Budget Basses

[Carbon Rose]

Does anyone have the Ibanez SR300 in Pearl White? I'd like to know if the finish on this particular colour is sparkly and glittery, like the other finishes on this model, or if its a smooth, plain white finish.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Lennihems]

Does anyone have the Ibanez SR300 in Pearl White? I'd like to know if the finish on this particular colour is sparkly and glittery, like the other finishes on this model, or if its a smooth, plain white finish.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

It's got a bit of sparkle to it, not as much as the blue one, it's not plain white though, more grey in it when compared to my flat white ATK

 

[ghostdog93]

Yes it's my money and I want it to be set-up the way I like to play it. However when I say I want it "this" low and the guy at the music store tells me its too low and it's unplayable, and when one side of the neck is straight but other is over bowed you don't really want to hang on to an instrument like that and "try" to make it work.

It's a brand new instrument, I shouldn't have to do such things to correct errors that were made back when it was being constructed.

A "basic" set-up is something I can do myself, its not rocket science and it doesn't take a pro to do a simple basic set-up. Which is why I would rather set my own instruments up.

You seem to be missing the point. This has nothing to do with being able to do your own set up.

You made two statements in your earlier posts: 1) that the action on this bass was high and the neck had a lot of relief, and 2) that you experienced similar, unsolvable fret buzz issues on other Squier basses. I'm merely pointing out to you that if the shop had done a basic setup as part of the purchase price, they probably would have discovered that there was a problem before you took the bass home.

The end result? You wouldn't be stuck dealing with the issue after the fact.

But like John Grey said, price reflects the consistency of the product so at 273 GBP I got one of the crappy VM jazz's. Just my luck

You claim to have had neck/fret buzzing problems on "2-3 other Squier basses", yet you buy a Squier bass with high action and lots of relief in the neck without checking it out thoroughly first. I personally wouldn't call that luck, bad or otherwise.

 

[Carbon Rose]

The fact that the music store i bought my Squier from didnt bother do a basic set-up has nothing to do with me, unless i asked, which like i said, I didn't want to. My choice.

Without sounding rude, Ghostdog please stop polluting my thread, you just seem to be trying to pick things out that i've said and trying to make me look stupid or wrong or something? I'm not sure what your insentive is and I dont care.

My post was meerly to see if other people have had the same issues as me, not about set-ups at music stores, etc. The other Squier's I bought were second hand so the misforunte with those were not expected, but not a brand new instrument from a store is a different story, plus all the research I did on the instrument made me pluck up the courage and have confidence in buying again.

Now if you wouldn't mind stop quoting me and trying to look right/smart/whatever, thank you.

 

[ghostdog93]

Without sounding rude, Ghostdog please stop polluting my thread, you just seem to be trying to pick things out that i've said and trying to make me look stupid or wrong or something? I'm not sure what your insentive is and I dont care.

Now if you wouldn't mind stop quoting me and trying to look right/smart/whatever, thank you.

I'm not trying to look right/smart/whatever. You posted a thread on a public discussion forum, so I'm discussing. That's how it works.

There's no need to get bent out of shape because someone holds a different point of view than your own. That occurs on the boards every now and again, and it's part of being a member of this community. People may post ideas, make suggestions or give advice that you don't want to hear. It happens. As far as I know, nobody has died from it.

If something I posted got your nose out of joint, I apologize, for it certainly was unintended. However, I do suggest growing a thicker skin if you continue to post here, and if you don't wish to see me "polluting" your threads anymore, there's always the option of the ignore button.

 

[mcnach]

I've been using these forums for along time now, however this my first time posting so hello to everyone!

OK, so I decided I wanted a Jazz Bass, something not to expensive but it had to be playable, adjustable to my liking and sound decent. After some research into the Squier Vintage Modified gear, particularly the 70's Jazz, I went for it and bought myself one from a local music store.

When I tried the bass in the store, it was ok, the action was too high for me so I checked the neck and it had too much relief, but that wasn't a problem because I figured I would just adjust the truss rod and set the neck myself. Boy was I mistaken!

Once I got the bass home and spent 2 days trying to set this thing up with low action, I gave up and sent it back for a full refund. I'm not sure what exactly the problem with this particular bass was, but from my understanding I COULD NOT for the life of me stop the bass for getting fret-buzz at the 17th fret and sometimes onwards. I set the neck from lots of relief to no relief at all and everything in between.

One other thing that I noticed with my particular Squier was that, when I made adjustments to the truss rod, the bass side of the neck, with the E and A strings, reacted differently to the treble side of the neck with the D and G strings. The treble side of the neck seemed to react more to the truss rod adjustments than the bass side. This lend me to believe the neck was faulty, or is this normal?

Anyway with all that ranting my question is, is it possible for me to be able to buy a budget bass that is playable, built well and be able to set-it up with low action, because the issue with this Squier Jazz has honestly put me off buying from them again and I'm afraid to buy again, even second hand in fear of these adjustment issues from stopping me from setting up and playing my bass the way I want it to.

I've even considered buying a fret less jazz due to the fact that the action can be set lower with a straight neck, which is what I like.

What do you guys think? Any recommendations and experiences on this issue would be very much appreciated and welcomed.

Not wanting to sound harsh but... you don't seem to know how to set up a bass, or what it involves.
Nothing to be ashamed of, nobody is born knowing these things.

You should always get a bass set up to your own preferences. Many shops offer a set up when you buy, but often do a poor job. Just do some research about who is good locally. Someone who knows what they are doing. Then spend some money there. It will not be a huge amount, but it is often the difference between a meh bass and a great one.

All of my basses play beautifully, whether they are expensive or cheap. Because they have all been set up properly.

 

[mcnach]

What would a pro have done that I didn't already do? - that I would of paid for...

A pro would make sure the nut is cut correctly, and the saddles adjusted just right. The neck will have the right amount of relief for your chosen action and strings. He will also, of course, make sure the frets are levelled.
This is all very basic, but it can take a fair amount of experience to do it well. A pro will do it well, and quickly.
The guy I take my basses to also rolls the edges of the fingerboard a bit and smoothens the fret ends, because I like that. I can do what he does myself... but it takes me a lot longer and The results are not quite as good.

 

[mcnach]

The point is that a pro will see things that a non-pro will miss or misdiagnose.

Exactly.

 

[mcnach]

I am hesitating indeed, but really I would like to try another I just dont want the same disappointing results again. Also would a 5 string bass naturally have lower action than a 4 string? I'm thinking of getting the new Squier VM Jazz Bass 5 instead of the 4 if the action can be set lower on it.

???
Seriously... factor some of your budget for a pro setup.
5 or 4 string is irrelevant.
The Squier VM Jazz is pretty decent, as well as the Classic Vibe series. I own three. You need a proper set up at any price range, and it will play nicely.

 

[Batmensch]

I am hesitating indeed, but really I would like to try another I just dont want the same disappointing results again. Also would a 5 string bass naturally have lower action than a 4 string? I'm thinking of getting the new Squier VM Jazz Bass 5 instead of the 4 if the action can be set lower on it.

Seriously, that sounds like a fluke to me. my VM Jazz was perfect out of the box and only required very minor tweaking to the setup. And I bought mine online without ever seeing it, let alone playing it.The problems you're describing do not seem to be a common complaint for these basses at all. At least none that I've heard, and I've read hundreds of posts and reviews of this particular bass.
(I did a lot of research before I bought mine).