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I think all basses I play kinda sound like me through any amp. I’ve never played a bass I thought was great in the shop and not great on my own rig.
Sorry; I got nothin'. Being left handed, there's very seldom any basses for me to play in a shop. And, my favorite bass is one I bought off of eBay, anyway; a '73 Rick 4001. While I did have it in the Sam Ash in Las Vegas a couple of times, just to have it's electronics tinkered with, I don't recall ever actually playing it there. I did take my '95 Alembic Epic there with the intention of playing it, though. Mainly to see if the reason it sounded like crap was my old Marshall amp - or the bass. Plugged into a Fender Rumble 500 combo amp, with the big external cab? It was the old Marshall amp... The Fender rig came home with me the next day. Funnily enough, I didn't play the Alembic much while I was in the store. Half the staff, and a few of the bass/guitar customers, had heard of Alembic - but nobody had ever seen one. There was quite a line of people wanting to play it. I let them, while I fiddled with the Fender amp, and then stood back a ways, to hear how it sounded. Also, to get a good laugh, watching all those right handed players try to play a left handed bass. Very few of them could, by the way; but the few that could, played the snot out of it...
i've never played a bass at any store that i couldn't get a setup/strings i liked if i brought it home. i prefer low action and d'addario super light strings, but for the right bass, i'm willing to go with regular lights or slighly higher action or a different brand of string. as far as amps go, i can always dial in a tone i like.
maybe, OP, you could use a little more experimenting with your settings, not just your setup?
also keep in mind that a store has a lot more open space than where you're playing, and that will make a difference to the tone, but you should be able to use the amp or eq to make it sound better to your ear.
btw, i'm a big fan of the SR300, and to me, it sounds good anywhere through any amp. maybe take your pedals out of the equation and play it through just your amp and see what you think.
maybe, OP, you could use a little more experimenting with your settings, not just your setup?
also keep in mind that a store has a lot more open space than where you're playing, and that will make a difference to the tone, but you should be able to use the amp or eq to make it sound better to your ear.
btw, i'm a big fan of the SR300, and to me, it sounds good anywhere through any amp. maybe take your pedals out of the equation and play it through just your amp and see what you think.
Sorry; I got nothin'. Being left handed, there's very seldom any basses for me to play in a shop. And, my favorite bass is one I bought off of eBay, anyway; a '73 Rick 4001. While I did have it in the Sam Ash in Las Vegas a couple of times, just to have it's electronics tinkered with, I don't recall ever actually playing it there. I did take my '95 Alembic Epic there with the intention of playing it, though. Mainly to see if the reason it sounded like crap was my old Marshall amp - or the bass. Plugged into a Fender Rumble 500 combo amp, with the big external cab? It was the old Marshall amp... The Fender rig came home with me the next day. Funnily enough, I didn't play the Alembic much while I was in the store. Half the staff, and a few of the bass/guitar customers, had heard of Alembic - but nobody had ever seen one. There was quite a line of people wanting to play it. I let them, while I fiddled with the Fender amp, and then stood back a ways, to hear how it sounded. Also, to get a good laugh, watching all those right handed players try to play a left handed bass. Very few of them could, by the way; but the few that could, played the snot out of it...
You are a brave man (woman?) to let strangers play your Alembic.
The only bass I ever bought in a store was 30 years ago. All others were either online or used. But I always had a very good idea what they would sound like. Either because I had a similar make/model or had played a similar make model in the past.
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if that's a MG15, not a MB15, that's a guitar amp, right? get a proper bass amp then and you won't regret it. if you liked Katana, get it and try it with your bass, you'll likely love it as well. from my experience with Roland Bass Cubes, I'd say, they're hardly transparent and sound like almost the same with most instruments, so I expect you to like other basses into it as well.
Are you're referring to the 15w 1x8" MG15 guitar combo or was that a typo? ANY bass would sound awful through that amp! I guess it could work as a home practice amp in a pinch, if you're not worried about blowing the speaker, but it really isn't suitable for bass.
If that's really the amp you're using you should think about getting an actual bass amp, if you can afford it. Pretty much ANY bass amp will be a huge improvement.
If that's really the amp you're using you should think about getting an actual bass amp, if you can afford it. Pretty much ANY bass amp will be a huge improvement.
Surprisingly, I tried a Mexican Fender precision bass special 40th anniversary plugged into a Boss Katana 210 combo and the sound was absolutely wonderful with all control flats.
Sounded so good I played for more than 20 minutes and when I stopped and look around, there were 6 persons around me "waiting" for my next song.
I had all the p basses I will ever need already so it was a no no for bringing it home but my interest was for the combo as you may guess. So I just tried to lift it off the ground and then my lower back said no !
Sounded so good I played for more than 20 minutes and when I stopped and look around, there were 6 persons around me "waiting" for my next song.
I had all the p basses I will ever need already so it was a no no for bringing it home but my interest was for the combo as you may guess. So I just tried to lift it off the ground and then my lower back said no !
