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Gigging Bass

1

12pstan345

Guest
Apr 23, 2014
17
2
42
#1
Hello :)

I currently gig with a Tanglewood Rebel 4K. I bought it from ebay ages ago for a whopping £60!!

Its a really nice bass, spent a few hours getting it set up how I like it, and set intonation etc.

The problem is, it has now served its purpose to get me some money together to put towards a new bass, and it also has a crack in the fretboard which is ripping my fingers to bits.

I want to upgrade, and have around £600 to spend on a bass thats good for gigging, with the sound being decent too (the one thing that let the Rebel down, IMHO).

I loved the Rebel, but found the neck a bit thick, so I think I need a Jazz style neck. I was a guitarist for 22 years and could tell you loads about them, but since starting on bass, Im not really clued up.

Our band Audio-Cover play covers from 60s-current day and generally do functions and odd pub gigs. I use a TC Electronic BG250-115 amp thats generally DI'ed to the mixer with my eq settings.

I prefer a cleaner sounding bass sound, and ALWAYS use my fingers, never a plec (dont know why).

Anyone any nice suggestions within that price bracket? Could maybe stretch a bit, but knowing nowt about basses, I need advice!

Ta!
 
#4
I should also add that Im allergic to whatever is in nickel too - have to use stainless steel strings... will this make a difference to the sound?

Have found a few variants of the fender jazz bass; aerodyne, classic, american special, modern player... what does it all mean?
 
#6
12pstan345 said:
I should also add that Im allergic to whatever is in nickel too - have to use stainless steel strings... will this make a difference to the sound?

Have found a few variants of the fender jazz bass; aerodyne, classic, american special, modern player... what does it all mean?
Click to expand...
It's hard to make a recommendation not knowing the UK used bass market. But it's basically like this:

American Standard jazz bass. Top of the line (as far as you need to be concerned, there's more expensive and fancier ones that are way out of your budget)
They can be bought in America for about two thirds of what they cost new.

Aerodyne is Japanese made. It has a precision and jazz pickup so it's not a jazz bass. It's a PJ. An excellent option if it's in your budget.

Classic models are Mexican made (I think) versions of classic 60's and 70's jazz basses. Also good options if they're in your budget.

American special are less expensive than the standard. They don't have string through bodies and their necks and electronics are slightly different. Also a good option.

The modern player jazz bass is Chinese made and not a standard jazz bass. They have double jazz pickups. Excellent basses, but not a standard jazz bass.

Then there's what's referred to as the standard jazz bass. Those are Mexican made and a good option. The Mexican standard and the modern player are probably the cheapest Fender jazz bass you'll find.


Any bass you end up trying or buying will very likely have nickel strings. There's no problem replacing them with steels. Have the shop do it if your allergy is serious.
 
#7
I've got an Ibanez SRX700 I am going to be selling- not as high caliber as a Fender Jazz, but also a lot cheaper. Thin, fast neck and brand new setup. I also had a rebel4k as my first bass :)

It has a good sound and I've gigged it numerous places. They sell new for £550. I'd take £300. Just posting in case it interests you :)
 
#9
I'll certainly take a look at it on google, and read some reviews adam_Fenton123 :)

Gorn Captain - You're knowledge is fantastic. If I was to buy a bass, I would be keen to have seperate tone controls to control my sound a bit better. It was called an S1switch on a strat I believe, but allowed you to control both the volume AND the tone using a two-stage potentiometer.

Any idea whether any of those models offer this? Or is there anything else I should know?
 
#11
12pstan345 said:
I'll certainly take a look at it on google, and read some reviews adam_Fenton123 :)

Gorn Captain - You're knowledge is fantastic. If I was to buy a bass, I would be keen to have seperate tone controls to control my sound a bit better. It was called an S1switch on a strat I believe, but allowed you to control both the volume AND the tone using a two-stage potentiometer.

Any idea whether any of those models offer this? Or is there anything else I should know?
Click to expand...
I don't know much about that kind of stuff. I know there's a store called Gak that seems to have a ton of basses. I watch a lot of their reviews. I don't know if they're near you.
 
#13
Like the look of the Ibanez in the natural finish, what finish is yours adam?

I also had some advice from a friend that you should never buy a guitar until you've had a good play on it and inspected it thoroughly, as well as plugging it in and testing electronics. I think I'd be reluctant to buy from ebay in all honesty, unless it was local and I could try-before-I-buy. Especially for £600 :)
 
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#15
12pstan345 said:
I should also add that Im allergic to whatever is in nickel too - have to use stainless steel strings... will this make a difference to the sound?

Have found a few variants of the fender jazz bass; aerodyne, classic, american special, modern player... what does it all mean?
Click to expand...
I don't know the going rate there, but here, a used American Jazz will set you back about $800 - $900. I don't know about there.
The basic Fender Jazz comes in American Standard and Standard, with the Standard being Mexican or Japanese made, depending on when it was made. The difference is in the wood used, the pickups, electronics, and the hardware. The Deluxe line is much the same except with active electronics. Everything else is some knock off of those. I did happen to try out a Highway One Jazz not too long ago that I think sounded really nice. It is different wood and more modern style hardware. But, IMHO, you can't go wrong with a Jazz in you armory. I have 2, a 4 and a 5. The 5 I have flats on and it sounds marvelous. (pronounced MAHHHvaless).
 
#16
12pstan345 said:
P_bass - is there a difference between Precision and Jazz other than the pickups? Excuse my ignorance, lol...
Click to expand...
They sound different and the pbass neck is fatter. If you google "precision vs jazz" you'll find endless discussions, but the best thing you can do is try both in a store. Generally, the same cost levels that apply to jazz basses apply to precision basses.
 
#18
Flats sound lovely - had an Epiphone Joe Pass with flats when i was at University playing in the jazz band, and it sounded out of this world... wonder if you can get stainless steel flats for bass?? Google - you are needed!
 
#19
12pstan345 said:
P_bass - is there a difference between Precision and Jazz other than the pickups? Excuse my ignorance, lol...
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, there is a difference. The body shape is a bit different, the neck is a bit wider as is the string spacing. The P and the J have very different sounds. The P is the growler. I played Ps for decades and only got my first J about 6 years ago. I still love the P for the old rock and roll, but the J has a wider tonal range. You can get close to a P sound with a J if you turn the bridge pickup off and back to tone down to get the right sound. Where you put the tone will be dependant on the strings you use and how you play.
 
#20
Hi Stan from a fellow UK-er and professional bass player :)

Some great suggestions on here - What part of the UK are you in? Maybe I can point you towards some of the better places to look?

For around a £600 budget, have a look at one of the new Gibson EB Basses - They're usually listed as EB 2013/2014 basses. They're really nice and play great with a huge variety of tones. They're not too heavy either, which is a bonus. Electro Music in Doncaster have an ex demo one for just over £600 complete with hard case. I played it a few weeks ago and it's a really nice instrument.

I'd avoid some of the Mexican Fenders unless you've played the exact bass and love how it feels/sounds. Another very good option is the new Yamaha TRBX range. They sound great (look them up on YouTube) and your budget will get you into the 504/505 models which are very nicely appointed.

Let me know on PM if you'd like some further help.
 
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