I guess "all of the above" is the obvious choice. I should have left that one out!

I voted "the sound" because "all of the above" means nothing to me.

I go mainly for the sound and the feel. Everything else is secondary.

Sound and feel are of equal importance. If you have to be in your "battle" zone to achieve any sort of descent sound, then you may start injuring yourself physically (without realizing it, of course; so you have a pyrrhic victory). On the other hand, if the sound is not there, no matter how little or hard you try, then it's useless to call this object a valid musical instrument (you may say "it looks like a bass, but sure it doesn't sound like one"!!! ). Additional features are welcome but they will never add something that is abscent from the beggining

I had to go with feel. In the end, the extra long 37" scale defeated me and I was, as Fullrange said, in my "battle zone" to get the legato I like. I opted not to go with the Steiny, and instead am waiting for the SJ5, which Sheldon says will be out at winter NAMM........meanwhile I'm back to floppy Fender 5s and my Elrick, but although they are more comfy in terms of scale length and chordal work above 12, the Dingwall experience has completely spoiled my ear/expectations.....the regular fret 34 and 35s are never completely in tune throughout the fretboard, and whenever I hit their B strings I've gotta hold back some force......and even then, the B sounds like it doesn't belong with the other 4 strings.........this wait will seem very long, but I'm sure it'll be worth it.

Whevever I try a bass, I generally play it acoustically. If it doesn't feel right, then it doesn't even get plugged in so I guess that is my first filter when checking out basses.

[quote="Smallmouth_Bass":22k62agp]Whevever I try a bass, I generally play it acoustically. If it doesn't feel right, then it doesn't even get plugged in so I guess that is my first filter when checking out basses.[/quote:22k62agp] Me too. All I need is to wrap my hand around the neck to know instantly if a bass is for me or not. I've mentioned this in various other threads, but I bought my Voodoo without ever playing a Dingwall. The second I sat down with it and got my left hand on the neck, I knew my search for the ultimate bass was over. If it doesn't feel right, none of the other things matter much at all. Mark

[quote="Smallmouth_Bass":3bumazq7]Whevever I try a bass, I generally play it acoustically. If it doesn't feel right, then it doesn't even get plugged in so I guess that is my first filter when checking out basses.[/quote:3bumazq7] Me too. I'll get asked. "Do you want to plug that in?" and I'll usually say... "No thanks"

I think all these are valid, but in the end, I think it's the sound that matters most. After all, music is [i:c1dcd59k]sound[/i:c1dcd59k], and while feel and playability are really important to the performance that creates that sound (and certainly our enjoyment of giving that performance), I still gotta go with the sound...why else would we [i:c1dcd59k]love[/i:c1dcd59k] a 37" B-string??? Regards,

Ultimately it comes down to the sound, but all the other factors come into play as well - including a few not on the list, build quality, customer service, and price. While asthetics aren't everything, they do play a part in the emotional connection to the instrument, and I am always amazed by the lack of asthetics in most bass designs. I am extremely picky about what I like and don't, although I have been known to let some designs grow on me that I initially resisted. Feel is very important as well, an uncomfortable instrument will not be played much, and therefore has limited value. Sometimes one has to endure some discomfort for a specialized sound, but it isn't something that you are eager to deal with. Sound is critical. I've played a number of guitars/basses over the years that measured up in all but the most important area. While some can be "fixed" by changing out electronics, most of the time it isn't worth the hassle/expense. Build quality is extremely important, especially once we get into premium instruments. I don't want the guitar to be falling apart or have to be dealing with twisting necks or other mechanical/electrical problems. I'm not one for adornments, I prefer a well crafted piece to one with excess flash, but a nice piece of wood never hurts. Customer service is extremely important. With any manufactured item there is potential for problems. How the company deals with them is critical to my desire to continue buying their offerings. Poor customer service is the fastest way to lose support for your products. Fortunately that doesn't seem to be an issue around here. Finally, price. There has to be a realistic balance between what is paid and what you get. I don't mind paying for quality, but if I can afford two for the price of one it's always better...

Sound and feel are both very important to me. I recently acquired a Sadowsky Metro UV 5-string, and while the sound totally kills, I prefer the way my AB6 feels. It's not even so much the neck (both are great!), it's the way the strings feel under my fingers. I like the more even tension of my AB - the strings feel more responsive to me. I do prefer the 19mm spacing on the Sadowsky though. In all fairness, the Sadowsky came with mixed strings (the low B is the original Sadowsky string, the other 4 are halfwounds and I can't remember what brand they are), and it needs a bit of a setup. The original 4 strings were included, and I may switch them back to see what difference there may be. I've heard from more than a few players that Sadowsky strings are amazing, and work better than any others for Sadowsky basses, surprise. All I can say is that it makes me that much more anxious to try out a Super J-5 when it is finally available, cuz I really love that J-bass sound! Joe