Several factors go into an enjoyable, easy to play bass for me. I guess the ultimate goal is to have an instrument that I do not have to think about, will not fight against me, and will inspire me. And of course this is all in the context of playing live, anywhere from 45 min to 4 hours or so...
The first factor is the neck... It must have a nice smooth feel to it, and the strings must be set up nice and consistant... I like each string to kind of meld into the next in terms of feel and sound. Also, a relatively flat neck profile with low action feels great of course.
The second crucial factor is how the bass feels standing up. How does the bass feel at the 1st fret? How does it feel at the 24th fret? In terms of Smith basses, I am BSR all the way... the 1st position standing on the BSR body shape is much easier on my wrist.
Also important is the weight... again, for my playing style, if a bass is so heavy I can feel it when I play, then it is NOT for me.
Finally, the dynamics of the instrument.... I must be able to play a bass that responds to nuances in playing. Of course there are many other factors to this one, such as the room one is playing in, or the other musicians, the sound system, the size of the room, etc....
So in summary, if the sound in the room is good an balanced, the action is nice and low and even across the neck, and I don't feel any pain in my shoulder or left wrist, I am in bass heaven lol...
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