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Help wanted - Purchasing a new bass
- Thread starter rabid_granny
- Start date
I know...I know...what a travesty. He's back in the Fire Theft. Whoo! I'm going to see if I can make it to the Seattle debut - Jan 23rd @ Graceland. BE THERE!
Anyways, funny you bumped this thread. I ended up getting a Precision AND a Jazz. My favourite bass is...whichever bass I pick up first.
Hi there. Since everyone's answered everything else, I'll just add my own tuppenceworth here - what you're looking for in a string thru is to test it accoustically - no amping. You should hear something, clear, clean, with good sustain that your fingers can also feel through the neck. You'll know it when you hear it - compare it to non string through models and you'll know what I mean.
My new Peavey Fury IV has string through and it's sweeeet!
Slainte, Happy Hogmanay and good Bass Hunting...
1) What are the advantages of a string-thru-body bridge? What qualities should I listen for when I'm testing?
Just as many have stated, string-thru is said to add sustain. The theory is that basicaly the entire bass body becomes a part of the bridge and transfers sustain. The down side could be (depending on style of string-thru) difficulty in finding strings long enough.
2) Related question - What is a Badass II bridge? I've seen them and they look like...a bridge. What's so great about them?
Nothing more than a replacement bridge made by Leo Quan. Probably the first replacement bass bridge available. Now bass players have many other choices which IMO are better (Hipshot, ABM, Gotoh, Schaller,...)
3) Are single-coil Jazz pickups really noisy? I noticed my Samick buzzes but quiets down when I put my hand on the strings. Is this the same problem?
Single coil P/U's are typically have more 60 cycle hum. Good alternatives would be stacked Jazz P/U's. They offer reduced hum and still have the nice highs associated with the single coil P/U's. In the case of your Samick, you either have a grounding or shielding problem.
4) Do active pickups require batteries? If so, how long will the battery last if I just left it in the bass?
Active P/U's do require batteries (unless you have a Phantom Power supply or an outboard power supply i.e. Alembic). The batteries usually last 6 mos. to a 1 year depending on your playing time. ALWAYS unplug your active bass when not in use. The input jack acts as the on/off switch to the preamp.
5) How do machineheads contribute to the sound / playability of the bass? Does anyone really care about them when they buy a bass?
Good machine heads keep your bass in tune. I'd say that's improtant!
6) Related to active pickups, if I bought a bass with active pickups, does that I mean I don't need to be a pre-amp?
Most active P/U's are considerably low impedance and require the preamp to get the signal hot enough to be EQ by a traditional amp preamp. Don't confuse the on-board bass preamp with the preamp used to shape the bass signal prior to a power amp (or power amp section). Very few bass preamps produce a signal that is even capable of driving a power amp (maybe the Alembic Series I and II).
Just as many have stated, string-thru is said to add sustain. The theory is that basicaly the entire bass body becomes a part of the bridge and transfers sustain. The down side could be (depending on style of string-thru) difficulty in finding strings long enough.
2) Related question - What is a Badass II bridge? I've seen them and they look like...a bridge. What's so great about them?
Nothing more than a replacement bridge made by Leo Quan. Probably the first replacement bass bridge available. Now bass players have many other choices which IMO are better (Hipshot, ABM, Gotoh, Schaller,...)
3) Are single-coil Jazz pickups really noisy? I noticed my Samick buzzes but quiets down when I put my hand on the strings. Is this the same problem?
Single coil P/U's are typically have more 60 cycle hum. Good alternatives would be stacked Jazz P/U's. They offer reduced hum and still have the nice highs associated with the single coil P/U's. In the case of your Samick, you either have a grounding or shielding problem.
4) Do active pickups require batteries? If so, how long will the battery last if I just left it in the bass?
Active P/U's do require batteries (unless you have a Phantom Power supply or an outboard power supply i.e. Alembic). The batteries usually last 6 mos. to a 1 year depending on your playing time. ALWAYS unplug your active bass when not in use. The input jack acts as the on/off switch to the preamp.
5) How do machineheads contribute to the sound / playability of the bass? Does anyone really care about them when they buy a bass?
Good machine heads keep your bass in tune. I'd say that's improtant!
6) Related to active pickups, if I bought a bass with active pickups, does that I mean I don't need to be a pre-amp?
Most active P/U's are considerably low impedance and require the preamp to get the signal hot enough to be EQ by a traditional amp preamp. Don't confuse the on-board bass preamp with the preamp used to shape the bass signal prior to a power amp (or power amp section). Very few bass preamps produce a signal that is even capable of driving a power amp (maybe the Alembic Series I and II).
I think the perfect patch of middle ground in this case would be the CIJ (Crafted In Japan) Fender.
I recently got a CIJ '62 Reissue Fender Precision ($582, shipped) and I can honestly say that it's as good as any MIA I've ever played (and I've owned 8 MIA's, still have 2 of 'em, and a couple of 'em I'm still kicking myself for selling!).
I know you said that you wanted something with some more sounds so then you could get the Jazz for about $40 more. But be sure you go for the better model, with the Alder body & USA pickup, rather than the "beginner" model.
Check 'em out here:
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i went to guitar center today looking for something besides a fender jazz bass and i fell in love with the schecter stilleto elite -4 bass. its a body through design with gold hardware and a great bridge. it has a great tone and when you start slapping and popping the the thing comes alive. although if you wanna spend 1500, just got for the fender USA deluxe cant go wrong with that. the schecter is only 550.
According to your profile, you already have a Jazz and a Precision, and no Samick.
What gives?...
What gives?...
This thread is a year old. Somebody(Tom Lee) bumped it back to the top. When he started the thread, rabid_granny had a Samick. Now he has a J and P bass, both Fenders.
Yes, I was very surprised to see this thread again. My Samick has been archived. I'll never sell it because of the sentimental value but I'll never play it again because...well...it's horrible. (Samick doesn't even have information on it anymore...that's how cheap it is.)
As for the MIJ Fender bit, I actually owned a Geddy Lee Jazz for 24 hours. But the store staff were so arrogant and rude, I returned it the next day. Too many bad vibes. Got my Fenders via the used market, near mint condition and at half price. Sweeeeet! I would never buy a new Fender - way too overpriced.
I'll never sell it because of the sentimental value but I'll never play it again because...well...it's horrible. (Samick doesn't even have information on it anymore...that's how cheap it is.)As for the MIJ Fender bit, I actually owned a Geddy Lee Jazz for 24 hours. But the store staff were so arrogant and rude, I returned it the next day. Too many bad vibes. Got my Fenders via the used market, near mint condition and at half price. Sweeeeet! I would never buy a new Fender - way too overpriced.
Hey Guys, i'm just about to buy my first bass, don't have a clue which are good. Anyone able to help suggest some reliable and good sounding basses for all round bass playing. Budet about $300.
Thanx
Thanx
