Cart before the horse...?

[JimmyM]

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:
View attachment 3893118
Additionally, you can see the grenadillo fretboard and medium-jumbo fretwire!

Cheers,

Rob

Wise choice in pickups Been my jam for 6 years now.

Anyway, now might be a good time to start seeing what's out there and doing some window shopping and some trying out when you can. 40-50w is all some folks need, such as myself, but it doesn't hurt to have a little more in the tank and you can get some very nice small rigs that will put out for not too much money.

 

[pingvuiini]

I'm sorta in the same boat. I am having a bass hand made that's been in the works for several months now and I wanted to get a whole new rig when it was finished. Completion is probably several more months away, but very recently Mesa announced the TT-800 amp and I bought one. The amp has a great tube front end and is very light. I just put a down payment on a pricey new cabinet that may take several weeks for delivery. So while all the components (bass, amp, cabinet) won't be coming in at the same time at least for now I can play the new amp with my current instruments and get familiar with settings. Then when the bass is finished hopefully I can more easily dial in a good sound.

 

[StatesideRambler]

Since you’re new to playing bass I’ll recommend what I usually do: get something that will be easy to resell. Even if you like what you get, one day you’ll probably upgrade. Being able to quickly sell the old amp is a blessing.

As far as power and speaker configuration go, since you’re thinking in terms of playing solo or in a two/three piece, I see no reason to buy a stadium rig or even a club rig. 100 watt and below With a single 10” or 12” should serve you well even if your friend’s guitar is fairly loud.

 

[Texican]

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?

I’ll be driving Fromm San Antonio to Austin to get it from the original owner. I’m sure he’d normally let me try it out first, but with Covid-19 concerns, it seems like a lot to ask. At any rate, I just started my own thread. Didn’t mean to hijack this thread!

 

[rzamites]

I’ll be driving Fromm San Antonio to Austin to get it from the original owner. I’m sure he’d normally let me try it out first, but with Covid-19 concerns, it seems like a lot to ask. At any rate, I just started my own thread. Didn’t mean to hijack this thread!

No worries, I’ve kinda self-hijacked it by discussing the specs for the build anyhow I miss some things about SATX, mostly Rudy’s and the taco joint on San Pedro and Woodlawn
Good luck with your buy, hope it’s all you want - and be safe!

Cheers,

Rob

 

[JimChjones]

Since you’re new to playing bass I’ll recommend what I usually do: get something that will be easy to resell.

Yep. It ain't a marriage, you aren't picking something for life. I suggest first amps should be something boring, standard, mainstream, secondhand and easy to resell. Which quite possibly means Fender Rumble. And I don't know what the guys round hear do for eardrums, but they recommend crazy on power... Your first guess sounds sensible to me.

 

[Texican]

No worries, I’ve kinda self-hijacked it by discussing the specs for the build anyhow I miss some things about SATX, mostly Rudy’s and the taco joint on San Pedro and Woodlawn
Good luck with your buy, hope it’s all you want - and be safe!

Cheers,

Rob

How long were you in SA? I grew up here but just moved back a year and a half ago. Was gigging the whole time until Covid hit.

Hijack the hijacked hijackage

 

[rzamites]

How long were you in SA? I grew up here but just moved back a year and a half ago. Was gigging the whole time until Covid hit.

Hijack the hijacked hijackage

From ‘00 to ‘05 - lived in the Woodlawn area, then bought a house in Converse. Don’t miss the heat, but sure miss the food and culture. And the thread continues to derail

Cheers,

Rob

 

[parttime]

howdy.

well, this year marked my first actual bass rig purchases that are officially mine. i guess in hindsight, it was good to play friends stuff for a couple years before getting my own. this is relevant to your question because basically it let me learn on a total crap cheapo bass, so when i got my own total crap cheapo bass it sounded sooooo much better than what i had been playing. i was immediately happy with not having a multi-thousand dollar instrument.

