What would you change about a production bass model you like?

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

A lot of instruments have minor (or not so minor) quirks that may be a holdover from how things are done historically, but would benefit from an update.

 

What instrument's spec would you improve/change if given the power?

 

I've owned my Ric 4003 for a few months now, after many years of being put off buying one due to the previous versions' medieval bridge and the weird dual truss rods — both issues that are fixed in my 2024 model. I really like this bass, however:

 

1. The bridge is not as long as the previous design, so the gap in the binding is more obvious. Either the bridge should have the same length as the previous version, or the butt of the centre section should get binding.
2. The mute just doesn't seem like a good idea, the thumbscrews to adjust it are stiff making it difficult and time-consuming to adjust, and the strings are not muted evenly when it is raised. What's the point of it? It would be a lot more useful to be able to palm mute which would only be possible if the built-in mute was removed entitrely or it was removable as a sub-assembly.
3. The bass picks up a lot of noise. I shielded mine with copper slug tape. Surely something like this should be done at the factory?
4. The bass comes with a huge rectangular case with no option for a gigbag. I bought a thomann / music area SafeCase 80 padded gigbag for mine, and I would have much preferred if something like that had come with the bass instead of the case.
5. I bought a rickysounds acrylic thumbrest that fits across the top two screws of the pickguard, however I removed it after a while as it seemed too tall and got in the way. What might be useful though would be a similarly shaped thumbrest cut from the same material as the pickguard (i.e. factory offcuts) which would visually blend in better, and having a lower profile, not get in the way as much.
6. RIC should offer optional accessories to facilitate experimentation with ric-o-sound. I had to do a fair amount of research to find what adaptors would work best. I have a splitter cable for recording, and an OBNE split meld to split the output into two signals which I'm planning a pedalboard around. If I do build that board it I will probably also get a JHS summing amp pedal to recombine the effected signals as I'm unlikely to take two amps to a gig.

 

 

 

Edited 22 hours ago by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[itu]

Nearly any neck profile is very round to my hands. 

 

Too many 5 string basses have 17 mm string spacing which is too tight to me.

 

Upper horn length should reach 11th or 10th fret to help playing in half position.

 

Light weight is always preferable.

 

Ergonomics, well, that would be a long list on top of the previous lines.

[fretmeister]

Sandberg Superlight 5 string.

 

I sold mine because I found the neck too chunky so that needs to lose some girth. Then a nut reduction to 44.5mm and slightly narrower bridge spacing (with the neck being a little slimmer all the way up) would be lovely.

[Lozz196]

Fender Precision Light range to be introduced, all to be under 8lbs.

[casapete]

18 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Fender Precision Light range to be introduced, all to be under 8lbs.

The Bass Gallery recently had a black reissue by Fender Japan in stock for £1050.

Apparently they were only made as a ‘Custom Edition’ for a year, and had a 

3 band eq ( similar to the 90’s Precision Lyte Deluxe model ). Don’t know if it

mentioned the weight, but every P.Lyte I’ve encountered has been less than 8lbs. 😊

[neepheid]

I think all basses should have 21 frets, minimum.  Don't get me wrong, I'm rarely up the dusty end, but at least resolve the highest octave with a final E!  20 just seems like an arbitrary choice to me, but because the Fender P had 20 frets from the get-go, it follows on that a lot of basses have 20.  Why though?  Never made any sense to me.

Edited 23 hours ago by neepheid

[Lozz196]

6 minutes ago, casapete said:

The Bass Gallery recently had a black reissue by Fender Japan in stock for £1050.

Apparently they were only made as a ‘Custom Edition’ for a year, and had a 

3 band eq ( similar to the 90’s Precision Lyte Deluxe model ). Don’t know if it

mentioned the weight, but every P.Lyte I’ve encountered has been less than 8lbs. 😊

Yeah I like the sound of the Lytes but they’re just a bit too modern looking for me. Apparently Fender did a chambered US Professional Precision for Matt Freema of Rancid, that’s what I’d really like.

