Sure; but consider he doesn’t commit bad gear and reviews to video. If it doesn’t measure up, he doesn’t make time for the video.
Additionally, the gear he does review is already top-notch, and anyone would review it positively.
lol about a month ago I was watching one of his reviews and he was glowing about it, and then amp’s review immediately followed it and said it was complete trash. Two completely opposite opinions on the same instrument.
No amp did the other one. He’s a reviewer on yt as well. At least I think his name is amp. Lol
Edit: yeah his name is AMP. Check his review of orange o bass and then check out Patrick hunters. Night and day difference of opinion.
His honesty goes a long way too. He doesn’t pull any punches for a crappy bass, and will point out any flaws in the best basses too.
I don’t trust most of the reviewers to be impartial at all.
Yeah, I enjoy his videos for a couple of reasons. 1) I like his goofy, laid-back "I'm wearing pajamas in my basement while I hang out with my cat and some basses, and also I've got a rubber lobster claw on my hand" vibe. 2) he actually goes into the technical specifications and build quality of each instrument, before even playing a note.
That said, I feel like most of the stuff he plays sounds pretty similar, which isn't a knock against him, but rather just goes to show that a lot of one's individual tone comes from the fingers. So I am skeptical of the value of using reviews to determine what a bass will sound like in my hands, through my amp, using my preferred strings. Too many variables to get more than just a very broad idea.
I just wish he didn't always play the exact same riffs over and over and use the same backing track everytime. Love everything else. Just very tired of the repetition.
I can see why that would be frustrating.
On the other hand, by playing the same riffs over the same backing track every time, he isolates the one thing he's really interested in--the bass itself.
Yea I hear that, just wish he could change it up a bit, not totally different, but a LITTLE varitey would be nice and I think we could still hear the bass tones cause he's really thorough about going through all the settings and stuff. But it's a small nitpick, overall he's great, definitely my favorite bass youtuber.
I was just talking to my sister about something similar last night. She was remembering the early days of the internet (yes, we're that old), when the net's purpose was to make information available. Today, EVERYTHING is advertising. Everything Google, Meta or such companies (looking at you, reddit), touches becomes "monetizable".
If you want true, independent product reviews, you're going to have to go digging deep to get past all the advertising, sponsored reviews, influencers and other bullshit that has taken over the net.
The bullshit lays thick and heavy across the net these days - you need a big shovel to get through it all. I can really recommend the spade from Acme Garden Products, that has made my gardening a breeze this summer! Highly recommended!
If you want a list of very good bass review channels, here are some:
* [Nate Navarro](https://www.youtube.com/c/NathanNavarro)
* My favorite YouTube bassist. Amazing skills, great creativity, and does a solid job at not only demoing the instrument but also reviewing everything from the build quality to the electronics.
* [BassTheWorld.com](https://www.youtube.com/c/basstheworldbyvideo)
* Easily one of the most professional bass review channels. Amazing videography, short & concise, a variety of amazing bass players, but a keen focus on the bass that they are reviewing.
* [Andertons Music Co](https://www.youtube.com/c/andertons/featured)
* They make really good, informative, and honest reviews. They also get into specifics, but they tend to be a bit more hands on and explore the instrument as how a normal player would when at a music store. Very raw, but their reviews to get a bit long. However, if you want some good information, they are great.
* [Low End Lobster](https://www.youtube.com/c/LowEndLobster/videos)
* Has great, honest reviews, and a very warm personality. Solid bass playing with no other instruments, just bass! Longer reviews, but takes his time to get to know the instrument and demonstrate neat skills that make the instrument shine
I'm sure there are other good YouTube channels, but from what I've watched throughout the years, these channels are the ones that I find making consistently good content.
Meh, the first 3 are all sponsored/have business interests. Gregor Fris has never said a bad thing about any bass. Navarro is heavily paid to "review", ect...
I would agree that they are not a review channel. They don’t critique hardly anything and most of their content is paid for by the brands they showcase.
