What style of basses HAVEN'T you tried?

[la bam]

Morning all, just got gas again, for the sake of having it I think, and was looking at all different styles out there. 

 

Just reminiscing what I've played and what I haven't... 

 

P bass - love my p basses for 20 years but recently fell out with them. Don't know why. 

 

PJ bass - was going to be the ultimate bass for me, but did neither. Wasn't a p and wasn't a j and the pj config just didn't work. 

 

Jazz - took some getting used to - even though I love the sound of others playing a jazz. 

 

Stingray - current favourite. 

 

HH - love it, but pickups can get in the way and hand position needs adjusting. Neck pickup solod can be too much if in wrong place. 

 

WOULD LIKE TO TRY

 

A mp config (mm and jazz in p position). 

 

One of those vintera with a mud bucker.

 

Hofner violin style. 

 

SG style - heard a bloke in a pub playing the cheap eb0 and it sounded great! 

 

Any basses you've not tried, and why? Got to admit I wished I'd tried a stingray a lot earlier. 

Edited August 18 by la bam

[tubbybloke68]

Have never tried…thunderbirds, violin hofner type, any Gibson basses come to think of it,hardly any precision type.lusted after a rickenbacker because geddy had one and had all my illusions shattered when I finally got hold of one at a Earl’s Court music fair years ago.

would love to own/have a blast on  a proper original BC rich eagle, a steinberger L2 , smith BT 5, Wal Mk 3 5string  🤪

[bertbass]

I'd love to try the vast majority of basses but being left handed, they just don't make them.  But I live in hope.

[NancyJohnson]

Haven't tried is a bit of a loose term.  I mean, there's hundreds I haven't tried for one reason or another; from memory the one popular bass I've never played is a Stingray.

 

I played a Status maybe 30 years ago (didn't own it, it was at Kingfisher in Fleet) and I had a noodle on a mate's NS Radius a couple of years back. These two experiences, despite being many moons apart, were validation enough for me that I don't like headless basses in the slightest.

[BillyBass]

I have a collection of basses that I have bought because I wanted to see what combinations of pick ups would work for me, or at least with the music the band I was in at the time was playing.

 

My current GAS is for a single humbucker stingray, to see if the humbucker with the pre amp can do more than just the famous Ray tone.  The new Sire Z7 series should give me an idea, especially with the additional single coil nearer the neck.  I just have to convince wifey I need a new bass.

 

Not interested in a Beatle bass

 

Not interested in a thunderbird (yet); I love the look and the tone but am nervous of neck dive, especially as I would likely start with an Epiphone, whose headstocks are even bigger than the Gibsons.

 

Would love a Ricky, though they are too dear and I'm a bit nervous of the set up issues I read about.

 

I love PJs, especially the reverse PJs I own.  I prefer them to both Ps and Js.  Passive double humbucker or single humbuckers haven't worked for me.

Edited August 18 by BillyBass

[itu]

One thing that could discussed is the pickups. I like single coils, and humbuckers. P sounds like a fart to me, so I try to avoid it. Of course a bass with a single coil pickup has to sound different depending on the position, strings, and the neck, but a single coil sounds like one practically everywhere.

 

Rick's pickup sound was OK, but I sold the instrument for other reasons. Mudbuckers have been too muddy, humbuckers with coil tap very good.

 

Some piezos sound quite good but it hasn't been my cup of tea. Bigger orchestras do not need so wide response.

[Lozz196]

I think it’s easier for me to say what I have tried:

 

Precision 

Jazz

Mustang

Precision & Jazz pickup basses (both passive and active)

Gibson-type basses with double humbuckers

Stingray (both 2 & 3 eq)

 

I’ve also played a Rickenbacker for about 10mins.

 

 

[jd56hawk]

Haven't tried some high-end and rare basses because you just don't see them hanging up when shopping here or there.

I'd try these, but I'm afraid I would never buy either one.

Edited August 18 by jd56hawk

[OliverBlackman]

Never tried a Rickenbacker and have no intention to! I think they look okay but I’d be very surprised if it fit in with my style or technique 

[bubinga5]

A USA Mtd. Ive picked one up ( just the feel and weight of the bass was epic) but not yet played one through an amp

[la bam]

6 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Haven't tried is a bit of a loose term.  I mean, there's hundreds I haven't tried for one reason or another; from memory the one popular bass I've never played is a Stingray.

 

I played a Status maybe 30 years ago (didn't own it, it was at Kingfisher in Fleet) and I had a noodle on a mate's NS Radius a couple of years back. These two experiences, despite being many moons apart, were validation enough for me that I don't like headless basses in the slightest.

 

I'd always ignored stingrays. Had the chance to play a top us one years ago, but declined as the looks did absolutely nothing for me. Fast forward a good few years, I tried one in a band setting and flippin eck, it didn't half make the band sound better. Love them now. 

[la bam]

7 hours ago, tubbybloke68 said:

Have never tried…thunderbirds, violin hofner type, any Gibson basses come to think of it,hardly any precision type.lusted after a rickenbacker because geddy had one and had all my illusions shattered when I finally got hold of one at a Earl’s Court music fair years ago.

would love to own/have a blast on  a proper original BC rich eagle, a steinberger L2 , smith BT 5, Wal Mk 3 5string  🤪

 

I always fancied a rick, but the price take made it impossible and since then I've kinda lost the urge to have one. 

[la bam]

6 hours ago, BillyBass said:

I have a collection of basses that I have bought because I wanted to see what combinations of pick ups would work for me, or at least with the music the band I was in at the time was playing.

