EdwardofHuncote
I Still Dream of Jeannie
- Aug 21, 2013
- 6,658
- 2
- 16,432
- Disclosures
- I privately own and operate a local musical instument repair shop.
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Wait. Life happens fast. You don’t want to end up with a bag of parts and an amp. And if for what ever reason you don’t complete your instrument the resale value on a 20-40 watt combo is not much.
On th other hand, if a used small combo pops up for a really good price, it might light a fire under you to complete the project.
In that case:
1.)Buy an affordable precision bass.
2.) Look through your guitar gear for any pedals that might sound good with bass through your mixer/headphones.
3.)If number 2 is a bust, buy a bass specific preamp/DI. The Ampeg SCR-DI has a headphone out and Auxiliary input.
4.) Ignore 2 and 3 and get a Vox “ampplug bass” for 40 bucks. It’s a small headphone amp with an auxiliary input and a built-in drum machine. It’s the size of a zippo lighter.
The bass is being built for me, not by me - I'm merely paying for the luthier's time, woods and finishing, and providing the hardware and electronics. I'm going to follow the advice previously offered and either get a disposable cheap bass/amp package, or just wait for the finish.
Cheers,
Rob
Welcome Rob, You got some readin' and YouTubin' to do. I think you could pick up a starter bass on craigslist and a modest little amp for cheap while you wait for your build. You can always turn it around later. There are MANY great deals out now. Especially with all the new lighter amps flooding the market, a used "conventional" (heavier) amp could be had cheap. The problem is that you don't know what you want yet in terms of sound. That is a "learned over time" quest and it will certainly change along the way.
After being sucked into TB by googling "Black Sabbath bass pickups", i read every post in the EMG GZR thread - so, that's what I bought:
Additionally, you can see the grenadillo fretboard and medium-jumbo fretwire!
Cheers,
Rob
Too trueWhatever your choice for your 1st bass amp, it will not be your last purchase, believe me ... just another tip from your old uncle Dbase.Welcome to TB
Would the prudent course be to wait the 4-6 months for the bass to be finished, then test it on different amps (I’m lucky to live where there’s several music stores conveniently located), or just plow ahead with picking an amp and buying?
This is Talkbass. We don't discuss the prudent course. Buy (or build) amps and basses whenever you can.
This is Talkbass. We don't discuss the prudent course. Buy (or build) amps and basses whenever you can.
So, any regrets? I have a set of p and pj on a MIM and an aerodyne and love love love those pickups.
Well, I went by the opinion of the masses here and ordered them - the bass itself is still just a slab of cherry:
Cheers,
Rob
The is very true. The amp and speaker really should be considered an extension of the instrument, and IMHO the speaker and type of strings are often the parts that makes the biggest difference in sound.
My sad little story. I had to have to best amp when I was getting started. I played what was available in the local area. There were three nice choices with 215 cabs that would have served me really wel. I could have chosen between 215 rigs made by Sunn, Yamaha, and Fender.
After doing a bunch of reading I fell into the hype surrounding the Ampeg SVT and 810 being the king of bass amps. All the articles were filled with swirling superlatives the created the perception the amp would sound fabulous from the top to the bottom of it's frequency response. I had one special ordered on layaway and began paying it off, even though I had never heard or seen one. Surely it would be awesome because everyone said it was the best bass amp ever made.
The amp came in after I had payed it about half way off. The store let me play it on the show room floor and I thought it sounded horrible. I also suspected that it might be some sort of fake because this was around the time when MTI had taken over, so it looked a little different than all of the photos I had seen. No getting out of a special order so I payed it off and took it home.
Over the years I have learned that I actually like SVTs but I the sound of Ampeg 810s is not my cup of tea. I currently own a 69 and an 87 SVT. I eventually sold the MTI rig in near mint condition for about 1/3 of what I payed for it, and it took about a year sitting in a music shop.
If it were not for the current health threat, I would tell you to go play as many amps and cabs as you can, before you buy. Don't limit yourself to amps and cabs from the same manufacturer because amp/cab pairings can be a critical element in getting a certain sound, and sometimes you get a special synergy by mixing and matching. Some amps play well with most speakers, and some don't. Likewise some speakers play well with most amps, and some don't. Some combinations are down right awful, so it's a really good idea to try before you buy.
Don't let my experience put you off trying an Ampeg 810. Lot's of people still swear by the sound of P-bass, SVT, and 810. I played a Ric 4001 when I bought mine, and I was going for a HiFi tone a few years before it become common. Not the right rig for my goals.
That was valuable input...at the builder's shop, I test drove his short scale 4 thru an Orange Micro Terror and 115 cab, and it was thunder.
I'm going to remain as patient as I can, wait for the bass, then go amp hunting.
I'm sure something will grab me and say, "This is it!"...thanks again!
Cheers,
Rob
Each of us traces his/her own unique trajectory......and it looks as though your 1st bass will be unique, indeed. I concur with getting another bass to get rolling with. It all depends on how easily you can part with how many rubles.....but a used Fender P or J will retain its' value well.......and they are the standards by which others are most frequently measured, sliced and diced. On the amp front, I'd go ahead and get something with enough juice and cone area to play in a band context with a real drummer.....because sooner or later, that's bound to happen. You can record just fine with a more potent rig, but you will find it frustrating to play with others and not have enough amp to hear yourself, let alone be supporting the whole endeavour. Happy thumpin'.
Why Cherrywood? ... And any idea the weight it'll be when shaped and finished? ... I seem to remember Cherrywood being dence and heavy, but, maybe someone knows for sure. ... But, that aside, once the bass is near finished, that's when to go trying stuff out. ... If you design it right, including pickups and pre you'll want the amp to be as clean and colourless as possible. ... The clearner and lighter the more it costs.
Man this scares me because I’m about to drop a grand on an Audiokinesis cab based solely on Talkbass hype!!!
I dropped $1700 on a Fearless cab (Greenboy Audio) with only hearing a different model for 20 minutes. Best purchase ever! I still have it and have not bought anything else since then. Going strong for at least 3 years now... Is there anyone nearby or at least a few hours away that you can try it out for yourself?
Congrats, that is a GREAT pickup set. Plus it comes with the controls and solderless connections! You could technically install them in your cheap bass, if you buy a PJ, and then move them to the cherry bass when it’s complete. And on the unlikely chance that you don’t like them, you can get something else for your custom.
Cherry because it was available and the guitar that was made out of the other matching slab finished beautiful and sounded fantastic. I know I could have gone with a less dense wood, but it’s a beautiful piece. Note that this is going to be a chambered/semi-hollowbody, so I’ll be saving some weight in the body department.
Cheers,
Rob
