What's most important for you in a bass?

[MrWalker]

The MTD thread yesterday got me thinking a bit of what my main priorities in a bass are. Personally, I've got many different instruments, all with different neck profiles, number of frets (or notes on the fretless), body shapes, pickup configurations, and so on. I can adjust to most of these, but when it comes to string spacing and scale length, that's when I usually start to become very particulate about what I like and not.

So, what is most important for you in your basses? The neck profile (I know there are people who are very particular about that!), pickups, preamp, etc.

You are welcome to explain your particularities (word?) here if you like! :)

EDIT: :smack: Forgot string spacing.... Put that under other if you like! :)

[MrWalker]

Personally, I'm a bit particular about string spacing and scale length, but apart from that, most of my basses can be very different! :)

[brake]

I like the overall product. It's gotta play nice, and it's gotta sound good. I don't care what pickups are in it, what pre-amp it's got, it's just gotta sound happening.

[Jazz Ad]

I want at least 24 frets on a non rosewood fretboard, neckthru neck, thick lows and good balance. I don't buy if it doesn't have these.

Secondary but important are good passive electronics, nice table/headstock top, Sperzel tuners, volume-balance over twin volumes, tons of sustain, jack in the back and a bit or craziness.

[philthygeezer]

I want light weight and good balance first.

Then I want a full, present tone ala John Paul Jones. Something with punch and growl along with good booty. In your face in a warm way, but NOT wet blanket tone. I don't like sterile or neutral sounding basses.

Next comes construction and neck width. Definitely prefer something near a Jazz width, with the Stingray coming in on the wide side for string spacing. Musicmen rule the construction side. I get the impression that a Sterling HH would do me very well.

After that comes all the aesthetics. I like transparent bursts and wild colours. Still GASing for a DD Bongo 5H or a Blue Dawn Bongo 5H. I LOVE that green colour - it looks like dragonfly skin.

[bassaussie]

I don't really have any set criteria on what I look for in basses. I judge each instrument when and where I have a chance to play it.

[MrWalker]

I want at least 24 frets on a non rosewood fretboard, neckthru neck, thick lows and good balance. I don't buy if it doesn't have these.

Secondary but important are good passive electronics, nice table/headstock top, Sperzel tuners, volume-balance over twin volumes, tons of sustain, jack in the back and a bit or craziness.

I don't really have any set criteria on what I look for in basses. I judge each instrument when and where I have a chance to play it.


I knew I would get very different response from the two of you. :) I guess I'm more in line with BA than JA on this one, my only critical points being scale length as I haven't played a 35" that I felt comfortable with to this date. Also to a certain extent string spacing, although that's not really set in stone either.

I knew you were pretty picky, though, JazzAd... ;)

[bassaussie]

I knew I would get very different response from the two of you. :) I guess I'm more in line with BA than JA on this one, my only critical points being scale length as I haven't played a 35" that I felt comfortable with to this date. Also to a certain extent string spacing, although that's not really set in stone either.

I knew you were pretty picky, though, JazzAd... ;)

:D

I think me and Jazz are at the complete opposite ends of this situation. I have to admit, though, it always impresses me when I think about how exact JA is when it comes to his requirements. He knows exactly what he wants, whereas I'm a person who has no idea!!!

Hey, JA - how's the Sweetpea going?

[MrWalker]

:D

I think me and Jazz are at the complete opposite ends of this situation. I have to admit, though, it always impresses me when I think about how exact JA is when it comes to his requirements. He knows exactly what he wants, whereas I'm a person who has no idea!!!

Hey, JA - how's the Sweetpea going?
You definately are. And I'm on your side of the scale, as it's probably only the scale length that puts me off... apart from that, I actually prefer my instruments to be different from one another. :) When it comes to making choices for a custom bass, that's different... I think I know pretty well what I want in a custom instrument.

Would you consider getting a custom bass built for you, Mark?

[Johnny BoomBoom]

I don't really have any set criteria on what I look for in basses. I judge each instrument when and where I have a chance to play it.


I think I'm more in this camp - I generally have no idea what I want - I go and try them, so I guess feel, and tone before I plug it in!!! If it sounds crap unplugged - it probably won't sound any better amplified!:2c:

[G-Bitch]

Balance is the only thing I'm really set on. That comes from owning and gigging a warwick thumb 5 :D

[MBIYF]

The angle of the neck when the body hangs in a comfortable postion must be just right. The offset between the strings and the body is important too as I sometimes like to anchor my wrist on the body instead of my thumb on a pickup/string.

