Addicted to cheap basses.

[Let It Fall]

I have always had 1 or Max 2 basses and they were either American fenders or ernieballs. I have owned every ernieBall model made. Somehow I sold one for the $$ and ended up picking up a classic vibe precision. Plays just as good and sounds just as good as any American p. next was a flea street bass on sale for about 220. Lacks bottom end but plays and sounds almost as good as my rays. Last I got a black squier jazz vintage modified and it sound and plays just as good as any jazz, minus a little buzz.

I really want a 5 string stingray, but am finding it hard to drop that kinda money now. The cheap basses are just too available. I'm considering getting a squier jaguar humbucker, which sound great by the way, and tuning it BEAD.

I feel like I'll never have a high end bass again.

[arsie]

Have you tried the SBMM Ray35? Not as cheap as a Squier but pretty close to the SR

I feel like I'll never have a high end bass again.

There's no reason to want one if you don't.

[Stilettoprefer]

I'm in the same boat:P. Buying squiers then modding them to my taste is a lot of fun and costs much less than fender, and I get my preferred sound, playability and look!

[jonnyJazzBasd]

I have an American P Bass that I love but my two Mexican J Basses are amazing because I can modify them without feeling bad. One of my jazz basses is even my main live bass. There is nothing wrong with less expensive basses if they fit your needs and sound good.

[JimiLL]

I wish I was addicted to cheap basses

[funkingroovin]

So true! I get sooo many compliments on my FrankenBasses! And they're fun to build! Currently,my cave looks like Fender's Custom Shop,and the only ones I'd let go with no guilt are the $$ USA models..I think it's because everybody has or can have a cookie-cutter factory bass,but nobody else has one like the one I 'built' myself..

LONG LIVE FRANKENBASSES!!

[FrankenIbanez70]

I was at guitar center the other day and played literally everything on the walls. The only things that spoke to me and actually felt like they belonged in my hands were a $300 squier p and a Warwick corvette $$ rockbass. I love not loving expensive things.

[JxBass]

I get what you're saying. At one point I sold my collection of vintage basses and owned only a Squier VM Precision. It did me just fine. I've since moved to back to high end end basses but it hasn't diminished my appreciation for the quality and value of today's more inexpensive gear.

[hrodbert696]

I have 3 now, a Yamaha BB415, Washburn Taurus T-25, and a Squier VM Jag. I can't help watching CL and keep biting back from buying some $100 bass there, but at this point I really want to save up for a higher-end bass.

[SirGrotius]

I can dig that. That's a good addiction to have. Don't spend too much time on TB though or that addiction will dissipate.

[spiritbass]

I hear you. I've gone from zero to three Squiers this year. The first was purchased specifically for a pickup transplant (Thunderbuckers on a Jaguar Special HB). My sonic blue CV 60's precision has a Lollar and a black abalone pickguard. I put a vintage white pearloid 'guard on my LPB 50's precision and took JohnK's sage advice on the Fralin split-coil pickup. I don't mod the headstock logos. Yup, it's fun to mod and play inexpensive basses!

[i_got_a_mohawk]

OP, personal preference and whatnot.

I've never played a cheapy bass that felt as nice as a more expensive one. I just haven't played one that had the same level of refinement IMO.

Originally Posted by FrankenIbanez70

I was at guitar center the other day and played literally everything on the walls. The only things that spoke to me and actually felt like they belonged in my hands were a $300 squier p and a Warwick corvette $$ rockbass. I love not loving expensive things.

The one suggestion I'll give here, the more expensive the instrument, the longer it'll be on the wall. The longer it is on the wall, the longer it is subjected to the poor conditions of a large shop!

I remember expensive Fenders etc. having a **** action when I tried them in Sam Ash many moons ago!

[wraub]

As I type this, I sit in a room that contains, among other things, 2 MIJ Squier basses (a 84 J and a 83 P), and a Memphis P copy, also likely early 80s. All 3 play great, look good, sound really good, are completely giggable, and cost me $250.

Yes, for all three.

Throw in 2 older Ibanez fivers, and I'm still out way under a grand for the lot.

I guess you could say I like me a cheap bass. Especially if it's a good bass too.

wraub

[rojo412]

One of the best sounding and playing basses I've ever had was a Squier Deluxe J bass. I put Sadowsky pickups and an OBP-3 in it and it was keeping my other basses in their cases. Sounded and played better than the ACTUAL Sadowsky (metro) that I had at one point.
(and someone's selling it in the classifieds right now, actually!)

Cheap basses kick ass!

[jelwood]

I have to disagree, after getting a stingray for my twenty first, I won't be picking up any "cheap" basses any time soon. But. Before the ray I had a squire vm jag...gnarly bass for the price.

[Rip Topaz]

I think as we get older, what we play becomes less about a "status" symbol and more about just what we like. The name on the headstock matters less, and what we feel under our fingers matters more.

Everything is subjective. I play a cheapie.

[soxhats]

I have a few higher end basses and yet a bass I'll probably never sell is a $400 used 2002 Fender Mexican P/J (plus another 100 bucks I spent to upgrade the pickups). The bass feels about perfect to me and sounds great -- has never let me down.

Also worth noting that many newer "low end" basses are much higher quality than years ago.

[rojo412]

Originally Posted by soxhats

Also worth noting that many newer "low end" basses are much higher quality than years ago.

You know, it's weird... the new "Lower End" basses (Squier in particular) do sound and play phenomenally better than the 90s stuff...
But the OLD "Lower End" basses (MIJ Squier) are now selling for crazy money because they were made so well.
Funny how that happens!

[basswave]

I love hot rodding cheap basses...There is nothing like it.

[handofseven]

I love me some higher end basses, but I'll take cheap and dirty any day of the week as long as the sound and playability are there.