First GOOD bass help!

[slobake]

I was looking for a new amp when my old battered MIM P-bass died again, so it was time for a new bass. I took my time and played all the basses they had in the store, from the cheapest to the most expensive. In the end I chose a MIM classic 50's bass. I love the sweet tone, smaller frets and maple neck, I could have bought a more high end bass but the classic was the one I liked. You need to pick what is right for you no matter what anyone else says.
Personally I like shopping at independent stores as opposed to large chains. A good independent will set up your bass however you like it and give you more support. In my case the neck bent a little when I put some fat flatwounds on my new bass. I bought it back to them and they set me up again at no charge. It's also nice seeing the same people every time I go back to the store.

 

[jarrydee]

I was looking for a new amp when my old battered MIM P-bass died again, so it was time for a new bass. I took my time and played all the basses they had in the store, from the cheapest to the most expensive. In the end I chose a MIM classic 50's bass. I love the sweet tone, smaller frets and maple neck, I could have bought a more high end bass but the classic was the one I liked. You need to pick what is right for you no matter what anyone else says.
Personally I like shopping at independent stores as opposed to large chains. A good independent will set up your bass however you like it and give you more support. In my case the neck bent a little when I put some fat flatwounds on my new bass. I bought it back to them and they set me up again at no charge. It's also nice seeing the same people every time I go back to the store.

I am going to get to my local music store (mid mighgan music) and play a few, I really would like to save some cash and hope a cheaper fender will feel good for me, as long as it feels and sounds better than my VM squier, there is nothing that I CAN TELL wrong with this squier, but I will NOT have the money for a good bass for a long time if I dont get it soon!

 

[jarrydee]

ok, the guy on CL said it does come with the case and has took it down t$850.00...it is 5 years old, are the new ones different/better than the old ones? and is this a good deal?

 

[Pilgrim]

In my opinion:

If it says Fender on it, sounds good, plays well, and feels good to you, don't worry about which of the 365,276 versions it is. Use it. Whether it's an MIM, MIA, MIJ or MIK is no BFD.

 

[bob 2010]

I recently got a squire affinity P bass. might seem to be the other direction of what you're looking for, but it is made of alder, with a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. swap out the pickup if you want and you should get great tone, i already love the tone, stock. sounds very clean even with the tone rolled off unlike a lot of entry level basses.

 

[PBnJBassist]

Buy a used American Standard from Guitar Center & keep the receipt. Do all the testing you want after the GAS settles and if you don't like it within 30 days, return it for a full refund. Sometimes, testing out basses for an hour or less is not enough since you need to test it out on your own personal setup. Other times, 10 seconds is all you need while on the other extreme - buying blind and it just happens to be the love of your bass-playing life. Best wishes.

 

[jarrydee]

I recently got a squire affinity P bass. might seem to be the other direction of what you're looking for, but it is made of alder, with a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. swap out the pickup if you want and you should get great tone, i already love the tone, stock. sounds very clean even with the tone rolled off unlike a lot of entry level basses.

I just bought, well a few months ago a squire VM p bass, I like it BUT...I have never played a good bass so I have nothing to judge it by...All I know is that IF a real american made fender will sound better then this I want one, I am always going to want the best sound and feel I can get, and from what I have read around the Net, an american P bass will feel and sound A LOT better then my squier...at least thats what I am hoping

 

[jarrydee]

Buy a used American Standard from Guitar Center & keep the receipt. Do all the testing you want after the GAS settles and if you don't like it within 30 days, return it for a full refund. Sometimes, testing out basses for an hour or less is not enough since you need to test it out on your own personal setup. Other times, 10 seconds is all you need while on the other extreme - buying blind and it just happens to be the love of your bass-playing life. Best wishes.

THIS is a good idea! only problem is ( not really a problem) that I will defiantly be taking it back because I can get one used cheaper somewhere else!

 

[mcblahflooper94]

Ugh! Why get a fender? I know they're like *holy grail* for like 90% of bassists, but what I'd do is get something different. I think at least half the people on this site own a P Bass.
Try out foreign basses, a lot of them are just fantastic. I currently own an ESP LTD F-155 DX and it sounds even better than it looks.
Look at ESPs, Ibanezes, etc.. Don't limit yourself to Fenders. Don't get me wrong, they're really really good basses. What I should say is go to a music store and find your bass. You'll know it when you see it.