I look but I can't recall the last time I trialed an off-the-rack bass...that adrenaline-rush has largely dissipated over the years as I've come to the stark realization that everything sounds the same in my hands. That being said, I do get my jollies via the simple stuff: peripherals, mods, set-up revisions, etc.
Riis
Riis
MG15 is a guitar combo with an 8" driver. You're not going to get much low end without wrecking it. Those Ibanez SRs have a wide tone range and can sound good even with the lows and mids at 0 and the highs on 10. Cut the lows to 0 and maybe boost the highs and you'll be OK.
I haven’t played that many that I really loved and I worked in a shop for a year.
but I found a P in a shop in 76 that I didn’t even try through an amp before buying it. It just sang to me, still play it.
but I found a P in a shop in 76 that I didn’t even try through an amp before buying it. It just sang to me, still play it.
"Favorite bass you played at an instrument shop, and how would it sound with your setup?"
I haven't played any instrument in a shop for decades. My setup (I think you mean amp or rig) is essentially an Ampeg SVT head into a 4 Ohm David Eden D410XLT, not a Marshall MG15.
I'm not sure I understand the question. Are you trying to rationalize buying the Ibanez and a different amp all at once? If so, yes, I'd replace that Marshall with a proper bass amp ASAP.
I haven't played any instrument in a shop for decades. My setup (I think you mean amp or rig) is essentially an Ampeg SVT head into a 4 Ohm David Eden D410XLT, not a Marshall MG15.
I'm not sure I understand the question. Are you trying to rationalize buying the Ibanez and a different amp all at once? If so, yes, I'd replace that Marshall with a proper bass amp ASAP.
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Early August 1970, Trestman music on Rice Street in St. Paul MN. A much younger me tried a Fender bass, butterscotch slab looking thing with a single kinda funny looking pup. That thing was dialed in extremely well. Priced out of my range by a mile. That was the day I learned about "set up" concerning guitars and basses. I still literally have dreams about that Bass.
How would it sound with my current amps? I assume with my Rumble 100, probably sound Fendery. With the PJ micro 7, probably fine.
How would it sound with my current amps? I assume with my Rumble 100, probably sound Fendery. With the PJ micro 7, probably fine.
Gearhead17
Supporting Member
"Favorite bass you played at an instrument shop, and how would it sound with your setup?"
Any bass I play is going to sound excellent with my current gear. If there are issues with my tone, I have many knobs, strings, and setup items to address before I make my final judgement.
I have not had your particular issue. No matter how good the bass sounds at a store, I have to do a proper setup on it and change out the strings immediately. I have always found that my/any basses I play improve in terms of playability and sound after I have worked on them.
As others have eluded to, your current rig is the limiting factor. Replace it with something designed for bass guitar and you will likely NEVER have this problem again. Go try some more Ibanez basses and get yourself one!
Any bass I play is going to sound excellent with my current gear. If there are issues with my tone, I have many knobs, strings, and setup items to address before I make my final judgement.
I have not had your particular issue. No matter how good the bass sounds at a store, I have to do a proper setup on it and change out the strings immediately. I have always found that my/any basses I play improve in terms of playability and sound after I have worked on them.
As others have eluded to, your current rig is the limiting factor. Replace it with something designed for bass guitar and you will likely NEVER have this problem again. Go try some more Ibanez basses and get yourself one!
My "used department" Alembic was the only bass I played at a guitar store and right then and there I had to buy it. One obnoxious individual was there trying every bass. I had the bass in my hands walking to the front counter to purchase it and he tries to take it from me, thinking I'm like him just sampling all the basses. The thing that bugged me was that he tried to take it take it from me, without saying anything. No excuse me or anything. I said sorry Sold! (I should have said Jerk!)
Back in the day when Bass NW existed in downtown Seattle
I wandered in and played a Lull PT bass through
A Genz Benz Streamliner 900
and 2x12 stack of brigantinos
Best sound I ever made
I have since Acquired the rig but not the bass itself.
My Lull MV4 is more than serviceable so It's hard to justify
But maybe some day
I also did "5 string shoot-out" At Bass NW once, and the winner was a G&L L 2500.
I wandered in and played a Lull PT bass through
A Genz Benz Streamliner 900
and 2x12 stack of brigantinos
Best sound I ever made
I have since Acquired the rig but not the bass itself.
My Lull MV4 is more than serviceable so It's hard to justify
But maybe some day
I also did "5 string shoot-out" At Bass NW once, and the winner was a G&L L 2500.
I played a used Marleaux Constant that I could not put down . The neck was like nothing I ever touched and the tone was insane to say the least . The bass was selling for $1900.00 and the " ONLY" reason why I did not walk out the shop with it was because the previous owner totally thrashed the bass . The gold hardware was warn/tarnished and the wood was thrashed , it is one thing to pay big bucks for a beat up/old Fender but not for a $5000.00 plus boutique bass .