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worst bass you've ever owned?
- Thread starter pushbuttonfour
- Start date
- Oct 18, 2012
- 6,683
- 5,538
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Fender, Spector, Ampeg, Curt Mangan, Nordstrand Pickups, Korg , Conquest Sound
Three immediately come to mind and I think most people will be surprised by them.
The first was a Musicman Stingray. It had dead spots at the 7th, 8th and 9th frets. I kept it for a couple of months but never could get a good sound out of it.
The other was a Carvin LB75. No punch or clarity at all. Very dead sounding even with new strings and battery. I sold it one week after I bought it.
The third was a Spector Euro 4LX. The bass was one of the nicest looking basses I have ever owned and played very well. However, the tone pump circuit was so "hot" that it always sounded like it was "farting". The one I had did not have a trim pot in the control cavity so I couldn't adjust the output. I ended up trading it but would have liked to have kept it.
The first was a Musicman Stingray. It had dead spots at the 7th, 8th and 9th frets. I kept it for a couple of months but never could get a good sound out of it.
The other was a Carvin LB75. No punch or clarity at all. Very dead sounding even with new strings and battery. I sold it one week after I bought it.
The third was a Spector Euro 4LX. The bass was one of the nicest looking basses I have ever owned and played very well. However, the tone pump circuit was so "hot" that it always sounded like it was "farting". The one I had did not have a trim pot in the control cavity so I couldn't adjust the output. I ended up trading it but would have liked to have kept it.
Definitely surprising! I loved my MusicMan, never a problem. D: Unfortunately selling mine to make room for a 5er...
My worst bass is the first bass I ever actually owned. It's a Squier P-bass special, and even though it's far better in finish and performance than a lot of other old Squiers, it's a high-action nightmare. This is the bass I learned to play on. I learned Hysteria on the thing before I realized that basses could have low action, and that I could lower it myself. My fingers are beastly now though.
Why do I still have this thing...?
I own it right now. The headstock is my Avatar(up ^ left < of post)
But it looks beautiful, has my name on it and was a gift from and very special singer.
So there it hangs in the studio. The list of things wrong and out of whack with it's playability are too numerous to list but I'll never utter a word of displeasure....except to my TB pals.
It is truly a "wall hanger, period"
But it looks beautiful, has my name on it and was a gift from and very special singer.
So there it hangs in the studio. The list of things wrong and out of whack with it's playability are too numerous to list but I'll never utter a word of displeasure....except to my TB pals.
It is truly a "wall hanger, period"
Well, I've never owned a "bad bass", per se, but probably the one that ranks lowest on my list.....I actually still own.
I was given a Squier Affinity P bass from a friend who bought it in one of those starter kits but gave up playing. It was neglected and abused, I renovated it/modified it for my son but he was more interested in my Schecter Raiden, so I gave him that one. I kept the Squier. Honestly, after going through it, the thing is really not a bad player, but when compared to my Schecter Diamond P and Carvin SB5000, it's the one I like the least. There's really nothing remarkable about it, although there's nothing bad about it either, and mostly it just sits.
At the risk of enduring the wrath of the Squier fans here, I'm glad it was given to me. It's certainly not a bass I would pay any money for.
I was given a Squier Affinity P bass from a friend who bought it in one of those starter kits but gave up playing. It was neglected and abused, I renovated it/modified it for my son but he was more interested in my Schecter Raiden, so I gave him that one. I kept the Squier. Honestly, after going through it, the thing is really not a bad player, but when compared to my Schecter Diamond P and Carvin SB5000, it's the one I like the least. There's really nothing remarkable about it, although there's nothing bad about it either, and mostly it just sits.
At the risk of enduring the wrath of the Squier fans here, I'm glad it was given to me. It's certainly not a bass I would pay any money for.
My worst basses? A bought a Squire P-bass once - purple with two jazz pups. Paid $100 for it. Awful bass in every respect.
The second that come to mind: a 1978 (or so) Gibson Les Paul Triumph bass. Very expensive bass with a messed up neck. Gibson finally put a new neck on it. Could not get rid of it quick enough.
Third would be all those other Gibson basses I bought before my first Fender, at least 10 in all.
The second that come to mind: a 1978 (or so) Gibson Les Paul Triumph bass. Very expensive bass with a messed up neck. Gibson finally put a new neck on it. Could not get rid of it quick enough.
Third would be all those other Gibson basses I bought before my first Fender, at least 10 in all.
Worst an Best at the time.....Twas all I had.
In the Philippine's tword the end of Vietnam
Marcos was still runnin the show, marshal law in the PI
It was an SG knockoff I bought in Olongapo City
Probably Korean
Still remember trying it out sitting open air in front of the shop while two PI policeman sat there with sub machine guns
I taught a few guys to play on that bass while on the ship
It got us by, though the neck was a Caterpillar......
Traded it for a "Plastic Fantastic" surfboard in 85
In the Philippine's tword the end of Vietnam
Marcos was still runnin the show, marshal law in the PI
It was an SG knockoff I bought in Olongapo City
Probably Korean
Still remember trying it out sitting open air in front of the shop while two PI policeman sat there with sub machine guns
I taught a few guys to play on that bass while on the ship
It got us by, though the neck was a Caterpillar......
Traded it for a "Plastic Fantastic" surfboard in 85
Ibanez SR300, my first. Other than me hating the tone, it's not a bad bass at all, but it's obviously a cheaper bass when compared to my better ones.
I still have the worst bass I've ever owned, and I'd rather not mention the make/model, because I am trying to sell it (for less than half of what I paid for it, mind you) - I'm not out to rip anyone off. This model was around the $750 mark when it came out. I'm trying to get $300 for it. It's remained in the same condition it's always been in, basically new. I just can't stand it. Runners up are the $200 Dean and LTD basses I have owned. I have since wised up about which basses I buy, and I own 3 killer basses that I play all the time. I hate how some of these companies take advantage of new players by offering such garbage.
My very first bass was awful. It had no name on the headstock, very high action, and a tree trunk for a neck. It cost me fifty bucks and after one month of enduring that POS I traded it in on a Hagstrom 8-string. That was in 1975 and I played it until 1984 when I got an Alembic Spoiler. I still have those two and recently got two new ones.
A 4-string Rogue. Such a quiet bass, frets jutting out, way-too high action. No real redeeming qualities other than the price...maybe
My first bass was a mij short scale "Norma" the action was so high it was really tough on my little fingers at 10 years old but I must say it sounded good and the frets were well dress for a $56.00 bass.Yeah that would be the worst but maybe only because I had zero clue about setting up a bass at that age.
2 come to mind.
1. Yamaha TRB1005. Horrible neck and electronics.
2. Godin 'somethin' Leaf 5 string p/j. Horrible neck and electronics.
1. Yamaha TRB1005. Horrible neck and electronics.
2. Godin 'somethin' Leaf 5 string p/j. Horrible neck and electronics.
My POS Squier P, put a Fender Jazz neck on it but it's still junk! However, it was my first and started my love for Fenders. 
