Bass Bass Bass

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PhilMckracken

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I am a keyboard player. That said, I dabble on guitar. Throughout my musical career, there were always guitars around and little by little, I picked it up (pun intended). Last year bought a Strat and now I even have some facility on the instrument though I still need some work. Anyway, I would like a real bass. The Mexican made cheaper Fender P or Jazz basses I am sure are fine for my purposes but I was thinking maybe something else for a change of pace. What is recommended for under $400.00.

BTW, saw a Danelectro "Rumor" that looked pretty cool. What say you?
 
I've heard pretty bad reviews of the DanO stuff, just cheep like it is. Hard to beat the value of the MIM Fenders, also though Ibanez is making some nice stuff and the bottom of the rung Spectors are very respectable and probably can be found used for around 4.
 
The MIM Fenders are great basses for recording. They are a no-brainer if you like the sound. (I have a MIM Fender Jazz)

The Yamaha BBN4 is a good bass in that price range too.

When you do buy the bass, ask the store to evaluate the intonation and do a minor set-up for you. I never buy an instrument these days without asking for that because otherwise they just sell the guitars out the door and they could care less about it's playability.
 
Anyway, I would like a real bass.
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Assuming you are going to use this for recording, get something that has noise-cancelling pickups. A Precision (not a Jazz or a SCPB) or something with humbuckers. You'll regret having anything with a single coil inside a small home studio.
 
Precision basses (Standard, American) have single-coil pickups. Which model comes with humbuckers ?
 
I suppose that is why my MIM Strat makes so much noise in my home studio. I am considering one of those Ebtech Hum Eliminators to try and tame the noise. In the meantime, the Ibanez basses look pretty good and if they have hum bucking pickups, that might just be the ticket. I believe they have a serious called the "Soundgarden" orsomething like that that is supposed to be the envy of every pre-pubescent this side of the Alamo and then some.

On the other hand, The Fender sound is the Fender sound. The only other question is the matter of this 5 string bass configuration. A low B for the bottom string allegedly gives some serious deep bottom to your sound. Hmmmm.
 
Precision basses (Standard, American) have single-coil pickups. Which model comes with humbuckers ?
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The Precision: It has TWO single-coil pickups wired in noise-cancelling mode, essentially a dual-coil humbucker.

This is why it's differentiated from the SCPB ("single-coil Precision bass") pickup as used on the '51 and '54 Precision reissues. I can't use my '54RI SCPB in my studio as it makes too big of a 60Hz racket.
 
I suppose that is why my MIM Strat makes so much noise in my home studio.
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I'm not up on MIMs, but the MIAs are wired to have a noise-cancelling, two-pickup mode in positions 2 & 4.

Single-pickup positions 1, 3 & 5 are plenty noisy, though!
 
I recently bought a Yamaha bass, 5 string. After looking at other basses in the under $400 range especially Ibanez and Jackson (didn't like the sound of the MIM Fenders to begin with) I liked the sound of the Yamaha BB405. They have a four string version, the BB404, that comes with passive humbuckers.
 
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