Love the bass but its not perfect?

[bubinga5]

Just wondered if the bass you have is not quite the perfect bass, but you are still loving it... Maybe the Tone is there, but the looks arent quite what you want..Or the looks are there but the tone could be better..

Total playability with great looks, but the tone doesnt blow you away....Maybe you have it all...interested to hear what you think about your instrument... what are you willing to put up with because of different reasons...

[Schnozzalee]

Story of my life as a bassist:

I was content with a Cort A4 after I got it defretted by overwater but it lacked aggression, I owned a fretted A6 for the B (also fab but lacking aggression). Now I love my Marleaux Fretless, flawless... but its not a guitar . I no longer play bass in a band so although fretless makes it much more fun, I enjoy playing guitars alone.

I also loved my Bravewood '56 Precision being a rocker but as I can only afford one bass at a time - it really required that bridge jazz pickup at times.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Schnozzalee

[bubinga5]

Same here.. not one bass has been totally perfect... i rabbit on about how good they are, but there is always something..The SR5 was good but it wasnt shaped like a jazz.. i miss the Sei though..its being well looked after by a top player, which is good. The Modulus is damn close....

Edited December 21, 2010 by bubinga5

[Fat Rich]

There are a few curves on my Status S1s and S2s I think look a bit wonky but they sound and feel better to me than any other bass I've ever played which is what's really important.

The Fenders are a bit primitive but they're one of the best ways to get that classic vintage sound, took a lot of shopping around to get ones I was happy with though.

[retroman]

I guess the best workhorse bass I have is my Alembic Orion 5 string. Not too keen on the shape of the headstock, but as a player, its great. Lovely low action, slim profile neck, although the fret board is like an aircraft carrier landing deck, it's really easy to play. Lovely tone too, and very versatile. Looks wise, the Zebra wood body top and headstock facing, and the gold hard ware look really nice. Can be a little awkward on the balance front, thanks to the wide 5 string neck, but mostly very comfy to play

My old Rickenbacker 4001 is a very different animal to play to most basses out there. The neck is really skinny, and the outer strings are very close to the edge of the fret board, so it is very easy to push a string off the edge. Right hand positioning can be a little awkward if I haven't played it for a while, thanks the the massive bridge, and chrome pick up surround. Seems to manage to do the Ric clank thing with ease, but can produce some fat tones with the neck pickup tone control wound back. It's a heavy beast, and long rehearsals do result in back ache, and an aching shoulder.

My Squier Jazz is probably the most comfortable bass I have. Balances perfectly, action is quite low, and with the EMG pickups I fitted it does sound pretty good. Looks good with the CAR finish as well. Thinking of modding it further to make it look like a 60's Jazz

The 1976 Thunderbird I have is probably my favourite bass to look at. Just love the looks of the vintage 'birds, with the huge chrome pick up covers, the big old headstock with the reverse winding tuners. Tone wise it really only does the Tbird sound, and it's not as uncomfortable to play as a lot of people make out. Never gigged it, but use it quite regularly, and really enjoy playing it.

Gibson EB2 is no more than a toy hanging on the wall........It gives me a good laugh when I do play it, and to be fair, it's really nice to play. The super skinny short scale neck is a joy, but that huge mudbucker is only really good for raising a smile! Love the looks of it, with the crazed cherry nitro finish.

Gibson Les Paul bass is a good tool, and well built for a Gibbo. Comfy to play, and balances quite well, although it is rather heavy. Tone wise it can take a while to find a good tone, as it does seem to favour boomy low mids, but a bit of patience and it sounds cool. Certainly an interesting alternative to a P bass

[Mikey R]

hey Retroman, i really liked your gibsons! that eb2 is a monster!

[chris_b]

My blue quilted maple Lakland with birds-eye maple fretboard is great but if I had a magic wand it would become a 3 tone sunburst with a rosewood fretboard.

But I don't loose sleep over it!

[Jigster]

love my sandberg jm4 - blonde with tort pickguard - our guitarist saw it and said he wanted to be a bass player!!

ok, so it has great looks, no doubt, AND playability, but the Delano pick ups just seem to lack something - can't put my finger on it

[molan]

I'm really loving my '86 Monarch as an all round bass at the moment, playability, tone, feel, balance etc. but it has a zebrano top wood and matching headstock which isn't my favourite.

If I ever spot something similar with a different top wood I may be reaching rather rapidly for the cheque book. . .

[Cat Burrito]

I'm finally in the rare position where all my basses suit my needs and are tweaked to perfection

[Clarky]

Love my Fender Pino to bits but I wish I didn't have to take the neck off every time I need to tweak the truss rod (I know it comes with the territory with old Fenders and their replicas but what a design flaw!)

