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Having a bass & amp as a toy?

Should I be ashamed to have a bass & amp just as a toy?

  • absolutely

  • meh, do what you want

  • not at all

  • Carrots!

Results are only viewable after voting.
#81
I find deals locally, it's a buyers market and I think I'm getting great deals...and I really am. Problem is I'm getting these deal because nobody has money to buy stuff and I would have no buyers to sell at the fair market price.

Hopefully you can find a bass and amp that doesn't break the bank and you'll keep. I never find good deals at pawn shops near me, they want $175 for a $199 Squier...and it's rusty. They are nuts.
 
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#83
There are a bunch of used basses on the GC site for $99. Here's two examples of many:

Washburn T12 Electric Bass Guitar

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

NO affiliation

The nice part is that you can buy a used bass from any GC in the country and have it shipped to your local GC. If you don't like it when you go to pick it up, you can return it on the spot. There's a 30-day return policy for used gear...

Anyway, someone bought that used Rick bass body/neck from Evilbay. I'm guessing it wasn't you!
 
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#84
Today I re-visited the SR300E Ibanez (30 miles away) & I think maybe I was over-romanticising how I felt about it, but admittedly this time I played it through a Rumble 25
If I went that route (with a Rumble 40), it would cost me $600, and that's if I didn't get the Quilted Maple top version, SR400EQM

So I thought about it on the drive home & decided to test the waters first with an acoustic version, a bass ukulele. (less than $200)
The order has been made, so now to just wait & see if that satisfies my urges to play once in awhile.

An upside to having an acoustic is that I can take it to the park & play for the ducks & geese. Over last Summer I took an acoustic guitar to the park, but I never did manage to improve at chord changes.

add: Almost forgot to add that another reason I decided to go for the u-bass is because my symptoms were coming back in my wrist & elbow just from the small bit of playing I did in the last two days at the Ibanez dealer.
I'm not ready for a long scale bass & may never be. In the demos I watched of u-basses, folks were saying they switched because of hand problems.
 
Last edited:
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#85
Killed_by_Death said:
Today I re-visited the SR300E Ibanez (30 miles away) & I think maybe I was over-romanticising how I felt about it, but admittedly this time I played it through a Rumble 25
If I went that route (with a Rumble 40), it would cost me $600, and that's if I didn't get the Quilted Maple top version, SR400EQM

So I thought about it on the drive home & decided to test the waters first with an acoustic version, a bass ukulele. (less than $200)
The order has been made, so now to just wait & see if that satisfies my urges to play once in awhile.

An upside to having an acoustic is that I can take it to the park & play for the ducks & geese. Over last Summer I took an acoustic guitar to the park, but I never did manage to improve at chord changes.
Click to expand...
Chord changes are hard. Do it Man as much hate as acoustics get (U bass gets more love). I love my T Bucket bass Med scale ABG.
 
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#87
None of the Mikros at the local dealer, but I have checked those out at the the GC (90 miles away)
I am too smitten with the pickups in the SRX00E series of Ibanez, they're pretty great!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

PowerSpan Dual Coil pickups
Developed by Ibanez, the exposed pole pieces of the PowerSpan Dual Coil pickups produce a stronger signal, and increase the response of the higher frequencies without sacrificing low end. The result is a tone rich in harmonic detail and dynamic expression.

SR400EQM_DEB_1P_01.png
 
#88
Killed_by_Death said:
Today I re-visited the SR300E Ibanez (30 miles away) & I think maybe I was over-romanticising how I felt about it, but admittedly this time I played it through a Rumble 25
If I went that route (with a Rumble 40), it would cost me $600, and that's if I didn't get the Quilted Maple top version, SR400EQM

So I thought about it on the drive home & decided to test the waters first with an acoustic version, a bass ukulele. (less than $200)
The order has been made, so now to just wait & see if that satisfies my urges to play once in awhile.

