Basses You've Owned and Hated

[Woodinblack]

7 minutes ago, Chris2112 said:

I would love to see Alan use more bright amboyna burl, sycamorr and flamed maple in future and put a bit of colour back into things. I suppose the choices are made by the customer, in the end. 

They are - you can ask for what you want so what you are seeing is what his customers want. There is a list of the woods he has (including flamed maple), and I am sure if there was something specific you wanted he would look into it. 

If you scroll through http://archive.acguitars.co.uk the overall impression is that half the basses are light and half are dark.

[Linus27]

I think the only bass I have owned and really hated was a Status Shark. Bought it from the Bass Centre in Wapping and they very kindly took it back and I exchanged it for something else.

I did also buy a brand new 2011 German Warwick Streamer LX and it was a lovely bass but at £1800, it was poorly made. The pickup fell out and the jack socket needed replacing all within a year. It was very light as well and felt like it was going to break at any moment. I think this also contributed to it sounding thin and gutless although it was a lovely tone, just very weak. I loved it but I was so disappointed, especially as it was £1800. In comparison, I borrowed an early 2000 Warwick Streamer and this was a totally different beast, big, fat, punchy and built like a tank.

Edited January 5, 2019 by Linus27

[BassAgent]

There are only two that I've owned and haven't enjoyed playing:

This was a 1997 MIM Deluxe Jazz V. The preamp was rubbish (so I took it out, made it passive), the pickups were rubbish (so I replaced them with Nordstrands) and it weighed a million pounds. Sold it.


Guild M85, was an impulsive moment for me and I shouldn't have bought it. Me being a Fender-ish kind of person and this being something totally different meant my hands hurt after an hour of playing. Couldn't get a sound out of it that I liked, either. Traded it for my Fender VI, which was a great deal

[Guest]

I’ve had so many basses that I’ve bought based on the sound I thought they should have, but were very disappointing. Wal mk1 - I probably wasn’t good enough at the time but it sounded distinctly ordinary. I had a Mk3 made years later when I was a much better player. It weighed a ton and sounded no better than the first one!

I also owned an MTD that was very nice, but like every MTD I’ve tried since, there was a big dead spot on the neck - sad to say as they make some incredible instruments otherwise.

Jaydee Celeste. Horrible, horrible instrument which I got part exchanging a Status series 2 - which was, by the way, a fabulous instrument...

Warwicks - I’ve had plenty and whilst the wood combinations and bell brass frets produce a unique sound, they’re an ergonomic nightmare - poor balance unless a 4 or ridiculously heavy and the stock eq is rather anaemic. And the barrel jack is rubbish!

Never tried a Fender 5 with a convincing B string, I owned a US deluxe and got rid of it in a few months, as I did another 90’s US Deluxe V I bought a few years earlier. Hold on, there’s a pattern appearing 😃

[Bob Lord]

most of the basses i've had that were a bit crap, I can forgive because they were usually cheap or odd, and I knew that when I got them:

Epiphone Explorer - looked cool (if you like that sort of thing) sounded dogger, fell off the kitchen work surface and broke. Low E popped out of the nut the first time I used it at a gig

Aria Pro 2 STB - my first bass. Made of plywood. Not a great Aria like John Taylor or Cliff Burton. A cheap beginner one. Looked cool. All white. Sounded crap although I wasn't experienced enough to know just how crap. Was cheap tho.

I bought a 'red rickenbacker 4003' from a guy in Wakefield, via Loot in 1997. I turned up expecting a ruby one like Bruce Foxton. But turns out it was an 80s one with all the black trim. I bought it anyway (it was only 440 quid, which was cheap for a Ricky even then) but was always disappointed it wasn't what I expected. Sounded great, but I never loved it - resented its stupid 80s colour scheme. I didn't even realise they made them in such awful colours. And i'd gone there expecting to meet THE ONE

 

[matski]

On 01/01/2019 at 16:38, Marvin said:

My first bass, a Westone Soectrum II, was little more than firewood with strings on it. An awful bass in every respect.

I read that as a Westone Scrotum II.

Judging by your description it was a load of bollocks, to be fair...

[NickD]

I always, as far back as I can remember, wanted a Warwick Corvette 5. I wish I'd left it as a fantasy.

It was a beautiful piece of Ash, but appeared to have a lead core, or at least iron. Also (and I should have guessed from the shape) it was an awful thing to play on a strap, sat down it would have been fine were it not so gutless. Previously I'd panic bought a Chinese Streamer (Stleamer?) 5 when I suffered an electrical meltdown on my only fiver at the time and needed a cheap bass to get me out of a spot, and that seemed to me a much better bass, in both playability and sound compared to the genuine article.

[Guest MoJo]

On 27/12/2018 at 17:35, lownote12 said:

Yamahas... never had a good un.

