.

 

I'm probably gonna catch some flak for this, but Steinbergers. Specifically the L2. Twice I've listened to them, both played by different guys on different stacks, and they sounded like synth keyboards each time. It's the main reason I really dislike Steiny's. Along with their shape.

 

To my ears, most Ibanez bases sound fake.

 

My vote from instruments Ive played has to go to the Willcox Lightwave. Not like anything I've ever played before.

 

Also, the Hofner Shorty is fake sounding.

 

For instruments, I'd have to say the late 90s/early 2000s Ibanez Ergodynes that were made out of Luthite instead of wood... Sounded like a box of muddy farts.
I ended up getting a wooden version later on and I like that one very much.

 

Anything with a graphite neck and EMGs. Not for me.