Ever had a fantastic cheap bass? (superb bassline content)

[mcnach]

Hello, my name is Jose and I am a mod-oholic.

I rarely leave instruments alone. I must do something to them. Even if only changing the pickguard for another colour. I can't help it.

But... one bass in particular is resisting.

I bought this bass about 6 months ago. It's a Jazz bass copy by a brand called Westfield. EBay... £40 plus £10 delivery. Worth a shot. Do I like the colour? Not really. Ah, great.
But it plays and sounds great!
Supposed to have some cheap pickups on but... they're meaty, full, sound great. The bridge pickup growls like a beast.
I keep going to this bass, I think of what preamp might be nice... but after I play it for a little while I just know I have to leave it alone.
Maybe I'll strip the body one day and just give it an oil finish, I don't like that green... but I'm afraid I might destroy the "mojo"

The bass in question:




This is my cheapest bass, and the only one I don't feel like I need to change anything to it. Funny.

Ah, the bassline content...
I was just playing this bass... and this song came on... ABBA "One of us"... yeah, yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. But listen to the bassline. When it comes to the chorus... it's very simple, yet... it's got a certain "something". Me and my Westfield Jazz just had a lot of fun playing along to this a few times.
I feel my "coolness" rating falling rapidly, but I don't care

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FxUeEBU6zY

[billiam5billion]

I had one of those vintage modified squire precision tele-styles, got it for 150 bucks used at my local shop, and it played well throughout my last band's tenure. Ended up putting it toward a trade for a MIM Jazz. Definitely made my return on it.

[Awkwardturtle!]

o.o that green looks amazing

[ghostdog93]

I like the green. No oil finish for you!

[C.Linton]

I would keep the green. It's unusual, unique and distinctive.

[Catbuster]

Yah. My curent bass. MIJ P Bass used, the shop thought it was a Squier, actually is not. I ended up getting it for 120 bucks.

[mcnach]

Originally Posted by C.Linton

I would keep the green. It's unusual, unique and distinctive.

I'll probably keep it... purely because I can fiddle with electronics forever, but I'm lazier when it comes to other things...
Yes... unusual.
Yes... unique.
Yes... distinctive.
Distinctively ugly

[mcnach]

Oh, and I lied when I said I'd leave it unmodified...
well, maybe.
I read about this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_5614wt_1138

and I bought one, just to see how it goes. maybe it'll end up on the Green Thing

[darkstorm]

Add the 2-3 band eq along with bypass switch. In my experience and for me, preamp added to nice sounding passive bass equals even better sounding bass. Even with tone controls left flat.

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by mcnach

I'll probably keep it... purely because I can fiddle with electronics forever, but I'm lazier when it comes to other things...
Yes... unusual.
Yes... unique.
Yes... distinctive.
Distinctively ugly

EH, just nickname it "The Hulk" and call it a day.

[EagleMoon]

I agree that the green is gorgeous. My favorite color on a bass.

[mcnach]

Originally Posted by C.Linton

EH, just nickname it "The Hulk" and call it a day.

Hmmm, I was going to call them all as food/sweet stuff (chocolate, caramel, custard, liquorice... and a few others) but I like The Hulk for this one. The sound is chunky too... yep, The Hulk will do. "Mint" was too girly
Thank you!

[mcnach]

Originally Posted by Catbuster

Yah. My curent bass. MIJ P Bass used, the shop thought it was a Squier, actually is not. I ended up getting it for 120 bucks.

How does that work? The headstock says "Fender" in big letters, but the shop assistant couldn't read very well and went "F... E... N... ah! Squier!!!"?

[charger_289]

i like the green. however i suggest (and its just an opinion) that you change the pickguard, probably to white to make the green stand out more. i dislike black pickguards, it makes the bodies colour seem too dull. or you could even get creative, put like a red or yellow pickguard with white pickup covers! but you have to be into those kinda things

[C.Linton]

Not me, I prefer Black pickguards. I have them on all three of my basses and only one of them came with. I'd change the white PG on my Srtat to black too, except it's a little more hassle, and I'm basically lazy. I think the Trans green on this looks great with the black PG. As always though, YMMV ....

[mcnach]

Originally Posted by C.Linton

Not me, I prefer Black pickguards. I have them on all three of my basses and only one of them came with. I'd change the white PG on my Srtat to black too, except it's a little more hassle, and I'm basically lazy. I think the Trans green on this looks great with the black PG. As always though, YMMV ....

Not white.
White on white bases, ok... in just about anything else I hate them.
Black one stays.

[richardzbaraski]

Originally Posted by mcnach

Hello, my name is Jose and I am a mod-oholic.

I rarely leave instruments alone. I must do something to them. Even if only changing the pickguard for another colour. I can't help it.

But... one bass in particular is resisting.

I bought this bass about 6 months ago. It's a Jazz bass copy by a brand called Westfield. EBay... £40 plus £10 delivery. Worth a shot. Do I like the colour? Not really. Ah, great.
But it plays and sounds great!
Supposed to have some cheap pickups on but... they're meaty, full, sound great. The bridge pickup growls like a beast.
I keep going to this bass, I think of what preamp might be nice... but after I play it for a little while I just know I have to leave it alone.
Maybe I'll strip the body one day and just give it an oil finish, I don't like that green... but I'm afraid I might destroy the "mojo"

The bass in question:




This is my cheapest bass, and the only one I don't feel like I need to change anything to it. Funny.

Ah, the bassline content...
I was just playing this bass... and this song came on... ABBA "One of us"... yeah, yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. But listen to the bassline. When it comes to the chorus... it's very simple, yet... it's got a certain "something". Me and my Westfield Jazz just had a lot of fun playing along to this a few times.
I feel my "coolness" rating falling rapidly, but I don't care

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FxUeEBU6zY

nothing wrong with a westfield .. i have the purple p bass did put a soap bar pickup in it though

[rr5025]

I hate you! When I was in Leeds I was dying to find a bass for about 50 quid. Ebay had nothing on it. I ended up snagging a Hohner P Bass from Northern Guitars for 90. That would have been that much more drinking money

[TombassCaton]

Ive had lots of good experiences with Westfields, ive used their small bodied 5 string (not sure what the exact model is) for about 3 years in an assortment of different gigs playing different styles and its never let me down.
Stagg can also be surprisingly good, allways very reliable

[nocontrols]

This is a "how low can you go" thread, where the winner is whomever paid the least for their favorite bass.

I'll throw my hat into the ring: The bass in my sig cost $110. Can't even imagine a bargain like that.

That green color is really cool. Congrats.