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i dont know which bass to get. help please
- Thread starter Musashed
- Start date
Firstly, I wouldn't buy any mass produced bass unseen. You really need to go to the store and play them, get the feel for them etc, because remember that they're all different, even instruments that are supposedly from the same manufacturer/batch.
The pros and cons... The Thunderbird has a nice enough sound, but it neck dives due to the short (lack of top horn) body. But the finish on them is usually very nice and they're always very playable. I bought one of these and sold it on very quickly. The ownership experience of the T-Bird Pro doesn't match up to the romance of the Thunderbird image, I'm afraid.
The ESP looks like a real nice quality bass - Mahogany body 24 frets, 5-piece neck, strings through body bridge and three band eq. Should give you everything you could need tone wise and looks like a much better shape to play on a strap.
I'd go for the ESP personally.
While you're at it, have a look at the Yamaha TRBX 504 and the Ibanez SR500. You can't go wrong with either of those.
Basses by Status-Graphite & MusicMan
Amplification by Genz-Benz & TC Electronic
The pros and cons... The Thunderbird has a nice enough sound, but it neck dives due to the short (lack of top horn) body. But the finish on them is usually very nice and they're always very playable. I bought one of these and sold it on very quickly. The ownership experience of the T-Bird Pro doesn't match up to the romance of the Thunderbird image, I'm afraid.
The ESP looks like a real nice quality bass - Mahogany body 24 frets, 5-piece neck, strings through body bridge and three band eq. Should give you everything you could need tone wise and looks like a much better shape to play on a strap.
I'd go for the ESP personally.
While you're at it, have a look at the Yamaha TRBX 504 and the Ibanez SR500. You can't go wrong with either of those.
Basses by Status-Graphite & MusicMan
Amplification by Genz-Benz & TC Electronic
First off, welcome to Talkbass.
The ESP LTD B4E and Epiphone Thunderbird Pro IV are very different Instruments, particularly in regards to ergonomics. In other words, some people are very happy with how a T-Bird feels, and some are not. The ESP has a much more conventional layout to most people.
I'm curious as to how you came up with these two choices. Are they both for sale on your local Craigslist or at a local shop? I'm not putting either choice down, I'm just saying that there are a LOT of choices out there.
The best advice is to see which one fits your body best.
The ESP LTD B4E and Epiphone Thunderbird Pro IV are very different Instruments, particularly in regards to ergonomics. In other words, some people are very happy with how a T-Bird feels, and some are not. The ESP has a much more conventional layout to most people.
I'm curious as to how you came up with these two choices. Are they both for sale on your local Craigslist or at a local shop? I'm not putting either choice down, I'm just saying that there are a LOT of choices out there.
The best advice is to see which one fits your body best.
If you're buying them based on price, I'd suggest trying a number of basses at local stores, then buying used.
$500 goes pretty far in the used market, on here, eBay or craigslist.
$500 goes pretty far in the used market, on here, eBay or craigslist.
I agree with drummer5359 on this one, just wondering how you came up with these two selections, they're not the two options one would usually come up with at first. I highly recommend going to the store to try out these two and other basses as well. Many times I've walked into a store with a specific bass in mind and walk out with something completely different because it played better than my first choice. It's a little like trying on shoes, you've really got to try them on first before you buy. Between your two options, I would say the ESP but again, don't limit your choices to these two if you can, going into a store with an open mind is best. Good luck!
I cant remember the number of times I decided on a bass (or a few to test-drive) only to play them and think "meh". Or to play them and then pick up something next to it (in a similar price range or configuration) only to be blown away. I remember deciding on a Gibson EB. The short scale was fun but the Squier Jag SS blew it away! I decided on a Schecter early on, but when I picked up a similar Ibanez, I found myself taking the Ibby home. It really comes down to what you like when you play. The sound, feel, and playability all matter and will vary from person to person and bass to bass.
Then you stalk the TB classifieds and buy, try, and keep or sell as you go!
Then you stalk the TB classifieds and buy, try, and keep or sell as you go!
wmhill
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- Aug 20, 2012
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thnx for the help guys. i chose the esp after playn it at a local shop. the reason i had the tbird as a choice was cuz thats what im playing with now, and i should of included that in the info but oh well. the esp ltd b4e was a very solid base. it had a very nice feeling to the neck and the finger board and i also like how it has many tone control options and also a neck through body. the only thing i wished it had was a passive/active switch but oh well. im fourteen and ive been playn bass for a year now so im still a noobie, but im working to get better. and again thank you for the responses.
Why would anybody knowingly purchase a bass that had a reputation for being a neck diver? I owned a 76 reissue Gibson Thunder Bird bass once and it turned out to be the worse neck diver ever of any bass I've owned. My fault for not trying it on a strap in the store but, that mistake will never be repeated. I quickly sold that bass.
I had the Thunderbird classic 4 pro bass for awhile. This bass had absolutely no neck dive. In fact it was a nicely balanced easy playing and great sounding bass. The fit and finish was beautiful. I may get another, this time in sunburst at some point.
Cuz you like the bass a LOT and are willing to do things like replace tuners and move strap buttons? My Fender Jaguar dives like Greg Louganis but I love love that Bass. (AND it hums without shielding mods!) I cant explain why it's a keeper. Lucky for me, I don't have to!
He did say he's newish (noobish) and probably not gigging. It'll make his fretting hand stronger. Then one day he'll get something that balances so well, his fretting hand won't have to do 2 jobs (fretting AND holding up the neck). That day, his riff will EXPLODE and it will motivate him in a whole new way! Well, that's what happened to me anyhow!
