Pete Academy Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 How do you decide on the bass for you when you try it? What factors are involved? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Initially it's the aesthetics. Then it's a combination of weight,balance,neck feel,tone...pretty much everything is an important factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted January 20, 2011 Author Share Posted January 20, 2011 Same here. I have a certain sound in my head and expect the bass to do it immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 [quote name='Doddy' post='1096783' date='Jan 20 2011, 08:49 PM']Initially it's the aesthetics.[/quote] A point not stated enough. Of course this is 100% true. We all focus on what occurs afterwards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted January 20, 2011 Author Share Posted January 20, 2011 Looks are important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 (edited) What Doddy said.. although if certain factors are 100% i will let others slide a little.. every basses tone has its own peronality, so maybe one has to bend our ideal tone somewhat. Edited January 20, 2011 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cytania Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 1) Heft, neither filled with helium nor screwed to the floor. 2) Neck, frets don't cause any bleeding. 3) Thumb finds a resting place, palm rests on the bout. 4) Earthy no nonsense finish. 5) Rests on knee seated, no hands. 6) Thud, pluck a string it's alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1096774' date='Jan 20 2011, 08:46 PM']How do you decide on the bass for you when you try it? What factors are involved?[/quote] I filter out all of the non starters before I start trying - there are body shapes, colours and manufacturers that I just won't entertain - I don't care if it's fantastic, I am not buying a bright pink bass shaped like a lightning bolt! I ignore the inevitable masturbatory slap demo and do my best to appear appreciative and interested. I set the amp flat and try out the tones available on the instrument - I'm not interested in buying the amp after all... Recently, with the addition of inbuilt effects and modelling, this has become harder to achieve so I've taken to insisting on a plain amp which doesn't always go down too well. I'll pay close attention to my LH - am I stretching to reach notes? If so is it a stretch that I can sustain over a period of time? Am I struggling to find the strings with my RH? Does the neck profile fit my hand nicely even at the 'dusty end'? I'll always insist on playing it standing up AND sitting down - does it feel comfortable or does it feel like I'm sat there with an Ikea coffee table in my lap? Does the bass stay put or do you have to hold it in place when you play standing up? Weight doesn't matter that much to me but I'll mention it here just to make a complete set because one day I will inevitably become weak and feeble... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Looks, neck comfort, weight and a bit of unplugged sustain. If it's got all these I can always change the pickups and strings to make it a goer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I check my bank balance and if the misses is in a good mood........ THEN I see if it looks cool. Then, if I can play it and feels comfortable I tend to buy it. Well that's how it went with the two basses I have actually bought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73Jazz Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 If there is a 7ender on headstock!If so, everything else will follow For tone, i first intensively check basses unamplified Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 [quote name='Doddy' post='1096783' date='Jan 20 2011, 08:49 PM']Initially it's the aesthetics. Then it's a combination of weight,balance,neck feel,tone...pretty much everything is an important factor.[/quote] +1. It's absolutely true that for me aesthetics are hugely important. If I don't like the look of a bass I probably wouldn't buy it if it was the most amazing thing on the planet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikanHannille Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Looks then comfort then tone. That's why I always end up with basses that looks bigger than me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I check to see if it's got a humbucker in the right place and 2 funny little men with stripy trousers on the headstock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Sam Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 [quote name='icastle' post='1096867' date='Jan 20 2011, 09:47 PM']I filter out all of the non starters before I start trying - there are body shapes, colours and manufacturers that I just won't entertain - I don't care if it's fantastic, I am not buying a bright pink bass shaped like a lightning bolt! I ignore the inevitable masturbatory slap demo and do my best to appear appreciative and interested. I set the amp flat and try out the tones available on the instrument - I'm not interested in buying the amp after all... Recently, with the addition of inbuilt effects and modelling, this has become harder to achieve so I've taken to insisting on a plain amp which doesn't always go down too well. I'll pay close attention to my LH - am I stretching to reach notes? If so is it a stretch that I can sustain over a period of time? Am I struggling to find