[Blademan_98]

I love my fretless but would like to put active pickups / circuitry in it

[retroman]

[quote name='Mikey R' post='1065955' date='Dec 21 2010, 05:43 PM']hey Retroman, i really liked your gibsons! that eb2 is a monster! [/quote]

If you're ever around the Derbyshire area, you're more than welcome to pop round for a brew, and play with my toys anytime

[neepheid]

I'm pretty happy with my current lot:

Epiphone Les Paul (Not So) Standard:

Pros: Love the looks, chunky neck, the addition of the selector switch nailed its worst flaw, 3EQ EMGs is about as far removed from the stock pickups as you can go, short of ACG filter pre
Cons: It's a little heavy, 3 point bridge sucks

Gibson G-3:

Pros: Love the looks, medium weight, chunky neck, simple passive bass
Cons: A bit beaten up, a three trick pony, some of the grub screws in the bridge are knackered, pearl dots on a maple board are hard to see.

G&L Tribute L-2000:

Pros: Wonderful flexibility of pickup selections, chunky neck, love the colour, quite simply the closest thing to perfection I have
Cons: Perhaps it's a little heavy, but I'm being super critical now.

Danelectro Hodad:

Pros: Light as a feather, 3 pickups with all options available, a sound all of its own, crazy looks,
Cons: Dunno how durable it'll be.

Gibson Victory Artist:

Too early to tell, I've only had it in one piece for a few hours and only played it for minutes. It won't knock the G&L from the "if you could only keep one bass" slot - it's too damn heavy! Love the looks, neck feels great (especially after the super smooth finish Rich has put on it), should have a decent range of tonal options, fully active/passive (as in the passive mode is bass/treble cut 0-10 and the active modes are bass/treble cut/boost +5/-5)

An overall pro point for all of these - they're not Fenders. I mean no offence by that comment, I simply strive to be wilfully different. I have owned a few of the bottom end of Fender's output (Squier P, J and Bronco) and they were usable enough instruments but they just didn't excite or interest me like the ones I have now do.

[Gust0o]

I love my Lakland DJ5 Jazz... but it is trying to kill me under the weight. I've gone from being a prop and being able to carry people without blinking, to now grumbling over the odd pound on the Lakland. Oh how the might have fallen!

Which assumes I was mighty, but hey ho...

I also love my MTD. I just worry that it makes me sound a complete twat - it's almost a little [i]too[/i] good for me. I see some nice vids of people on Youtube hitting the soul and jazz, with some bright clean sounds, all pop and hustle. And then you have me, wishing I was in Eyehategod, and probably sullying the whole thing by my presence.

[ThomBassmonkey]

My Warwick is brilliant and sounds great, but it gives me a quite dark tone, which can be useful but it's a very one trick pony for it. I'm already umming and ahhing about moving it on, even though I love it.

The action on my JJ5 is a little higher than my Warwick (it's still only around 2.5mm at 12th) and it annoys me, which is stupid because it's still fairly low and I'm a hard player, so I doubt even the lowest action basses could get much lower.

Edited December 21, 2010 by ThomBassmonkey

[Roland Rock]

My 78 precision is lovely but I wish the output signal was a bit stronger

[BottomE]

The Hamer Cruise Bass with CS vintage pickups always gets me going. Its as close as i have come to perfection. The stock PuPs were ok but it came alive with the CS PuPs and it looks and plays great. But - its limited in tone - the one drawback.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I'd like my mustang to be blue

[MikanHannille]

I want my 70's jazz bass to have a humbucker instead of a single coil on the bridge position.

[martthebass]

Of my small crew the Streamline is probably closest to perfection, great sound, playability, rock solid construction and balance. If I were to change anything I guess I'd like it to be a Stealth just to avoid some of the comments I get at some gigs.

The Ray 30th is also pretty close for me, to be perfection it would need to be an HS but that's being very picky.

My SR5 fretless needs some work to be perfect for me, I'd like it to be a pound and a half lighter! Of my 4 basses it's the least likely to survive 2011 with me.

Epiphone EB0......where do you start!

[Fullmetal]

My Fender MIM Deluxe Jazz is awesome in every way, but if I could I'd make it an MIA Deluxe Alas, income bans me from doing so.

[Raslee]

I've got a 4st jazz made up of an all parts maple neck with pearl inlays with Fender logo, i think a its mex lake placid blue body, Tort pickguard, Lindy PU's and a Badass and i gotta say it the the best jazz i've played and love it more than any Fender i've owned....its a freakenstein and not a 'real' Fender but i love it to bits (for now )

[risingson]

Really love my Fender Jazz but it currently plays like a dog, so much so I'm the only one who can play it with any level of success. I've tried setting it up myself as a quick fix (I've been very busy at the moment playing and recording) but the action is still far too high and the intonation up the neck is slightly out. Need to have it professionally looked at because I'm at my wits end with it, but I like the tone of the thing most of the time.

[steve-soar]

[quote name='risingson' post='1067143' date='Dec 22 2010, 07:52 PM']Really love my Fender Jazz but it currently plays like a dog, so much so I'm the only one who can play it with any level of success. I've tried setting it up myself as a quick fix (I've been very busy at the moment playing and recording) but the action is still far too high and the intonation up the neck is slightly out. Need to have it professionally looked at because I'm at my wits end with it, but I like the tone of the thing most of the time.[/quote]PM'd