i went without an amp for a couple months and only played through headphones. i'm saying this because whatever you do, just make sure you have a way to hear your bass when you get it! nothing more frustrating than not being able to hear it amped up after you dropped coin on a custom thing. i went with the rumble 100 because it is mainly a practice amp for my apartment and for jamming with an acoustic group i play with. even the 100 watt amp is too loud for my situation. if you have a house in the burbs then disregard, but if you live with any noise concerns then i would go against the previous advices and say stick under 100 for your first amp and you can always go bigger later when you want to pop on the orange head and cab. but honestly, just go out and get the amp!! why not??!! then it's bought and paid for and ready to go when you get your bass.

ok this is getting long. finally i would say that if it's just gas you have, then maybe start researching compression or simple mutli-fx boards to get you going. some of them have a ton of great amp modelers, so you could "try" several different families of amps before deciding what is the tonal range you like with your bass (i think this was just mentioned but i thought i would reiterate). also, if you don't watch rig rundown on youtube, it's a great resource to see what the pro's are using, and will give you a better idea of what types of amps and cabs are generally used in different genres of music. great stuff there!!

 

[parttime]

ugghhh, i hate myself right now but i'm gonna double down. let's be honest, less than a percentage of us are going to be the next geddy lee or sklar or les. if you are just playing in your room or with mates, nobody is really gonna care (besides you) what amp you are playing. and if you get any old amp and learn to sculpt tone with your hands and instrument, then you are all the better for it. and watching thos rig rundowns it's amazing how many of these older generation dudes just played what they had and then discovered their dream amp when doing a session gig and they couldn't bring their own or something. and if you get to that point then the right amp will find you.

sux you have to wait so long for that bass tho...

 

[Funky Phantom]

Why would you have a custom bass made if you have never played?
You don’t know what you are even going to want. Having a custom build is for someone who
already knows exactly what they want (neck shape, fingerboard wood, components etc.)
My advice, get a decent used bass, then you’ll know what you do and don’t want.

 

[murph7489]

ready to go when you get your bass.
^^
This is something I agree with..I would be going insane if I got a bass and had no amp to play it through..My suggestion is a 100w Fender Rumble..not too small but not some huge rig...perfect amp..I'd get it at least a few days before the bass is done and you have it so when you get the bass you are ready..Also buy a decent cable for your bass to the amp of course...

 

[kosmicwizard]

I'd like to know what amp you end up getting. We could list all the 50 watt amps we can think of, then you can start a poll and after you have the bass and try a bunch out, you can tell us what you ultimately decided upon.

Here is my guess as to what you end up with: Ampeg PF-50 into a matching PF115 cab. Cheers!

 

[JoeWPgh]

I would wait on the bass, before sinking money into an amp. Your first decision is tubes or SS. Tubes tend to be more expensive and lower wattage, but some people swear by the sound that only tubes can deliver. In the meantime, why not visit some music stores, pull a bass off the wall and try out different amps?

 

[Jack Butler]

Why would you have a custom bass made if you have never played?
You don’t know what you are even going to want. Having a custom build is for someone who
already knows exactly what they want (neck shape, fingerboard wood, components etc.)
My advice, get a decent used bass, then you’ll know what you do and don’t want.

Kinda moot at this point I guess, since the build is underway but yeah, wow! Plus it says "McCoy custom #1" in the OP's sig, does that mean it's the builder's first bass as well? Commissioning a custom can be quite an endeavor for even the most experienced bassist, as far as the end result turning out how they envisioned it. I can't even imagine buying a stock bass without trying out that type of bass first. When I was kinda new(about a year playing) I kept reading how Rickenbacker was "the best." I finally saw one in a Sam Ash and played it and man, the only reason I'd take one for free is to resell it. Just did not fit me at all, everything from neck profile to body ergonomics was all wrong for me. Some people legit love them. Even if I would have bought a Rick sight unseen before playing one, at least they hold their value. I don't know how much you will have sunk into this custom bass, but curious how you came up with the specs, and what you could get for it if you didn't like it. Dang I hate to be a wet blanket but that's the real cart before the horse here IMHO.

 

[jmon]

VOX AMPHONESBASS Active Amplifier Headphones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009703PZG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.lYaFb9RRZG1Z

And a cheap Pawn Shop bass. Hit the woodshed and learn the instrument.