Furthermore I have some stuff I like to see on a bass. Maple fretboard, smooth body, big bridge, flexibility in tone (loads of presence!), balance knob instead of vol/vol if the bass has 2 PUs... that kind of stuff.

I think what I like can easily be found in normal production basses. Ibanez ATK, MM Stingray/Sterling, MTD Kingston, Fender MIJ Jazz Special...

[Grant Sharkey]

Somewhere in one of all the aspects it has to remind of a dream Wal that Geddy once held on the cover of Guitar World (i think) circa 1993. Well built, no frills, chunky pick ups, string spacing at the bridge.

Number of frets is not important. It should be heavy though - needs to take a beating.

Either that - or a Fender P you can find Louis Jordan ramming on youtube. :D

If it reminds me of these things i tend to pick it up and see if it's a liar or not.

[Jefkay]

At first I thought string spacing was the most important but playing a dozen basses a day, I've learnt that the spacing is less important than the neck profile.
But I look at balance and weight first, then neck profile. It should also have good passive electronics otherwise I'm not buying it.

[mlwarriner]

for me, it's about the neck profile and the body shape/balance. hardware and electronics are within my skill level to change. structural details are not.

[MBIYF]

for me, it's about the neck profile and the body shape/balance. hardware and electronics are within my skill level to change. structural details are not.


GIVE ME YOUR BASS!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

[mlwarriner]

GIVE ME YOUR BASS!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

which one?

[MrWalker]

At first I thought string spacing was the most important but playing a dozen basses a day, I've learnt that the spacing is less important than the neck profile.
But I look at balance and weight first, then neck profile. It should also have good passive electronics otherwise I'm not buying it.
I agree to this. :) I have been comfortable with most string spacings, as long as the rest of the bass is good. :)

[Rusty the Scoob]

It needs to sound good first, and play nicely second, and look good third. But if it plays or looks badly enough those are deal breakers.

[NotFSI]

It has to make me feel like a Mighty Warrior when I play it.

[allan]

Most important for me? Tone.

Next? Neck.

After that? Balance.

[NV43345]

Personally, I'm a bit particular about string spacing and scale length, but apart from that, most of my basses can be very different! :)


:plus_one:

[Les Izzmor]

That's difficult.

I'm with bassaussie on this one. Each bass is different and I can't really nail down specifics.

The two things that I must have are ease of play and good sound.

I know the pick-ups and wood are important to overall sound. But. I don't care if it's Zebra-wood with active pick-ups or Alder with passive pick-ups or weed-whacker stings over PVC. I want to plug it in to an amp, set the amp flat and see what the bass can do.

And. I want it to feel comfortable in my hands when I play. I don't want to have to think about moving around on the neck. And. I want my right hand to find a nice sweet spot to play.

That's pretty much it for me.

[basshunter]

Most important for me? Tone.

Next? Neck.

After that? Balance.

Same here, although I'll add string spacing as well as a distant 4th. I'm OK with a variety of string spacings (hell, I play mandolin!!!), but on a bass I don't like it to be TOO tight. I have long hands and play finger-style, if the string spacing is too tight at the bridge, I find it uncomfortable.

[bassesofalessergod]

Looks.

How can you not have aesthetics as a criteria.

[spezzy]

I don't know.

When I picked out my Spector I picked it because I went to the store, played it and everything about it just felt right.

So I think the overall feel. I would never buy a fender, because I find them to feel big and bulky on my hands - which puts me in pain a lot earlier than my Spector does.

[NotFSI]

I don't know.

When I picked out my Spector I picked it because I went to the store, played it and everything about it just felt right.

So I think the overall feel. I would never buy a fender, because I find them to feel big and bulky on my hands - which puts me in pain a lot earlier than my Spector does.

"Fender - so big it hurts!"

[ironfist]

I don't know.

When I picked out my Spector I picked it because I went to the store, played it and everything about it just felt right.

So I think the overall feel. I would never buy a fender, because I find them to feel big and bulky on my hands - which puts me in pain a lot earlier than my Spector does.

+1
It's the feel for me. Some basses just have "it." I wish I could describe it beyond that but I don't think I can. Some instruments, usually for a variety of reasons, just feel "right" in my hands.

[Jugghaid]

I voted for neck profile, but it's more overall feel. If a bass feels right and plays well, I can always swap out the electronics to modify the tone.

[MBIYF]

which one?

The beaten up black Stirling was yours right? Please please please!!

