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Brice and Rogue- Beginner Basses

C

confuzled

Feb 22, 2010
3
0
#1
Hi guys, I am a guitarist but I love that deep sound of the bass and would like to learn to play one. I would like to get a 5 string, but since I don't have much money at the moment, and am not sure how good I'll be at bass, I don't want to spend much.

After doing lots of searching (narrowed down by price and looks), I am trying to decide between the Rogue Lx405 and the Link Removed.

I personally prefer the looks of the Rogue, and it is cheaper so I am leaning toward that. All the reviews on Musicians Friend are pretty good...they say it is not great, but for the price it is a good beginner's bass. It isn't made of cheap plywood, it has active electronics, and I've heard some good tones with a different Rogue on Youtube vids.

But after searching through nearly every post on this forum, I've heard almost nothing bad things about Rogue (although some people like them). But there are lots of rave reviews about SX and Brice basses. Why is this?

Lots of people rag on Rogues, but people don't give many reasons...I doubt most of those people have even played one. Can it really be THAT bad? Should I get the Brice instead? It gets lots of good reviews on TB, but oddly enough many of these basses are made in the same factory as Rogues.

Any input would be appreciated.
 
#2
i played a rouge at a friends house for the first time not long ago.
it felt good. the neck was slim and the body was comfy.
the sound wasnt phenominal but was good by any standards.
it needed a good setup, but it was a decent bass.

i played a brice 5 string at a pawn shop no long ago either, and it didnt give me that wow factor. it felt "cheap" (its the only word i could think to describe it). now, it was fretless, so that may have something to do with my impression of it. but it didnt do it for me like how i was surprised with the rouge.
 
#3
The third bassist in my church just bought the cheapest Rogue there is:

a passive P/J
I havent played it plugged in
but it wasnt too bad fit and finish wise and it sure is alot lighter than my Musicman and Fender so it was pretty comfy and dare I say almost toylike
acoustically it sounded nice and zingy with the stock strings

I have never owned a Brice but I have owned an SX
The SX was a solid bass with possibilities of modding for upgrades down the road
however, I think looking back the craftsmanship on my friend's Rogue was a tad bit better than my SX. Then again I could have gotten an SX that had a few niggles here and there: like the inlay for my lined fretless not being perfect on the side of the neck.
Tonally the SX was real nice and full.

The Pros of the Rogue?
- fit and finish is decent
- you can actually physically test drive one at Sam Ash or GC

The Pros of the Brice?
- generally above the quality of SX
- cheap price and better resale here on TB

My 2 cents?
I say GET NEITHER
for the price of the Brice 5 string
you can get this:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Lots of rave reviews of the Squier Deluxe V here on TB just do a SEARCH
(trust me theres A LOT of reading material of this particular bass)
Now granted that price is for a new bass at Elderly
they run for alittle more at other places

you can get one for cheaper
used either here or Evilbay
Of course there alot of other choice in that dollar range as well:
Peavey Millenium BXPs
Ibanez SRXs

heres some reading to get you started:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=312124
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=374320

 
#4
Thanks for the input so far guys. I know for only $200, I can't expect the Rogue to be too great. But if it plays well after a good setup and has a decent sound, then it will be fine with me. But the Brice seems nice too...decisions, decisions. All I want is a cheap 5er to learn on.

Yellofury, thanks for recommending the Squier. It does look like a nice bass, and is probably better quality than either the Brice or the Rogue. But honestly I'm not too keen on Fender designs. :eek: I prefer the look of the other two basses over a Precision or Jazz bass.

I have looked at the low end Peaveys too, but they just don't do it for me either. And the pickup configuration on the cheaper Ibanezes isn't quite so good.

Another thing to mention is that I don't even have a bass amp. I plan on just using my 10W little guitar amp. I never play loud at all, so sound quality isn't that great, but this is just to learn on and I can buy a bass amp later if I get serious about it.

Thanks again for your thoughts...keep it coming please.
 
#6
Last year, I ordered an SX Jazz bass from Rondo with the intentions of using it as a back up bass but I loved the sound of it when I plugged it in to my rig. Did a little moding on it, mainly Ernie Ball Hybrids and a Fender Jazz Bass bridge. It was very solid and the sound was awesome for a $139 bass. It has since become one of my stage basses and yes, I would trust it over a Fender any day.

I've had good experiences with Rondo, my latest purchase was a Douglas six string bass two months ago. Again very solid for the price, changed the strings to Ernie Balls and it was good to go.

My personal thoughts are for what you want it for and at your budget, you can't go wrong with Rondo Music. Kurt has one of the best, if not the best, return policies in the business. He goes to great lengths to please his customers. I've had to send a couple of basses back however I still do business with Rondo because the replacement basses were flawless. Kurt knows how to take care of his customers. Give him a chance and you will love their service.
 
