I'm looking for a new bass to complement my current duo, an Epiphone Jack Casady and a 1983 Ibanez Roadstar II P clone. Both very cool basses, with a lot of old-school character, but they're very specific instruments (so to speak) and there are situations where neither is right. I want a third bass that has a bit more definition/clarity/nuance, and one that's maybe a bit more versatile.
I have small hands and like small-ish necks. The Roadstar has a 1.57" nut, and feels pretty close to perfect.
I'd like to keep this under $1K if possible, or as little above it as I can if not.
So far I'm looking at the two basses in the thread title, both around $750. I tried the Fender Special Edition Jazz Ash Deluxe at a local GC last week, loved the neck, and felt pretty good about the tone (though that's hard to judge in that environment). I've always been a little leery of J's because of the noise issue, but I suppose if that's really a problem I can always swap in noise-canceling pickups.
I got interested in the Yamaha after trying a BBP34 at a local music store a week ago. Again, I really loved the neck, and the look is very much my vibe. It's well out of my price range, but it made me look up the lower-priced models in the BB line. The 734A is pretty tempting--looks super versatile with the active/passive switching.
I'd love any thoughts about either of these basses or others that might work for me in the $700-$1200 range. Thanks!
I have small hands and like small-ish necks. The Roadstar has a 1.57" nut, and feels pretty close to perfect.
I'd like to keep this under $1K if possible, or as little above it as I can if not.
So far I'm looking at the two basses in the thread title, both around $750. I tried the Fender Special Edition Jazz Ash Deluxe at a local GC last week, loved the neck, and felt pretty good about the tone (though that's hard to judge in that environment). I've always been a little leery of J's because of the noise issue, but I suppose if that's really a problem I can always swap in noise-canceling pickups.
I got interested in the Yamaha after trying a BBP34 at a local music store a week ago. Again, I really loved the neck, and the look is very much my vibe. It's well out of my price range, but it made me look up the lower-priced models in the BB line. The 734A is pretty tempting--looks super versatile with the active/passive switching.
I'd love any thoughts about either of these basses or others that might work for me in the $700-$1200 range. Thanks!
