bass question?

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eric182

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I'm 16 and thinking about getting a bass guitar,i have really low budget($250 price range).and I'm thinking about getting a Yamaha attitude plus bass,or a yamaha
RBX260, but are they any good please tell me, or if you have a others in mind please tell me,thanks
 
I just consulted with my bass expert and he agreed with my gut instinct: Go with the used market either private or at a pawn shop. Your 2 or 3 bills should get you a pretty nice bass. Things to look for: Check the neck, it should be pretty damn straight with a very slight even bow upward toward the tuning pegs. Play a few notes at various spots on the neck. The action shouldn't be too high that you need a porta-power (jaws of life) to make a note sound or so low that it buzzes against the fretboard. Also check the play in the tuning pegs; too much slop here can make tuning maintenance a nightmare. Look for obvious damage in the body as if someone had played El Kabong with the bass. Ex-Girlfriends are notorious for this kind of action. If it survived the assault their loss can be your gain! Look for something in the
5 - 10 year old range. Gibson and Fender would be my first choices, but don't put too much extra value in those names. Play the bass.
 
Eric182 i thank that you should save up your money and get a fender standard precision bass for about $300 itsa good buy for that price range.
 
A bass sounds only as good as its pickups. I,d look for something used, with active EMG,s. Charvels are good for the money. I play a Charvel bass and a Charvel guitar. Got each of em for around $200 used and I've been abusing them for around five years now.
That's the key...finding one with good pick-ups... it will cost two bills to get EMG's installed, and you can probably find a used bass for a little more than that...EMG's included.
By the way...did you just reply to your own post???

[This message has been edited by S8-N (edited 08-02-1999).]
 
I have mixed agreement with Drstawl here:

Definitely hit the used market and buy an axe that way... you'll get a much better tool that way than by shelling out a couple hundred bucks for a budget new one.

Where I disagree is here: In the used market, I would NOT be looking at Gibsons and Fenders. You do not say what your intentions are for using this bass, but since you are on a RECORDING based BBS, I will derive that you may be looking to record with it! In my years of experience with recording, I have found that the electronics found in both the Gibsons and Fenders are substandard for recording with any clarity... especially if going direct to the board. I can project that statement and say that they lack clarity for playing live too, but: Who really cares how crisp and clean it is at 140 db? All you need to accomplish as a live bass player is to be able to shake the fillings out of the audience's head... right?

In the used world, many of the basses with some sort of active electronics will fill every live need AND provide the crisp and clear requirements for recording.

I'm a guitar guy who needed to own a bass for periodic studio work... I found a Peavy (Sarzo model) that plays great, looks great, sounds great, and records great! As a result, I've begun doing more bass work than ever before... I really dig playing it! The active electronics give it a wide range of sonics and it transcribes very well for even digital recording.

Keep looking and good luck!

Cordially,
the guitar half of "RockNGunz"
 
Play as many basses as you can and you'll learn what's important for you. I'll plug Peavey however, cause they're cheap, well made, and WAY underrated. Many of the models also have very fast and slim necks which are good for beginners. I used to play an old Peavey T-40 which weighed a million pounds, but recorded wonderfully. Now I've got a Cirrus which sounds and plays as good as many basses costing $2000+. Personally, I'd avoid pawn shops -- I go in those places ALL the time, but the stuff is generally in poor shape, horribly set up, and not all that cheap. So, go to a bunch of music stores, play EVERYTHING, and then buy off the internet (Harmony Central, EBAY, Bassgear.com) which will give you a discount over local music stores by about 30-45%.
 
I happen to own a Yamaha bass, about 8 years now. It was about $250, though I knew the store owner and got it 5% above actual cost to him (not too likely if you aren't good friends witht he dealer). I have found that catalog companies like AMS and Musician's Friend have pretty decent prices. Yamahas are cool, but I don't have active pickups and wish I did, though it records well through a preamp. A little quiet if you go directly into the recorder or mixer. Also, check the catalogs for ESP and Ibanez. Great prices, though I don't know their quality. Also, there are some Fenders with active EQ that are pretty sweet. Mexican and Japanese models are much less expensive than the US versions.
 
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