i've decided to buy a bass

erichenryus

erichenryus

New member
just because. it's only for me to goof around recording and i have no illusions of ever becoming good at it. there are just sometimes when i want to have a bass when i'm recording. samplers and keyboards just don't cut it!

so........here's my question to you bass guys.

what's a good bass to buy for someone who isn't going to be gigging, just recording every once in a while at home?

i want something that is easy to play. i don't mean plays itself. i mean good action, and works well with a guy who doesn't have particualary long fingers

budget = $500

oh, and i want one with five strings :).

So far Yamaha and Fender Jazz series have been recommended to me.

and guernica, if you're reading this. i still plan on asking you for bass parts on every song from now on! :)
 
I bought an SX P-Bass copy.....$200..........no case.....
works fine for me....I bought it to lay down my own bass parts and it works pretty good....still trying to figure out how to play the damn thing though.....

I bought a used P-bass case for $40.00.........
you really don't have top spend a lot ya know?

Joe
 
get a p-bass!



i love mine.


they are good. and cheap.....but......theres this one bass, that i need, i really need. its a schecter, its like, unfinished neck, natural wood, active emgs, oooo its nice....its like......400 bucks i think




freak
 
My first bass was a custum-built (as in pieced together from spare parts lol) Jazz Bass. I used it a LOT, and LOVED it! I still enjoy playing it over my Ibanez Iceman sometimes, just because of the light weight and the neck. :D
 
I have two Fender Jass basses, one fretless and one fretted but both are 4 string. The Squier duplicates of the Jazz bass are pretty good for the price. If you buy it now, then in a couple of years you can upgrade it by changing out the pickups if you don't like the sound.

Just a thought.
 
I bought an ESP LTD B205 bass about a year ago - beautiful instrument, played very well, cost under $500 ($479) and had active electronics and EMG pickups. I sold it, and it's one of the few things I regret doing! I was trying to switch to keys for bass, but in no way is it the same - playing dynamics are pretty much not there on keys. :(

The Squire basses aren't half bad, and you can't beat the price! Chase down to your local and check one out.
 
I'll second that about the ESP LTD-B series. I gave the B204 a very serious look before I finally bought my Jazz. I always equated ESP with metalheads, which I'm not, but I found it to be everything WoolyLoach said was correct, plus it was very light and comfortable as well. I think it's worth checking out.

If you're willing to bend on the 5-string requirement, another bass worth considering is the MIM Precision Deluxe.

If you're willing to consider used, you could probably get even more for your money as long as you're careful about what you buy.

As I said earlier, I ended up with a Jazz. Specifically, a MIM Jazz Deluxe V. I think they're now over $500, but they're also a great buy for the money. I ended up chosing this over the ESP because I the Jazz had the sound I had in my head.

And in a shameless plug for the Homerecording.Comp Compilation CD Volume II, if you buy a copy you can hear my Jazz in action on the last track on the Red CD. Just remember that the crap you hear has more to do with me and my limited abilities than it does the bass. :D
 
haha i want a bass too
i like the flying v basses. uuuuhhhhh :cool:

hopefully someday i'll have one
 
I went through a similar decision about 2 years ago....guitar player looking for a bass to add to recordings. I got a Dano Rumor Bass and really like it. It sounds good, is pretty solid (and has a slim neck), and is just more "live" feeling than many other basses that I've played. I don't know how else to describe it.

I can't seem to find this on musiciansfriend or americanmusical anymore, but the price was right as well...I seem to remember street price being between $100 and $200.
 
:D :D ...anytime you need one my brutha, you know im here for ya:)

Getting a bass is a great idea, You play guit well so you'll find all kinds of inspiration in a bass. ...damn keys are a dead instrument for bass (guernica dodges beer bottle thrown by guys who know how to play keys:D )
Ya cant go wrong with a fender. If you can swing one, I would buy a used american over a new mexi,etc. ...better neck, imo.
Wal also makes a nice bass under 5 bills. ...nice necks also (especially if you have smaller hands), and nice electronics to boot.