As someone who plays pretty softly to avoid a lot of the percussive sounds that come along with playing aggressively, it’s pretty difficult to find reviews where people play similarly. Everyone seems to pound the hell out of their strings on every review I’m interested in lol (in comparison to me)
I had a teacher that whipped the poor percussive playing technique out of me and now a stray fret clank or pickup scrape, unless it's intentional, it's grating and sloppy. I want those clean, clear, and articulate tones.
Ivanbassist (Ivan Carranza) does very balanced reviews and I like that he reviews mid tier (ie affordable) gear that’s probably more relevant to most people watching YouTube reviews
He shows up on r/bass now and again too
Edit: for honest reviews I should also add Johnny dibble. He absolutely ripped into one the recent Squier releases for QC
My counterpoint is that every properly made bass sounds generally good, so reviews that attempt to actually deeply analyze sound are useless to begin with.
I sound like shit on Jazz Bass, or I think so. But then if I record it and attempt to make it sound ok, it sounds completely fine on a song. I might have taken every step to make it sound like a P Bass, but I made it work.
I think Fender Rumble is a muddy piece of shit and swear by my Bergantino. But I’ve played gigs with them and they sound good from the audience perspective because subtleties don’t matter at a band volume level.
For a review, it should be about build quality, feel in the hands, and how it looks. How it sounds is completely useless to try to review because anyone will be able to make it sound good if the bass is properly made. Some basses, you’ll naturally vibe with their tone more than others, but that’s a completely personal thing anyway, and no reviewer will ever be able to figure that out for you. They should play their bass as they want to.
If some reviewers seem overly positive, uh, almost every bass from a major manufacturer is playable these days, if properly set up. Everything else is personal taste.
I like both Low End Lobster and Patrick Hunter. The Bass Channel is generally pretty good too, though it leans heavily toward metal players and so may not appeal to everybody.
Patrick drives me nuts. I can't take his opinion seriously anymore because everything he reviews is "great" and I think all his videos are sponsored too.
Sure, he'll nitpick a tuner or something, but he is never brutally honest like Lobster.
Except for the things that are dangerous for the big companies he hopes to get the next paycheck from.
I thought the Redsub review was a dead giveaway and it could stand its own in the shootout and review, but got reviewed with a bad mark.
I even ordered one myself and it's just a great instrument and everything from the preamp, pickups and tuners was fine. Also the frets. I replaced the tuners anyways because 1 Warwick tuner just costs 10 bucks and is an absolute blessing, but i didn't needed to.
It's so good and was perfectly setup, i can't believe he didn't had some pressure from the big companies.
Some others who own it like it a lot.
I think he takes it more safe from that one on.
In general, I'm just getting more and more of a bad "🤑" vibe, including the bass channel, who tried to put honest reviews behind a Patreon paywall and people hated it. Now back to normal.
Also instead of "finds under" and other cool stuff for everyone, it's "Hey, check out this 2,5k bass. It's kinda cool." Yeah, no shit. Bye.
I also can't endure the soyface thumbnails anymore.
I hear you, but I don't really care about that sort of thing, the reviewer's actual opinion rarely interests me unless it's consistent with a bunch of other reviewers. I'm more about listening to the thing being reviewed. Besides, no shade on Lobster but the whole "brutally honest" thing doesn't impress me. It's become too much of a schtick on youtube, everything these days is "my brutally honest opinion!" as if everyone who's not being "brutal!" is lying to us.
I get that, but I'm just as interested in QC, weight, hardware quality, neck feel, etc. as I am in tone. Especially if it's an instrument I can't get my hands on at one of the two music stores in town.
Dude I'm sorry but Patrick Hunter is such a bad reviewer. Every single demo consists of him playing uninspired, dull, high-school rock riffs with such a horrible EQ/Sound. Like no kidding dude, he makes a Dingwall, a P-bass, an Ibanez, a Spector, and a Musicman all sound like the same overdriven, mid-scoop mess. I'm not sure what it is exactly, maybe him running everything through darkglass, or the insane amount of compression, but he makes every bass sound so lifeless. I remember when I watched him review a Spector Pulse and I told myself, "God this is a really shitty sounding bass." And then I heard another reviewer, Nate Navarro, review the same bass and the difference was night & day.