 

Never had a bad 'un (and I've had a lot)

[WHUFC BASS]

37 minutes ago, MoJo said:

Never had a bad 'un (and I've had a lot)

Agreed ... they're pretty consistent and I've owned two TRB 5s, a BB1100s and an RBX. All sounded great, very playable and built to a very high standard.

[Chris2112]

On ‎08‎/‎01‎/‎2019 at 16:59, NickD said:

I always, as far back as I can remember, wanted a Warwick Corvette 5. I wish I'd left it as a fantasy.

It was a beautiful piece of Ash, but appeared to have a lead core, or at least iron. Also (and I should have guessed from the shape) it was an awful thing to play on a strap, sat down it would have been fine were it not so gutless. Previously I'd panic bought a Chinese Streamer (Stleamer?) 5 when I suffered an electrical meltdown on my only fiver at the time and needed a cheap bass to get me out of a spot, and that seemed to me a much better bass, in both playability and sound compared to the genuine article.

I generally like Warwick but I've never really liked the Corvette. I don't have anything against it, but I've never played one that felt good. The worst was a five string FNA in 'amber violin' colour (I think that was the name of the finish). I played it in a shop and got the 'so are you buying it?' question when I handed it back. I didn't much like the clubby neck and the lifeless tone, but I did remark to the sales guy that the strings were beyond dead and the setup was off. I came into the shop next week and saw a fresh set of strings so I tried it again  - the bass sounded brighter but not really any livelier. It was probably more disappointing the second time around!

 

 

[SamPlaysBass]

Sire V7 Marcus Miller 5 string. Again, it’s not hate, but disappointment. I’d read all the rave reviews on forums and waited patiently as the back order was filled and eventually it arrived. I told myself it was as great as the reviews made it out to be, but I genuinely expected a £1000+ instrument for £300. What I had was a £300 instrument for £300. The neck finish was sticky, it had paint defects that had been touched up badly and the chunkiest neck I’d ever played. Sounded great and the EQ section was clever, but really it was very average. Maybe a tad below average, but the pickups and EQ helped it out a lot. Sold it after a year and after buying a Fender Jazz Professional 5, which is my favourite bass of all time. 

 

Also, Ibanez SR500. It was devoid of any personality. Despite its Bartolini pickups and beautiful finish, it was just a few pieces of wood with some wires attached. My Mexican Jazz on the other hand was pure magic by comparison even with a crappy bridge and pickups. You can change those but you can’t give a personality transplant. 

 

Lastly, G&L L2000. Technically brilliant, but hard work to play (awkward nut, chunky neck) and pickups that could set fire to preamps. Not hate, I just don’t think I was the right player for that bass.  

[danny-79]

Hate might be a bit of a strong word but my least favourite bass I’ve ever had I still own. Fender Jazz D model. 

Then it comes time to play it and it’s not that bad actually 🤪

[2elliot]

Trace Elliot T Bass 5 string. Beautifully built... totally soulless.  

[tauzero]

I've only hated one bass - my first, a Rosetti 7 hollow-body which I bought in about 1971 for £2. It was overpriced. Papier-mache body, crap neck.

[Kamiel]

I've had an Epiphone Thunderbird and I hated it. Strangely enough I think that I would like a Gibson Thunderbird, or could like it at least. I really don't know why I hated it cause it should be something I could like but it just didn't do it for me... Neck dive, bad finish, some other minor stuff...

[peteb]

On 27/12/2018 at 17:40, gary mac said:

Wouldn't go as far as saying that I hated it but after lusting after an Alembic for years, I finally purchased one at the Bass Centre in Wapping. Within a few days I knew that it wasn't for me, persevered with it for a few weeks and finally phoned the Bass Centre, who were very understanding and said they would be happy to exchange it. A few days later I was back up there and a couple of hours later left with a very lovely P Deluxe, which I still have. Still miss that shop

Funnily enough, I caught the train down to the Bass Centre in Wapping many years ago with every intention of spending every penny I owned on an Alembic (an Epic if I remember correctly). I didn’t get as far as plugging it in – as soon as I picked it up, I knew that it wasn’t for me (I ended up getting a Warwick Streamer LX instead).

The basses I’ve actually owned and hated:

1.       A Rickenbacker copy when I was a kid – a lot of my heroes played Ricks, leading me to buy a Rick copy when I was about 15. Awful bass – somewhat put me off Ricks for life, which was only reinforced when I played a mate’s genuine one many years later (the worst expensive bass that I have ever played).

2.       Guild Pilot – didn’t really hate this but it had a twisted neck, which no one could do anything about despite many efforts. Sounded great and looked great (for its time – it was the 80s after all) but was a dog to play because of the neck issue.

