Help finding a decent bass

[Mr. Pasquini]

Hey, I'm a drummer (Oh I know, I've overstepped my boundaries) so my knowledge of Basses is very limited. I'm trying to help my bassist find a good bass for under $500. We play heavy metal, just looking for something that sounds good.

What would you guys recommend? I don't mind used, and he doesn't really care about brand BUT he has had some trouble with fender apparently and they're not his first choice.

So the only ones that really seem to be a hit to him are:
ESP B-255 5-String Bass
Ibanez SRX2EX1 4-String Bass Guitar

Any recommendations are welcome. Please, feel free to email me at [email protected], IM me on AIM at Ian The Pasquini, or IM me at MSN at [email protected]

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[crkempton]

i don't consort with drummers.....

nothing like a good ol' Fender p-bass

 

[MyUsernameHere]

Lots of people like Ibanez in that price range and there always seems to be a lot of them floating around e-bay cheap. BTW Fender P basses kick butt for metal IMO, I've owned a MIJ one for 17 years and its been bulletproof.

 

[Mr. Pasquini]

no more?

 

[canshaker]

Go to the Ibanez website. It seemed like EVERYONE on the Ozzfest tour was using them.

 

[Lesfunk]

My 2 cents... A Fender Mexican bass is always a good bet because they are so easy to upgrade. There are many, many companies that make Upgrade pickups, bridges, tuners, etc. You can take a cheap P bass or J bass and upgrade it piece by piece until it plays and sounds as good as a Pro Quality bass.

 

[perucci]

While I personally have an Ibanez (6-string bass), please be aware that Ibanez basses generally have strings VERY close together. This makes "slapping" a "challenge"...

 

[Phalex]

I'll add another vote for a MIM Fender of your choosing. They are easy to upgrade, and you can find a used one for a very nice price.

 

[BuffaloBass]

Geez, bummer on him. I picked up a mexi pbass here, with good tuners and a hot, hot pup. After filing the frets , sheilidng the cavity ( it was RIDICULOUSLY loud !)and setting it up ( they can suck terribly until "breathed" upon ) , it effing rocks. Mim J bass, is, imho, better sounding, but a cheap mexi pbass that ROCKS and that you can spray flourescent orange with a rattle can and not care, is about the best there is. Sub $300!

Peavey T40. A 30-40 yr old rock machine. Like an Ibanez ATK as well. Big ballzy sound with great highs.

Edit: check on used Peavey gear as well, newer than the T40. They do make some great basses.

And if this was a "wanted ad", then pay your $20 and post it in the Classisifeds. No free pm for you! And check the Classified section here. If you see a $500 Lakland 44-01 JUMP, and JUMP FAST! Its akin to a $2000 bass.

Man, if he played my cheap arse Pbass, he'd change his mind on Fender. Its got ballz the size of New Jersey. Not much finesse, but somehow I reckon y'all dont care about that. With a pick, its just KILLS. Shread machine.

If my oldest son didnt have dibs on it ( I play 5 string almost exclusively) , I'd do Mother Music a favor and send it to your bassist for $300 and change his mind forever.

 

[neuromancer]

I would have your bassist check out the Spector Euro line. With little effort, he should be able to find a used (barely, in some cases) Rebop model (4 or 5) for that price. They're great for metal (and other styles as well) and the string spacing is a bit wider than most basses on the market.

I would also have him check out the G&L Tribute L-2000/2500 basses. You can almost steal those lately.

 

[BuffaloBass]

Second the G&L trib basses. Really nice players.