Now I'm intrigued. You wouldn't have a photo, perchance?
Can't upload while at work...The bass is black with rosewood fretboard and white pickguard.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Budget Electric Basses - Your Thoughts
- Thread starter Gabe Lamog
- Start date
Can't upload while at work...The bass is black with rosewood fretboard and white pickguard.
Never been disappointed with a Yamaha RBX. Apparently really nice bang for the buck, but I should add that I haven't gotten one for myself... at least not yet.
There will always be diamonds in the rough. And polished turds.
I have a Dean Edge 09 4 string that I picked up at a pawn shop for $85. Had it set up with new D'Addario Chromes and am very pleased with it. Sounds as good as it looks. New ones go for under $200. 
I have a Squier PBass Special and an Ibanez acoustic bass. Each ran about $250 when new. I play them every week at church. Our music director is happy with the sound and so am I.
Budget basses let me do what I do... why pay more?
I have played and "get" (meaning I understand) expensive basses. but also really appreciate the fact that there are quite a few manufacturers who make stuff for all budgets.
I think the equation works like this:
quality or grade of bass you feel comfortable playing and owning = amount you can justify and or afford spending given your perception of your talent and your needs.
couple things tho:
The I'll buys something better when I can play better and have worked hard enough to acquire and earn the talent commensurate to a better instrument". - That should never be the case. Don't inflict that on yourself or your kids. Never buy the cheapest bass you can for that "beginner" bass. What will happen is you will find that the person who plays it will think this instrument is way harder to play than it actually is and may even give up.
Don't overlook (turn your nose up at) a "squire" grade bass. Most of the time the fret ends will be a little sharper than you want, or there might be something else low dollar that's a pretty easy fix. If you play it and it makes you happy, your set. Don't not-buy the house just because you don't like the kitchen wallpaper. Paint's cheap...
I think the equation works like this:
quality or grade of bass you feel comfortable playing and owning = amount you can justify and or afford spending given your perception of your talent and your needs.
couple things tho:
The I'll buys something better when I can play better and have worked hard enough to acquire and earn the talent commensurate to a better instrument". - That should never be the case. Don't inflict that on yourself or your kids. Never buy the cheapest bass you can for that "beginner" bass. What will happen is you will find that the person who plays it will think this instrument is way harder to play than it actually is and may even give up.
Don't overlook (turn your nose up at) a "squire" grade bass. Most of the time the fret ends will be a little sharper than you want, or there might be something else low dollar that's a pretty easy fix. If you play it and it makes you happy, your set. Don't not-buy the house just because you don't like the kitchen wallpaper. Paint's cheap...
I've yet to play another P bass that makes me want to spend an extra $1k+ to upgrade from my Squier. Including an AVRI '58 (although I should have nabbed that one anyway 
)
)
I started playing late in life (which sucks) but if there was one benefit from it I would say that the quality of “starter” instruments is so much higher than what I probably would have ended up with had I started at 16. The mid to higher level Squiers are shockingly good.
I do not consider the instruments in OP's list to be budget basses; I consider them to be mid-range. To me, budget would be Dean, SX, Rogue, Jay Turser, etc. My personal budget basses are Multivox Marvels. Now THAT's a budget bass.
Budget vs high-end price does not always equate to quality. I would look for a quality bass first. The probability of finding a quality bass increases with the price. However, I haven't seen much quality difference once you go beyond $1,000. Anything past that amount and you are paying for a name, paint job, features, etc. which is perfectly fine BTW. It all depends on what you are looking for.
It's not just about the sound. On less expensive basses I've had tuner gears strip, cable jacks fall apart, plastic nuts split in two, and basses that just stopped working because of faulty electronics, and a snapped truss rod.
But hey, if you're happy...
But hey, if you're happy...
So true, as I’ve had my share of personal experiences with those, as well. But for the most part, I’ve had some pretty good luck with less expensive basses. I think basses of all price ranges have their duds, unfortunately.
I think we're living in an age where the quality on the lowest price point basses has increased to the extent they are worth serious consideration by both the entry-level budget-conscious consumer and more experienced players alike.
I also believe that you really need to know what you're looking at and buying when you dip into that price range. Every major brand produces gems and lemons at that price point. You still can't make a general statement like, "Squier branded basses are really good quality." It's just not true across the board.
I also believe that you really need to know what you're looking at and buying when you dip into that price range. Every major brand produces gems and lemons at that price point. You still can't make a general statement like, "Squier branded basses are really good quality." It's just not true across the board.
I budgeted my money until I could afford to buy what I wanted the first time.
No regrets.
No regrets.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I bought this bass for $135 online. when it can the wiring was all jacked up, and no string tree.
I added a string tree, straploks, leveled and dressed the frets, gave the fretboard a coat of poly, put in a battery box and a 4 band Audere preamp. It totally rocks now. It is still not as good as a $2000 musicman, but I like it.
I added a string tree, straploks, leveled and dressed the frets, gave the fretboard a coat of poly, put in a battery box and a 4 band Audere preamp. It totally rocks now. It is still not as good as a $2000 musicman, but I like it.
I think inexpensive basses would be a more apt name for the basses that don't cost a lot of money these days. "Cheap" basses used to be crappy quality, plywood, and pickups you could talk into.
There are viable basses for all budgets these days as long as you temper your expectations accordingly. There will be surprises and gems with some of the inexpensive basses and disappointments for paying too much with some of the expensive basses. However, for the most part, you still get what you pay for (or hopefully do) as quality of parts, material should be higher the more you pay- it's just that quality overall has improved to the point that even the most inexpensively produced basses have become decent instruments - there's greater competition out there with budget lines to make sure the quality is high even at that level.
There are viable basses for all budgets these days as long as you temper your expectations accordingly. There will be surprises and gems with some of the inexpensive basses and disappointments for paying too much with some of the expensive basses. However, for the most part, you still get what you pay for (or hopefully do) as quality of parts, material should be higher the more you pay- it's just that quality overall has improved to the point that even the most inexpensively produced basses have become decent instruments - there's greater competition out there with budget lines to make sure the quality is high even at that level.
Nope, fake news. If you can't hear the difference maybe your amp/cabinet is the weakest link. Although I'm sure there are some nice cheaper basses, overall the expensive stuff sounds better.
