I got a $100 birthday check. What bass-related thing(s) should I spend it on? New or used are both OK.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
How to spend 100?
- Thread starter SamBassPlayer
- Start date
TI Jazz Flats. 
Everyone oughtta have a Fender with those strings in their arsenal.
Everyone oughtta have a Fender with those strings in their arsenal.
If you don't have any GAS, get some strings.
project bass off craigslist/facebook marketplace. 80s made in japan/korea basses that need some tlc should go for a hundred bucks or less
Best bang for $100-- Online lesson(s) or bass books.
Good luck with that. Lately prices have gotten insane but one can still make an offer.
I'm guessing you already have your preferred strings, so I won't suggest mine.
Other that that, $100 doesn't get you much, unless you're a beginner, but $50 more and you can go wireless.
The Xvive U2 system is so good I bought it again.
Other that that, $100 doesn't get you much, unless you're a beginner, but $50 more and you can go wireless.
The Xvive U2 system is so good I bought it again.
Won't get you much. But... A pack of strings, a quality strap, a set of strap-locks, a decent tuner, a couple bass books.
that's why you've gotta seek out the deals. missing one knob minimum. terrible diy paint job a plus. missing strings or no strings or rusted strings likely. lots of fun
I bought a used Squier Affinity P Bass on craigslist for $70, put some new strings on and sold it for $140. Then I bought a Squier Vintage Modified P Bass (with a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder in it!) for $150. I figure I could sell the VM for about $400 right now, but honestly it's so sweet and dialed in since I put a set of flats on it (plus it weighs about 7 lbs), I think I'll keep it!
anybody with an extra $100 who can't find a needy person should drop it on one of these just for the cute n studly factor, with the side benefit of having a quasi Ampeg SVT in the palm of your hand
https://www.amazon.com/Hotone-Thund...t=&hvlocphy=9032808&hvtargid=pla-493301172635
https://www.amazon.com/Hotone-Thund...t=&hvlocphy=9032808&hvtargid=pla-493301172635
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
D
do you really need to ask an online forum about ways to spend yo-... oh wait, this is talkbass! Use it as a deposit for a new high end custom bass.
Lessons But if you can play already, you can skip that and go right to pedals
But if you can play already, you can skip that and go right to pedals 
If you don't already have, getcha a string gauge, peg winder, and a set of strings you haven't tried before. Or a nice new cord. Or a nice new strap.
get a glarry bass off ebay. they can be had for $100 even including tax from a couple sellers.
BobDeRosa
Commercial User
- May 16, 2012
- 2,445
- 4,403
- Disclosures
- Owner, Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps
TI Jazz Flats.
Everyone oughtta have a Fender with those strings in their arsenal.
Not sure about this advice. String taste is very subjective. TI Jazz Flats will appeal to some players but definitely not others. I'd hate to see you waste your BD money on something expensive that you might not like.
Parts.
I have only assembled two parts basses. But they were FUN projects!!! I would blow it on tuners, pickups, a cheap body, etc.
But here's a sleeper of an idea. Take your #1 bass to a REAL PRO to get it set up. I mean "THE GUY" in your area (or even the nearest metro area). Most of us think we are "pretty good" or "good enough" at setups. But there's nothing like taking your main player to a guy who REALLY knows what he/she is doing, having a conversation about your setup goals, and then letting that person do the magic that makes them expensive. There truly is a difference. I mean polished frets, neck tweaking, pickup height, bridge setup, cleaning, fretboard attention, lubing tuners, and just giving your #1 "the once over".
I am NOT talking about the local guy who also repairs clarinets and flugel horns for the mom n pop music store. I'm talking about the guy who is so good he/she can't even take your bass in for a few weeks. Their reputation is so good that their schedule is slammed.
When you get it back, it will be as though someone took your favorite old baseball glove and oiled it down, replaced a few tattered laces, tightened the bridge across the web, and reinforced the hinge. Your old friend only better. (I'm a bit of a baseball dork. So these are all good things to me. Go Sox!)
If you're more of a car guy, think new suspension and tires on a classic sportscar. It still has your butt print on the driver's seat. You still have to hold your tongue right to get the key to turn. You still know every single tiny bump/scratch/stitch on the steering wheel where your hands usually rest. It's still your favorite old car. But it handles like a dream now.
I poo pooed that idea for years. Then a friend introduced me to "the guy" in a city about 4 hours' drive from here. When I got my #1 back, it was all my favorite things about that bass, with all of its little annoying quirks "fixed".
By the way, happy birthday!
I have only assembled two parts basses. But they were FUN projects!!! I would blow it on tuners, pickups, a cheap body, etc.
But here's a sleeper of an idea. Take your #1 bass to a REAL PRO to get it set up. I mean "THE GUY" in your area (or even the nearest metro area). Most of us think we are "pretty good" or "good enough" at setups. But there's nothing like taking your main player to a guy who REALLY knows what he/she is doing, having a conversation about your setup goals, and then letting that person do the magic that makes them expensive. There truly is a difference. I mean polished frets, neck tweaking, pickup height, bridge setup, cleaning, fretboard attention, lubing tuners, and just giving your #1 "the once over".
I am NOT talking about the local guy who also repairs clarinets and flugel horns for the mom n pop music store. I'm talking about the guy who is so good he/she can't even take your bass in for a few weeks. Their reputation is so good that their schedule is slammed.
When you get it back, it will be as though someone took your favorite old baseball glove and oiled it down, replaced a few tattered laces, tightened the bridge across the web, and reinforced the hinge. Your old friend only better. (I'm a bit of a baseball dork. So these are all good things to me. Go Sox!)
If you're more of a car guy, think new suspension and tires on a classic sportscar. It still has your butt print on the driver's seat. You still have to hold your tongue right to get the key to turn. You still know every single tiny bump/scratch/stitch on the steering wheel where your hands usually rest. It's still your favorite old car. But it handles like a dream now.
I poo pooed that idea for years. Then a friend introduced me to "the guy" in a city about 4 hours' drive from here. When I got my #1 back, it was all my favorite things about that bass, with all of its little annoying quirks "fixed".
By the way, happy birthday!
