Things you'll never have GAS for again

[LoneFurrow]

2 hours ago, Marvin said:

Anything resembling a Warwick Corvette. I always GAS'd for one but after playing one...it was the most uncomfortable instrument I've ever tried to play,  so never  again.

I think I've combined at least two of the "never agains" above by buying a six string Warwick Corvette $$ fairly recently. On my list to avoid - anything by Gretsch. 

[paul_5]

Rickenbacker. Tried one once and it was just dreadful to play. 

In its defence it sounded awesome!

[Cat Burrito]

It goes full circle. I've recently been looking at acoustic basses, having got rid of my last one 12 years ago. I'm back on roundwound strings after 20yrs on flats and experimenting with effects. And having ticked the box on owning a Rickenbacker, my 2nd one I bought last year is something of a firm favourite. So I would certainly say never say never. 

[NancyJohnson]

This thread is a belter.

A definitive list from me would include:
Any Fender basses,
Any bass that's a sunburst or natural finish,
A proper head (or any make), much prefer a racked pre/power set up,
Heavy cabinets,
Flatwounds (this is a given, I've not used flats in 30+ years and that wasn't through choice)

Purchases aside, any band I join has to be friends and fun first, music second.  Learnt my lesson in 2017.
 

[fretmeister]

Heavy cabs

Heavy amps

Basses that weigh more than 8.5 lb

Playing in rock bands

Basses that have even a minuscule amount of neck dive

[Barking Spiders]

I'd like to get a Stingray,  Fender Jazz and Aria SB1000 all in natural finishes but I can't really justify shelling out that sort of wonga to myself when I'm only a hobby player and so need to kill off my lust for these this year. Other than that I think I'm all out of GAS for basses in general as I admit to myself what I have is  more than fine. Over the holiday period I barely touched any bass spending any spare time I had playing my new dobro.

[jezzaboy]

A keyboard. I bought a Casio, returned it a day later. Then I bought a nice Yamaha and realised after 2 days, Rick Wakeman Im not. Took quite a hit on it to.

 

A lot of replies re heavy gear. It has never bothered me in the past but a few weeks ago I had an "acute strain of the lower back" and my 11kg LH500 and 19kg ABM cab, is bloomin heavy when you have an injury, so I can add heavy gear to the list.

[paul_5]

Basses that aren’t any good for metal. 😉

[Osiris]

Any old Trace Elliot gear.

Weight issues aside, I bought a new 1215 SMX combo and 1153 extension cab back in the day and in the 15 years or so of owning it I just couldn't get a sound out of it that I thought was great, it was gutless and underpowered. On a good day it was mediocre at best. Plenty of folks still love them, but for me I can categorically say NEVER EVER AGAIN. 

The new Elf looks interesting though. 

[Roger2611]

As a few others have said, Warwick basses, Rickenbacker basses, 5 string basses, heavy amps / cabs / basses, jazz basses, basically if it ain't a Precision I don't want it!

[Brook_fan]

Anything electric- guitar, bass or otherwise.  I pick up an electric guitar these days and it’s alien to me.

Robbie

[Bobthedog]

A Musicman Stingray HH V. I was never able to get a sound out of it that I liked. Same for an Ibanez SR something I had for a short while as my first base, although to be fair that could also have been a result of my lack of ability as a complete newby.

[martthebass]

Another in the never buy a 5er again camp.  I've had 5 or 6 and never found them comfortable or necessary for me.  I'll find a good reason to have one in a couple of months and will have to berate myself yet again......

[Dazed]

Gas is inexplicable and seems to defy logic. At least in my case. 

I would say I’m off jazz basses, at least the fender shaped variety. 

I have no intention of again owning a heavyweight cab or head again. 

I should probably add fretless basses to this list. Four is four more than I actually need, having not touched any of them for a long time. 

Damn I need to have a clear out!! 

[Paul S]

Heavy cabs - can't see me changing from my Supercompacts unless Alex produces something in his laboratory that sounds the same but even lighter.

