Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Totally garbage basses


Black Coffee
 Share

Recommended Posts

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1427313653' post='2728837']
I was going to say Jaydee too because I had a custom built one that had the most unstable neck of any bass I've ever played.
[/quote]
Really...thought it was just my isolated bad luck.

To be honest mine was spectacularly beautiful, the prettiest bass that I have ever owned. The neck was fine to begin with but bent like a banana after a few weeks.

I was desperately sad as I guess you were too! I still think they look amazing though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1427314772' post='2728880']
Nope...absolutely love my Warwick neck.
[/quote]

"Neck bow on a $$$$ hand-build bass" and "W" usually come together but that doesn't make them bad basses, if you have the luck to get a good one. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fender 70's MIM Jazz. Awful awful bass. Truss rod popped through the fretboard, even with a replacement neck its still a pile of cack.

Note to self. Dont buy a cheap bass from someone who advertises they've only had it a month and 'cant get on with it'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1427408679' post='2730174']
Wood can be so unpredictable as a material, it can simply come down to a one off dog. I once read of a player that spent insane money on custom Alembic with a dragon inlay and had to string it with crazy heavy gauge strings to keep the back bow in check.
[/quote]

Respectfully, that doesn't say much for Alembics follow up guarantee or customer care.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1427404370' post='2730095']
The worst bass I've played over the past few years was a flea bass. Tried 2 or 3 in the shop. Every one was a nasty pile of dog poop.
[/quote]

I've never heard anyone ever say something good about one of these. I've never played one but anything I've read or heard wouldn't encourage me to spend money on one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1426852942' post='2722703']
To be honest, I think at the moment a lot of the starter kit has got so much better from when I started playing guitar.

I'd avoid Encore though.
[/quote]
I got an encore p bass in a job lot of stuff I bought a while ago and was surprised by it. it was very playable and had a decent tone For a cheap bass. I sold it on for £50 cos i didn't need it but it was a perfectly good for a stater and I was tempted to keep it as a back up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in the 70's when I started, I had a Top Twenty Bass, by todays standards it was truly shocking. I upgraded to a Hondo Rick copy, which was better but by todays standards probably crap as well. In 1979 I bought the bass in my avatar, a s/h Fender P, which I still own and maybe about to bring out of retirement! I don't know how it compares to other 70's Fenders, but I like it and will probably never sell it.

Todays starter basses are so much better, I've got a few cheap basses and they're all really good. My favourite is my Harley Benton 50's P, total investment £140, which includes having the headstock re-shaped, some chromeware and a cheeky F****r decal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1427314702' post='2728877']
Really...thought it was just my isolated bad luck.

To be honest mine was spectacularly beautiful, the prettiest bass that I have ever owned. The neck was fine to begin with but bent like a banana after a few weeks.

I was desperately sad as I guess you were too! I still think they look amazing though.
[/quote]

Jaydee did have a period of real issues with the necks. Anything from the mid 80's was fine but towards the end of the 80's they went from being a one man operation to 10 people trying to keep up with the demand generated by Mark King. They were trying out some new ideas and the necks became notoriously whippy. I had an 84 model that was brilliant. When I sold it in 2008 the neck was still perfect. It had an amazing tone and the most brilliant ability to just play it with my left hand.

Its a shame about yours, but as I said, the early (and probably current ) ones are superb. They just look quite dated now. About 15 years ago you could pick them up second hand for £350-400. Now they've gone back up to £1200+

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='sbrag' timestamp='1427548189' post='2731628']
I got an encore p bass in a job lot of stuff I bought a while ago and was surprised by it. it was very playable and had a decent tone For a cheap bass. I sold it on for £50 cos i didn't need it but it was a perfectly good for a stater and I was tempted to keep it as a back up.
[/quote]

I dug mine out recently, E83 precision copy and my first bass. Despite having sat in a cupboard for 15 odd years it required surprisingly little effort to get it playing well. Have to say other than its obscene weight it feels and sounds really good. I'm so glad I dug it out, used it at a couple of rehearsals for the fun of it and it really is a decent bit of kit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can't say I've had many garbage basses,things like my Washburn ABT aren't great but in 87? I thought it was great (1st active :) ).

What was crap was the tulip shaped Kay out the catalogue :o :o :o 2nd bass and even then I knew it was junk and it was a supposed upgrade from some ancient Japanese semi hollow
with 3 strings,holes covered up by plywood nailed on,a pickup nailed in and the tuner pegs were missing so I used pliers :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only total dog I have come across was made by Stagg. I've no idea what the model was - it was a bland looking 'modern' bass.

(1) There was no shielding at all - the pickups were microphonic. Amusingly it also pickup up the wireless mic signal from the singer in the studio next door.

(2) The neck was about as stable as a slinky spring

(3) The nut was cut so that the strings were 3-4mm above the board making lower notes almost impossible to fret with speed

(4) The pots crackled and hissed something terrible

(5) The machine-heads were so loose there was no way it could hold tune through a whole song

The only good point was that it balanced on the strap quite nicely and was reasonably light.

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...