Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Lovely bass but, nope, I just can't live with...


TrevorR
 Share

Recommended Posts

Relicing. Seems like cheating to me.

Pointy 80s-metal headstocks. Yamaha RBX200F is as far as I can go down that route, and I wouldn't have bought that if it had frets.

Acoustics. I can't play them, the body's too thick.

Anything with a skull painted on it; anything pretending to be a weapon.

Edited by alyctes
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1439211614' post='2840852']
Personal taste and aesthetics are a funny thing. I just wondered if there are any elements of bass design that folks just can't get past... Things that mar otherwise fabulous basses... For me there are three things.

The bridge on a Lakland. I have a chum who has the most lovely Lakland 5-string. Sounds amazing, plays like a dream but for some reasaon I just can't abide the look of the big oval back plate on the bridge. Same for all Lakland's models. I couldn't have one on my bass. Therefore, for me, gear options are cut down by one top maker just because it doesn't do it for me... Totally irrational, coz they are lovely basses.

Varnished fingerboards (and maple ones for that matter). Just never liked the feel of a varnished board or the look of maple over rosewood.

Modern single cuts. For some reason they almost all look wrong to my eye. I have a chum with an amazing Curbow single cut. Again plays great and sounds great but the look just puts me off. In fact I can only think of one single cut where I thought, cool looking bass - an Adamovitch played by the bassist in my nephew's band.

So what is it that, for no real good reason, puts you off a whole raft of bass designs?
[/quote]
You said exactly what I think about Lakland. Nice to look at, but the bridge looks tacky . ( ducks out of way;))

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't stand that stupid pickup cover on a Ric. Transparent white finishes that show the wood grain underneath, it reminds me of whitewash used on windows. Extended range basses with more than 6 strings, you might as well play the harp or a piano. The horrid bridges on Traben basses. Mudbucker pickups, fretless basses and the awful headstock on the D. Lakin basses. I'm sure there are more.

Edited by inate_hex
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dislikes, but never say never:

-Strangely, I like flamed maple, but can't stand quilted maple.
-Non-angled headstocks
-Square neck heels
-Gold hardware
-Oval pickups
-Too many knobs (eg Xotic J type)
-I don't mind a J style with no metal control plate, if it is done well (eg Celinder J Update) but when the scratchplate hasn't even been modified to suit, it looks lazy and wrong (eg Alleva Coppolo)

Tastes change though - my list would have been a bit different a couple of years ago.

Edited by Roland Rock
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Singlecuts for sure,
currently maple fretboards are a no no, having had a maple board Jazz which I stopped playing purely because of the shudder whenever I picked it up. I guess that may change at some point though..I must have liked em once to have bought one!
Can't say I'm a fan of big spadelike headstocks either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Headless. I can see the advantages, but I'd be afeared of falling off the end, so to speak. And small basses. And dark-coloured basses. I need all the help I can get to divert attention away from me and focus it on the bass... :D

And ^ active or other basses with multiple controls ^ . I've tried 'em and don't like 'em. Love the simplicity of one pickup, one volume, one tone. Anything else promotes a lot of time-wasting fiddling with your knobs. Either that or setting and forgetting... then what's the point?

Fretboard blocks. Went through a period of liking them, but prefer dots by far. Natural finishes. And yes, single cuts. Ones that look like a cross between a beluga whale and Pac Man. The G&L ASAT is OK, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Discreet is sounds like you need a Bright red or green T-bird mines the best thing for hiding behind in the world ;)

For me its small "modern" shaped bodies .. ala Ibanez or Warwick and I
fully expect to be stoned for this comment the post 51 P bass shape Love the sound HATE the look give me a slab any day.

My perfect bass looks like this but sounds nothing like it after trying one in wunjo's it was like a Musicman on helium

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SInglecuts - I'd like to like them but I just can't.

Headstocks. What a stupid, pointless waste of wood they are, unbalancing the bass and making it more likely you'll stick it in the singer's ear when you're playing or through the ceiling when you're taking it off and on. Especially those ludicrous Fender ones, twice as long as they need to be. I do have headed basses but I'd rather have headless, they make so much more sense.

Fewer than 5 strings. I want more choice with my fingering.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's some interesting posts here. I have to agree on some, like too many knobs and/or strings. And who on earth needs tuning heads the size of a wind-turbine? (Fender)

Not wanting to derail the thread, but here's my baby. Do you think It'd look good with a nice tort pick guard?

Edited by Grangur
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1439297768' post='2841627']
There's some interesting posts here. I have to agree on some, like too many knobs and/or strings. And who on earth needs tuning heads the size of a wind-turbine? (Fender)

Not wanting to derail the thread, but here's my baby. Do you think It'd look good with a nice tort pick guard?

[/quote]

Only if you ditch the gold hardware :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1439307890' post='2841761']
And add another string.
[/quote]

Yes, good idea. I've got a nice lump of wood I can screw to the side of the neck. Then I can add one of those single string bridges... mmmm you've got me thinking now. It does mean the top string would be fretless, but what the hell!?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1439308798' post='2841776']
Yes, good idea. I've got a nice lump of wood I can screw to the side of the neck. Then I can add one of those single string bridges... mmmm you've got me thinking now. It does mean the top string would be fretless, but what the hell!?
[/quote]

I have a Wilkinson 4+1 I could sell you. That would do the job nicely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...