How Would You Rate This Bass?

[Greg Waldon]

Yeah man, not changing the tone is my main concern. I was fortunate that throwing the Audere Classic preamp on it didn’t mess the tone up. Trial and error.

I am also going back to passive basses. If I need a little extra, I can eq what I need and not have to worry about batteries but I can generally get the tone I am looking for without an eq. The first B-50 had Basslines in it but it had some major wiring problems when I got it so it had to go back. I really never got to know what they sounded like. From what I have heard they are really good pickups.

 

[RJizzle100]

Computer numerical control. Blocks of wood are clamped into a machine and a router running from a program does all of the shaping and cutting. Takes most (but not all) of the skilled handwork, and possible screw ups, out of the picture.
You couldn’t even buy the raw paint and sealer etc just to do the finish here for what the factories are completing the entire instrument for.
And yes, aftermarket pickups are likely to improve or at the very least change the sound you can get. Picking which brand and model is the hard part.

Thanks for the knowledge. I may leave the pick ups as they are. The advent of cnc’s definitely explains why the basses are sounding awesome. My Fender Jazz Marcus Miller was awesome, and it was from overseas. That was around 2004. It also may explain why minor blemishes are showing up and minor mods preferred.

 

[MCF]

Some pretty good sounds occasionally being made with even cheaper basses. See Khruangbin, for example, she rocks an SX and gets the job done. All in the player and what sound they're going for, imho. Low price quality is the best it's been in a long, long time.

I love her, she is an excellent player. But her SX is modified. It is not an out of the box SX.

 

[RJizzle100]

I love her, she is an excellent player. But her SX is modified. It is not an out of the box SX.

Thanks for the particulars. I may get the Glarry bass and modify it since its only $75 new.

 

[RJizzle100]

I am also going back to passive basses. If I need a little extra, I can eq what I need and not have to worry about batteries but I can generally get the tone I am looking for without an eq. The first B-50 had Basslines in it but it had some major wiring problems when I got it so it had to go back. I really never got to know what they sounded like. From what I have heard they are really good pickups.

Yeah man, the Squier Affinity PJ was passive, and when I had the preamp upgraded to active, it did seem to lose some of the awesome original tone. Thats the trial and error of mods.

 

[EdO.]

Old gems still to be found in the used market too, sure. Aria always "punched in a higher weight category" than their list price would've suggested, and were built like tanks, many have lasted very well...

A lot of different models of Peavey's fit the same description. I had an early 80's T-20 gifted to me last year and I'm really getting to like it a lot, it now gets gigged in rotation with 5 other basses including a couple Thunderbirds and a pre EB Stingray. I still see them selling in the 150 - 300 range.

And yes, aftermarket pickups are likely to improve or at the very least change the sound you can get. Picking which brand and model is the hard part.

Can certainly change the sound, whether it actually improves the sound is an entirely different discussion. Case in point. I have a Squier Mike Dirnt P bass, original mid 50s body style. Surprisingly good player bone stock, gave $200 for it new. Upgraded the bridge to a Badass 2, really liked the tone with the stock pickup. Found a good deal on a Fender Original 62 Pickup so I bought it and swapped it in, only bass I've ever modded in any manner.

It did change the tone, sounds just like a quality standard issue P bass should sound. But is it an improvement? I liked the character and tone with the stock pickup to begin with. And I like it now too. Definitely different but I don't know that it's necessarily better.

I think a lot of players buy an inexpensive bass and think immediately that the stock pickups are inferior and require replacement without really giving them a chance and getting to know them a bit. You said you like it as is now, spend some more time getting to know it and you may decide swapping pickups isn't a necessity.

 

[Zoobiedood]

It was a deal I couldn’t pass up. I played it before I made an offer and fell in love with the tone. I would love to find a set of Basslines pickups. I think they were bought out by seymour duncan. Not sure what SD called them now. Scared that it may change the tone to something that I don’t like.

SD *is* Basslines, with just a name change for a few years. That was just the name of the bass pickup line, so the model name is the same now.

 

[wraub]

I recently acquired an Affinity PJ bass for cheap at a pawn shop...less than a year old, still had the plastic on the pickguard. I bought it to flip it, but... after playing it for a few hours, I kept it.

It's solid, it feels great, it sounds really good, it fits into many musical mixes and situations, and it was less than $50. It has a variety of useful sounds, and it also has it's own character to some extent, being a bit of a mutt.
I actually wrote a review of mine here on TB... I was really impressed, and, still am, really. It's good.

 

[RJizzle100]

A lot of different models of Peavey's fit the same description. I had an early 80's T-20 gifted to me last year and I'm really getting to like it a lot, it now gets gigged in rotation with 5 other basses including a couple Thunderbirds and a pre EB Stingray. I still see them selling in the 150 - 300 range.