3.       Yamaha (can’t remember the model) – bought to replace the Pilot – sounded weak compared to its predecessor and was difficult to set up and very uninspiring to play, although I do know someone who sought one out secondhand and insists that they are very collectable (apparently). I thought it was cr*p and couldn’t wait to get rid…

[bassbiscuits]

On 16/01/2019 at 21:43, tauzero said:

I've only hated one bass - my first, a Rosetti 7 hollow-body which I bought in about 1971 for £2. It was overpriced. Papier-mache body, crap neck.

Ha ha don't mince your words fella!

[Soledad]

On 31/12/2018 at 18:07, stu_g said:

I had an EB3 also I think it was a 1976,i always wanted one but the neck dive and tone made me sell it  in the end.

Found this thread by accident, but I need to talk about my EB3 (a late '60s, cherry). Jack Bruce was playing one, Glenn Cornick (Jethro Tull), the guy in Colliseum, Andy Frazer (Free), some good players. All I could ever get from it was a woolly soft bass, or a truly ugly mid-range grunt - think toilet sounds. Bridge was a joke. Balance was also sh*t, v head heavy.
I think Gibson did more than anyone else to kill off short scale for a decade or so, by making basses that sounded so bad. Why is it Gibson just never ever got how to make a good bass?
(Never tried a Thunderbird mind - looks stupid but Entwhistle played one so can't be so bad?).

The mad thing is I recently happened to play one of those short scale P copies off eBay (£70 new) - it sounds proper good and totally blows an EB3 out the water.

So EB3 is the bass I most hated (by a good distance). Ricky 4001 is the one I wanted to love but it wouldn't let me.

And we need to talk about Dan Armstrong.

Edited February 14, 2019 by Soledad

[Woodinblack]

47 minutes ago, Soledad said:

Found this thread by accident, but I need to talk about my EB3 (a late '60s, cherry). Jack Bruce was playing one, Glenn Cornick (Jethro Tull), the guy in Colliseum, Andy Frazer (Free), some good players. All I could ever get from it was a woolly soft bass, or a truly ugly mid-range grunt - think toilet sounds.

Yes, but that is exactly what it sounded like when they were playing it - that was the sound.

47 minutes ago, Soledad said:

Bridge was a joke. Balance was also sh*t, v head heavy.
I think Gibson did more than anyone else to kill off short scale for a decade or so, by making basses that sounded so bad. Why is it Gibson just never ever got how to make a good bass?
(Never tried a Thunderbird mind - looks stupid but Entwhistle played one so can't be so bad?).

Looks aside (Think it is one of the better looking basses), it plays nothing like the short scales, they are good basses to play (except upper fret access).

Although getting back to bridges, the modern ones aren't good, the originals were ok.

I had an EB5 (2013). Very light, very well balanced, sounded fantastic. Ugliest thing going though, and strings too wide for me.

 

[skidder652003]

Wow, just scrolling through this thread and a distinct lack of Fender Precisions on everyones list, guess there's one bass to rule 'em all eh?

[Marc S]

My first ever bass - a Kay Rick copy. Really, really awful terrible bass - though I didn't really know it at the time, until I played other basses and realised that it wasn't just that I couldn't play
All that said, it didn't put me off. I did once own an early 70's Precision that I didn't "hate" as such, but playing mates basses, I realised how heavy the P was, and that I didn't like its' overly chunky, wide, deep neck

Every now & then, I see one of those awful Kay Ricks on eBay, and it's usually going for a stupid amount of money, but let me tell you now if you're thinking of buying one
.... they are around 3 quids worth of firewood, and probably dangerous to burn anyway!

[Machines]

I don't think i've ever hated any of them, but of the 33 i've sold in the last 16 years (I have a spreadsheet OK), none of those were clearly what I wanted in the long term.

[Bigwan]

All 4 Ernie Ball basses I owned. 5 string 'ray (bought new) was the best sounding of the bunch but ergonomically I didn't get on with it at all. 4 string 'ray felt ok, but disappeared in the mix and sounded like stinky poo solo. Bongo 5 didn't do it for me at all. Traded it for a Bongo 4 which, again, didn't do anything for me and rattled like mad when I tried to get a medium (not low) action. 

[Guest MoJo]

19 minutes ago, Machines said:

I don't think i've ever hated any of them, but of the 33 i've sold in the last 16 years (I have a spreadsheet OK), none of those were clearly what I wanted in the long term.

I wish I'd kept a track of all the basses that have passed through my hands over the years. As I grow older and the memory dims, I loose track.

[Guest MoJo]

1 hour ago, skidder652003 said:

Wow, just scrolling through this thread and a distinct lack of Fender Precisions on everyones list, guess there's one bass to rule 'em all eh?

I love P-basses. I think you can dislike a P-bass in a 'doesn't-do-it-for-me' kind of way, but it's hard to hate a Precision