Budget Electric Basses - Your Thoughts

[Yank53]

I own and have owned several ranging $1200-1500. I gig most with a $499 Marcus Miller Sire v7. I love my "higher end" basses and a couple still get great use, but I've also sold some off that didn't agree with my hands and/or ears. If you're happy don't worry about what other people think.

 

[BadExample]

Human brains are funny things sometimes.

Most people wouldn't miss them a bit if they had theirs surgically removed.

 

[tedsalt]

Sound and playability can certainly vary no matter what your price point is, but to me, I don't like glossy neck finishes, and that seems to be the go-to for cheaper basses.

You can always take sandpaper to those ...

@steve_rolfeca posted his gloss removal technique here Squier Vintage Modified Precision V: who's got one?

 

[NetRngr]

So is the sharp edge of a fret upon occasion.

That's what fret files were created for. Honestly if you dont take / do a full setup on your instrument when you buy it( esp cheap ones) whose fault is it if you cut yourself up playing them?

 

[DigitalMan]

new name for poor people?

No, it’s reserved for people who take on an air of superiority for their values-based frugality.

 

[NetRngr]

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...

Honestly, I am not a paid musician, i dont perform for anyone but my wife and my neighbors/friends. I will NEVER pay over $500 for a bass/guitar unless I am making money off of it. I rather enjoy modding cheap instruments and building kit guitars/basses and making them something really special. Working on one now that even with the crappy supplied electronics sounds good but will be installing good electronics to make it a really nice bass.
Its not how much you pay its home good it is. Even the budget makers are benefitting from new production methods and quite a few of the cheap as dirt guitars sound really good right out of the gate. I have a HSS Bullet Strat that says perfectly in tune, and sounds great with no static or electronics noise at all.

 

[JRA]

an air of superiority for their values-based frugality.

is that oxymoronish? redundant?

FWIW: who doesn't feel superior when saving money (or getting a great deal)?

 

[BioDriver]

IME it really depends on the individual bass. My old RBX260 played well enough from what I remember, but many others bemoaned it and the RBX270 for being hot garbage. And you used to NEVER get Squier, Epiphone, or Ibanez's sub-$100 basses unless you wanted to retune it 5 times an hour or spend three times as much swapping parts out (or if you were gonna smash it at the end of the show ). Maybe manufacturing has just improved that much in the howevermany years it's been, but back in the day cheap basses were cheap for a reason. Again, IME and YMMV.

 

[Gary Banlowe]

Recently purchased a Sire Marcus Miller v7 and am very pleased with it. Relatively inexpensive and plays and sounds as good as anything I have previously owned short of my '63 Precision which I sold back in the 60's. Oh, if I'd only know then what I know now. Regrets, we've probably all had a few.

 

[David Ferrare]

Personally I rather get a cheap bass, and soup it up, its more fun to me. I just picked up a ESP LTD 204 for $199.00 from Guitar center, and i replaced the pickups, tuners, bridge all of which i got used, or on clearance. So for me its cheaper Basses all the way.

 

[lfmn16]

No, it’s reserved for people who take on an air of superiority for their values-based frugality.

+1

Playing a $5,000 bass doesn't make you special, but neither does playing a $50 bass.

 

[David Ferrare]

Prior to buying my Squier VM 70's jazz I did a side by side comparison between it and a made in America Jazz Bass. To my ear there was not that much difference in sound, and certainly not enough to justify the price difference. The VM jazz has turned into my main bass now and I tell anyone I can what great value the VM and CV series are - and how easy they are to upgrade if you want.
I don't black out the logo - people need to see that Squier is putting out quality instruments. People shouldn't let the logo make the decision for them on if they would buy it or not.

I would put the Vintage Modified Jazz Basses on par with the MIM Jazz basses.

 

[EduardoM]

didn't the greatest one bought the bass of doom used from a pawn shop being it already like a 10 year old instrument and put the music world upside down with it ? using just one that one bass his entire ( short ) life

many factors go into consideration when buying anything , brand recognition , nostalgia , emotions , colors , famous people using the item , etc .

buy what you can / want and enjoy it regardless of and then buy more if you need to or feel like wanting to , worst case scenario you are helping the industry somehow : cheap , less expensive , expensive , boutique , custom , who cares , as long as you are not setting yourself up for bankruptcy or a divorce just enjoy it and play , just play

I think its all in the fingers coming from you , the rest is just the tool used to express it regardless of the price

 

[David Ferrare]

In my opinion. If you play at a bar or gig like once or twice a month a you will not see or hear a difference between a $300.00 Bass or a $1500.00 Bass.

I think an expensive instrument would benefit working/touring bands. Where you are playing 5 nights a week, on the road, having the bass getting banged around, and things like warping, where you are in Toronto one week and the next week in Florida, and the bass would work play perfectly every night, and still stay in tune. I think factors like that is where you will see the advantages of an expensive instrument.

 

[-Stingray]

This is how it usually goes for me:

1. Drool over expensive instrument.
2. Research instrument.
3. Purchase instrument, and fall in love with it.
4. Become terrified at the thought of dinging newly acquired expensive instrument up during gig antics.
5. Leave expensive instrument at home. Play one of my $300 - $500 instruments at gigs.
5. Wonder why I own expensive instrument.....especially if I'm not going to play it.
6. Sell expensive instrument.

I've kept a few over the years as investment pieces......but the majority usually get sold once I come to my senses.

 

[tgriley62]

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:

Cool, always love seeing a Peavey being used on a higher level gig

 

[tgriley62]

Love to show this photo of Ritchie Blackmore rocking Roger Glovers Peavey Foundation

 

[micguy]

This weekend, I'm playing in a church service where a woman will be playing a harp. Besides making me feel like my music is way more legitimate, there's another positive effect of this. If you check out the prices of pedal harps (the real ones) they start out at about $10K and go up from there.

This has the positive side effect of making my basses look....cheap. Even if you add all of them together...no wait, don't do that. One at a time, they're cheap. Yeah, that's it.

 

[David Ferrare]

This weekend, I'm playing in a church service where a woman will be playing a harp. Besides making me feel like my music is way more legitimate, there's another positive effect of this. If you check out the prices of pedal harps (the real ones) they start out at about $10K and go up from there.

This has the positive side effect of making my basses look....cheap. Even if you add all of them together...no wait, don't do that. One at a time, they're cheap. Yeah, that's it.

LOL.. i know i think the same thing. For all the money and effort spent I could have bought a Stingray or American Fender and still have money (and time) to spare.

 

[dukeorock]

In my opinion. If you play at a bar or gig like once or twice a month a you will not see or hear a difference between a $300.00 Bass or a $1500.00 Bass.
.

I don't follow the logic here. There are folks who rarely and sometimes never play live who own really expensive basses...sometimes huge collections of expensive basses. If they can afford it and feel good about it, what's wrong with that? I also know full time pros who only ever play one bass, and not an expensive one. On longer tours I tend to take middle of the road priced basses because of the abuse that happens to the instruments on tour. It's just too all over the map for generalizations like that...just doesn't make sense to me and I really don't care how much or how little someone paid for their gear