the strings with my RH? Does the neck profile fit my hand nicely even at the 'dusty end'? I'll always insist on playing it standing up AND sitting down - does it feel comfortable or does it feel like I'm sat there with an Ikea coffee table in my lap? Does the bass stay put or do you have to hold it in place when you play standing up? Weight doesn't matter that much to me but I'll mention it here just to make a complete set because one day I will inevitably become weak and feeble... [/quote] I think you just about got it covered here but from someone who IS weak and feeble, weight definitely comes higher on my list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 For me its firstly, is it a Precision Secondly, is the neck comfortable, does my left hand ache after playing it for a while (difficult in music shops I know, but if I`m spending £500+ I want to try the bass out for at least 30mins). Standing, does it have severe neck dive - I can live with a bit of inbalabce, but my experience with Epiphone Thunderbirds put me off of basses with neck dive). Colour - there are simply colours which I`m not keen on, that said however, if a bargain comes along, and it plays great, I`ll likely get over this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 [quote name='icastle' post='1096867' date='Jan 20 2011, 09:47 PM']I'll always insist on playing it standing up AND sitting down - does it feel comfortable or does it feel like I'm sat there with an Ikea coffee table in my lap?[/quote] I use the same technique when shopping for coffee tables... For me, tone is less important. Actually, that's not what I mean at all. Tone is very important - I'm just less bothered about that particular bass matching some perception of tone that I have in my head. Even then, it depends. If I am trying out a Fender Jazz or one of it's derivatives then I expect it to sound a certain way (within reason!). But there are some basses I've tried (not always expensive ones) where the tone has just made me go "Wow!". Sometimes though, the kind of tone that makes you go "Wow!" in a shop can become rather wearing in a band situation... Balance is very important. Having had a number of neck-heavy basses I know how much I hate it. I'm a big bloke, so the weight of the bass is a smaller factor - as long as it balances well... Controls and ease of use. I want to play bass not pilot the space shuttle. Too many knobs and switches that I can catch while playing and alter the sound is not good. Not that I'm saying a P bass is the way - but that controls can sometimes be badly positioned. To be honest, I will have already pondered the physical looks of the beast before I ask to try it. Having said that, I am quite open-minded about body shape, colour and so on. After all, I play a Status! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 [quote name='Conan' post='1097078' date='Jan 21 2011, 08:00 AM']I use the same technique when shopping for coffee tables... [/quote] Do you take your own guitar strap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 [quote name='icastle' post='1097276' date='Jan 21 2011, 11:30 AM']Do you take your own guitar strap? [/quote] Always! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleblob Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 [quote name='Doddy' post='1096783' date='Jan 20 2011, 08:49 PM']Initially it's the aesthetics. Then it's a combination of weight,balance,neck feel,tone...pretty much everything is an important factor.[/quote] I think that pretty much covers it. Ofcourse the look is the initial thing that'll get me interested in an instrument, unless it's such a unique sound or high quality instrument that the look becomes secondary. For me it's then do I think it's worth the price to me and assuming it is then it's whether everything else on the instrument fits what I like in an instrument. For me I like the neck not being too thin, I want a contoured body, modern sound and I like something that's a little individual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 The look counts a lot! One of the best sounding basses i had in my hands was a Kubicki ex-factor but i simply hate it's looks and won't get caught with one... The order: Looks - the first thing every body does is to look at the bass even before it's in your hands. Weird looks put's me off but i've changed my mind in the past about certain looks and started to like them, eventualy, due to the basses sound; Weight - the first thing everybody notices when it reaches your hands; neck/scale/feel/tone - that first play you give it before pluggint it in to an amp can decide if it goes back on the shelf. The neck has to be comfortable and feel right in your hands, no fret buzzing (a setup should have been made by the shop or no sale for them), no neck dive, nice string spacing and support for the right hand. I'll give it some slaps and pops to see if it's easy to achieve without changing any right hand techniques; Sound - Plug it on the amp (everything flat) and see if it sounds like what i'm looking. Fidle the knobs and see if it is capable of a wide tonal range and if that sound i was looking for is there; Finish - If it reches this stage that bass is almost a keeper. I'll unplug it and take a very close look at it's hardware, pickups, fittings, finishes. Basicly look for any signs of sloppy construction or cheap materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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