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Best Bass for the money?

Mark Repass

Mark Repass

Guest
Oct 3, 2014
7
3
67
Mosheim, TN
#1
Friends, I switched from lead and rhythm guitar to bass in 1988. I bought a brand new Peavey Fury bass and TNT 150 amp. I am still using them. As most musicians do, in the back of my mind I always dreamed of owning that "premium" instrument and still do. My Brother gave me a Squire P Bass and I was so excited to get to play it just to see what a P bass felt like. I still look forward to owning a real one sometime in the future but, take it from an old pro. This instrument is nice but it's not half the bass my Fury is. If you can't afford $600.00 or more for a premium Bass my advice is, snatch up every Peavey Fury you can find. Mine is American made and it is the made as well as any instrument I have ever played. I have owned Les Pauls, Teles, etc... It has precision and refinement that you can't find in any of these imported guitars. I have seen these Fury Guitars go for as little as $100.00! Peavey doesn't make the Fury any more so my advice is, snatch them up while you still can.
 
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#3
Interesting thread.

My Peavey Grind is really, REALLY well made and I got it for an absolute bargain new on Denmark Street. The only weakness is the electronics, but once those are upgraded I'll have something that I can interchange with my Warwick, I think.

For more premium instruments, Ibanez' Prestige line seems to really hold their own against basses 3-4 times their price.
 
#5
Don't know about the Fury, never tried one, but yeah, I think I'd go with an old used T-40 over a cheapo Fender clone any day (even if it's a Squire, not saying all Squires are junk, but some years are, or were, imho). Though if I was buying a bass just for practicing modding, tinkering, and trying out pickups, yeah, I'd get a cheapo clone (have a couple of SXs just for that purpose).

Not everyone likes / respects Peavey or Carvin, for that matter, but lots of folks find them to be perfectly good solid and reasonably priced instruments. Now that I can finally afford "the good stuff", I still love the more "value" end of things too.
 
#6
Mark Repass said:
Friends, I switched from lead and rhythm guitar to bass in 1988. I bought a brand new Peavey Fury bass and TNT 150 amp. I am still using them. As most musicians do, in the back of my mind I always dreamed of owning that "premium" instrument and still do. My Brother gave me a Squire P Bass and I was so excited to get to play it just to see what a P bass felt like. I still look forward to owning a real one sometime in the future but, take it from an old pro. This instrument is nice but it's not half the bass my Fury is. If you can't afford $600.00 or more for a premium Bass my advice is, snatch up every Peavey Fury you can find. Mine is American made and it is the made as well as any instrument I have ever played. I have owned Les Pauls, Teles, etc... It has precision and refinement that you can't find in any of these imported guitars. I have seen these Fury Guitars go for as little as $100.00! Peavey doesn't make the Fury any more so my advice is, snatch them up while you still can.
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I'm brand new to this forum, and I've been playing bass for about a month or two. But i can definitely say I lucked out on buying my bass. I got a used Dean edge 09. Took it home. I feel in love with it. The neck has just the right amount of lacquer, the head stock is absolutely amazing, and it rarely goes out of tune. Got this bass for 110 used as guitar center and in very well condition.
 

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#7
Best bass for the money always depends on the tastes of the person spending the money. :) There are good deals out there.
 
#8
Interesting- I've hear about the Furys. There are quite a few basses to keep an eye out for at your local pawn shop or CL.
One I can highly recommend and there are numerous posts about these basses are the older Ibanez SR800 to 1200. Why? Because these are Prestige class basses (made before Ibanez saw fit to classify the quality basses these are the grand daddies of them) from years ago. Originally sold for $800 to over $1000 at stores. These basses are Made in Japan, and full active (active pickups/preamp) and extremely well made. However- Ibanez did not mark these with the model numbers and are often mis-identified for the cheaper Sound gear models. Guitar Center used to have a number of these at crazy prices on their used site often identified simply as "Ibanez Soundgear" and going for less than $200. Put your hand on the bass and it'll be immediately apparent these aren't the regular Soundgear basses - they're more comparable to the Prestige basses. However, be warned, they either grew wise to identifying these or other bassists are snatching them up as soon as they're posted because they disappear pretty quickly.

