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Budget Electric Basses - Your Thoughts
- Thread starter Gabe Lamog
- Start date
For a little over USD 500 (including shipping) you can snag a very nice used MIJ P or J style bass - Fender, Edwards, or Bacchus, from a reputable dealer in Japan. Great workhorse basses with excellent QC.
I deserve the bomb diggity shizzle: whether it's the 71 Precision or the 84 Foundation - substantial price difference as you can imagine. That being said my favorite Fender currently is an MIJ 70's Precision reissue that plays so smooth, is built like a Tesla and sounds exactly like the thick grinding spank machine,that we all know and love, should sound.
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There's good basses and not so good basses.
There are expensive basses and inexpensive basses.
There is no direct correlation between the two.
A more expensive instrument may up your odds of getting a good one. But it's no guarantee. I've played very affordable basses that sounded great. And I've played some very expensive basses I didn't care at all for the sound of.
I've found the best bet is to ignore the brand zealots and just go with what your ears are telling you. When you find something you think sounds good, buy it. If you run into any of the crowd that's constantly seeking validation and attention going around saying things like: "If you can't hear the difference you might as well get a Squire (or whatever) and save yourself some money." try to ignore them. Life's too short to play the "stoke my ego" game. Maybe they actually can hear things I can't, and have vastly more refined musical tastes and sensibilities than I could ever dream of possessing. Ok... I'm good with that. I'll happily give them the benefit of the doubt. But I also have this little habit of asking where I can go to hear their band play - or or where I can download some of their music so I can hear for myself what they're talking about.
Sometimes the answers you get back when you ask those sorts of questions are unintentionally hilarious.
There are expensive basses and inexpensive basses.
There is no direct correlation between the two.
A more expensive instrument may up your odds of getting a good one. But it's no guarantee. I've played very affordable basses that sounded great. And I've played some very expensive basses I didn't care at all for the sound of.
I've found the best bet is to ignore the brand zealots and just go with what your ears are telling you. When you find something you think sounds good, buy it. If you run into any of the crowd that's constantly seeking validation and attention going around saying things like: "If you can't hear the difference you might as well get a Squire (or whatever) and save yourself some money." try to ignore them. Life's too short to play the "stoke my ego" game. Maybe they actually can hear things I can't, and have vastly more refined musical tastes and sensibilities than I could ever dream of possessing. Ok... I'm good with that. I'll happily give them the benefit of the doubt. But I also have this little habit of asking where I can go to hear their band play - or or where I can download some of their music so I can hear for myself what they're talking about.
Sometimes the answers you get back when you ask those sorts of questions are unintentionally hilarious.
I would say whatever works for each individual. In my opinion, a $500.00 bass is not an inexpensive or cheap bass. I have let people who swear by MIA Fenders play or actually barrow my Gamma Alpha P bass and they can't believe the sound and build quality. I actually had one guy who owned a Fender Stu Hamm......the 2nd Signature model trade me straight across for on of my Gamma Alpha P's. I took the trade thinking I'd fall in love with the Stu Hamm model. I didn't get used to it. I sold it for just under the price of 3 Gammas. So Again I say to each their own...
- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Boom! Could not agree more! My basses range in price from $60-$2,700. I own 3 basses I paid over a grand for and 4 basses I paid $400 or (much) less for. They all serve a function
One of the best basses I ever had was an Fender MIM J. I spent a couple of hours trying different basses out, regardless of cost/name/etc. and this particular J just shone out. Traded it in for a 4003 a few years later.
The thing with "budget" instruments, if you find one that feels great, is that you can just upgrade parts as and when you feel like it, high spec hardware, electrics/pickups, etc. You would expect a more expensive instrument would not require any parts being changed, because they should be top spec parts anyway.
The thing with "budget" instruments, if you find one that feels great, is that you can just upgrade parts as and when you feel like it, high spec hardware, electrics/pickups, etc. You would expect a more expensive instrument would not require any parts being changed, because they should be top spec parts anyway.
I don't make my bass choices on cost but on tone and playability. Currently playing a Fender RW J and a Squier VMP5. Both passive. Love a good passive tone! The VMP5 has gotten all the playing time lately, but this weekend the 5's not needed, so it's back out with the J ...
I get what you mean, and definetly the budget lines of the major brands provide good quality basses to start with. I remember when I started playing that the budget basses where really crappy basses, but back then we didn't think about setups or mods or whatever and the choices where really few.
Nowadays, the budget lines of brands like Gibson (Epiphone), Fender (Squier), Musicman (SUB), Warwick (Rockbass), G&L (Tribute) provide great solid basses that can provide a solid instrument, great tones and playability. I played the other day a Warwick Rockbass Corvette at a local store and it sounded awesome and played really well.