[spezzy]

+1
It's the feel for me. Some basses just have "it." I wish I could describe it beyond that but I don't think I can. Some instruments, usually for a variety of reasons, just feel "right" in my hands.

Definately. Especially since I have so many problems with my wrists - if the bass doesn't have the right feel, I can't just get over it because it has great tone or something like that. My ability to play the instrument depends greatly on the overall feel of it.

My Spector has "it". I haven't been able to find something like it anywhere else. It may not be a $3000 bass or have the best anything - but it's got exactly what I want.

And that's why when I see a beautiful bass somewhere and someone asks me "oh, don't you just have to have that???" I say no... because I have everything I want at home.

[mlwarriner]

And that's why when I see a beautiful bass somewhere and someone asks me "oh, don't you just have to have that???" I say no... because I have everything I want at home.

and that, my friends, is what it's really all about :thumbsup:

[beam]

If I think it's ugly, I probably won't even give it the chance to see how it feels/sounds.

Beyond that, neck profile and tone are the biggest things.

[MrWalker]

Looks.

How can you not have aesthetics as a criteria.
I agree, I guess... I think I was thinking "looks" when I put "body shape" in there, but it should go in tht category... or maybe "Other" :)

[bnyswonger]

For me it's gotta have a passive P pickup #1 (a rick or dano notwithstanding), a not too club-like neck (standard precision is too wide for me) and other than that I'm not too particular.

[Jamacuco]

Looks, tone, overall feel. Not necessarily in this exact order.

[MrWalker]

It's interesting to read about everyone's tastes and requirements. We're definately a gang of individuals! :) It seems the majority is pretty open minded, though, and seems to be trying various things to see if it works for them.

On the other end there are a few guys with pretty exact requirements and wishes. I guess those are the ones you'll most likely find in the custom bass community. Or they'll be true to their "workhorse" once they've found a production bass that fits the bill.

Very interesting! :)

[takeout]

What do I need? Something that doesn't have a distracting characteristic when I play it.

Scale length - unless it's an upright, an inch or few either way from 34" won't distract me.
Neck profile - I've got pretty long fingers. Not an issue.
Wood options (for fingerboard/body) - I don't like coffee table looks, but I can live with it.
Pickups - as long as it has some.
Preamp / other electronics - prefer no pre, but again, I can deal.
Body shape - here's where rubber meets the road. Ergonomics count for something.
Balance - my main sticking point. I have a Jack Casady that neck dives like no other bass ever built. It's the one thing that keeps me from playing it more often. Big distraction, especially since half my time is spent reconciling what I want my left hand to do with what my left hand has to do.
Hardware (bridge/tuners/etc) - dealwithable.
Number of notes/frets - non-issue. I don't spend a lot of time above the 15th or so.

So, short version: balance is the only deal breaker.

[bassaussie]

Would you consider getting a custom bass built for you, Mark?

I'd probably consider it if I decided to get a 6 string, but for a 4 or 5, never. There's too many good production instruments out there, and my tastes don't stretch far beyond what they can deliver.

[bassaussie]

That's difficult.

I'm with bassaussie on this one. Each bass is different and I can't really nail down specifics.

The two things that I must have are ease of play and good sound.

I know the pick-ups and wood are important to overall sound. But. I don't care if it's Zebra-wood with active pick-ups or Alder with passive pick-ups or weed-whacker stings over PVC. I want to plug it in to an amp, set the amp flat and see what the bass can do.

And. I want it to feel comfortable in my hands when I play. I don't want to have to think about moving around on the neck. And. I want my right hand to find a nice sweet spot to play.

That's pretty much it for me.


Yep, that's exactly how I feel.

[cdb]

#1. I like a bass to have some tonal flexibility for when i need it... if I am playing something other than the main band I am in at any giving time, I will need some variation for when I do other projects

Neck-- its gotta be comfy... but not any particular shape... its just gotta feel right to me. The MTD neck is very different from the Stingray neck, and the Spector neck but all are comfy to play.


Balance on the body is important-- i dont want to have to hold the neck up while playing

Looks, yeah it has to look acceptable, I like nice woods and finishes, but I can live with something butt ugly if it sounds and plays well

On a fretted bass the fretboard material makes no difference to me-- see item 1-- if there is enough tonal flexibilty, I can accentuate the tiny differences in tone from the fretboard or eq it away. It certainly has no bearing on the feel -

Pups- passive or active-- I own both and like both--- see item 1 -- tonal flexibility and variation.

[SpaceGhost]

Mr. Walker has his way of attracting spammers.

