Always a mongrel?

[leftyhook]

OK the title is a strange one, but I an referring to pedigree/mongrel basses.

Not talking sound


What I mean is, you pick up a bass, is just feels [i]great[/i]

[i]another bass just feels....well...oooh no[/i]


[i]I sometimes wonder if it is just the action adjustment, a truss adjustment?[/i]

[b][i]Many of you have owned lots of Fenders, the benchmark of Bass manufacturers,[/i][/b]
[b][i]and said that they can vary a lot in playability.[/i][/b]

[i]How do you decide that it is just not worth taking, over "It'll be fine with a bit of TLC?[/i]

[neepheid]

I generally have to buy my basses at distance due to my location so I usually don't have the luxury you are talking about. The only thing I absolutely require is that the neck must be suitably chunky (no less than 40mm at the nut and a generous amount of wood front to back).

Once I get it, it's new strings and a full setup. Then if it doesn't work out I sell it on. Time consuming process, but it does mean I get to play a fair few basses and seeing as the vast majority of purchases have been second hand I haven't lost much money in the process.

I've found a few keepers in the process, I'm happy with my lot

If I do ever get the chance to try before I buy then a lack of compliance in the strings is a big turn off for me. If the strings are a chore to press down then I won't enjoy my try-out and even though it could possibly be fixed with different strings it is highly unlikely that I will buy the bass on the basis of that first impression.

[spinynorman]

Guitar shops frighten me to death. I'm sure if I go in some hotshot salesman will rush out and bully me into buying something I don't want. This is irrational, as whenever I have ventured into a guitar shop, I've found it hard to get anyone to sell me something I do want, or take any notice of me at all.

My relationship with basses is also irrational. I have an MIJ Precision that is the perfect go-to bass, works in every situation, light, easy to play, yet I don't love it. Several perfectly good basses have gone back on eBay after two gigs because they didn't sound quite right, yet I spent 9 months battling with the sound of my black Ripper before I traced the problem and fixed it. Something about it felt right, even when it sounded terrible.

Which is a long way of saying I don't know.

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='spinynorman' timestamp='1330685359' post='1561451']
Guitar shops frighten me to death. I'm sure if I go in some hotshot salesman will rush out and bully me into buying something I don't want. This is irrational, as whenever I have ventured into a guitar shop, I've found it hard to get anyone to sell me something I do want, or take any notice of me at all.

[/quote]

that because all the hotsh1t salesmen are only interested in telling you about their own gear (yes its in their bedroom and the shop showroom but its not for sale!!?? WTF) and showing off their own chops

a decent salesman will guage what is suitable and offer you sensible suggestions

[Doctor J]

I'm very particular about how I setup my basses and, as a result, very rarely go to shop to try them out because I'm more likely to be put off. Like neepheid, selection is thin where I live so I've bought a lot of basses from abroad without having ever played them. I'm generally comfortable with any 34" scale bass provided there's a forearm contour, so I don't worry about not getting on. The first thing I do is strip them down, clean and oil as appropriate, string them with my preferred brand and gauge of string and set them up the way I like. Once that's done, spend some time getting to know it, see what it can do and, after a few months, I know if it's a keeper or not. Within the same style of bass you do find some are better (to me) than others. I've had a few other Jazz basses pass through, like Sadowsky and Fender, but nothing has felt or sounded better than my ESP. When I got my Godlyke it became clear that my Stingray wasn't going to see a lot of playing time any more so I moved it on, despite liking it a lot. Even within bass types you like, there are individual ones which stand out and they're the ones you keep,

[Blademan_98]

If I am trying first then I will always walk away if it doesn't feel right. Having said that my Jaco bass was unplayable from the off and took weeks of fettling before being sorted!
Defeated my own argument

[shizznit]

I always try to keep an open mind when I am testing a bass in a shop. Some shops will set up an instrument as soon as it is delivered and others will just throw it up on the wall as soon as it comes out of the box. The guys at my local sometimes giggle when I try out basses because I either play very basic stuff or play badly because of the lousy set up. Try not to guess if you can live with it or not if you buy it and then set it up to your taste. If you pick up an instrument that sounds great but plays rubbish don't be afraid to ask the staff to set it up to how you like it and come back to it the next day and try again.

Also, don't be afraid to ask the staff if you can bring in your own amp to test a bass. If you are used to playing through a Genz amp on stage and find yourself using a 20w Starfire practice amp in the shop...stop! Come back with your own amp if there isn't a decent one there and try again.

Tip - always take a strap with you (or ask the shop for one) so that you can play and get a feel for the bass stood up.

[leftyhook]

The first thing I do before I even pick up a bass is press the strings down at the 12th fret. If it feels like a horse would struggle to hurdle the strings, I don't bother picking it up.

Lazy shop, lack of set-up,possible lost bass sale, definitely lost faith in staff.