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Difference between basses?

#21
jd56hawk said:
G&L Kiloton Tribute
If you can go $599, buy this and you just might be set for life!
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If not, still some nice stuff you can get for under $500.
Squier Classic Vibe…$399. Best Squier made. Every song I play on a $1,500 jazz bass I can play on this.
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Ibanez Talman TMB 300/310
$300. I had no interest in Ibanez until I played one of these.
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Of course, nothing more important than trying out 10 or 20 basses yourself to find what's right for you.
I tried out between 50 and 60 basses this year, last year and the year before.
Yeah, I have a lot of spare time.
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+1 on the Squire Classic Vibe. I have one I got as New Old Stock (NOS) for $300. It is the CV 60s P. Unbelievable bass at that price. I have 4 Ps and it is the one I keep out for daily practice. I also recently picked up a 70s Vintage Modified (VM) Jazz for $200 from a guitar player who wanted the money for the guitar he was gassing for. Also and excellent bass.
SquierCVP.jpg
Squier1.jpg
 
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#23
Half of it is sound, the other half is quality of material and possibly ease of setup. Decent pickups in a cheaper instrument can get you 90% there as far as sound goes, but for the other half sometimes a more expensive instrument is the better option. I’d only replace what’s broken on something cheaper. If your current bass sets up well youre good to go. And I’d focus on playing honestly.

Also try to learn what you do and don’t like about what you have before you upgrade. My mistake was not doing this so I went through a few basses until I found what I truly liked and wasted a little money on 'upgrades'.
 
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#25
Depends on what you want. Most will not confess this, but a lot of bass players are gear snobs. You will be judged by the brand of bass, especially if it says Squier. I had a indo made Squier Jag special that was perfect, but got the 'look' when people saw Squier. Never the less I sold it & am back to Fender. Someone also mentioned ESP LTD, I have one too, great bass for the $$. They do make several models. Some are better sound wise than others. Mine as EMG P/U's 3 band EQ. My son plays a Sterling Ray 34, ( Not the SUB4), really nice bass. . I have had decent luck at pawn shops. BUT check the price, some jack the price up as much as a new one.
 
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#26
It depends upon who you ask. I've seen people regularly gigging with Squier Affinities (can find them used for $100), and people sitting in their basements playing $1500 instruments. You have to play lots of instruments and see what works best for you. Certainly there is a difference in quality between instruments, but that is based on lots of things.
 
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#27
Hey you! Welcome and well met. You’re a new bass player? Make yourself at home. You’re among friends here. We’ll do all we can to help smooth the road to the Kingdom of the Low Notes for you. :thumbsup:


So…on to business

The two biggest challenges a new bass player will have to deal with when selecting an instrument are:

  • knowing what you want
  • knowing what to look for

The only way to gain that knowledge and experience is to play more. So I’ll agree with those who say if you're ok with what you’ve got for now, hang with it and build up some experience. And in the meantime start reading up on what’s out there, frequent forums like this one where actual players hang out, and try everything you can get your hands on before you buy anything else.

Do that and you’ll be up to speed in no time and a far better informed and prepared buyer.
 
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#28
I think there are some really outstanding basses in the $300-$500 range. That seems to be a real sweet spot for a lot of companies right now to offer good build quality and features that were previously on more expensive models. I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of the Squier or Ibanez basses mentioned by others for $300.
 
#29
Mantis Tobaggan said:
I suppose but my experience has been that I have yet to play a $300 - $500 bass that equates to the $1-$2k basses. One could probably get a good used bass in the $500 - $1000 range if they are dilligent and very patient but generally speaking, i have yet to pick up a bass in that price range that compares to the $1 - $2 k range. Just my experience.
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I paid $400 for my first USA G&L. Not that long ago either. $500 will buy a lot of bass and a $1200 NEW bass is not going to deliver $700 of value over a $500 used bass, imo. These days there are a lot of very good instruments under $500 new as well. The JB-2 Tribute will set you back less than $400 new if you wait for MF to run a discount and it can play and sound every bit as good as a USA Fender jazz.
 
#30
Find a bass you like in The $300-500 range and go from there.

IMO a $70 bass is a hint but not a baseline. In other words, you can’t really use the $70 as a basis of comparison for what comes next.