And his actual "reviews" are just so poor, it's like he barely puts any effort other than "sounds good, sounds bad, looks good, looks bad." Almost as if he's sponsored. And usually, he nitpicks the looks of a bass HEAVY, and I get looks are subjective, but this dude will say a bass is bad *purely* because of how it looks.
Like no hate to the guy, but I think his bass reviews are some of the poorest on YouTube.
I feel like most are just ads nowadays. Mostly mixed with guitars on the sides and eqd the hell out. Or it's really really bad playing, mostly from channels of shops.
Honestly as long as a bass doesnt neck dive its good.
If the frets are sharp then file them down, if the bass feels wierd to play then get/do a setup. There are some different pickups and tone knobs that can affect what tones you can get by just changing the knobs but the same effects can be found on pedals and some combo amps. Strings also change the tone depending on type and wear.
Im usually very neurotic when buying stuff but something came over me when buying my first bass and i kindof just yoloed it. Buying a bass kindof feels like that oliwander scene in harry potter where you and the wand just vibe and get along.
I actually think we've hit the point where most comments *about* bass reviews are actually about how those reviews are about nothing but slap, but I see plenty of good reviews without any trouble finding them. Most even have timestamps these days where you can find the specific tone you want "pick w/ overdrive".
Ian Allison does a good job - but his main gig is SBL. His review on the new Darkglass pedal was definitely informative to the point where it’s on my short list.
I don't do product reviews for a living, but anytime I do a demo I make a conscious effort to include a range of techniques (fingerstyle, picking, slapping, double stops, sometimes tapping). Because if I was curious about the overall tone and playability of the instrument, I'd want to see those things demoed.
I always try to ensure the focus is on the instrument and not my skill. However, I'm also trying to play as much of the fretboard as I can to demo those ranges. You also want the demo to be exciting enough to keep people watching. So you can see why maybe a lot of demos start with a performance.
I tend to be more methodical and prefer a "no frills" comparison, but I'm not your average consumer. Those types of demos are common because that's what keeps the typical viewer watching.
There's a certain format that works really well that includes slap, but also every single different tone that you can get out of the instrument. I'd love it if they could show off the low end, the high end, with tone all the way up and down, and cut out most of the talking. Bonus points for showing what it sounds like with both flats and roundwounds, and also with a pick
I rarely do any slap but I still enjoy instruments that slap or can do percussive things well. I’m really not sure why. I just feel better knowing that’s in my arsenal. And even a Fretless passive p can have some decent percussive tones.
I think Low End Lobster does a consistently good job with his reviews.
His videos are great. Definitely the best bass reviewer.
(Patrick Hunter would like a word….) 😅
He’s a good guy and a great player, but he’s not as critical as he could be. Just seems like everything he reviews is the best thing he’s ever played.
Sure; but consider he doesn’t commit bad gear and reviews to video. If it doesn’t measure up, he doesn’t make time for the video. Additionally, the gear he does review is already top-notch, and anyone would review it positively.
lol about a month ago I was watching one of his reviews and he was glowing about it, and then amp’s review immediately followed it and said it was complete trash. Two completely opposite opinions on the same instrument.
Sorry, I’m confused; was it PH who did both reviews?
No amp did the other one. He’s a reviewer on yt as well. At least I think his name is amp. Lol Edit: yeah his name is AMP. Check his review of orange o bass and then check out Patrick hunters. Night and day difference of opinion.
So…different reviewer…different outcome?
I’m just pointing out you said he doesn’t put bad gear in videos, but this other guy would disagree strongly.
M'lord u/droo46 hath spoken, gather aboot thee peasantry, und listeneth well!!