How a bass feels comes first as even if a bass sounds good, how the heck am I supposed to play an uncomfortable bass (this has changed, I used to prefer tone over feel). However, I'm rather picky about the rest:

D profile neck
Mahogany or walnut body
Rosewood or wenge or ebony board
Two soapbar pickups (bridge pickup slammed up against bridge)
Active with passive switch
Filter preamp if possible, Status or Bartolini boost/cut preamp acceptable.

:dunno:

[thrash_jazz]

Sound and feel, most of all. A good sign is when you can feel the notes resonate through the body even when the bass isn't plugged in.

Other than that, all of mine are pretty different. Some are boat anchors, some are one-trick ponies tonewise, some are the complete opposite. I've only ever bought one on looks alone.

[GrooveMonkey]

Comfort is important to me. My Warwick Thumb sounded and played great, but it was an ergonomic nightmare for me. It's gone, and now my main axe is my P-Bass.


Balance, booty and playability...in that order.

[MrWalker]

Sound and feel, most of all. A good sign is when you can feel the notes resonate through the body even when the bass isn't plugged in.

Other than that, all of mine are pretty different. Some are boat anchors, some are one-trick ponies tonewise, some are the complete opposite. I've only ever bought one on looks alone.

I agree with the sound and feel... if the bass is vibrant and you can feel the notes, it's a good bass in my hands (and ears), too.

Curious... which one did you buy based on looks alone?

[MrWalker]

Comfort is important to me. My Warwick Thumb sounded and played great, but it was an ergonomic nightmare for me. It's gone, and now my main axe is my P-Bass.


Balance, booty and playability...in that order.

Had a Thumb 6 and know exactly what you mean. ;) Great sounding bass, great neck... but killed my back!

[MrWalker]

Mr. Walker has his way of attracting spammers.

How a bass feels comes first as even if a bass sounds good, how the heck am I supposed to play an uncomfortable bass (this has changed, I used to prefer tone over feel). However, I'm rather picky about the rest:

D profile neck
Mahogany or walnut body
Rosewood or wenge or ebony board
Two soapbar pickups (bridge pickup slammed up against bridge)
Active with passive switch
Filter preamp if possible, Status or Bartolini boost/cut preamp acceptable.

:dunno:
Yeah... I don't know what I do to attract all these spammers... I guess I must be a very attractive dude since even Anna comes running after my threads???? ;)

You seem to be one of the guys with pretty accurate requirements. :) It's interesting that we have so differing approach to basses!

[Croissant Seven]

Comfort.
My Spector is the most comfortable bass I've owned, from the neck profile and string spacing, to the contours of the body and the way it balances. When my hands hit the strings they just go, man. Very natural feel, which I never thought I'd ever get from a 5-string.
I'm going to freak out and buy an MTD Kingston here in a couple of months because I've heard that it's also a high-comfort bass. I'd love to find a nice used one that's not in Holland...:mad:

:D
C7

[BassMaster General]

Having had the chance to have a bass pretty much custom built for me when JAF was starting out I managed to narrow down what I look for in a bass pretty well. Mainly less knobs and stuff to deal with. I wanted a bass that had a great sound with the EQ flat, no volume knob and one pickup. Kinda my KISS version of a tone quest. Walnut front and back with a mahogany core was the starting point for the midrange, and to warm the package up, a Bart humbucker.
And honestly, after playing it for a couple of years now,the changes I'd make to this bass are all pretty minor. Change the neck profile to slightly thicker is about all. Still like no volume knob:cool:
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l205/dubwolf/JAF12.jpg
Can't resist posting that pic:)

[MrWalker]

Having had the chance to have a bass pretty much custom built for me when JAF was starting out I managed to narrow down what I look for in a bass pretty well. Mainly less knobs and stuff to deal with. I wanted a bass that had a great sound with the EQ flat, no volume knob and one pickup. Kinda my KISS version of a tone quest. Walnut front and back with a mahogany core was the starting point for the midrange, and to warm the package up, a Bart humbucker.
And honestly, after playing it for a couple of years now,the changes I'd make to this bass are all pretty minor. Change the neck profile to slightly thicker is about all. Still like no volume knob:cool:
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l205/dubwolf/JAF12.jpg
Can't resist posting that pic:)
That's a really beautiful bass, indeed!! So it's yours?? I wonder about that... The only thing I don't like is the headstock, but really... that's not even on my list of possible show-stoppers! :)

You say there's no volume control... but what's that control knob then?