Epiphone has made a step forward by releasing its own models and many signature instruments that don't exist under the brand Gibson like the Jack Casady and the Embassy, besides other bass and guitar models, which helps establishing them as a brand on their own. Squier did this also, although the recent line shows them setting back from this.
I think that the great game changer was with Sire and the association with Marcus Miller. Those basses have high end details, construction and sound at a really affordable price and can match with basses well above their price range. For their quality I consider them really budget priced instruments.
From my personal experience, I have some basses that can be considered budget and some a bit more pricey. The budget bass that I had that I really felt was too good for its price was my BB 424X. Such a great bass, well built and with great tone and playability. I only passed it on to get me a 1024X, that's superior in details and with a more articulated sound, but the tone of the 424x was trully amazing.
But the budget bass has a diferent side, because somtimes we buy a budget bass that has good tone and playability but then we feel that we want a bit more out of it and start modifying it and eventually we end up spending about as much as a higher end bass. I've done so.
I believe that we live in a good age for anyone who wants to play an instrument. We have better entry level instruments, more options available, more exchange of information, and now it's not dificult to have a decent bass and rig set that allows to play wherever we need without having to make decisions like "should I buy a new car or a new bass?".
You must have contracted tolio as a child. I can't find a bass which sits comfortably on my leg while sitting...doc said I had the kneesles.
Riis
I was heavily influenced by a band I saw called Fathead a long time ago. They were playing the most crappy brands of equipment, and they sounded awesome. I realized that it's the player, not the gear that puts forward 80% of the music.
I have found that pickup changes and intonation adjustments are important, as well as the action of the instrument for playabiliity. But a cheap instrument is just as good as an expensive one. Everything I play is dirt cheap -- Seismic Cabinet, old Gallien Krueger 200 watt head, Rondo Music SX short scale bass for which I paid #139, 1/4 size upright (quality but low end) and I get complements on my tone and repeat gigs at sometimes high, and mostly going-rates of pay. I also play an ESP 5-string piccolo for original music gigs.
One of the guitarists I work with is working on a Masters Degree in performance, and he goes to gigs with a First Act (the kind you get a Wal-Mart) practice amplifier that we mic. His guitar is an Epiphone.
So, when I see ads on Craigslist for musicians that say "must have pro gear" it's a signal to me that the person doesn't realize the greater importance of good playing and experience with the instrument.
I have found that pickup changes and intonation adjustments are important, as well as the action of the instrument for playabiliity. But a cheap instrument is just as good as an expensive one. Everything I play is dirt cheap -- Seismic Cabinet, old Gallien Krueger 200 watt head, Rondo Music SX short scale bass for which I paid #139, 1/4 size upright (quality but low end) and I get complements on my tone and repeat gigs at sometimes high, and mostly going-rates of pay. I also play an ESP 5-string piccolo for original music gigs.
One of the guitarists I work with is working on a Masters Degree in performance, and he goes to gigs with a First Act (the kind you get a Wal-Mart) practice amplifier that we mic. His guitar is an Epiphone.
So, when I see ads on Craigslist for musicians that say "must have pro gear" it's a signal to me that the person doesn't realize the greater importance of good playing and experience with the instrument.
The unknown/variable on the "budget" stuff these days is the quality of the hardware and electronics. I've had several Squier Affinities, and while they feel awesome (neck alone is worth the price...), they need some upgrades for heavy gigging use. Good thing is that most aftermarket parts will retro-fit with a few minor mods and adjustments. For those folks that don't gig 50+ times per year, they're fine in stock form. If you move up another notch or two, the CV/VM models are good to go as-is. If you bump up to around $500 max, you can get into some real pro-level stuff. Used and modded MIM Fenders, new-ish Warwick Rockbasses, beat-up German Std. Warwicks, Spectors, etc.
Carefully chosen modern inexpensive basses are a godsend. Once setup and with quality strings, with an occasional pickup replacement, they can be every bit as playable and musical as expensive even boutique instruments. Also they are easily acquirable on the used market. Put your money saved into mutual funds. (or additional instruments).
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To each their own - The gear choices of others don't affect me in any way...
Older USA Peaveys provide a LOT of bang for the buck - I have a couple that I've gigged a ton, including a Foundation 5 that's one of my main players:
Here's the white Fury on stage during an opener for Jackyl:
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I am looking to downsize more than add, but I'll tell you what, $599 for those Sire MM basses is a pretty alluring deal.
I own quite a few basses in the 3k+ euros ballpark, but I also recently acquired a Sire V7 and it DOES measure up to any bass below 2k, both in sound and in build quality. Never thought that I would say that myself.