Can certainly change the sound, whether it actually improves the sound is an entirely different discussion. Case in point. I have a Squier Mike Dirnt P bass, original mid 50s body style. Surprisingly good player bone stock, gave $200 for it new. Upgraded the bridge to a Badass 2, really liked the tone with the stock pickup. Found a good deal on a Fender Original 62 Pickup so I bought it and swapped it in, only bass I've ever modded in any manner.

It did change the tone, sounds just like a quality standard issue P bass should sound. But is it an improvement? I liked the character and tone with the stock pickup to begin with. And I like it now too. Definitely different but I don't know that it's necessarily better.

I think a lot of players buy an inexpensive bass and think immediately that the stock pickups are inferior and require replacement without really giving them a chance and getting to know them a bit. You said you like it as is now, spend some more time getting to know it and you may decide swapping pickups isn't a necessity.

That’s solid advice, Bass Player! Thanks!

 

[RJizzle100]

I recently acquired an Affinity PJ bass for cheap at a pawn shop...less than a year old, still had the plastic on the pickguard. I bought it to flip it, but... after playing it for a few hours, I kept it.

It's solid, it feels great, it sounds really good, it fits into many musical mixes and situations, and it was less than $50. It has a variety of useful sounds, and it also has it's own character to some extent, being a bit of a mutt.
I actually wrote a review of mine here on TB... I was really impressed, and, still am, really. It's good.

An awesome bass for under $50? Youre the second bass player who commented on this thread about under $50 Squier Affinity PJ basses. Where are these deals man? Lol.

 

[wraub]

I got mine at a pawn shop where I often buy gear... It was priced at 84.99, but "my guy" there sold to me for 49.99 out the door.
I shop there a lot.

That said, I commonly see Affinity P and J basses sold here with a top range of $100-$120, and often less.

An awesome bass for under $50? Youre the second bass player who commented on this thread about under $50 Squier Affinity PJ basses. Where are these deals man? Lol.

 

[RJizzle100]

I got mine at a pawn shop where I often buy gear... It was priced at 84.99, but "my guy" there sold to me for 49.99 out the door.
I shop there a lot.

That said, I commonly see Affinity P and J basses sold here with a top range of $100-$120, and often less.

All of you guys paid under $50. I payed $120. I shouldn’t be complaining since the bass probably is $200 new. Lol. But under $50? Thats an awesome deal!

 

[wraub]

I think you did well... you got a great playing and sounding instrument, for less than new, with no loss of enjoyment.

I say, play it well and often.

All of you guys paid under $50. I payed $120. I shouldn’t be complaining since the bass probably is $200 new. Lol. But under $50? Thats an awesome deal!

 

[J_Bass]

No idea about the bass, but it sounds good, because you sound good!

Reminds me of Miller sound and style.

Very nice, I like it!

 

[retslock]

Thanks Bass Player. I’m still on the bass journey of learning. Thanks for the observation on the bass.

Still? That journey never stops sir. When you feel that you have nothing more to learn, you’ve stopped paying attention. We’re all still on the journey.

 

[DJ Bebop]

1. Sound Quality

2. Price Range

3. “Beginner bass” or High End bass?

4. Guess the brand

This video was shot with a GoMixer and no bass effects.

Human Please!

It's not the bass, it's the playa and you are cruchin' IT!

Most folks don't get that. Thay worry about the bass or the amp and don't
worry about hangin' in the woodshed and getting their chops together IMHO

 

[Greg Waldon]

SD *is* Basslines, with just a name change for a few years. That was just the name of the bass pickup line, so the model name is the same now.

My bad.

 

[el murdoque]

It's hard to tell anything about that bass. That overdrive effect kind of squishes the signal too much to tell anything apart from the fact that that the strings sound fresh. There is not too much bottom end to speak of and any timbre would have been eaten by the overdrive, too.
So this could be a $3k luthier made beauty or a $50 pawn shop find.
You don't hear it buzzing, so the electronics seem halfway decent.

The same goes for the player. A mediocre player that just started out slap could learn this piece without too much effort, since it's played rather slowly and does not incorporate any hard techniques, it's pretty much straight forward. The (missing) context is the important factor. When the person in the video spent three months practising that bit, then meh. When the person in the video sat down and came up with that stuff pretty much on the fly, then kudos(!).

 

[Williethump]

Based on my screen shot above, it's an Invisible bass.

 

[Nev375]

To me, the difference between a beginner bass and a high end bass has nothing to do with the name on the headstock or the price tag. Almost any bass can be properly set up to play well. But if it holds that setup for a long time and does not need constant tweaks due to (humidity/temperature changes, bumps and dings on the road, etc...) that is generally something only high end basses offer through reinforced necks and quality tuning keys.

I'm going to guess that the bass in the video is a well adjusted Squier of some sort just because there are so many Squiers out there and it really feels like you are trying to prove that inexpensive basses can sound great.

And in your hands... virtually any bass is going to sound great. Well done.