[BassMaster General]

That's a really beautiful bass, indeed!! So it's yours?? I wonder about that... The only thing I don't like is the headstock, but really... that's not even on my list of possible show-stoppers! :)

You say there's no volume control... but what's that control knob then?

Thank you, and yup, all mine:D
I have thing where I like the headstock to follow the body style, hence the wave on the headstock sorta follows the curve of the upper horn. Just one of those design things I've always admired.

The control knob is a stacked bass/treble which IIRC has a cut/boost of 10 or 15 dB. Really should have gone for straight boost as I mainly run it flat. Can eq it enough to make my presence known. And I had to tuck the knob away so I wouldn't hit my hand on it when I strum sometimes. And that's an active/passive switch between the knob and the bridge. Still have some electronics tweaking to do to even out the volume drop between the active and passive modes though....

[MrWalker]

Thank you, and yup, all mine:D
I have thing where I like the headstock to follow the body style, hence the wave on the headstock sorta follows the curve of the upper horn. Just one of those design things I've always admired.

The control knob is a stacked bass/treble which IIRC has a cut/boost of 10 or 15 dB. Really should have gone for straight boost as I mainly run it flat. Can eq it enough to make my presence known. And I had to tuck the knob away so I wouldn't hit my hand on it when I strum sometimes. And that's an active/passive switch between the knob and the bridge. Still have some electronics tweaking to do to even out the volume drop between the active and passive modes though....

That's neat!! :) I like the wave on the headstock (I'm just not a fan of big headstocks, that's all). On my custom, it's the same "themes" going on headstock, fingerboard end, and body curve.
http://home.no.net/mrwalker/basser/hovland1.jpg
I agree with you... it adds to the overall impression.

I like the idea of no volume control. Actually, I like the idea of direct out without going through any preamp/circuits at all... like I've modded my old Cort Curbow:
http://home.no.net/mrwalker/basser/curbow2.jpg

[BassMaster General]

Damn, that is one nice pair of basses:eek:
The fretless has a really nice flow to it, and the cutout certainly adds to that.
And is that Curbow one piece!?! I can't see a joint on it and the grain seems to go right through. Ummm, if so, Dayam!! Very, very cool. Hell, even if not.
I thought about going direct out as well, but I usually use a few effects fairly constantly, envelope filters mainly, and liked having the option of being able to do some tweaking on the fly. But I'm really curious to try a direct out modded bass.
Ummm, and out of curiousity, what do you have in the old control holes:confused:

[MrWalker]

Damn, that is one nice pair of basses:eek:
The fretless has a really nice flow to it, and the cutout certainly adds to that.
And is that Curbow one piece!?! I can't see a joint on it and the grain seems to go right through. Ummm, if so, Dayam!! Very, very cool. Hell, even if not.
I thought about going direct out as well, but I usually use a few effects fairly constantly, envelope filters mainly, and liked having the option of being able to do some tweaking on the fly. But I'm really curious to try a direct out modded bass.
Ummm, and out of curiousity, what do you have in the old control holes:confused:
I am very pleased and happy about the fretless. It's staying forever. It was custom-built for me by a local luthier and I was part of the entire project. It was a great experience, and it's still a great experience to play! I've had it for 10 years. :)

The Cort Curbow is actually a pretty cheap bass. The body isn't wood at all, it's luthite with a fake burl finish. :) The neck is a one piece bolt-on with ebonol fretboard. The pickup is a Q-tuner, and sounds amazing. The empty control holes are filled with the type of button you use to block holes in cars if you, say, remove an antenna. :) The Q-tuner is LOUD!! I cannot use this bass on my cheap practice amp, because it overdrives the input channel. :D

[MBIYF]

I really like what you did with that Cort. I'd have put a no-load pot in for volume though. :)

[MrWalker]

I really like what you did with that Cort. I'd have put a no-load pot in for volume though. :)

Thanks :)

What do you mean by no-load? I've got a 250ohm (I think) pot that I haven't used, and the original pots were 20ohms, I think... But no-load?

[MBIYF]

Thanks :)

What do you mean by no-load? I've got a 250ohm (I think) pot that I haven't used, and the original pots were 20ohms, I think... But no-load?

