A good bass meeting these specs...

[Michelin]

Does anyone know of a bass that:
- Has black hardware.
- Is $500 or under.
- Has its neck color the same as its body color (like this: Invalid Link Removed)
- Has 4 strings.

I'm essentially trying to find the closest thing to a [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] (in terms of looks) as possible for under $500.

Can anyone help? Or if not for under $500, for any price? I was looking into the DeArmond Pilot bass until I realized it's discontinued.
Thanks for your time.

 

[grifff]

How much do the used Charvels go for? That's always an option unless you would prefer to buy new.

 

[Stinsok]

Get a Charvel 3B!!!! No, really.....

 

[funkingroovin]

There's one on ebay right now,looks like the posted pic...

 

[Michelin]

I was hoping to get a new bass, available in black. I would opt for the Charvel but they've been discontinued so long and I ca only find them (in the rare instance that I do) in an unwanted color and heavily used. It might seem that I'm being picky though.

 

[Plekto]

Well, for a little more money, you can get a nearly identical(but much better sounding) Carvin. They are probably as close to that look and style that I can think of.

Ebay Item number: 260574397979
This is purple, but they did make a bass that was like that about 20 years ago. This one is ratty and not worth $200, though.

What I'd do, though, is go over the Carvin's site and look at their kit bases. $399 plus options. You'll have to finish it in black yourself, but it's not a big deal, really. Black is thankfully easy to apply and do a good job with. It will be new though and play like new.

They do offer back hardware for $30 extra and you can get black pickups, no dots, and even get a reverse inline headstock. A black/ebony fretboard is standard, so a black/black/black look is very easy to do on these basses. The headstock is not as extreme as that picture of the one on EBay but it is very nice. If you're a bit handy with tools, this is by far the best deal out there.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
A good collection of styles. I personally like the arrow headstock option the best as it was what was originally on the 1980s era basses.

If you go to "build this bass" under the kit and then forward to the headstock and neck options and so on, if you put your mouse over the buttons it will pop up a small picture of each one.

Invalid Link Removed
This is of course not black, but it also shows what the walnut wood option and a dark stain can do - it can look very close to painted black throughout. I'd personally do this instead and get a stain 3-4 shades blacker than he chose to create a "black all over" look.

I'll admit I'm a huge fan of Carvin.(well, other than they charge a lot) But their kit basses are often overlooked and an absolute steal in terms of sound for how much you pay. Everyone that I know who has made a kit as their first (serious) bass has been amazed at the results. And why spend $1200 on a bass that 's going to get dings and end up thrashed in a few years anyways? $350-$400 is a much better price for a gig bass, IMO.

 

[Getaway Driver]

+1 on the Carvin kit.

I've been playing a kit Carvin for quite a while now and it's grown on me quite a lot more than I ever expected. It's also cake to put one together, you really only need a screwdriver and a soldering iron. If you don't have a soldering iron, you should be able to take it to a repair shop with the wires loose and they'll get it going for you. Also, unless you want to do it yourself, have them set it up for you while they've got it.

My bass is from before they upgraded their pickups so it's tone is pretty bland, but I play with effects so it's a good blank slate for a sound. Black hardware is an upgrade, so you could end up spending a little bit extra to get exactly what you want. I'd also suggest going with an ebony stain (I used minwax) unless you really like the look of gloss black. A stain will preserve just a bit of the grain which will give it some character. Throw a poly or lacquer over it and it'll be good to go. They say that it should be playable from the minute you get it together but I've found that mine needs a little bit of a neck shim and the factory intonation was way off.

 

[will33]

I have a Carvin kit bass that's several years old and it still feels like an expensive instrument when you pick it up and play it. Good workmanship all around. The band I'm playing with now I use a P-bass most all the time because it's fits with the old 50's, 60's R&B but I still love the carvin. Excellent build/parts quality and you'll sound good playing it with anything from country and blues to hard metal to jazz. It's technically a much better designed and built instrument than the P. The P just has the certain kind of thump and the "vintage look" factor for this project. The only thing I'd have done different when ordering the carvin is get it with a blank square headstock so I could put my own design on it, the stock ones are a little small and pointy. That was a design oversight on my part, not thinking things all the way through before ordering and has nothing to do with the quality of the bass, it's a looks thing.