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Getting back into bass, reccomendations?
- Thread starter Exophysical
- Start date
I've been playing a long time, but I took a hiatus from music. When I came back to playing, I wanted to get more into writing and recording so bought a 6 string Ibanez.
I've owned Yamahas before and love them. You really can't go wrong with a Yamaha. But I also have ALWAYS had an "affinity" (pun intended) for Precisions and seemed to always have one available to play. So I bought a Squier Affinity P/J ($249 if I recall, from Sweetwater). It required no upgrades as it sounded and played great stock after a good setup, and the only mods were visual.
The suggestion to get a bass that makes you want to play is spot on. Every time I walk past my P/J I just have to pick it up and play it.
I've owned Yamahas before and love them. You really can't go wrong with a Yamaha. But I also have ALWAYS had an "affinity" (pun intended) for Precisions and seemed to always have one available to play. So I bought a Squier Affinity P/J ($249 if I recall, from Sweetwater). It required no upgrades as it sounded and played great stock after a good setup, and the only mods were visual.
The suggestion to get a bass that makes you want to play is spot on. Every time I walk past my P/J I just have to pick it up and play it.
BB. yamaha dominates QC at lower price points. Also arguably at others.
One of the best bass/rigs I've ever played through...
Yamaha's are excellent basses. Hard to find an example that isn't great...
You can gather opinions and scrutinise all details but ultimately, until you pick up and play, you just can't make a best decision.
3 times I've gone to a store with my (well researched) intended bass in mind, road tested it and subsequently left with something different.
Take a day off, go to a decent store and spend time trialling.
3 times I've gone to a store with my (well researched) intended bass in mind, road tested it and subsequently left with something different.
Take a day off, go to a decent store and spend time trialling.
If I were getting (re)started now, I would buy a used Ampeg RB and a USA Peavey Fury and I’d spend all the money I saved upgrading gear over the years on lessons…
Give her a matching headstock become PERFECT !!!I've been playing a long time, but I took a hiatus from music. When I came back to playing, I wanted to get more into writing and recording so bought a 6 string Ibanez.
I've owned Yamahas before and love them. You really can't go wrong with a Yamaha. But I also have ALWAYS had an "affinity" (pun intended) for Precisions and seemed to always have one available to play. So I bought a Squier Affinity P/J ($249 if I recall, from Sweetwater). It required no upgrades as it sounded and played great stock after a good setup, and the only mods were visual.
The suggestion to get a bass that makes you want to play is spot on. Every time I walk past my P/J I just have to pick it up and play it.
The BB23X series are a decent bass for the price point, but as a Yamaha user for years from many different price points, I'll say they're not exceptional.
They might be made at a different Indonesian factory than earlier/higher end ones, or the new lower price point just meant less attention to detail and components. I've owned several since 2018. Between the last two I had last year, I had a nut break on me pretty early on one, and bad tuner on the other (Yamaha covered both parts under warranty, so that was nice). The first one I had in 2018 had iffy fretwork, and another I straight up sent back when I received it with dead electronics a few years later. They're not Yamaha's best basses in regards to QC, IME.
However, they still set up and played well for the most part, and apart from the dead electronics one I sent back the same day, sound very good. If you like P basses, this does it with a little more oomph.
I can't compare with the Sonic P, but that's my experience with the BB23X basses. Might be better than a Sonic P, but temper your expectations.
They might be made at a different Indonesian factory than earlier/higher end ones, or the new lower price point just meant less attention to detail and components. I've owned several since 2018. Between the last two I had last year, I had a nut break on me pretty early on one, and bad tuner on the other (Yamaha covered both parts under warranty, so that was nice). The first one I had in 2018 had iffy fretwork, and another I straight up sent back when I received it with dead electronics a few years later. They're not Yamaha's best basses in regards to QC, IME.
However, they still set up and played well for the most part, and apart from the dead electronics one I sent back the same day, sound very good. If you like P basses, this does it with a little more oomph.