An upside to having an acoustic is that I can take it to the park & play for the ducks & geese. Over last Summer I took an acoustic guitar to the park, but I never did manage to improve at chord changes.

add: Almost forgot to add that another reason I decided to go for the u-bass is because my symptoms were coming back in my wrist & elbow just from the small bit of playing I did in the last two days at the Ibanez dealer.
I'm not ready for a long scale bass & may never be. In the demos I watched of u-basses, folks were saying they switched because of hand problems.
Click to expand...
I got a SR300M and a Acoustic little amp used cheap when I started out. Beat on it around the house all the time. Play it out too on occasion. The Acoustic amp has a nice OD. I Tried the rumble against it, liked the acoustic better, small amps that is.
My buddy has a uke down his shop I was checking out. I didn't like the tiny scale on it. The strings are cool in all, but that tiny fretboard I just didn't like.
All my Buttzillion 6 string guitars have pretty much been toys since forever. Never was really in a band till I started playing bass. Just lots of jamming on the 6 strings. Still dig em, couldn't really give you a firm number on how many guitars I have. Lots, especially with Floyds
 
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#90
Killed_by_Death said:
None of the Mikros at the local dealer, but I have checked those out at the the GC (90 miles away)
I am too smitten with the pickups in the SRX00E series of Ibanez, they're pretty great!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

PowerSpan Dual Coil pickups
Developed by Ibanez, the exposed pole pieces of the PowerSpan Dual Coil pickups produce a stronger signal, and increase the response of the higher frequencies without sacrificing low end. The result is a tone rich in harmonic detail and dynamic expression.

SR400EQM_DEB_1P_01.png
Click to expand...
The new powerspan pickups did sound nice when I tried it at the store. I think they use those in the SR300, 370, and 400. The big difference in the 400 seems to be the nicer finishes like that Quilted Maple. Nice looking bass for sure.
 
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#91
Killed_by_Death said:
At one time I really really wanted to have a Floyd equipped guitar around, but I finally realized I am no shredder & never will be, LOL
I did have a couple, a BC Rich Warbeast & very briefly a Ibanez RG920QM
fun to wank around on, but all I really did was yank on the vibrato arm constantly
Click to expand...
I love how once they all set up, you can pretty much flog em and it stays in tune. Plus as I believe I told you before, it appeals to my mechanical self. When big hair fell out of favor, I went out snagging cool, once expensive guitars for very little. Love my Kramers. I have a blue pacer that is always straight, hot, and in tune no matter what. It's not all pristine, so if it gets bumped I'm not crying either. But I've always been about....Are ya gonna play it or look at it, for the most part
 
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#92
If you really want a bass & amp as a toy, then get a cheap starter pack from Fender / Ibanez / etc.

When the voice inside your head says "I know a great body dum..." The other voice!! Listen to the other voice!!!

"Well a starter pack is cheap and the quality sucks. I'll never put as much time in on it as a better one..." Then that voice is telling you that you shouldn't buy anything if you cannot commit at all.
 
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#96
I've bought some very nice instruments in my time. The ones I love the most and play and sound the best, were purchased for $100. I've only purchased 1 brand new instrument ever, a Fernandez Vertigo Bass. We never got along, so I sent it on it's way. Never went over $300, that was only a couple times. So many used instruments to be had for very little. Used practice amps easily go for way under their new price. I don't think a week goes by I don't see a nice bass/guitar going for very little. My need to have them isn't that strong anymore. But occasionally one pops up to good to resist.
 
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#97
My first new instrument was a Fender Blacktop bass (MIM)
within two weeks I returned it, because the neck was giving way & I had to re-tune it every other day
when the action started getting higher, I realized the neck may be a dud

This bass ukulele will be the next new purchase, because I always bought used (except for the case above)

I'm not a new kid on the block when it comes to shopping used, and scanned all the pawn shops in the area as well as Craig's List
those PowerSpan pickups in the Ibanez are pretty damn good though, so now I don't feel like I'd be happy with a passive instrument in the same price range (or cheaper)

OTOH, I would put my arm out of service playing that new Ibanez too much. I had trouble getting to sleep last night, because of the pain in my arm just for playing roughly an hour over the course of two days.
The u-bass may hang on the wall collecting dust, because I already know I get my thrill from the shopping & the GAS more than I do from the playing
if that happens them I'm out less than $200, instead of $600
 
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#98
Pain, that's never any fun, especially when it keeps you from doing something you enjoy.
How do you like tuning the uke? It was messing with my mind turning the peg so much without the instant feedback.
 
#99
I only made the order for it last night, but it has shipped already
my first fretless

"pain" probably isn't the right word, more like a numbness, but it's annoyingly difficult to get that arm in a position where it's not keeping me awake
by the time the u-bass arrives, I'll be ready to play again

glad I didn't ditch my high stool that I use for playing
my armchair gets in the way of my arm for playing
 
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