Expect that the next bass will serve for the months and/or years that it takes to develop deeper preferences, and then you will better know what to look for in the third bass and beyond. Or at least you will know when it’s time to start looking again.
 
#31
Gravedigger Dav said:
+1 on the Squire Classic Vibe. I have one I got as New Old Stock (NOS) for $300. It is the CV 60s P. Unbelievable bass at that price. I have 4 Ps and it is the one I keep out for daily practice. I also recently picked up a 70s Vintage Modified (VM) Jazz for $200 from a guitar player who wanted the money for the guitar he was gassing for. Also and excellent bass.
View attachment 2849762 View attachment 2849763
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That Jazz bass is one incredible looking piece of wood!
 
#34
biguglyman said:
Keep an eye on your local Craigslist for good used deals. I got a Squier that I love and would have no qualms about playing gigs with for $120. Learn how to do your own setup too. This will save you $$$ and give you the perspective to look at a used bass and know whether a few adjustments will turn it into a playa.
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I did tinker around with this one a little and it seems fortunately that it helped it have a better feel rather than worse. I really didn't want to pay $45 at this point to set up a $70 bass. The truss rod I was a bit too scared to mess around with though.
 
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#35
sleepyme666 said:
I bought an extremely cheap no name bass for $70 a few weeks ago. I just wanted something to play on to see if bass was something I'd be interested in. Now that I'm pretty sure it's something I'd like to keep playing, I'd like to start saving up to get something better. I'm wondering what are the differences between a really cheap bass and one that costs at least $300 or more? I was thinking of getting the next one maybe on a $300-500 budget.
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You can get one heck of a good bass with $500 if you buy used. Fender, Ibanez, etc.

I picked up a used Carvin for $400 that would have cost well over $1200 new
 
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#36
Nephilymbass said:
Should be able to easily find a used made in Mexico fender in that price range.
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Just be careful buying a used bass because you are a newbie.
A lot of fakes out there, and most fakes are fake Fenders.
If you see something interesting in an add, post it here with all the pics and ask if it's real.
Lot of folks here are good at spotting fakes.
Not to discourage you from used, but just so you know going in.
 
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#37
This would take you a while to search up on TB, but here's a consolidated version of, hopefully some good advice for you.
Don't know what kind of stuff you like to play, so will go with the idea that this will cover a variety of bases (yea I said bases in a bass forum..)

Get your new bass "set up". It will play as good as can be that way. It will need some new strings unless you already did that. The setup thing is about making sure that all the strings are set to the correct height and also the intonation is right. The intonation is off if you tune a sting open, like you would, then if you plat the same string you just tuned at the 12th fret (the double dot if you have a dot indexed fingerboard) and it's off. If your intonation is correct you should be able to tune all your stings open, and then play the same string at the 12th fret, which will be the same note, and have that be just as in tune. If your bass can't do that, a setup will fix it. Also if any frets are loose, or if any buzz when you play a certain note, that can be fixed up by the person who is setting up your bass.
So, you get that done and then play the bass you have for a while and see how it goes. If you do decide to upgrade after a bit you should get that bass setup as well. - I just finished writing this post and then skipped back up to insert that, $70 is pretty low-dollar for a bass. I mean, if you got a sweet deal, awesome!, but if it was $70 because it had problems that would be expensive (as in would be more money to fix up than the bass is worty) to fix, sell it and get something that can be made to play right. I hope you aren't in that boat, but if you are, rip off the band-aid...

Always buy good condition used if you can, it will save you dollars/help you more easily afford that "next level;" of instrument.

Which leads me to my last bit of advice. Always buy as much bass as you can afford. The concept of buying an inexpensive bass to "learn on" and then get something better once you "get good" is utter nonsense. quality, well setup basses are always easier and therefore more enjoyable to play.
 
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#38
I'd say stick with whatever you have, or make a sub $200 investment, for a few years. It's hard to tell the difference between anything if you're uneducated in the subject. For instance, I've been thinking about getting into archery and I have zero experience. There are lots of bows, and lots of different prices, and I have no idea what I'm doing. If I were to buy either the best one or the worst one, I'd have no idea (perhaps until a few years from now). So don't get locked up with the buy once, buy right! mentality; you can use whatever is available until you grow out of it - and you'll know when it's time to move up, trust me :)
 

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