I can't compare with the Sonic P, but that's my experience with the BB23X basses. Might be better than a Sonic P, but temper your expectations.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Plenty of people here gigging Squiers on a regular basis, and I always prefer playing before I buy. It's local. Go check it out and buy it if you like it.
My TRBX504 nut rounded after couple of times turning it and Yamaha refused to cover it within warranty. It's now completely stripped as it kept crumbling as if it were made of paper. I used the included tool. They even refused to sell me a new neck. No more Yamaha basses for me.
I suggest Sire. The new V6-line looks great.
I'm a huge Yamaha fan but not familiar with their last 10 years of output. You gotta play them both, or, buy a used BB4xx series and be done.
You've already answered your question (IMO) - get the Squier.
I just bought a Squier Sonic P-bass about a month ago and have found it to surpass my expectations greatly - especially right out of the box; fret work was great, the jazz bass spec neck (my personal preference) is smooth and feels nice, action not sky high, neck did not need a truss rod adjustment, laurel fretboard is nice looking and could be mistaken for rosewood at first glance, and the pickups sound fine to me. I thought about "upgrading" the pickups (when I bought it), but I don't feel motivated to do that now. The only thing I did change was the strings (now sporting GHS Balanced Nickels, which sound great with this bass!).
I've not tried the Yamaha BB234 to be able to give an apples to apples comparison, but I did have (past tense emphasized) a BBP34 that I blind-bought a couple of years ago. While the quality of the BBP34 was very good, the tone just didn't work for me; it sounded "thin" and too "modern" for my tonal preferences (even with string changes).
Since you have access to a local store that carries the Squier, and you favor the P bass sound, that's the best bet in my view.
aero58 makes a really good point above, in that if you buy the Squier from a local store, and there is something wrong with it, you can at least take it back to the store, probably get a replacement.
I have bought basses online from both Sweetwater and GC, most from GC, because if there is something wrong I can take it back to local GC, not mail it back.
I have bought basses online from both Sweetwater and GC, most from GC, because if there is something wrong I can take it back to local GC, not mail it back.
This. Used BB424(X) or BB414 I'd say are preferable to either choices by the OP. I've owned (and own) the 5-string of each and never had any issues with either. I would only say buy a BB234 if the OP absolutely must have something brand new, and again, tempering expectations.
I've been a Yamaha enthusiast for 15 years. I'm sorry you had such a lousy customer experience with the truss nut. Aside from QC issues, I hope Yamaha revamps things soon. For a company that would refresh product offerings consistently every few years, the BBs have been pretty stale (current offerings since late 2017), and the TRBXs have been very stale (30X and 50X since 2013, and the 50X/60X in particular don't seem to be well regarded among players).
I was killing time re-looking at the basses while my kid was at hocky practice last night, and I mentioned to the shop owner that he must have got lucky because none of his Squiers had sharp fret edges. His response was that he checks them all every few months and smooths down any sharp ones... you deffinately dont get that at the big box stores. I think that pretty much earned my buisness right there.
He says he can order in the BB for me too, though his suplyer wont have them in untill November. So still mulling over the original choice.
How about this nice used 70's Squier Classic Vibe? $300, have it shipped to a local GC, and try it in the store. If you don't like it/it has problems, you can return it there.
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I'm located in Canada, so these types of deals arent really a thing up here. Shipping is pricy, our postal system is crap and they've been perpetually at risk of striking for the last year (comming off the second strike in one year they are currently "sort-of striking", meaning they are simply doing a slightly worse job than usual). In the past I've been a big fan of buying used but the nearest big center is 3.5 hours drive from where I currently live, wasting several days and a pile of gas driving all over the city looking at used instruments one by one just isnt worth it anymore. If I do drive to the city I'll just go to Long and Mcquade, which is our "biggish" box store, problem is that they also do not have the BB's to try.
I would buy that Squire your local dealer has. If he as attentive to caring for his basses as you say, he will be able to make any minor adjustments you may need. He can probably do a basic set-up for you. You aren't going to get that kind of service from GC.