#7
yellofury said:
...

My 2 cents?
I say GET NEITHER
for the price of the Brice 5 string
you can get this:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Lots of rave reviews of the Squier Deluxe V here on TB just do a SEARCH
(trust me theres A LOT of reading material of this particular bass)
Now granted that price is for a new bass at Elderly
they run for alittle more at other places
...
Click to expand...

So, uh, I just looked. That's $70-$100 cheaper than the competition for a Deluxe V. It's $229! I just placed an order. :D
 
#12
Lol, glad I started this so Chris could buy a new bass. :bassist: I've considered buying a used bass, but Craigslist doesn't have much of anything for my area. There aren't many guitar stores nearby either, so I don't have much of an opportunity to try any basses out....everything I buy is from online.

From what I hear, Kurt at Rondo is nice to work with, so I am leaning towards the Brice now. It is a little more, but if I don't like it then maybe we can work something out. Thanks for all the input guys. Happy bassing. :D
 
#13
a few years ago, a friend's kid brought his Rogue solidbody 5 string by asking for help...
it turned out to be made of particle board....

that being said, i have a Rogue VB100(Hofner Violin/Beatle bass copy) that's actually a very nice instrument, i record with it quite often....

your best bang for the buck will be buying used...
remember : "Quality is always worth the price...."
don't skimp
 
#14
yellofury said:
The third bassist in my church just bought the cheapest Rogue there is:

a passive P/J
I havent played it plugged in
but it wasnt too bad fit and finish wise and it sure is alot lighter than my Musicman and Fender so it was pretty comfy and dare I say almost toylike
acoustically it sounded nice and zingy with the stock strings

I have never owned a Brice but I have owned an SX
The SX was a solid bass with possibilities of modding for upgrades down the road
however, I think looking back the craftsmanship on my friend's Rogue was a tad bit better than my SX. Then again I could have gotten an SX that had a few niggles here and there: like the inlay for my lined fretless not being perfect on the side of the neck.
Tonally the SX was real nice and full.

The Pros of the Rogue?
- fit and finish is decent
- you can actually physically test drive one at Sam Ash or GC

The Pros of the Brice?
- generally above the quality of SX
- cheap price and better resale here on TB

My 2 cents?
I say GET NEITHER
for the price of the Brice 5 string
you can get this:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Lots of rave reviews of the Squier Deluxe V here on TB just do a SEARCH
(trust me theres A LOT of reading material of this particular bass)
Now granted that price is for a new bass at Elderly
they run for alittle more at other places

you can get one for cheaper
used either here or Evilbay
Of course there alot of other choice in that dollar range as well:
Peavey Millenium BXPs
Ibanez SRXs

heres some reading to get you started:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=312124
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=374320

Click to expand...



the squier looks nice but with basswood and ebonol I rather have a sx, alder and rosewood or maple that is a nice feat for the price
 
#17
maestrovert said:
that being said, i have a Rogue VB100(Hofner Violin/Beatle bass copy) that's actually a very nice instrument, i record with it quite often....

your best bang for the buck will be buying used... remember : "Quality is always worth the price...." don't skimp
Click to expand...

I agree on both counts. My Rogue VB-100 is a very nice bass, and with Labella Hofner flats on it, it has a great sound.

And - agreed, used is the best deal. There ought to be some good options around.
 
#18
confuzled said:
Lol, glad I started this so Chris could buy a new bass. :bassist: I've considered buying a used bass, but Craigslist doesn't have much of anything for my area. There aren't many guitar stores nearby either, so I don't have much of an opportunity to try any basses out....everything I buy is from online.

From what I hear, Kurt at Rondo is nice to work with, so I am leaning towards the Brice now. It is a little more, but if I don't like it then maybe we can work something out. Thanks for all the input guys. Happy bassing. :D
Click to expand...

Haha, I'm happy with my grab too! I needed a backup for my band and a 5'er that I could stand to lose, plus I wanted a slap toy. I'd hate to lose my Schecter CV-5 because I doubt I'll find one just like it again, prototype and all. (Plus it had $300 of new electronics.) The old bassist had his baby, a Mark Hoppus P stolen out of his car mid-gig right outside of a big club. Not gonna be me! :D

Kurt is really cool. I've got an SX through them before. Highly recommend them!
 
#20
I have had a Rogue LX405 with black finish for a couple of years now. I like the heavy duty stucture of the body because I put the fattest strings I could find on it. Plays ok and sounds great. Set up is key so the only thing I don't like is the bridge, but I just received my new black Hipshot A style bridge in the mail today.
 

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