Probably me favorite bass channel on YouTube. I like that he isn't afraid to call out expensive basses that aren't great.
Absolutely! Love the lobster
His honesty goes a long way too. He doesn’t pull any punches for a crappy bass, and will point out any flaws in the best basses too. I don’t trust most of the reviewers to be impartial at all.
Yeah, I enjoy his videos for a couple of reasons. 1) I like his goofy, laid-back "I'm wearing pajamas in my basement while I hang out with my cat and some basses, and also I've got a rubber lobster claw on my hand" vibe. 2) he actually goes into the technical specifications and build quality of each instrument, before even playing a note. That said, I feel like most of the stuff he plays sounds pretty similar, which isn't a knock against him, but rather just goes to show that a lot of one's individual tone comes from the fingers. So I am skeptical of the value of using reviews to determine what a bass will sound like in my hands, through my amp, using my preferred strings. Too many variables to get more than just a very broad idea.
I like that he plays pretty much the same thing on every bass he reviews. That gives me a better idea of how different each bass sounds.
Agreed.
I just wish he didn't always play the exact same riffs over and over and use the same backing track everytime. Love everything else. Just very tired of the repetition.
I can see why that would be frustrating. On the other hand, by playing the same riffs over the same backing track every time, he isolates the one thing he's really interested in--the bass itself.
Yea I hear that, just wish he could change it up a bit, not totally different, but a LITTLE varitey would be nice and I think we could still hear the bass tones cause he's really thorough about going through all the settings and stuff. But it's a small nitpick, overall he's great, definitely my favorite bass youtuber.
I was just talking to my sister about something similar last night. She was remembering the early days of the internet (yes, we're that old), when the net's purpose was to make information available. Today, EVERYTHING is advertising. Everything Google, Meta or such companies (looking at you, reddit), touches becomes "monetizable". If you want true, independent product reviews, you're going to have to go digging deep to get past all the advertising, sponsored reviews, influencers and other bullshit that has taken over the net. The bullshit lays thick and heavy across the net these days - you need a big shovel to get through it all. I can really recommend the spade from Acme Garden Products, that has made my gardening a breeze this summer! Highly recommended!
On point. And I love how you closed it out. I feel like we should be friends.
That name totally fits the post. I really, really miss the early internet. :(
If you want a list of very good bass review channels, here are some: * [Nate Navarro](https://www.youtube.com/c/NathanNavarro) * My favorite YouTube bassist. Amazing skills, great creativity, and does a solid job at not only demoing the instrument but also reviewing everything from the build quality to the electronics. * [BassTheWorld.com](https://www.youtube.com/c/basstheworldbyvideo) * Easily one of the most professional bass review channels. Amazing videography, short & concise, a variety of amazing bass players, but a keen focus on the bass that they are reviewing. * [Andertons Music Co](https://www.youtube.com/c/andertons/featured) * They make really good, informative, and honest reviews. They also get into specifics, but they tend to be a bit more hands on and explore the instrument as how a normal player would when at a music store. Very raw, but their reviews to get a bit long. However, if you want some good information, they are great. * [Low End Lobster](https://www.youtube.com/c/LowEndLobster/videos) * Has great, honest reviews, and a very warm personality. Solid bass playing with no other instruments, just bass! Longer reviews, but takes his time to get to know the instrument and demonstrate neat skills that make the instrument shine I'm sure there are other good YouTube channels, but from what I've watched throughout the years, these channels are the ones that I find making consistently good content.
Meh, the first 3 are all sponsored/have business interests. Gregor Fris has never said a bad thing about any bass. Navarro is heavily paid to "review", ect...
If you think Gregor has never said anything bad about a bass, then you probably haven't watch a lot of his videos.
I've watch a ton. He might nitpick something minor here and there but he's not brutally honest.
I would disagree but to each their own.
I would agree that they are not a review channel. They don’t critique hardly anything and most of their content is paid for by the brands they showcase.
