Ex-basses, a summary of sorts

My first bass was a Squier Affinity model. It was the simple features which attracted me to it & that split pickup has that unmistakable P-bass tone. I bought this one late '90s, it was the grunge era, anti-guitar sentiments were everywhere so my ownership of a bass was an escape. However, the Affinity's neck wasn't as sturdy as expected, it warped repeatedly. The neck width was a little wide, I definitely could use something more comfortable. After selling this bass, I wasn't in a hurry to find a replacement as the guitar distractions got the better of me.

My subsequent bass was a serious investment, it's the discontinued Music Man SUB model. At that point in time Davis GMC had these in store together with the SUB1 guitar (so I bought 1 each...). The $900 asking price was too good to resist. The bass was thoughtlessly swapped with my dad's Ibanez RD500... *sigh*

This is perhaps the most playable & versatile bass I ever owned, featuring an active circuitry but the pickups remain passive. It looks rather retarded but the Ibanez RD500 had one of the best tonal palette without being too costly. This bass was sold to a relative who has a performance need for it. Reliability & rumbling good tones- the RD has plenty.

I then discovered the joy of a shorter scaled bass; it's not as excessive as a full scale unit which promotes playability for someone who is predominantly guitar-inclined. The Ibanez GAXB was a cheap & cheerful player which sounded good despite the sparse appointments. A young chap came over to try this bass because we share the same preference, something shorter scaled to address playability for occasional playing. There was immediate interest as mine was better set-up than the store's. It was a quick deal & I thought I could easily get another GAXB as it's readily available here. I waited for a non-black version- still waiting. The GAXB was discontinued about 2 years ago but I am still waiting.

Because I missed my SUB bass too much, the OLP MM2 was purchased as a consolation but the tone from this one wasn't Music Man grade. No, it's not bad, it's just... different. Just goes to show  we can't get cod roe to satisfy a caviar craving. Someone in planet bass read my review of this one & offered me a good price for it because it's exactly the finish he wanted. FYI- the OLP brand name had been discontinued & superseded by the Sterling label which manifested a clear revision in QC & tones.

I was still canvassing for a worthy bass after the OLP episode & chanced upon the BB414 when I was at Beatspot to purchase an amp (my Blackheart Killer Ant head). Gave this white model a try & it was superb to say the least. I was specifically looking for a model sporting a P/J pickup combo, tried the Squier version but wasn't too pleased with the tone. The BB414 features the same pickup arrangement but it's not about similar offerings when it comes to desirable tones; it's the wood, electronics & craftsmanship chemistry not some fancy brand names. This bass is very appealing (Yamaha makes better basses than guitars!) but proved too bulky for a small-built person like me. It went for an attractive price & was purchased by a close acquaintance.

So that's the brief about all my ex-basses. As I am a guitar person first & foremost, I have a loose attachment to my basses but this might change. Wishing everyone a good Sunday morning.

Music Man: SUB1 (disct'd)

The Music Man SUB series bass/ guitars were disct'd in 2006. Back then, there was a slew of lacquer-devoid models churned out by various manufacturers, the pioneer being Fender's Highway 1 series which are still in production to date. In addition to cost cutting, the lack of lacquer reduces the overall mass of the instrument hence propagating more midrange in the output. It's really a love/ hate affair among players; some love the added clarity, others lament the loss in critical lower frequency response.

Thw SUB1 HH guitar you see here is nothing too different from Fender's Highway 1 offerings; the body, headstock & neck rear are all devoid of lacquer & finished in a thin layer of overcoat known as 'satin'. The lack of a final 'skin' means the instrument is very susceptible to knocks; if you are easily perturbed by dings, do steer clear of such a finish.


Tone-wise, the SUB1 guitar has an airy midrange which would appease solo/ lead mongers. That extra bite in definition means your single note clarity is assured unless you tamper your EQ settings too much. The overall feel of those bare locations would be a welcome to those of us who simply dislike the sticky sensation a lacquer finish would result in, after prolonged playing, we do sweat don't we?
The very fact that the SUB series were discont'd is a sheer illustration of doomed production economics because the reality is, there is a limited following for such a 'unique' instrument finish. Fender did well to be there at the start of it all.
But the SUB1 guitar was one fine instrument & an affordable one indeed. It's also one of the better sounding non-mahogany bodied guitars out there.