| i'm gonna chime in with the others, and give you the response that is neither sexy nor satisfactory, but is nevertheless essential: it's you.
i've had the joy of playing with bass players who play so badass all i can do is laugh sometimes as i'm grooving along on the kit. they can sit down with the most mediocre of rigs and produce a tone that is lively and spankin' and a lay track that is engaging and hypnotic.
if your tone is *sucking*, as you say it is, there is no way you can credibly lay that on the doorstep of your gear. it's a burden you, and you alone, must bear.
the good news is that you now have direction and focus, a new landscape to expand and reinvent your musical gifts. the bad news is you're gonna suck for a while.
all the more reason to stick with it.
please do not waste your precious life's moments chasing the tail of endless distractions by putting any more focus or energy into gear right now. find an incredible bass teacher, and invest your time (and a lot less money) with the instrument. just a few lessons and consistent woodshedding for a month will produce results that will stun you.
it really is ALL IN THE FINGERS. ignore this at your own peril. face the challenge, and enjoy it.
gregoire
del ubik |