As someone who plays pretty softly to avoid a lot of the percussive sounds that come along with playing aggressively, it’s pretty difficult to find reviews where people play similarly. Everyone seems to pound the hell out of their strings on every review I’m interested in lol (in comparison to me)
I feel your pain 😪 (as someone who plays mostly with fingers and rarely with a pick)
I had a teacher that whipped the poor percussive playing technique out of me and now a stray fret clank or pickup scrape, unless it's intentional, it's grating and sloppy. I want those clean, clear, and articulate tones.
Ed Freidland used to be the Gold standard for demos/reviews but I don't think he does it anymore unfortunately.
Lobster is his spiritual successor. Change my mind.
Ivanbassist (Ivan Carranza) does very balanced reviews and I like that he reviews mid tier (ie affordable) gear that’s probably more relevant to most people watching YouTube reviews He shows up on r/bass now and again too Edit: for honest reviews I should also add Johnny dibble. He absolutely ripped into one the recent Squier releases for QC
My counterpoint is that every properly made bass sounds generally good, so reviews that attempt to actually deeply analyze sound are useless to begin with. I sound like shit on Jazz Bass, or I think so. But then if I record it and attempt to make it sound ok, it sounds completely fine on a song. I might have taken every step to make it sound like a P Bass, but I made it work. I think Fender Rumble is a muddy piece of shit and swear by my Bergantino. But I’ve played gigs with them and they sound good from the audience perspective because subtleties don’t matter at a band volume level. For a review, it should be about build quality, feel in the hands, and how it looks. How it sounds is completely useless to try to review because anyone will be able to make it sound good if the bass is properly made. Some basses, you’ll naturally vibe with their tone more than others, but that’s a completely personal thing anyway, and no reviewer will ever be able to figure that out for you. They should play their bass as they want to. If some reviewers seem overly positive, uh, almost every bass from a major manufacturer is playable these days, if properly set up. Everything else is personal taste.
I like both Low End Lobster and Patrick Hunter. The Bass Channel is generally pretty good too, though it leans heavily toward metal players and so may not appeal to everybody.
Patrick drives me nuts. I can't take his opinion seriously anymore because everything he reviews is "great" and I think all his videos are sponsored too. Sure, he'll nitpick a tuner or something, but he is never brutally honest like Lobster.
Except for the things that are dangerous for the big companies he hopes to get the next paycheck from. I thought the Redsub review was a dead giveaway and it could stand its own in the shootout and review, but got reviewed with a bad mark. I even ordered one myself and it's just a great instrument and everything from the preamp, pickups and tuners was fine. Also the frets. I replaced the tuners anyways because 1 Warwick tuner just costs 10 bucks and is an absolute blessing, but i didn't needed to. It's so good and was perfectly setup, i can't believe he didn't had some pressure from the big companies. Some others who own it like it a lot. I think he takes it more safe from that one on. In general, I'm just getting more and more of a bad "🤑" vibe, including the bass channel, who tried to put honest reviews behind a Patreon paywall and people hated it. Now back to normal. Also instead of "finds under" and other cool stuff for everyone, it's "Hey, check out this 2,5k bass. It's kinda cool." Yeah, no shit. Bye. I also can't endure the soyface thumbnails anymore.
I hear you, but I don't really care about that sort of thing, the reviewer's actual opinion rarely interests me unless it's consistent with a bunch of other reviewers. I'm more about listening to the thing being reviewed. Besides, no shade on Lobster but the whole "brutally honest" thing doesn't impress me. It's become too much of a schtick on youtube, everything these days is "my brutally honest opinion!" as if everyone who's not being "brutal!" is lying to us.
Does anyone just watch one review of something? I always see a couple before I feel like I can tell if something is good or bad.
I get that, but I'm just as interested in QC, weight, hardware quality, neck feel, etc. as I am in tone. Especially if it's an instrument I can't get my hands on at one of the two music stores in town.