 

[jarrydee]

Ugh! Why get a fender? I know they're like *holy grail* for like 90% of bassists, but what I'd do is get something different. I think at least half the people on this site own a P Bass.
Try out foreign basses, a lot of them are just fantastic. I currently own an ESP LTD F-155 DX and it sounds even better than it looks.
Look at ESPs, Ibanezes, etc.. Don't limit yourself to Fenders. Don't get me wrong, they're really really good basses. What I should say is go to a music store and find your bass. You'll know it when you see it.

your right......the only reason I had my sights on a fender is because thats all I know....I have an old Duglas 5 string and a SX p bass, and only used them to lay down bass tracks on my own songs (recording) but over the last year I have began playing a lot and am now in 2 bands that are gigging, so I have never really played anything other than what I have and, all I hear about is the fenders, I do like the p bass sound though!

 

[mcblahflooper94]

your right......the only reason I had my sights on a fender is because thats all I know....I have an old Duglas 5 string and a SX p bass, and only used them to lay down bass tracks on my own songs (recording) but over the last year I have began playing a lot and am now in 2 bands that are gigging, so I have never really played anything other than what I have and, all I hear about is the fenders, I do like the p bass sound though!

Don't get me wrong, if you have eyes set on a stereotypical bass and you think that's your Excalibur, then let it be. I'm suggesting you try other things, because I've played Fenders and only once did I want to take one home with me, they just didn't... feel right. Don't let some guy on the Internet make a decision for you, it's your bass, your money, and your specific feel for the instrument. What I'm suggesting is for you to not limit yourself to fender, play around and look at your options.

I really hope this helps.

 

[jarrydee]

Don't get me wrong, if you have eyes set on a stereotypical bass and you think that's your Excalibur, then let it be. I'm suggesting you try other things, because I've played Fenders and only once did I want to take one home with me, they just didn't... feel right. Don't let some guy on the Internet make a decision for you, it's your bass, your money, and your specific feel for the instrument. What I'm suggesting is for you to not limit yourself to fender, play around and look at your options.

I really hope this helps.

I am going to try everything, even the fender "specials" and every other brand they have,,,your right, I could find a bass half the price of the fender and may love it!

 

[ryanfenderbass]

I recently purchased a MIJ P Bass that felt a LOT better than the MIA Standard and Special I tried before it (the necks felt like baseball bats). The pickups and hardware are considerably better in the MIA basses, but I swapped out my pups for handwound Wizards and threw on a BAII, now I have the best looking, playing, and sounding bass I've ever owned!

As much as I love buying American, the Japanese bases are fantastic!

 

[xfretlessx]

Ugh! Why get a fender? I know they're like *holy grail* for like 90% of bassists, but what I'd do is get something different. I think at least half the people on this site own a P Bass.
Try out foreign basses, a lot of them are just fantastic. I currently own an ESP LTD F-155 DX and it sounds even better than it looks.
Look at ESPs, Ibanezes, etc.. Don't limit yourself to Fenders. Don't get me wrong, they're really really good basses. What I should say is go to a music store and find your bass. You'll know it when you see it.

+1000000!
I think the fender bandwagon is waaaaaaayyyyy over-rated. Nothing special at ALL IMHO. Ive played plenty and only liked the feel and sound of one. And it was still heavy as all get out. theyre not terrible, and if you like them go for it...but dont jump on board because someone TOLD you they were the way to go. Try everything else out and you may very well change your mind.
Just my $.02

 

[jarrydee]

+1000000!
I think the fender bandwagon is waaaaaaayyyyy over-rated. Nothing special at ALL IMHO. Ive played plenty and only liked the feel and sound of one. And it was still heavy as all get out. theyre not terrible, and if you like them go for it...but dont jump on board because someone TOLD you they were the way to go. Try everything else out and you may very well change your mind.
Just my $.02

I really dont have the time to play every bass in the store so if you can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it! I dont know what basses to even start trying..I know I like the classic p bass sound, like the classic rock/Motown sound..I know flats and a bridge mute will help that but what bass outside of a fender p! I play in2 bands right now, one is classic rock and the other is a Alice Cooper tribute band. thats the type of sound's I need out of my new bass. hear is out cooper http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rocktography/127554433987976?ref=ts