4 string basses.  I play 5 stringers now and already have three lonely 4 stringers, don't need any more.

Effects.  No longer use them.

Anything else is probably still in play.

[la bam]

Agree with the keyboards & synths!

Not only am i no good at playing them, its extra stuff ro cart around all the time for a 10 second keyboard chord!

[discreet]

• Basses using 'tonewoods'
• Expensive pickups (Entwistle are great)
• 5-string bass
• Massive rig
• Wal bass (can't afford one)
• 1960 Fender (ditto)
• Fretwrap (pointless)
• Ashtrays (have one set, just for photographs)
• Kazoo
• Comb

Edited January 2, 2018 by discreet

[Guest Jecklin]

I'll never have gas for a 2x15", 2x410 or combination of the two again.

Been there, done that.

Also valve amps. Used one briefly for a specific tone.

If a musical situation requires more volume than a set up I can get home with on the tube then it's not for me.

 

Basically gas free

[phil.c60]

Effects. Thought I wanted an Octabass, bought one, plugged it in and discovered I didn't . Took about 15 minutes to work that out, an it's been in a drawer ever since.

Jazz Bass - sold my 79 Jazz as it was just too heavy compared to my HotRod P and I also found the neck a bit too skinny for me.

Heavy gear - my Ampeg B200R combo sits ion the corner looking pretty. Since  I bought a Compact and a LM3 it never leaves the house. Every time I think I'll take it to  a local gig  with easy access because it looks nice I pick it up and then put it straight back down again.

A Wal - should have bought Leftybassamn's Mk 1 when it was for sale, didn't and now their even more money which I can't justify**

** This is subject to changes of mind from one day to another!

Edited January 2, 2018 by phil.c60

[PaulWarning]

Music Man Stingray

a Zoom B3 (much prefer the Zoom B1on)

Trace Elliot combo's (love the heads, I have two, but the combo's are just too heavy and cumbersome, somebody offered me one on free loan at the weekend, I turned him down)

 

[spongebob]

I wonder how many of these items will still turn up on the end of 2018 thread, 'stuff I shouldn't have bought, but still did'!

[TrevorR]

5-string basses... only ever played 4-strings and sometimes wondered, “Should I?” Funnily enough it was the much ridiculed SBL “Why you shouldn’t play a 5-string bass” video that crystallised for  me that I actually neither want nor need one.

Fretless basses - defretted a Jazz many, many moons ago and soon realised I was never going to put the hours (days, weeks, months) in to become anywhere near competent on it.

Rickys - love the look, love the sound, hate everything else about them.

Warwicks - as above except without the loving the looks and sound.

Oh and, like others, cabs seemingly made out of solid lead. #lovemymarkbass

Edited January 3, 2018 by TrevorR

[LewisK1975]

Yup, never say never.  But at the moment:

Anything apart from a 4 string.

Large/Heavy Amps / Cabs.

Basses with Jazz width nuts.  Minimum of 1.625in / 42mm required!

Separate effects pedals - The Helix has cured that one!

[Muzz]

Yep, a similar list to many of the above - the 'definitely nevers' are:

Heavy cabs (over 40lb) or amps (over 15lbs) or basses (over 8.5lbs).

Anything Rickenbacker or anything Jazz-shaped (and I'm conscious the latter rules out 40% of boutique basses)

Anything with a rosewood board (there's another 40% of basses ruled out)

5 strings and up (tho I'm definitely not ruling out 8 or 12s - they're not in the current wants, but they're in the 'never say never' list)

Anything wider than a 1.5" nut...

It occurs to me that this thread could turn into a very active swapshop... 

[EdLib-3]

On 1/1/2018 at 20:08, Graham said:

It sounds like thhe crappy bass was the issue, rather than the B string - but if you don't need it, you don't need it 😀

Very possibly. The low B on that bass was a slack, muddy sounding shocker. I can certainly see the value of the low B when you're doubling up keyboard lines and the like but 4 string basses do the job for me and I'm also trying to stay strong and reign in the bass acquisitions....