Best chances of picking them up cheaply is probably at pawn shops or maybe Craigslist. I picked mine up for $100 on CL and it is easily one of the best basses I have!
Here's a Youtube video of someone testing a SR800 - check out the range of tones on these basses.
 
#9
I'm a sucker for 80's basses, there seem to be a lot of them that can be had for under $200 that are very nice. I agree with the OP about the Fury.


2x Early 80's slant ferrite pup Peavey Furys (Paid $40 or $50 for one I'm refinishing and about $190 trade/cash for the other.
1985 Westone GT (My current favorite) $150 w/ HC
1987 Ibanez Roadstar (RB800) (paid $25 for it with no bridge or knobs at a tool estate sale(?))

I'm waiting on a bridge and strings for the Ibanez
 
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#10
Dean Motto. Dean stopped making this and now they've stopped making the Hillsboro Single and Jazz. Even though the Hillsboro still costs $299 at Guitar Center and a few other stores, Musician's Friend is selling it for $169.
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I bought my Motto for $267...GC has several at various stores online.
It's a great bass for the money. Like the Hillsboro, the neck is incredibly smooth...nice satin finish, and I don't know what DMT Hot-J pickups are but they kick ass...for a second I thought I was playing an active bass.
Seriously, this has to be one of the best unknown basses around.
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#11
I want to give you good advise if you don't mind buying used Equipment. Just keep looking at all of Guitar Centers used basses you will find steals. I bought a Fender Precision 63 RI made in japan. Don't get fooled by Japanese they are top quality. I think they are built just as good as the Americans. i got lucky they just got it in the pictures wasn't even posted for 399 a japanese fender is well worth it when they sent me the pictures right of the bat I knew it was Re Issue the neck had the clay dots the thumb rest was below the G string. I did research it was built between 87 and 89 the only thing it was missing was the ash tray covers and the case overall its in nice shape Candy Apple Red finish. I did see the same exact one sell for 1,295.00 W OHSC and ashtrays. I bought 1983 Fender elite II precision mint w Ohsc for 799. you can get great deals Peavey AM made basses are inexpensive and very good. Dyna bass the Cirrus basses are really good. I know they have 2001 fender p bass AM in sea foam green for 699. Thats a great deal they only made that color in recent years for that year. I bought the Ri Japan believe it or not they are collectors items. i have Noel Redding J bass its 1997 they made 750 he really did sign the bass and most the signature is faded or even completely gone. My bass is perfect it must have been owned by collector it has no wear scratches nothing I paid 699 I have seen them sell for over grand. search G.C and you will find something
 
#13
I think overall the best bass for the money is the Music Man they are expensive but they are to me have the best QC of any other company. The really great deals are the SUBS they made between 03 and 06 not only are you getting an American Made Music Man your getting them for for half the price.
 
#17
diamondsplit said:
I want to give you good advise if you don't mind buying used Equipment. Just keep looking at all of Guitar Centers used basses you will find steals. I bought a Fender Precision 63 RI made in japan. Don't get fooled by Japanese they are top quality. I think they are built just as good as the Americans.
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The best advice I can give is to get a second hand CIJ / MIJ Fender - I currently have a Jaguar and previously had a P-Bass.

The common feature is a solid build - really solid. The CIJs will probably lack a certain polish that the MIAs have, though the CIJs will be solid and work well.
 
#18
Amen, brother.

One of my first basses was a Fender MIM Jazz bass. Unfortunately, I have spent thousands of dollars since then buying Fender Americans, Gibson Thunderbirds, Warwicks, etc. partially because of the GAS I've contracted from reading this damned Talkbass forum. Now years later I realize how good that Fender MIM really was. It was more than good enough for the smokey honky tonk bars I play in.

So hang on to that Peavey Fury and rock on!
 
#20
My experience is different.

My Fender P bass I bought when I was 19 with the money I made in my first pro band will always be with me but the basses I'm playing now definitely play better and sound better than the basses I started on.
 

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