 

My current GAS is for a single humbucker stingray, to see if the humbucker with the pre amp can do more than just the famous Ray tone.  The new Sire Z7 series should give me an idea, especially with the additional single coil nearer the neck.  I just have to convince wifey I need a new bass.

 

Not interested in a Beatle bass

 

Not interested in a thunderbird (yet); I love the look and the tone but am nervous of neck dive, especially as I would likely start with an Epiphone, whose headstocks are even bigger than the Gibsons.

 

Would love a Ricky, though they are too dear and I'm a bit nervous of the set up issues I read about.

 

I love PJs, especially the reverse PJs I own.  I prefer them to both Ps and Js.  Passive double humbucker or single humbuckers haven't worked for me.

 

Yeh, those Z3 and z7 orders are gonna make sire a fair few quid. I'll be ordering one too! 

[la bam]

Oh yeh, I played a hohner b2a headless. To be fair - great sound. But a little weird to hold and play. I'd give it another go though. 

 

Thunder birds, I'd like to get them, but just can't. They almost say neck dive before you try them, and I can't work out how you'd put them on a stand

 

 

 

 

[Man.about.Tyne]

I’ve never played a Fender…!

[SamIAm]

I've never tried many basses, but one that I would love to is a .strandberg*

Likely to never try one as they are well beyond my budget and are from the US ... but a gal can dream!

They have an unusual neck geometry that oddly enough I was unknowingly near with a bass I built but am now aiming for the next time round.

 

Sam x

[Reggaebass]

I don’t think I’ve ever played a Fodera, I’d like to just to see if they are worth the price tag 

[la bam]

I've never played a fret less either come to think of it. Or a 5 string. 

[Cato]

48 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

I don’t think I’ve ever played a Fodera, I’d like to just to see if they are worth the price tag 

 

I've never played anything that retails for more than about £2-3k at today's prices.

 

I'd love to try a Ritter or an Alembic just to experience what a bass at that end of the price spectrum feels and sounds like.

 

Also never played an Ibanez, absolutely nothing against them, various models have been on the 'possibles' list when I've been thinking about getting a new bass at various moments over the years, I've just always ended up choosing something else.

[basshead56]

Never tried:

Anything Ibanez

A Sadowsky

A Status

MTD/Toby

A USA Spector

Player/Player II/Vintera series

 

Gazillions more, probably

[crazycloud]

I've owned at least 250 guitars and basses, and played at least twice as many more. In there have been a lot of boutiques, like my 5 Alembics, but not many of the smaller brand boutiques like Sei, ACG, MTD USA etc, though I'd like to try them if I ever found one nearby. As I live in a small town in rural Australia and the nearest big city is BrisVegas at 3hrs away, that's unlikely to happen. Most of the stores in the larger Aus cities have little that's unusual, and those that do tend to specialise in vintage which doesn't interest me at all; I've tried lots and simply don't get the attraction. At all. Same with FSOs and later Leo designs.

 

I've settled on Ibanez SR and some BTBs as well as my new love for the Cort A series. Aside from some PU changes in some models, and I'm not afraid to rout to fit EMG sizes as these aren't expensive or collectible and the HW more than serviceable stock. Some like my Cort A6 has Hipshot HW standard and was less than 600 quid delivered new!

 

Right now I think that for almost everyone, almost always there is little to nothing to be gained with boutiques beyond flash.

 

3 hours ago, la bam said:

Oh yeh, I played a hohner b2a headless. To be fair - great sound. But a little weird to hold and play. I'd give it another go though. 

Try one with a strap pin extender as it totally changes the ergonomics.

[SPHDS]

I've played....(more than once....)
Jazz Bass (Copy)
Ibanez JetKing
Epiphone Explorer
Squier P
The Blond P

I've Tried...
Warwick Streamer Pro M (21st birthday guest spot, EPIC!)
Hofner Viola (not a fan....too light and flimsy)
EB3 (possibly a bad example, but didn't gel)
Rick 4003 - I liked.....
Various (cheap) Yamaha's (nah....)
Plexi Bass (great, weighed a ton!)

Wanna play.....
50's P
Gibson/Epi Flying V
Jack Cassidy
Chowny CHB-2
Roscoe Beck IV
Fender Mustang (or Rascal...)

[prowla]

I think I've tried most basses I've seen; the one I haven't got round to (which is sort of a bass) is a Chapman Stick.

And a Taurus 3.

[prowla]

For those of you who are anti-Ric and don't like headless, I give you the Rickenberger!

 

 

[BigRedX]

Over the past 50 years I think I've tried pretty much every well-known bass except a Fodera, a Smith and I don't think I've ever played a BC Rich bass of any design.

 

Until a year ago I could have also included a P-Bass in that list. Although I've tried and even owned basses with a P-style pickup in the correct place, none of them bore any resemblance to the typical Fender P-Bass in looks. Before I discovered bass internet forums I never knew that there was supposed to be something super-special about the Fender P-Bass. To me, to own one rather than something with Gibson or Rickenbacker on the headstock was just a simple choice you made in the same way that a guitarist would choose a Strat or a Tele or Les Paul or a Firebird etc... Just based on looks I wasn't that impressed, and nearly all the bass players in bands that I really liked played Gibsons or Rickenbackers or something Japanese from the late 70s or early 80s. When I final got to play one I was massively underwhelmed, and really don't think I have missed out not having tried one before.