[Count Bassy]

All basses, but especially 5 strings, should have graded ratios on the tuners. Ie the lower the note the higher the tuner ratio. It would make tuning those low notes a lot easier. Much less "'Shit, too far', start again"

[Steve Browning]

I would make the Squier 70s CV Precision (in walnut) available with a rosewood board and dot inlays. I'd change a couple of other things myself, but the basic bass would be brilliant like that.

[Mudpup]

The Musicman style truss rod adjustment wheel at the base of the neck should be mandatory on every bass. 

[fretmeister]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

Fender Precision Light range to be introduced, all to be under 8lbs.

If I can build a bitsa at 7lb then Fender can do it too.

[Doctor J]

52 minutes ago, Mudpup said:

The Musicman style truss rod adjustment wheel at the base of the neck should be mandatory on every bass. 

All necks should be fully or partially carbon, negating the need for a truss rod.

[PaulThePlug]

Ibanez should make an SR300 Passive, with a Single P

Ultra Sleek 5 Ply Jazz Nut Neck, 24 Fret, Worn Pebble Comfort Body, Single P Pickup, mine is wearing a Kent Armstrong Hot Vintage

@Andyjr1515 waived his hands over the body...

[Boodang]

If you've got two pieces of wood and decided to join them by slapping one on top of the other and use bolts, any cabinet maker would collapse in an incredulous fit. 

Bolt on necks should be banned! I love a jazz bass, so my custom has a set neck. 

[AndyTravis]

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

I think all basses should have 21 frets, minimum.  Don't get me wrong, I'm rarely up the dusty end, but at least resolve the highest octave with a final E!  20 just seems like an arbitrary choice to me, but because the Fender P had 20 frets from the get-go, it follows on that a lot of basses have 20.  Why though?  Never made any sense to me.

This.

[Elfrasho]

I would love a Warwick corvette but with a neck that sits lower in the pocket, so that the strings and pickups sit closer to the body. For some reason i find basses that have strings so far away from the body uncomfortable to play! 

[PaulThePlug]

@Boodang if ya moaning on the bolt-on at least go thru' neck 😉

[Terry M.]

A Stingray 5 string with 19mm bridge string spacing and the same nut width as a Fender 5 i.e. 47.6mm due to the size of my mitts.

I also can't see the point of having a radius on a stringed instrument that's not played with a bow. Leo did it to emulate classical instruments and it's sort of stuck. Flat boards all the way for me.

Edited 21 hours ago by Terry M.

[Boodang]

29 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

@Boodang if ya moaning on the bolt-on at least go thru' neck 😉

Oh, I have no issues with a thru neck. My Sei custom fretless. 

[neepheid]

Ooh, are we all showing off our stripes?

 

[BlueMoon]

Glow-in-the-dark side markers fitted as standard to the neck. I favour Luminlay brand, but can be tricky to source in Europe. Some Japanese instruments fit this as standard.

[cetera]

All Spector Euros should have the Ian Hill (Kramer-era) neck. Job done.

[miles'tone]

I'd like Fender Ps and Js to come with roasted bodies and necks.

My inexpensive Jet P, which has both, resonates very similarly acoustically as the old '65 P I used to have, thanks to the zero moisture content I believe. 

It would be nice to be able to buy a new one finished in nitro that responds like a super dried out solid old one.

[neepheid]

12 minutes ago, miles'tone said:

I'd like Fender Ps and Js to come with roasted bodies and necks.

My inexpensive Jet P, which has both, resonates very similarly acoustically as the old '65 P I used to have, thanks to the zero moisture content I believe. 

It would be nice to be able to buy a new one finished in nitro that responds like a super dried out solid old one.

 

If it had zero moisture content, would it not be dust?

[johnDeereJack]

Sandberg bridges - too many adjustment options! Gimme a BBoT any day! 😀