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"inexpensive" bass questions

#21
A friend of mine just got a left handed one of these for his 14 year old son. Being lefty i have not picked it up, but junior is in love and southpaw dad says it plays as good as any of his high end basses. It's active P/J and sounds nice through the smallish Peavey combo the kid uses. Comes painted or an oiled walnut for a bump in price. A black righty is going fof $199.99, the same in oiled walnut brings $249.99

Ibanez GSR200BK GIO - Black
 
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#22
32" scale, and cheap enough to upgrade again if she really gets into playing...

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Quality on that bass ain't so great though (yes, I bought one)...

If you're looking for an inexpensive high quality instrument, I think the Ibanez TMBs can't be beat (yes I bought one of them, too). With the current 17% off sale at musiciansfriend they can be had for $165.

Ibanez TMB100 4 String Bass
 
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#23
I would go with her to a music store. She is 12 years old. She know what she likes, and you can help ensuring it has a certain quality.
Eath something with her and make a fun day out of it!

At 200$ the basses are usually quite similar in terms of quality, so it wont matter if it a Squier, an Ibanez, a Yamaha or whatsover. Just buy what she likes
 
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#24
In that price range, you'll probably need to look locally if you want to buy used. Shipping costs make shipping a $200 bass a losing proposition for a seller. I would wait for GC to drop the price of the Ibanez TMB-100 to $149 and buy one of those.
 
#25
wraub said:
Hello all.
Helping a friend locate a bass for her daughter (a tall 12 yo), a fairly avid bass student. As is usual in such cases, the budget is limited ($200 tops). Currently playing 3/4 scale (30 inch) but looking to move to 34".
Looking for best quality for the price point, as it should be something with which to grow. First thought is SX/Rondo... Any other suggestions?

Thanks
Click to expand...
for $200, I agree that SX is the best option for new

unlike other types of presents, "used" can certainly be an option for bass guitars so I would suggest hitting some Pawn Shops too
 
#31
iTzPrime said:
I would go with her to a music store. She is 12 years old. She know what she likes, and you can help ensuring it has a certain quality.
Eath something with her and make a fun day out of it!

At 200$ the basses are usually quite similar in terms of quality, so it wont matter if it a Squier, an Ibanez, a Yamaha or whatsover. Just buy what she likes
Click to expand...

She's been playing a while, so she can certainly judge what feels and sounds good to her. I'll bet she'll be more excited about a bass she picks out. Teach her how to check out a used bass and bargain for the best price. Great life skills right there.
 
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#32
I picked up a scruffy-looking Affinity P for $50 at a pawn shop several years ago, mainly because I noticed and liked its scruffiness enough from across the room to walk over and try it out. I thought it felt and sounded good immediately, and it only got better with some setup work. It was not the only sub-$100 bass on the wall that day, and the others looked nicer than it did.

My point is, there should be no shortage of lower-end used basses that would be fine instruments to start on, which could feel and sound great with a quick setup, for way less than $200.

Big ups to her for wanting to learn bass! Good luck in the search.
 
#34
Every time I visit GC and start picking up basses, I always come away impressed by the Ibanez GSR200. In many ways, it impresses me more than their higher-line models. More than once I've almost walked out with one just because it was fun and rewarding to play. For someone just starting out, I think it would be rewarding to play and practice on.

Downsides: You're not getting high-end pickups and hardware, but that's not unexpected; set-up is hit or miss - of the three on display, two needed a setup (fret buzz/action issues) and one played perfectly as-is.

Upsides: Nice sound, versatile tonal options, light weight, thin neck, easy to play, great value for money.

My two cents :-)

Jim
 
#36
The Ibanez Mikro basses are short scale, so probably not those. Have her test drive Squiers and Ibanez SR basses in-store, find out which feels best in her hands, and then buy the best used one the $200 budget allows. For low budget, used always gets you more. Period. The Ibanez GSR range is a good option too. The old PJ configured Soundgears are great quality and can easily be upgraded later to improve the sound.

Edit: Be mindful of the setup and action, of course, since they are pretty much always garbage in-store.
 
#40
Yamaha is almost always at the top of my list for cheap basses. I'd try to find a used BB series bass, although RBX is pretty nice too. I recently played one of those with a mango top and liked it. Looked nice too :) I quite liked a Squier Affinity, it was the PJ model, $199 new. Maybe it was an exceptionally good one, but I would not rule it out. I also liked the Talman, but would wire it passive. Extra $$ and effort, but if it played best in the store, I'd be happy to take it home.

These seem quite common too. Take her out for shopping, let her play, see what she likes. Check out the used section too. I'd skip CL unless I was looking for a specific bass (e.g. Yamaha BB) - when you try individual basses, you really cannot compare them as you can in a store.

Don't forget to factor in the cost of new strings and a setup. Can you set it up for her? That could stretch your shopping budget a bit :)
 
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