 

[bdplaid]

Would the prudent course be to wait the 4-6 months for the bass to be finished, then test it on different amps

yes

 

[lfmn16]

Just my 2 cents, but where you jumped the gun is building a bass for your first bass. If you're new to the bass world, how do you know if you prefer a thick neck, a thin neck, a wide neck, a narrow neck, P bass sound, J bass sound, Ric Sound, 4 string, 5 string, 6 string, etc., etc., etc.

I'd get a little time with some different basses under your belt before you build a bass from the ground up. There are plenty of perfectly good basses out there that you could buy used and turn around with little of no loss while you figure out your preferences.

 

[Rockbobmel]

Pssssst. Not to be a Debbie downer but unless the builder gets REAL famous, the custom build will only yield a part of your investment if you ever want to sell it off. Plan on keeping it for your grandchildren.

 

[rzamites]

Why would you have a custom bass made if you have never played?
You don’t know what you are even going to want. Having a custom build is for someone who
already knows exactly what they want (neck shape, fingerboard wood, components etc.)
My advice, get a decent used bass, then you’ll know what you do and don’t want.

I’ve played guitar on and off since my early 20’s, and I went into this build knowing 80% of what I wanted already. I’m not going into this like some GAS addled 17 year old with money to burn. Buying a decent used instrument is all fine and dandy, but playing DA here, I could just as easily have to go through a bevy of them to find out what I do and don’t want. Unless, of course, you mean test a bunch out at various shops, etc. and then buy one.

Kinda moot at this point I guess, since the build is underway but yeah, wow! Plus it says "McCoy custom #1" in the OP's sig, does that mean it's the builder's first bass as well? Commissioning a custom can be quite an endeavor for even the most experienced bassist, as far as the end result turning out how they envisioned it. I can't even imagine buying a stock bass without trying out that type of bass first. When I was kinda new(about a year playing) I kept reading how Rickenbacker was "the best." I finally saw one in a Sam Ash and played it and man, the only reason I'd take one for free is to resell it. Just did not fit me at all, everything from neck profile to body ergonomics was all wrong for me. Some people legit love them. Even if I would have bought a Rick sight unseen before playing one, at least they hold their value. I don't know how much you will have sunk into this custom bass, but curious how you came up with the specs, and what you could get for it if you didn't like it. Dang I hate to be a wet blanket but that's the real cart before the horse here IMHO.

Well, he’s built way over a dozen instruments, but this is the first one that someone commissioned - it’s not #1 as in “This is the first bass I’ve ever built, ever!”. If this bass is anything like the guitars and bass I test drove at his studio last week, I’ll be fine.

Just my 2 cents, but where you jumped the gun is building a bass for your first bass. If you're new to the bass world, how do you know if you prefer a thick neck, a thin neck, a wide neck, a narrow neck, P bass sound, J bass sound, Ric Sound, 4 string, 5 string, 6 string, etc., etc., etc.
I'd get a little time with some different basses under your belt before you build a bass from the ground up. There are plenty of perfectly good basses out there that you could buy used and turn around with little of no loss while you figure out your preferences.

Because I have played on and off for decades (guitar, bouzouki, trichordo, mandolin) and know what I like at my age. Listen, this bass is for the mutual benefit of both the craftsman and myself. He gets to make some money and I get a bass. I’m not going to be out gigging with this, it’s for my home recording and jamming a little (maybe) with a close friend in his man cave/brewery. I know it will be well crafted and since we live relatively close to each other, it’s not a huge deal to zip over, discuss things, check out progress and adjust/adapt as it gets built.

Pssssst. Not to be a Debbie downer but unless the builder gets REAL famous, the custom build will only yield a part of your investment if you ever want to sell it off. Plan on keeping it for your grandchildren.

It’s not about money, and TBH, when most people think “custom build”, they instantly thing thousands of dollars. This isn’t even going to cost me a grand - so take my use of that term in the most clearly defined sense, as in “this bass guitar is being built according to rzamites’ specs” regardless of cost.

Cheers,

Rob