Original Fender No Load Pot Works like a standard 250K pot 1-9 but "clicks" in at 10 (full clockwise) and takes the pot out of the circuit entirely. This eliminates the path to ground that exists with standard pots in the full setting. The result is increased power and brightness at the "full on" setting.

http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/product/CPNL1

:)

BTW: spammers LOVE you! :cool:

[MrWalker]

http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/product/CPNL1

:)

BTW: spammers LOVE you! :cool:
AH, thanks :)

Unfortunately, yeah... I'm spam bait! :(

Not so bad when Anna comes running after me with her p***y flashed, but that's the only worthwhile spam I've seen... :D

[mrcrow]

other

reputation..in the makers quality of build and resale value

[BassMaster General]

I am very pleased and happy about the fretless. It's staying forever. It was custom-built for me by a local luthier and I was part of the entire project. It was a great experience, and it's still a great experience to play! I've had it for 10 years. :)

The Cort Curbow is actually a pretty cheap bass. The body isn't wood at all, it's luthite with a fake burl finish. :) The neck is a one piece bolt-on with ebonol fretboard. The pickup is a Q-tuner, and sounds amazing. The empty control holes are filled with the type of button you use to block holes in cars if you, say, remove an antenna. :) The Q-tuner is LOUD!! I cannot use this bass on my cheap practice amp, because it overdrives the input channel. :D
Arg, luthite:mad:
Its still damn nice though. My only experience with that material was a couple of the Ibbys, and they just didn't do it for me. That Curbow would be another story though. That's the drag about living in Canada, you pretty much only see MM, Fender, Ibby and a bunch of cheap brands. I always see the nicer stuff on US online sites... Very nice job on it too BTWhttp://ebassist.com/forum/images/icons/icon5.gif

[MrWalker]

Arg, luthite:mad:
Its still damn nice though. My only experience with that material was a couple of the Ibbys, and they just didn't do it for me. That Curbow would be another story though. That's the drag about living in Canada, you pretty much only see MM, Fender, Ibby and a bunch of cheap brands. I always see the nicer stuff on US online sites... Very nice job on it too BTWhttp://ebassist.com/forum/images/icons/icon5.gif
Thanks :)

I was sceptical about the luthite myself, but I had played a fretless C/Curbow and that really impressed me. Had a beautiful sound! :) I got this one cheap from lbanks here on ebassist. The electronics was fried. I was lucky and got a spare preamp from a guy over on talkbass who swapped it for a US Bart replacement, so I can restore it to original shape if need be. But that Q-tuner is a great pickup and gives it a lot of character.

It's an ultralight bass, and I can play it for days without even noticing it. :)

I live in Norway, and I can assure you... it's not much fun in the music stores around here. Right now, there's a Sandberg period going on. We see a lot of MusicMen, Fender, Warwicks, Yamaha and Ibanez, but nothing really interesting. There's one store that is a little braver, but it's 12 hours drive from my place, so it's not helping much. ;) They stock a few MTDs and a couple of other hi-end brands, but not more than 2-3 at a time. Not worth two days in the car! :D

The Curbow is a keeper... definately. :) And so is the fretless.

EDIT: The neck is black all up to the pickup now, but it was actually blue when I received it... I just covered it with electric tape. ;) I guess the neck has been replaced with a neck from a blue Curbow at one time, and it didn't look too nice. With the black flowing all the way from the neck, it's kinda sexy. :)

[BassMaster General]

Ummm, yeah, a blue neck would certainly seem out of place on that bass.
Two days driving seems a little rough to check out some basses. At the very least I could drive down to BassNW in about 6-8 hours, traffic permitting.
Its kinda funny though, I went bass shopping a few weeks back thinking I could use a new brush in the palette. But after trying out a big pile of basses (Ric, EUB, bunch of MMs, Warwicks and Fenders) I just didn't find anything that offered me anything new.....odd eh?
So now I'm on a bit of a pedal kick. Picked up a Maxon AF9 and a Crowther Prunes and Custard recently. Been big fun making strange noises:D

[El Duderino]

For me, the neck is the first and foremost thing that I look at in a bass, and it's not any specific shape or width or anything, it just has to all come together to be comfortable. The neck on my T-40s is absolutely the most comfortable neck that I've found, but the neck on my Dano is comfortable too, and it's not as wide, but it's a little thicker front to back; if setup properly, a P bass is comfy to my hands too.

Scale length comes next. I like regular (34") scaled basses for most instances, but when I'm doing chordy type stuff, I stick to the Dano for its shorter scale.

Pickups are the next thing I look at, and it's not necessarily the type, I just prefer having two pickups to one. I like having a zillio0n tonal possiblities in one bass.

Body shape is a non-factor for me. As long as it plays and sounds good, I'll play it.

[NotFSI]

boalg is one hunky dude.