 

[xfretlessx]

well like someone else said, try out some peavey's...my first two basses were peavy milleniums and I loved them. They were cheap as dirt and sounded and played great. I got rid of them because the more I played, the more I liked/wanted active pickups. Just more me/my sound. And I wanted a 5 string. I love schecter basses, had two of them, great basses for the money IMO, mine had great tone and playability. Now I have a Dean 6 string fretless and an ESP 6 string...both solid. My dean is my absolute favorite bass to play ever. Love the sound with flats. Only bass Ive played that came close to feeling as nice was a Tobias that cost over 2k new.

Try out some esp's, peavey's, deans, G&L's are nice too. Try some different pickups. P's, J's, humbuckers, soapbar's.

Like many others have said.....TAKE YOUR TIME!
When I lay down cash, I want no regrets. Find the one you fall in love with...dont settle for anything less.

 

[bherman]

I really dont have the time to play every bass in the store so if you can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it! I dont know what basses to even start trying..I know I like the classic p bass sound, like the classic rock/Motown sound..I know flats and a bridge mute will help that but what bass outside of a fender p! I play in2 bands right now, one is classic rock and the other is a Alice Cooper tribute band. thats the type of sound's I need out of my new bass. hear is out cooper Rocktography | Facebook

Just out of curiosity, I looked up Cooper's bass player - Chuck Garrett. Guess what kind of bass he plays? A Fender Precision!

For Motown, a P-bass with flats or tapewound flats will get you that thumpy sound. I would think that for a Cooper tribute band you might be looking for a brighter sound, roundwounds, but I am not super-familiar with his music these days (although I grew up with his stuff, just never played it). You'll have to work that part out - maybe keep the Squier and get another bass, one for each band???

As you've already seen, the debate on TB about P-basses never ends. Some love them, some think that they are over-rated (I am in the former camp). If thats what you like, go for it. Everyone here will have a different opinion, and we are all 100% correct - for ourselves! You'll have to decide for you.

I've tried lots of other basses, only ones that I really liked were Laklands (I owned a 5-string 55-02 for a while but kept turning back to my Precision). But as you see from the comments, lots of people prefer other types.

Good luck with your quest....

 

[blindrabbit]

1) The VM is a great bass. Why change if you don't have a problem with it? Sure, go out and try other basses, because that is always lots of fun to do, but don't waste your money to upgrade the name if you can't hear, feel, or see a difference.

2) I'd buy used, whatever you get. Lots of great deals out there, especially here on the TB Classifieds. I may never shop anywhere else again.

 

[jarrydee]

Just out of curiosity, I looked up Cooper's bass player - Chuck Garrett. Guess what kind of bass he plays? A Fender Precision!

For Motown, a P-bass with flats or tapewound flats will get you that thumpy sound. I would think that for a Cooper tribute band you might be looking for a brighter sound, roundwounds, but I am not super-familiar with his music these days (although I grew up with his stuff, just never played it). You'll have to work that part out - maybe keep the Squier and get another bass, one for each band???

As you've already seen, the debate on TB about P-basses never ends. Some love them, some think that they are over-rated (I am in the former camp). If thats what you like, go for it. Everyone here will have a different opinion, and we are all 100% correct - for ourselves! You'll have to decide for you.

I've tried lots of other basses, only ones that I really liked were Laklands (I owned a 5-string 55-02 for a while but kept turning back to my Precision). But as you see from the comments, lots of people prefer other types.

Good luck with your quest....

I am going to try a few, Maybe it is just gas that has got a hold of me, I have never even played a fender american p bass but want one bad just from hearing them!

 

[jarrydee]

1) The VM is a great bass. Why change if you don't have a problem with it? Sure, go out and try other basses, because that is always lots of fun to do, but don't waste your money to upgrade the name if you can't hear, feel, or see a difference.

2) I'd buy used, whatever you get. Lots of great deals out there, especially here on the TB Classifieds. I may never shop anywhere else again.

I have found one hear on TB that I may get that is like brand new, it is a 60th anniversary one...and I found one on CL also that looks nice!