Did you ever find your perfect bass.?

[WinterMute]

I had a 1987 Warwick Thumb 5 for about 30 years, fantastic bass, didn't really need anything else, but after I thought I'd finished with bass, I sold it and inevitably needed basses...

 

So, I now have a 20th anniversary EBMM SR5 which is absolutely perfect ergonomically and sonically, it's a keeper.

[BlueMoon]

I have to agree that the necks on Atelier Z jazz basses are sublime. Here's my one in blue.

[chris_b]

I've owned lots of perfect basses and a few keepers. I've owned my current basses for 10 years and 5 years respectively, but I wouldn't rule out finding a better "keeper" at any point.

[Grimalkin]

A Jazz bass with a ramp, something not to weighty. I've spent thousands trying to find something that wasn't a Jazz bass but sounded like a Jazz bass. When I should have just bought a Jazz based bass.

[OliverBlackman]

Yes a Ken Smith in Bass Direct. I think this was back in 2018 so we’re nearing a 4 year chase with many years ahead. Might end up breaking a BC chase record unless I get a helping hand from the national lottery.

[Chopthebass]

7 hours ago, Doddy said:

I think I've found the perfect bass for me. 

I was looking to buy a bass for a birthday present for myself. I'd already got a few nice instruments, and I've played a lot more but after I visited F Bass, I knew that I needed to buy one.  My BN5 is seriously the best instrument I've played. It plays and sounds amazing.

 

 

I just picked up an identical BN5. Super nice to play and surprisingly light for quite a large bodied bass

[RhysP]

7 hours ago, Doddy said:

I think I've found the perfect bass for me. 

I was looking to buy a bass for a birthday present for myself. I'd already got a few nice instruments, and I've played a lot more but after I visited F Bass, I knew that I needed to buy one.  My BN5 is seriously the best instrument I've played. It plays and sounds amazing.

 

 

Absolutely superb basses these.

[jimmyb625]

This one does it for me, the Warwick Lee Sklar signature model. At some point in the future I may upgrade to the German team-built version, but I'm in no rush to do that.

[Chopthebass]

Sometimes it surprises you what sounds good. I have Fbass, Vigier, Mayones, Fender, Elrick, Spector and Yamaha basses. All super nice in their own way, but what really surprised me was how good a recently acquired German Warwick Corvette sounds. It’s a heavy bass but not only is the bubinga figure really stunning, but the sound is really amazing. 

[Bassassin]

Paid £60 for this in a pawn shop in 2004 or 5.

 

 

Expected to clean it up, stick a scratchplate on it & flip it for maybe twice what I paid - but even exactly as it looks there, it felt right.

 

Not much left original beyond the body & neck but this is the one I'd save in a fire - best Jazz I've ever played, by a long way.

 

 

I have quite a few basses, many of which I bought since finding this. To be honest I'm not entirely sure I know why.

 

[paul_5]

I put ‘my’ bass together out of eBay bits - 2 piece ash J body, maple J neck with fretless rosewood board.

 

extra rout for a MM pickup and some extra (but still passive) electronics, and voilà.

 

The phrase “from my cold, dead hands” springs to mind.

 

[LukeFRC]

23 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

Paid £60 for this in a pawn shop in 2004 or 5.

 

 

Expected to clean it up, stick a scratchplate on it & flip it for maybe twice what I paid - but even exactly as it looks there, it felt right.

 

Not much left original beyond the body & neck but this is the one I'd save in a fire - best Jazz I've ever played, by a long way.

 

 

I have quite a few basses, many of which I bought since finding this. To be honest I'm not entirely sure I know why.

 

Made me think of that 1975ish Cimar jazz I found for £30 and you helped me out with a tuner brushing for - honestly one of the most fun basses I’ve ever played. 
I picked it up for a mate who needed his first bass. It still gets played regularly by him. I should have kept it!!

[Bunion]

4 hours ago, Old Horse Murphy said:

What's that green one in the background Andy?

I’m sure that’s a fleabass in punk green. @AndyTravis can confirm 

Edited January 9, 2022 by Bunion

[AndyTravis]

13 minutes ago, Bunion said:

I’m sure that’s a fleabass in punk green. @AndyTravis can confirm 

Yeah. Something I’ve had a good while, it’s just a fun thing to have - healed a little bit of the “I don’t own a Modulus flea” pain.

 

I got lucky, can’t believe the money they’re fetching now.

[4000]

8 hours ago, gjones said:

 I sometimes have to play with a pick so the action is not stupidly low

 

 

 

 

Not sure I understand this. I use a pick 99% of the time and my action is stupidly low! 

