Bored in the car: tone OR playability - you can only choose one...

[Cato]

I can't call it.

If I don't like my tone I'm not going to enjoy playing, but if the bass is badly set up I'm going to be frustrated by that too.

Good job it's all hypothetical.

[Ghost_Bass]

Playability, every time.
I find that any bass i pick up will eventually end up sounding like me so the tone part is taken care of. Even if it's a really bad tone it can be upgraded to sound better. A bass that's a love child of a sledgehammer and a cricket bat can't be upgraded to feel nicer.

[bassbiscuits]

Tone definitely. I've had super playable basses in the past, but their tonal shortcomings did my head in.

I'd make the effort to coax stuff out of a harder to play bass if the sound it produced was worth the effort.

If the sound isn't making you want to play, its never going to bring out the best in your playing, in my opinion.

[bassbiscuits]

[quote name='Moos3h' timestamp='1459792476' post='3019700']
Hi all,

Post a depressing visit to Bass Direct, I was spending the 1hr 30 in the car on the way back wondering...if you could ONLY have a bass that played like heaven OR sounded like it, which would you choose?

I think it's playability for me, I mean, even the worst of basses sounds roughly like a bass, right? As long as it plays well, I could see me coping with it but so many basses that I tried today sounded INCREDIBLE but played in a way I disliked.

It's all personal preference, so I don't expect us to be able to define what's good tone and bad tone and/or what defines 'plays well' (the forum would implode if we all agreed) but I'm curious to know.

Cheers,
James
[/quote]

why was the visit depressing btw?

[cheddatom]

You know the "I sound like me on every bass" argument? Well I think it's mostly balls. If you mostly play folk on a P with flats into a clean amp, and then I ask you to try slapping on my J with rounds through a distorted amp, it's not going to sound like the same bassist at all. Maybe a lot of us bassists like to just have one sound? In which case, fair enough! But I have loads of sounds. How could I possibly say "it always sounds like me" when actually it always sounds different!?!

[sunburstjazz1967]

Why not just enjoy both bad tone and bad playability by buying a Rickenbacker?

:-D

Edited April 5, 2016 by sunburstjazz1967

[xgsjx]

I didn't vote because it depends.

If you're playing to an audience, then if the bass sounds crap,no amount of playability is gonna get you a good sound & will end up making you a retired bassist.

If you're a home player, then playability is likely gonna be the preferred choice.

[colgraff]

Playability every time. Tone can be synthesised / faked more readily.

[xgsjx]

[quote name='colgraff' timestamp='1459875969' post='3020511']
Playability every time. Tone can be synthesised / faked more readily.
[/quote]
That's a good point.
You can put it through an octave such as an OC2/3 with no dry sound & then some dirt & filters & you'll have yourself synthy goodness.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1459878993' post='3020558']
That's a good point.
You can put it through an octave such as an OC2/3 with no dry sound & then some dirt & filters & you'll have yourself synthy goodness.
[/quote]

Or far more conveniently you could just buy yourself a cheap synth.

[Moos3h]

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1459865334' post='3020359']


why was the visit depressing btw?
[/quote]

Ah, maybe it was my mood but NOTHING I played felt 'right'. I guess I've put in a lot of hours on my OLP so it feels like home but even playing some silly expensive models was frustrating and left me feeling very flat and dejected.

I'll try again, have no fear

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='Moos3h' timestamp='1459892836' post='3020706']
Ah, maybe it was my mood but NOTHING I played felt 'right'. I guess I've put in a lot of hours on my OLP so it feels like home but even playing some silly expensive models was frustrating and left me feeling very flat and dejected.

I'll try again, have no fear
[/quote]

Not spending loads of money and discovering you prefer the gear you already have is never a bad thing... I'd regard your trip as a triumph.

[xgsjx]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1459884787' post='3020634']
Or far more conveniently you could just buy yourself a cheap synth.
[/quote]
But there's something satisfying about playing synth sounds on a bass (says the guy who is now having fun playing keys).

[KevB]

One man's perfect tone is another man's grating noise but a bass that's a pig to play is always going to be a problem so I'd go for playability.

[Moos3h]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1459925369' post='3020813']
Not spending loads of money and discovering you prefer the gear you already have is never a bad thing... I'd regard your trip as a triumph.
[/quote]

Get out.

[discreet]

I've retracted my vote, I don't see why you can't have both. Why are we having to choose again?

[quote name='Moos3h' timestamp='1459934199' post='3020918']
Get out.
[/quote]

Edited April 6, 2016 by discreet

[Guest MoJo]

I've gone for playability as I get a usable tone out of almost any bass

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1459934258' post='3020920']
I've retracted my vote, I don't see why you can't have both. Why are we having to choose again?




[/quote]

I never voted at all. I don't believe in 'plays like butter' or in 'tone of the gods' so I reject both options.

[cheddatom]

it's just a bit of fun isn't it? Like "Would you rather eat a raw badger OR watch your parents have sex? You HAVE to choose one"

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1459941419' post='3021038']
it's just a bit of fun isn't it? Like "Would you rather eat a raw badger OR watch your parents have sex? You HAVE to choose one"
[/quote]

No, really, you don't have to.

[discreet]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1459941419' post='3021038']
it's just a bit of fun isn't it? Like "Would you rather eat a raw badger OR watch your parents have sex? You HAVE to choose one"
[/quote]

Can I have sex with a raw badger and eat my parents instead?

Edited April 6, 2016 by discreet

[cheddatom]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1459942657' post='3021055']
Can I have sex with a raw badger and eat my parents instead?
[/quote]

[keefbaker]

Tone. Because it doesn't matter a sh*t how it plays when it's recorded.

[Ghost_Bass]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1459937822' post='3020984']
I never voted at all. I don't believe in 'plays like butter' or in 'tone of the gods' so I reject both options.
[/quote]

Here you go:



Not only plays like butter but it's also a Precision. Case closed!


Edit: [s]no pic... i'll take care of that[/s] done!

Edited April 6, 2016 by Ghost_Bass

[EssentialTension]

Excellent