..you're a great drummer, ....youre gonna have a "LOT" of fun with a bass!!!!!
Mike
 
I'll second getting a used one. If you're just messing around, a good used one should be easy to find. The Fender's are good. I was in a situation about 8 years ago and I found a deal on a good G&L Climax bass that was out of production. It plays great and the action is low enough that it's easy to switch from playing guitar and going to bass. Just play a few and you'll be able to tell quickly the good ones from the bad ones.
 
i'm not saying don't buy a squire. they sound like a bass, or a guitar for that matter. sometimes thats all it takes. HOWEVER:

don't fall victim to this school of thought!:

<quote>"If you buy it now, then in a couple of years you can upgrade it by changing out the pickups if you don't like the sound."</quote>

the differences between a squire and a fender are far larger than just the pickups. the wood/construction/parts/everything... is inferior.

buy the one that you like when you play them all.
 
jacobs said:
i'm not saying don't buy a squire. they sound like a bass, or a guitar for that matter. sometimes thats all it takes. HOWEVER:

don't fall victim to this school of thought!:

<quote>"If you buy it now, then in a couple of years you can upgrade it by changing out the pickups if you don't like the sound."</quote>

the differences between a squire and a fender are far larger than just the pickups. the wood/construction/parts/everything... is inferior.

buy the one that you like when you play them all.
Click to expand...

WELL SAID!!

Most Squiers i've played are a nightmare of an instrument (loosely called such, imho). Some of the lower-end Ibanez basses are like this as well. Basically, here's my rule of thumb. Anything in a starter pack is best avoided like the plague. from there on, it's hit or miss. Dean has some great affordable basses, as does Ibanez, some of the Fenders are good. And the new favorite for me right now are the Schecter Stiletto series. i played the Schecter Custom 4 and fell in love instantly. It's a bit over the $500 mark, but it's WELL worth it, and in my book, will serve any bassist for a LONG time... the Deluxe 4 is also a great bass, and just barely under the $500 mark. And of course, I just spaced and just now remembered you wanted a five string model... Click on the Stiletto Series at the bottom, go from there. there are five string versions of both the custom and deluxe. These are VERY easy to play instruments (I'm a wannabe slapper lol) and i'm another bassist with not very long fingers.

But these would be some GREAT basses that i put all my faith into as far as tone, dependability, and lasting use. the Custom 4 is actually tied with the Conklin GrooveTools four-string for my "ultimate bass" right now under $1000. Go play some of these Schecters (and hell, try the Conklin GrooveTools line, too!), see what you think.
 
I just picked up this last week:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_id/108932

It's a refurbed OLP 5 string bass going for $149 now (originally $249). Neck was a little big for my tastes, but I got used to it fast.

I got the elm instead of the black. While the pickguard is a little rough, they did an excellent job on the finish. The elm looks absolutely beautiful. The only flaw on the body is a very small ding on the back, but I expected much worse from a refurb.

Surprisingly, it came properly set up - neck relief, intonation, etc. It has stayed in tune very well. The pickup does have a little noise at certain settings, but the shielding tape I have on order for another project should take care of that. Otherwise, the sound that's just running direct through my omni studio box is very nice. When I get my new bass preamp I'll be able to better judge its versatility.

While I'm primarily a guitarist, I've owned several basses over the past 15 years. The first two were cheap $150 to $300 jobs. The last was a nice Ibanez I paid about $750 - $800 for. This bass is wayyyyyy better than any other cheap bass I've played, and really challenges the more expensive ones I've tried. The only down side is it lacks a rosewood fretboard (just my personal preference - I'll get over it) and it's a little wider on the neck than some other 5 strings....but this leaves more room right hand bass antics.

While I'd agree on the squires being a limited upgrade path, this one should be a good candidate for an upgrade down the road should I find a good deal on ebay for a pickup. Maybe even a graphtech ghost system to get a nice acoustic bass sound as well. For $149 it's a steal for what it is, and for what it can be made into, it's a hell of a deal.
 
depending on the music you plan to play/record, you may like a semihollow bass. There are a number of manufacturers making them.

I bought a Godin Fretless A4 - used off of ebay, within your budget. I really like it. Easy to play in terms of action, weight, neck (though fretless takes some getting used to, but it is well work it IMHO).

Records very well and you can play it unplugged (for practice, not with others - not loud enough). This was big for me, since all my guitars are loud enough to play unplugged. Electric basses that I can't hear at all unplugged drive me nuts.
 
I've been out looking at the Schecters lately.. pretty nice instruments. The better ones are a little above the price I wanted to pay, but it seems worth it.. thankfully, the local grocery store had a major sale on hot dogs, so I can take my food money and transfer some of it to my bass fund. :p

It's either that or get another ESP B205.. I'm soooo sorry I sold mine (whimper, snivel)..
 
Thanks everyone for the responses! Sounds like I have a couple more things to look at now. I'll check them out at the store and make a completely emotional decision that will cost me more than my budget in the end. :)

I did like the Fender Jazz bass that I played last time. Seemed to be more forgiving than the others in that price range. They just didn't have a 5 string in the store at the time or I would have just bought one on the spot.
 
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