Cheap basses - what's the best buy among them?

[Ricklh]

I need a bass guitar for recording home demo's but I don't need to spend a lot of money. I was in Sam Ash a couple days ago and checked out some of the low end models, by Ibanez, Wasbburn, Yamaha, Carlo Robelli, etc. in the sub-$200 price range. Any recommendations on any particular models from the above manufacturers?

[mshilarious]

The Yamaha my bandmate has is never disappointing. A good solid ax. Never played the others.

[guitar junkie]

yamaha is pretty good for the money, have not messed with the Carlo stuff but i have not been a fan of any of them. if you can try for used gear that would do you the best i think.

[Gidge]

check out Yamaha,Ibanez, and Peavey in that range and you should be okay........

[mharr552000]

The $200 Ibanez plays well and stays in tune, but it has no sustain.

[tacurtis]

Hey man, I used to have a DeArmond Pilot Plus V that was a decent bass for around that price.

I think they've been discontinued (?) but maybe you can snag a used one on ebay.

[apl]

The Carvin Bass Kit is the best $350 bass in the world. I used the same model for the songs in my signature line.

[guttapercha]

Originally Posted by guitar junkie

yamaha is pretty good for the money, have not messed with the Carlo stuff but i have not been a fan of any of them. if you can try for used gear that would do you the best i think.

I second that. I've had a Yamaha BB400 since 1984 (I was 13 years old when I started) and it still gets the job done.

[gvarko]

Go with the Yamaha

[Garry Sharp]

A lot of guys over at Talkbass rave about Essex basses.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57599

I agree also with the Yamaha suggestion.

[philboyd studge]

I'd reccomend Yamaha over other entry level basses. I've used a BB 300 since '86....it's a tank. Just checked ebay and there are several. You might want to read user reviews at Harmony Central.

[Emperor !!!]

Check out the Squiers basses, too.

[Scottgman]

I have an Essex Jazz Bass. It's a surprisingly nice bass for the price. I don't know if the workmanship or quality of materials is any better or worse than the cheap basses made by other companies. But it looks and feels nice.

I will say that the pickups suck. If you are looking for a really nice bass sound, you will probably want to replace the pickups. However, this isn't unique to Essex basses. All of the entry-level/cheap guitars and basses are built with cheap electronics.

[mikeh]

I recently bought an Ibenez GSR200 bass (after trying numerous low cost axes). It felt, played and sounded better than any of the other low cost axes I tried.

[guitar junkie]

ok what i want to know is why would you pay $200-$300
for a junk bass new when if you look around for a used one you can find a
$500 bass used and selling for say $275 or something just watch for something used that is of high quality and snap it up i have gotten gear that way that is much better than i would be able to buy new

[paul zahl]

I dont know if they have 'em in the states.But I really like my Fireapple Red Cort "Action Bass" (crap name, nice bass) Stays in tune.Great tone.CandyApple Red swampash body...rock maple neck.Rosewood fretboard...350 euros...Killer..... www.cort.com

[jfrog]

check out the Ibanez gsr 200...$209 at Guitar Center, but more importanly, it actually sounds decent. It's got a slightly narrow neck, which I like (I'm a guitarist). I'm not sure how durable it is...But it seems like a lot of bang for the buck.