Hello ladies and gentlemen.
I find myself in a dilemma considering my next buy. Right now I don't have a bass, and I'm looking for an affordable fiver. I'm a cover band guy, which means I gotta find a swiss knife of a bass, and I would greatly favor an on board 3band EQ. I also favor more modern specs considering the neck specs (higher radius, med. to jumbo frets and tighter string spacing), so no Fender-esque instruments on my list. Ideally, a warwick would be the perfect fit, both tonally and neck specs wise, but I obviously cannot afford one.
Now, the Ibanez I've already played, and while I found it good enough, especially for its price, the tone could be a lot better. The on board EQ was fine, but the stylesweeper thingy seemed to me more like an on/off scoop switch and didn't really do it for me.
Generally, I must admit I found the tone somewhat sterile and lacking in... "oomph", if you will. Also, the highs tended to be quite bothersome after even a slight boost above the middle, which made it sound kinda harsh, but that was true of almost any Ibanez bass I've tried.
The neck was quite comfortable, but intonation was quite a bit off, and at a low action there was A LOT of buzz, and I don't really know if that's something a good setup would solve or if the bass is "built like that".
So generally a nice bass, but I would prefer different electronics altogether, a thing I cannot change in the foreseeable future (money's extremely tight).
Style wise, I find it nice enough and "neutral", so that was a plus.
The Jackson, on the other hand, I cannot test drive since noone seems to have it in stock over here, so it would have to be a blind buy, which kinda bums me out, but considering the specs it seems comfy enough, and I can make pretty much anything work, so I don't think I'll have a problem with the neck. Plus, the Jackson's a 35" scale, which I prefer considering the low B.
The sound, though, I cannot judge by youtube videos, so I'm kinda relying on your opinions here. Still, I assume the 3 band EQ on the Jackson would theoretically work better than the "stylesweeper" dial on the Ibanez. But still, this is merely and assumption, so...
Style wise, the Jackson kinda screams "metal" and I would prefer a more "neutral" looking bass, considering I "work" for various cover bands and the metal look isn't always appreciated, but it's not that big of an issue if it's a better instrument. And I must admit I like it!
I'm also open to other suggestions, but money's really tight and there's not such a plethora of used instruments on my side of the pond, plus I would REALLY prefer buying new.
I've tried (and had) a few other fivers around that price range and most of them left me more or less unimpressed.
I also know the Yamaha RBX375 is suggested a lot, and I think it's a nice bass, but it's got a 19mm string spacing which makes for quite a wide neck on a fiver, and the 2band EQ left a lot to be desired, so it's a no-go for me.
I hope I've provided you enough information, any input would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks in advance!
I find myself in a dilemma considering my next buy. Right now I don't have a bass, and I'm looking for an affordable fiver. I'm a cover band guy, which means I gotta find a swiss knife of a bass, and I would greatly favor an on board 3band EQ. I also favor more modern specs considering the neck specs (higher radius, med. to jumbo frets and tighter string spacing), so no Fender-esque instruments on my list. Ideally, a warwick would be the perfect fit, both tonally and neck specs wise, but I obviously cannot afford one.
Now, the Ibanez I've already played, and while I found it good enough, especially for its price, the tone could be a lot better. The on board EQ was fine, but the stylesweeper thingy seemed to me more like an on/off scoop switch and didn't really do it for me.
Generally, I must admit I found the tone somewhat sterile and lacking in... "oomph", if you will. Also, the highs tended to be quite bothersome after even a slight boost above the middle, which made it sound kinda harsh, but that was true of almost any Ibanez bass I've tried.
The neck was quite comfortable, but intonation was quite a bit off, and at a low action there was A LOT of buzz, and I don't really know if that's something a good setup would solve or if the bass is "built like that".
So generally a nice bass, but I would prefer different electronics altogether, a thing I cannot change in the foreseeable future (money's extremely tight).
Style wise, I find it nice enough and "neutral", so that was a plus.
The Jackson, on the other hand, I cannot test drive since noone seems to have it in stock over here, so it would have to be a blind buy, which kinda bums me out, but considering the specs it seems comfy enough, and I can make pretty much anything work, so I don't think I'll have a problem with the neck. Plus, the Jackson's a 35" scale, which I prefer considering the low B.
The sound, though, I cannot judge by youtube videos, so I'm kinda relying on your opinions here. Still, I assume the 3 band EQ on the Jackson would theoretically work better than the "stylesweeper" dial on the Ibanez. But still, this is merely and assumption, so...
Style wise, the Jackson kinda screams "metal" and I would prefer a more "neutral" looking bass, considering I "work" for various cover bands and the metal look isn't always appreciated, but it's not that big of an issue if it's a better instrument. And I must admit I like it!
I'm also open to other suggestions, but money's really tight and there's not such a plethora of used instruments on my side of the pond, plus I would REALLY prefer buying new.
I've tried (and had) a few other fivers around that price range and most of them left me more or less unimpressed.
I also know the Yamaha RBX375 is suggested a lot, and I think it's a nice bass, but it's got a 19mm string spacing which makes for quite a wide neck on a fiver, and the 2band EQ left a lot to be desired, so it's a no-go for me.
I hope I've provided you enough information, any input would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks in advance!
