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Choosing a new bass in 2021.

llmk

llmk

Jan 11, 2018
118
333
Bucharest, Romania
#1
Hey guys, let's play a little role-playing game, shall we?

So, you are an intermediate bass player with just a very nice cort b4 plus fretless in your arsenal and the thirst for frets hits you. You want thump and you want growl, you enjoy maple or ebony fretboards (and really dislike porous fretboards) and ash or mahogany bodies, but you are flexible. Sadly your back is not what it was 20 years ago and you need your new axe to be light. You want to stick to 4 strings.

Here comes the curveball, your local second-hand market is absolute crap, but thankfully you have a little store credit on thomann.

You are acceptably handy, though, so you are not afraid of changing pickups and/or electronics.

Your budget is 650€/$700 (absolute maximum, lower is better), what would you buy and why?
 
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#3
I would go with a [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] short scale bass. You would get all the thump and growl you want with low weight (due to the shortscale) and be well below your maximum price point.

If short scale wasn't your thing, then I would go with a G&L Tribute L-2000 or Kiloton (depending on whether you wanted many tone options or the simplicity of a single pickup). However it looks like Thomann doesn't have stock on those.
 
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#5
I'd look at
- Ibanez SR models - they are light and come with a lot of variety in regards to price.
- Then you have the Marcus Miller Sires, with plenty options as well and priced quite nicely.
- Then there is of course Cort - I'd been eyeing these B4 models for a while (as a fretless model, which seem to be gone now): [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] These have nice features for the price.
 
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#6
You want a good bass, or a great bass?
As already mentioned...the Kiloton Tribute.
Thump, growl and more.
No need to change the pickup or electronics...that'd be a mistake...just put on a set of your favorite strings.
It just might become your favorite bass.
th-jpeg-304.jpg
 
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#10
I was kind of exactly in your place a minute ago (figuratively speaking) albeit with a little lower budget. Still, around that price point. In any case, nothing made enough of an impression to me to spend that much and most were heavier than I can support.

Sire basses were out because of the weight. I couldn't try them, either and I couldn't "risk" getting a 5kg bass that I wouldn't be able to play.

G&L's were very sparse and, apart from the JB and SB, of which I could only find just a couple in Europe, I couldn't confirm the weight, either. I -think- the JB-2 is pretty light but again, can't guarantee that.
I'd get a tribute L2000/2500 in a heartbeat but again, don't know the weight. I remember my old L2500 tribute as being hefty enough, however, so unless I could actually try one myself (impossible) I'd be hesitant.

Fenders were over budget. Can't speak on their weight, either. CV Squiers were cool but heavier than I was looking for.

The only thing that was extremely, surprisingly light (~3.5kg) and generally... "ok" (for me) was the Cort B5 plus with the roasted maple board. But that didn't impress me enough to get it.

Other than that, most Ibanez SR basses are very light and sound good enough but they were too modern for my tastes, too. Plus, you probably wouldn't care much for their fretboards.

In the end, I went REALLY different route which I will reveal in a future NBD (probably won't help you).

Hope this kinda helped... Good luck!
 
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#11
I opted for Sire V7 last year and have been very pleased. Had no opportunity to try it so ordered it from Thomann and hoped for the best. My MIA Fender Jazz which has been my fave bass for several years has been displaced by the Sire. I wasn't expecting that to happen but I find the range of tones outstanding. Eyeing up a P10 or V10 for my next purchase.
 
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#15
MultiScaleMale said:
I would go to Thomann, select 4 string J basses, sort from low to high and scroll through the list until I find something that interests me and remains under my budget constraint. There will be no guarantee on the weight, so I would budget for a nice wide strap.
Click to expand...

I've seen this many times and I must say, a wide strap does not alleviate the basic problem, which is the actual weight of the thing. It might distribute it over a slightly larger area so it doesn't dig into you as much and it might slide around less, depending on the material but the weight is still there.

And it's not always a "go work out" or "stop being a wimp" thing, either. A lot of people have actual problems with that (myself included).

Rich this wasn't directed at you, just a general observation and reminder that weight can be a real problem.
 
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#17
Gothic said:
I've seen this many times and I must say, a wide strap does not alleviate the basic problem, which is the actual weight of the thing. It might distribute it over a slightly larger area so it doesn't dig into you as much and it might slide around less, depending on the material but the weight is still there.

And it's not always a "go work out" or "stop being a wimp" thing, either. A lot of people have actual problems with that (myself included).

Rich this wasn't directed at you, just a general observation and reminder that weight can be a real problem.
Click to expand...

It can be a problem, certainly, I'm just trying to work within the realities of the budget and inability to try before buying.
 
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#18
MultiScaleMale said:
It can be a problem, certainly, I'm just trying to work within the realities of the budget and inability to try before buying.
Click to expand...

Understandable, yes. It is very difficult trying to find something worthwhile while having the weight be an top criterion. There are a lot of good instruments in that price range (even lower, too) but, yeah. Hell, I don't think it's any easier going upwards in price, either.
 
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#19
llmk said:
So, you are an intermediate bass player with just a very nice cort b4 plus fretless in your arsenal and the thirst for frets hits you. You want thump and you want growl, you enjoy maple or ebony fretboards (and really dislike porous fretboards) and ash or mahogany bodies, but you are flexible. Sadly your back is not what it was 20 years ago and you need your new axe to be light. You want to stick to 4 strings.
Click to expand...

The American options don't apply because you seem to be in Europe. If you like the Cort (I have a few of those, great bass) I'd be on the lookout for a Cort B4 with frets - they're using the baked maple fretboards these days and those are REALLY nice - or I'd be looking very hard at Ibanez SR/GSR series, which are very similar to the Cort, but if anything a bit lighter.
 
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#20
Gothic said:
Understandable, yes. It is very difficult trying to find something worthwhile while having the weight be an top criterion. There are a lot of good instruments in that price range (even lower, too) but, yeah. Hell, I don't think it's any easier going upwards in price, either.
Click to expand...

Also, I think the budget is lower since we don't see VAT on the Thomann site. Can't remember if it's 15% or 20% now.
 
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