I got my perfect bass in 1993. For me, nothing comes close; my Fireglo ‘72 Ric. 
 

The Azure in the pic took me 17 years to find….
 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by 4000

[Clarky]

Very much doubt I will ever find my perfect bass. Being completely honest, my huge amount of bass turnover in the past decade reflects my shortcomings and the flawed belief that a new shiny bass with a wider/narrower neck, longer/shorter scale, passive/active electronics etc will somehow make me a better player. I now have a nice P and J and they are both lovely basses, I am satisfied which is good as it gets

[Skybone]

Current No.1. 

 

Had a 4003 a number of years back, but had to sell it. Tried a few different basses to replace it, but nothing came near til I got a Rockinbetter. Lovely bass, but not a 4003.

 

This came up on FB Marketplace at a reasonable price and not too far away, almost missed it, but that deal fell through and it was offered to me. Happy bunny.

[Bunion]

I have gathered a few basses around me that have certain qualities or tones I want and they all play beautifully. 
But the one I find most pleasing and easy to play is this Musicman Cutlass. 

 

It  just feels so pliable and easy. Fingers just flow across the fretboard, It’s comfortable, it’s familiar, I can find no fault.
Don’t get me wrong, the other basses I have have been sourced selected and are all great. This is the one I reach for subconsciously though. 

[MikanHannille]

On 09/01/2022 at 02:27, bubinga5 said:

I had given up on jazz basses to be honest and I had this up for sale. then I played and got to know this Atelier Z . Just an incredible instrument. 

 

Its hard to describe how fat and huge this bass sounds, not many people mention the necks on these basses. .  I thought the Lakland 5594 was a fantastic instrument but this AZ blows it away.

 

Did you find a keeper.?

I agree with this. The only thing that was going against for me with Atelier Z was the weight of the one I used to own. In the end, I stuck with 55-94 for a number of years. That Lakland weighed less than 4kgs while the Atelier Z was 4.5-4.7kgs. But the tone of that thing. Oh boy

 

[Count Bassie]

I've been through way too much, but in this mod I've gotten the best feeling player and one of my favorite sounds ever. Old edition Hamer Cruisebass, chopped and modded with Rickenbacker 4003 p'ups and guts. A friend who was at art school did the graphics after I asked her for something "psychedelic"... I was a little taken aback, but I liked and appreciated it pretty quickly. 

I've gotten a lot of grief over this particular mod, and sometimes I do regret it somewhat... But I love playing it, and it is kind of a trademark now in my circle.

Anyway, I bring you the Heckinhecker. Played it last night through the new-to-me Fender Bassman 300 Pro and confirmed it's place in my Favorites Ever list...

 

I'm doing a new pickguard...

Edited January 10, 2022 by Count Bassie

[fretmeister]

Yes.

 

A Marleaux Consat Custom 5.

 

Unfortunately then I had loads of surgery and couldn't deal with the weight anymore. It was an entirely reasonable 9lb (maybe 9.1lb) for a 5 but I just couldn't do it anymore, and I was not in a position to keep it just for playing sitting down. Needed the funds to get something I could play all the time.

 

It just had the most amazing sound and was very easy to play. Never played anything that came close no matter what the price.

 

I really hope it is out there gigging somewhere.

[Dazed]

15 hours ago, Bunion said:

I have gathered a few basses around me that have certain qualities or tones I want and they all play beautifully. 
But the one I find most pleasing and easy to play is this Musicman Cutlass. 

 

It  just feels so pliable and easy. Fingers just flow across the fretboard, It’s comfortable, it’s familiar, I can find no fault.
Don’t get me wrong, the other basses I have have been sourced selected and are all great. This is the one I reach for subconsciously though. 

I saw these when they released a while back and didn’t take much notice, just another take on a P bass, but recently they’ve really grown on me. Something about the simplicity and the shape just works. Were they a limited run? Don’t see too many about now. 

[cetera]

I'm lucky enough to own a huge number of basses covering all the main food groups (see my sig below) but I always come back to the classic 80's US Spector NS2 and its children (the Euro range).

[Eldon Tyrell]

Finding the perfect bass? That assumes that there is a perfect bass out there and that we could buy it. What do we do then? Buying no more basses? No more hunting and gathering? That is clearly against human nature. So, the idea of a perfect bass is a very, very dangerous idea we should immediately get out of our heads. It is almost heresy. So, to be on the safe side, repeat after me: THERE IS NO PERFECT BASS 😉 

[RhysP]

My Zon Legacy Elite Imperial was probably the closest I ever got to my perfect bass.