Best current bass makers

[Guest jonnyj]

What, or who, do you consider to be the best bass maker in todays market.

Which manufacturer out there is currently making the best basses?

[Ou7shined]

Edited September 15, 2010 by Ou7shined

[tino]

[quote name='jonnyj' post='957733' date='Sep 15 2010, 09:42 PM']What, or who, do you consider to be the best bass maker in todays market.

Which manufacturer out there is currently making the best basses?[/quote]
MARTIN CLARK

[tino]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='957737' date='Sep 15 2010, 09:45 PM'][/quote]
Im going chubb fishing Sunday can you send me 2 tins PLease????

[Kev]

Its so subjective that not one answer anyone can give will be correct. But lets be honest, most are going to say a manufacturer that makes one of their basses

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='tino' post='957740' date='Sep 15 2010, 09:47 PM']Im going chubb fishing Sunday can you send me 2 tins PLease???? [/quote]


Of course my serious answer for the op would be G&L.

[Gust0o]

Harley Benton?

Argos?

[stingrayPete1977]

I think the EBS_Freaks GB basses are really well made and could be setup to how any one of us like them to play but then again they are not to my personal taste. Nothing gives me that much gas to need to buy a brand new model by any maker at the moment.Maybe +1 for the G&L if Im pushed, That SB1 that was about a few weeks ago was very tempting but then does that count if it was made in 1983?

Edited September 15, 2010 by stingrayPete1977

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='jonnyj' post='957733' date='Sep 15 2010, 09:42 PM']Which manufacturer out there is currently making the best basses?[/quote]

It doesn't really matter since you can never hear the bass player anyway. Just get a cheap one.

Unless you want a special-sounding bass for doing YouTube play-a-long videos.

[simon1964]

A can of worms indeed!

For me, the best mass producer would have to be Musicman. For custom builders, has to be Shuker.

IMO!

[simon1964]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='957778' date='Sep 15 2010, 10:18 PM']It doesn't really matter since you can never hear the bass player anyway.[/quote]

True - but if no-one can hear you, you can still try to look cool

Edited September 15, 2010 by simon1964

[JTUK]

I would say M Peterson is the best UK builder.. can't think of anyone I know of that is better.

and yes, that is why I have 3 of them.

[Guest jonnyj]

[quote name='Gust0o' post='957766' date='Sep 15 2010, 10:07 PM']Argos?[/quote]

winner

[Guest jonnyj]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='957778' date='Sep 15 2010, 10:18 PM']It doesn't really matter since you can never hear the bass player anyway. Just get a cheap one.

Unless you want a special-sounding bass for doing YouTube play-a-long videos.[/quote]

eh?

[51m0n]

I'm going to stick with tradition and say my one is the best, Roscoe, so there....

Who knows, the fact is, with all the Fender prevalence it will probably be a 2015 Made In Uzbekistan Precision.....

Philistines the lot of them

[Chris2112]

I'd have to say Kubicki...as usual! Get your hands on one and keep it as they're getting harder to find now and Phil will be retiring one day! But by all means play it, these things aren't meant to live in cupboards and closets!

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='jonnyj' post='957805' date='Sep 15 2010, 10:35 PM']eh?[/quote]

SRSLY. Get a bass that you look cool wearing, it's more important than what it sounds like.

Unless you're in Rush or something, which you aren't, because that skinny Canadian geezer is in Rush.

[Guest jonnyj]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='957905' date='Sep 16 2010, 12:41 AM']SRSLY. Get a bass that you look cool wearing, it's more important than what it sounds like.

Unless you're in Rush or something, which you aren't, because that skinny Canadian geezer is in Rush.[/quote]

...............ok..................................................... :wacko:

[molan]

I'm not sure that "best bass maker" & "future collectibles" necessarily go together?

A hell of a lot of collectible basses are in that position because the original maker is dead / gone bust / gave up making them any more etc.

Some of these might actually be very good but others aren't so great in terms of playability, sound & build quality. . .

[cocco]

I agree with molan. Although G&L gets my vote. I think the L2000 and ASAT basses are amazing. Pluslets not forget the pedigree.

[EBS_freak]

Just to clarify - are we talking "bass makers" (as in those that assemble basses - basses that are typically built from CNC manufactured parts) or "luthiers" (those that make them by hand)?

[BigRedX]

Two completely separate questions really.

1. There is no best bass. Just the best bass for whatever music you happen to playing. Only you can decide that. However it's fairly easy to decide. Just go and play lots of basses and buy the one you like the best.

2. Future collectables. Much harder to work out. I'd look for something that has followed the Wal pattern:

a) Is no longer being made or is now made by different people/in a different way/in a different place.
b) Has a couple of high profile users (even if they are really only well known to other bassists).
c) Not mass-produced, but has been made in reasonable numbers.
d) There is a consistency of features between different basses of the same model.
e) Has something unique about them that isn't available on other basses.
f) Isn't already massively expensive.

As to what they might be, that's the gamble! I'd start by looking for well known bass players who aren't playing Fenders or their clones see what they are playing and go from there.

[tauzero]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='958026' date='Sep 16 2010, 09:28 AM']As to what they might be, that's the gamble! I'd start by looking for well known bass players who aren't playing Fenders or their clones see what they are playing and go from there.[/quote]
Close - I'd say you need to look for well-known bass players who are playing something so crap that no-one else would touch it with a bargepole. Look what it did for the detestable Hofner violin bass.

[charic]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='958026' date='Sep 16 2010, 09:28 AM']Two completely separate questions really.

1. There is no best bass. Just the best bass for whatever music you happen to playing. Only you can decide that. However it's fairly easy to decide. Just go and play lots of basses and buy the one you like the best.

2. Future collectables. Much harder to work out. I'd look for something that has followed the Wal pattern:

a) Is no longer being made or is now made by different people/in a different way/in a different place.
Has a couple of high profile users (even if they are really only well known to other bassists).
c) Not mass-produced, but has been made in reasonable numbers.
d) There is a consistency of features between different basses of the same model.
e) Has something unique about them that isn't available on other basses.
f) Isn't already massively expensive.

As to what they might be, that's the gamble! I'd start by looking for well known bass players who aren't playing Fenders or their clones see what they are playing and go from there.[/quote]

Warwick?
Shuker?
As much as it pains me Ibanez?

Stingrays and fenders are already and I expect thatll continue.

If ACG became collectable I'd be pretty happy lol (already am but still!)

[BigRedX]

[quote name='charic' post='958258' date='Sep 16 2010, 01:20 PM']Warwick?
Shuker?
As much as it pains me Ibanez?

Stingrays and fenders are already and I expect thatll continue.

If ACG became collectable I'd be pretty happy lol (already am but still!)[/quote]
Warwicks, maybe, but only German made ones and only from certain periods.

I'd say that ACG fits more of the collectable criteria than Shuker (except the JJB Signature) as most ACG basses have certain defining and unique features the most notable being the filter pre-amp. Shukers have too many differences between individual basses for there to be a definitive Shuker style. Same goes for Sei - fantastic basses but they are all too different.