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Best P-bass copy for the $$$?
- Thread starter fretlessman71
- Start date
Lordy, I STILL have GAS for one of these. I have never managed to have the $ I needed when one presented itself and now they are out of production (with that sexy Amber finish.)
Hopefully I'll stumble across one someday when I have the cash.
(For the OP)--the model in the pic from the post I quoted is a Squier Vintage Modified. Here's an example of an excellent Vintage Modified.
Even some Squier Affinitys (Squier's lowest-priced, most entry-level instruments) I've played have been surprisingly nice.
I've also owned an SX P bass (well, I still do, but its in pieces at the moment) that was very impressive for under $125 shipped. I got mine in 2006. Has a killer neck and overall is a perfectly decent bass. I'm bringing it back to life...
I agree. This is my first. It was a 2001 Affinity. I got it cheap from a pawn shop because it was so messed up.
Body wasn't really dinged, but a lot of surface scratch.
Pickguard distorted and faded.
neck had a bad ding on the back of the neck and on the front of the headstock and was badly bowed.
All hardware rusted and corroded.
The kicker was the rusty strings. The ball on the A was broken off and someone had screwed a wood screw into the bridge hole with it. It was working, but the bridge was distorted from it.
So basically, I paid $55 for a neck and body.
I stripped the body completely, but that was a nightmare. The final coat was polyurethane and almost impossible to get off.
I think next time, I'll just rough up the old finish and put a new one on.
sometimes you can find a lakland skyline that's pretty roughed up for below 500, but you've gotta be patient, real patient
Oh hell yes. This is almost always the way to go on a poly finish body, IMO.
Here you go Muddslide another one for you.....(pricey though)
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Argh. yeah, looks ace. Too rich for my blood though.
There was one a lot cheaper on Reverb recently. Just sold.
Someday.
Actually, if I ever come across a plain P body that's cheap enough and has a decent grain pattern to it, I'll probably just make a Franken-P with a similar look/finish.
Or maybe if you ever decide to get rid of yours cheap...
ESP LTD Vintage 204 isn't bad and you can find them for ~250 or so. Need to replace the pick ups though. Squier VM are nice. Or Precision special with a P/J set up.
You could get this...Invalid Link RemovedArgh. yeah, looks ace. Too rich for my blood though.
There was one a lot cheaper on Reverb recently. Just sold.
Someday.
Actually, if I ever come across a plain P body that's cheap enough and has a decent grain pattern to it, I'll probably just make a Franken-P with a similar look/finish.
Or maybe if you ever decide to get rid of yours cheap...
and out on a real nice VMJ 70's neck
I am in love with my Rogue P-Bass. 24 Fret Neck, super lightweight. Rogues are super cheap, and don't really have a good rep, and I bought this one used for $45. It's got one stripped tuner, which are a known failure point, but they're all new for $28.00.
Don't knock it until you mod it lol.
Don't knock it until you mod it lol.
Yeah, but I have two burst Ps already, plus a black one. None of them are terribly nice, but they do fine for me.
I really don't "need" any other basses, but I can't help but want a P with a natural finish...just wood with nice grain. Maybe tint it a little like the Amber VMs.
Someone else mentioned SX from Rondo Music, I've heard good things about those basses. There's also Guitar Fetish. They have their Xaviere line which are super reasonable.
I haven't played a GFS bass but I bought a telecaster copy from them and it was actually superb in terms of body and neck. The wood was Swamp Ash nice and heavy, nice grain. The neck was a very solid piece of maple. All the wood parts were pretty dense.
The pickups, tuners, and electronics I swapped, they were just cheaper than I what was after. The bridge pickup was made of cheaper plastic. The tuners were slow and sort of sticky. I guess that's what it takes to sell an instrument at that price. Actually the electronics might have been fine, I think they use alpha pots, but I wanted a 4 way switch and out of phase push/pull.
I haven't played a GFS bass but I bought a telecaster copy from them and it was actually superb in terms of body and neck. The wood was Swamp Ash nice and heavy, nice grain. The neck was a very solid piece of maple. All the wood parts were pretty dense.
The pickups, tuners, and electronics I swapped, they were just cheaper than I what was after. The bridge pickup was made of cheaper plastic. The tuners were slow and sort of sticky. I guess that's what it takes to sell an instrument at that price. Actually the electronics might have been fine, I think they use alpha pots, but I wanted a 4 way switch and out of phase push/pull.
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Yep, Squier Vintage modified Precision. Then if you like you could maybe install a Fender Original '62 pickup or a Duncan Spb-1 and this bass will keep up with the best of the best....
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True...but I love the way it sounds stock. I was shocked/surprised on how good this sounds at the price I got it for.
+1
I used to own a Vintage V4 a while back and thought it was really good for the money. I think I paid about £185 for it brand new. The pickup was surprisingly good. The only thing that let it down was the poor wiring and the bridge wasn't up to much. I did a complete rewire and put a Hipshot bridge on it and it was great. I eventually sold it on to help pay for a Fender.
I build all of my Precisions out of cheap parts from the TB classifieds. Mighty Mite/MIM necks, good pickups, cheapo bodies. I'd go for a used Affinity over a new SX any day. I love a good value, but low price isn't always the best factor.
As said before the USA Peaveys are very good, also check the 80's Fernandes. You can get them cheap sometimes.