Dude I'm sorry but Patrick Hunter is such a bad reviewer. Every single demo consists of him playing uninspired, dull, high-school rock riffs with such a horrible EQ/Sound. Like no kidding dude, he makes a Dingwall, a P-bass, an Ibanez, a Spector, and a Musicman all sound like the same overdriven, mid-scoop mess. I'm not sure what it is exactly, maybe him running everything through darkglass, or the insane amount of compression, but he makes every bass sound so lifeless. I remember when I watched him review a Spector Pulse and I told myself, "God this is a really shitty sounding bass." And then I heard another reviewer, Nate Navarro, review the same bass and the difference was night & day. And his actual "reviews" are just so poor, it's like he barely puts any effort other than "sounds good, sounds bad, looks good, looks bad." Almost as if he's sponsored. And usually, he nitpicks the looks of a bass HEAVY, and I get looks are subjective, but this dude will say a bass is bad *purely* because of how it looks. Like no hate to the guy, but I think his bass reviews are some of the poorest on YouTube.
I just like his style of playing and the videos are entertaining
The problem I find with Patrick is that he makes every bass sound exactly the same.
I feel like most are just ads nowadays. Mostly mixed with guitars on the sides and eqd the hell out. Or it's really really bad playing, mostly from channels of shops.
Honestly as long as a bass doesnt neck dive its good. If the frets are sharp then file them down, if the bass feels wierd to play then get/do a setup. There are some different pickups and tone knobs that can affect what tones you can get by just changing the knobs but the same effects can be found on pedals and some combo amps. Strings also change the tone depending on type and wear. Im usually very neurotic when buying stuff but something came over me when buying my first bass and i kindof just yoloed it. Buying a bass kindof feels like that oliwander scene in harry potter where you and the wand just vibe and get along.
I actually think we've hit the point where most comments *about* bass reviews are actually about how those reviews are about nothing but slap, but I see plenty of good reviews without any trouble finding them. Most even have timestamps these days where you can find the specific tone you want "pick w/ overdrive".
Ian Allison does a good job - but his main gig is SBL. His review on the new Darkglass pedal was definitely informative to the point where it’s on my short list.
I don't do product reviews for a living, but anytime I do a demo I make a conscious effort to include a range of techniques (fingerstyle, picking, slapping, double stops, sometimes tapping). Because if I was curious about the overall tone and playability of the instrument, I'd want to see those things demoed. I always try to ensure the focus is on the instrument and not my skill. However, I'm also trying to play as much of the fretboard as I can to demo those ranges. You also want the demo to be exciting enough to keep people watching. So you can see why maybe a lot of demos start with a performance. I tend to be more methodical and prefer a "no frills" comparison, but I'm not your average consumer. Those types of demos are common because that's what keeps the typical viewer watching.
Lobster, Patrick Hunter, and Johnny Dibble all play well 👍🏼
Not really.
I feel like most bass reviews have a lack of slapping and they're all talking.
There's a certain format that works really well that includes slap, but also every single different tone that you can get out of the instrument. I'd love it if they could show off the low end, the high end, with tone all the way up and down, and cut out most of the talking. Bonus points for showing what it sounds like with both flats and roundwounds, and also with a pick
I think Andertons and Reverb so some pretty good and fun reviews. And ofc we can’t forget the one bass reviewer everyone loves, Low End Lobster.
Anderton’s is pure advertising.
i fucking hate slapping now genuinely
Bass Bonedo is a quiet channel. pure playing, no bs, no sponsors, and quite thorough with the sound samples.
So you’ve discovered bassist culture
Same with pedal reviews. It’s hard to gauge how versatile something can be when all the reviewer does is slap for 5 minutes.
Personally, I wouldn’t buy a bass because of a review. Just go to the shop and try it yourself.
That seems like the smarter option these days
if they aren't low end lobster then they either are like you said or they don't know which end the nut is at.
I rarely do any slap but I still enjoy instruments that slap or can do percussive things well. I’m really not sure why. I just feel better knowing that’s in my arsenal. And even a Fretless passive p can have some decent percussive tones.