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Do you like cheap basses?

Greywoulf

Greywoulf

Sep 15, 2000
3,070
11,784
Freehold, NJ. USA
#1
I do! (And I have several fairly high-end ones too; a Godin A4 fl and a Warwick...) I just can't seem to stay away from those cheapies tho; it's like an damned addiction!

Well, anyway, yesterday I was in Guitar Center and....
And, I said, stay out of the bass section; you're here to pickup some computer software, thas all... And besides, you're currently looking for a dbl bass too, so don't blow your $$...!
-But maybe just one look wouldn't hurt, right?
And so of course there it was; a cheap Chinese knock-off of a "Beetle-bass", with a 'Jay Turser' label onnit...
Don't try it, I said! (And so of course I did.) And of course the damn thing sounded pretty good, and I always wanted a lightweight violin-bass, and looky here this thing was used but looked brand new..! (Used? It hadn't a mark on it, and didn't even have the stick-um paper offa the PU's yet!) $189? -Give 'ya $140 I say (knowing they'll never go for it) but he say's $150, and I go hmmmmm....?? (Geez, I can prolly buy it and play it for a few months and then sell it for just what I paid, y'know?)
So I am now the proud owner of a $150 Jay Turser RTB-B2 "Beetle-bass"! And I like it; it has a nice mellow sound, is lightweight, shortscale (for a change), and has an excellent narrow well-fretted neck and fingerboard, and is finished beautifully in sunburst! (And maybe I might not sell it inna few months...) ;)

And I become aware that something about this bass is very familar to me; and then I remember the $500 Epiphone Rivioli I had around 6 years ago, and I look again at the fit and finish, the edging, the fretboard, the neck, the saddle and the bridge of this violin bass and sunnuvagun it's almost exactly the same as my old guitar-shaped f-hole Epi Rivioli...!
And y'know what? I'd be willing to bet that the Chinese factory that makes these "Jay Tursers" is prolly the same damn place that puts out Epiphone's Riviolis! It's just too similar to be that much of a coincidence, IMO!
Greywoulf :cool: :bassist:
 
#3
So far my experience with cheap basses is 1 for 1. Bought an Essex fretless P quite blindly, never before playing an Essex, nor a fretless P. It arrived and i was quite impressed. No major problems with it still after 5 months or so. 2 deadspots in the neck but it doesnt bother me much. I changed the pickguard and probably by next Christmas ill change the pickup to a bartolini.
 
#5
Playing in several "pick-up" bands, I feel more comfortable toting a $100 bass to the middle of nowhere to play Skynyrd and Ozzy than I do my "babies". I've got a Jay Turser 5-string Musicman clone, a J&D Brothers Jazz (basically an SX), and a Jay Turser Beatle Bass on the way.

What surprises me is that the Jazz, with it's Chinese no-name pickups, actually records better than most of my high-end stuff.
 
#8
Just a couple of weeks ago, I picked up an old Hondo Longhorn and I'm loving it. Say what you will, but I like the looks (mmm...flan.) and it really sounds good! :hyper: It goes from a super deep p tone or more tickytack baritone tone with the flick of a switch. Put on some Chromes. I'm not going to change a thing on it.

Marshall
 
#13
Yes, I admit it, I bought a yo-kramer neck thru 5er. Thing is, I like it a lot. Construction is solid, good tuners, mediocre pickups and bridge, but what the heck...It's a neckthru 5 string with wide string spacing and I only gave $200 for it brand spanking new.
 
#17
SMASH said:
I bought an SX with the intention of slagging it. Turns out I was quite impressed. It did have a pickup upgrade that cost the same as the bass had originally, but it also did sound very good and looked great, played well .. just kinda heavy. Well worth the money though.
Click to expand...
Which I got not knowing exactly how it would sound or play and turned out to be the best bass I've bought so far :D
 
#18
Peavey Fury, $100.

Univox Professional (P-bass), $170 with case.

I've got a OLP Stingray copy on the way, $155 shipped.

Then I got a couple more expensive. But for a jam session with beer involved . . . take a cheapie.
 
#19
Greywoulf said:
I do! (And I have several fairly high-end ones too; a Godin A4 fl and a Warwick...) I just can't seem to stay away from those cheapies tho; it's like an damned addiction!

Well, anyway, yesterday I was in Guitar Center and....
And, I said, stay out of the bass section; you're here to pickup some computer software, thas all... And besides, you're currently looking for a dbl bass too, so don't blow your $$...!
-But maybe just one look wouldn't hurt, right?
And so of course there it was; a cheap Chinese knock-off of a "Beetle-bass", with a 'Jay Turser' label onnit...
Don't try it, I said! (And so of course I did.) And of course the damn thing sounded pretty good, and I always wanted a lightweight violin-bass, and looky here this thing was used but looked brand new..! (Used? It hadn't a mark on it, and didn't even have the stick-um paper offa the PU's yet!) $189? -Give 'ya $140 I say (knowing they'll never go for it) but he say's $150, and I go hmmmmm....?? (Geez, I can prolly buy it and play it for a few months and then sell it for just what I paid, y'know?)
So I am now the proud owner of a $150 Jay Turser RTB-B2 "Beetle-bass"! And I like it; it has a nice mellow sound, is lightweight, shortscale (for a change), and has an excellent narrow well-fretted neck and fingerboard, and is finished beautifully in sunburst! (And maybe I might not sell it inna few months...) ;)

And I become aware that something about this bass is very familar to me; and then I remember the $500 Epiphone Rivioli I had around 6 years ago, and I look again at the fit and finish, the edging, the fretboard, the neck, the saddle and the bridge of this violin bass and sunnuvagun it's almost exactly the same as my old guitar-shaped f-hole Epi Rivioli...!
And y'know what? I'd be willing to bet that the Chinese factory that makes these "Jay Tursers" is prolly the same damn place that puts out Epiphone's Riviolis! It's just too similar to be that much of a coincidence, IMO!I've had and played some high end stuff but just don't need it.

Greywoulf :cool: :bassist:
Click to expand...

Of course, low-end Ibe's (and I mean low - GSR 200s) are my bass of choice. Yank them guts, break out the router, grab some boutique transplants, and solder down. Strap on some TI's, set that puppy up, and I'm good to go. If a bass put food on my table, it may be different. I've had and played some high end stuff and they're nice but for me it's just overkill.

By the way, that Jay Turser should go for close to $200 on ebay. I have a Rogue that I just put on ebay tonight. Fun little pieces but there's always that banjo sound coming thru no matter what you run it through. George Martin must have really tweaked some knobs for McCartney cause, from what I could produce, that bass design is about as one trick a pony as they come, old Beatle stuff - Hofner or not. You can push for some other stuff but it's not something you enjoy in the process. I love the light weight and ease of play tho.
 
#20
i bought some really terrible pawn shop brand basses which werent even worth the effort of throwing them away!(somehow i think i broke even though :D )i think this is something that keeps me away from buying cheapies and knock-offs, and i may be missing out on some awesome basses but i am always up for an awesome bargains

i am kinda fond of epiphone products though :hiding:
 

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