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Intermediate players needs help!

P

paintcrazy505

Dec 3, 2009
8
0
Florida
#1
Switched over from Tuba to Bass a year and a half ago, and im looking for something more Bass wise. I have my old Ibanez SR 300 and am looking at the Epiphone Thunderbird "pro" 4 or a Fender MIM J bass. "Bass"ically Iam asking your opinions on said basses, and prehaps suggestions on others, looking to spend ~600 ish! :help:

Invalid Link Removed J bass

Invalid Link Removed T-Bird
 
#6
PortugalWillie said:
Play both and buy whichever feels best for you.

I bought a used MIM Jazz bass w/ a hard shell on craigslist for $250. They pop up in major cities quite a bit. Just keep your eye out!
Click to expand...

Oh wow that sounds like an attractive deal. However i thought that used basses were not covered under any warranties? Unfortunetly i like out in the middle of nowhere, so i'd need to have something shipped off to me, as for playing, i have drove hours to a guitar-center and done just that, the problem is i liked both's feel and am unsure of which sound i like better, the price of a new fender is a whopping 100$ more, and that doesnt make it better necessarily.
Trying to get opinions and options to help me shape my decision.
 
#8
paintcrazy505 said:
Oh wow that sounds like an attractive deal. However i thought that used basses were not covered under any warranties? Unfortunetly i like out in the middle of nowhere, so i'd need to have something shipped off to me, as for playing, i have drove hours to a guitar-center and done just that, the problem is i liked both's feel and am unsure of which sound i like better, the price of a new fender is a whopping 100$ more, and that doesnt make it better necessarily.
Trying to get opinions and options to help me shape my decision.
Click to expand...

I personally prefer the Fender. IMO/IME it has a better tone. The Epi always sounds muddy to me and IMO the neck isn't as comfortable. Fender also has a better resale value and overall reputation than Epiphone does.
 
#9
The Fender has the advantage of being very common parts-wise. It will always be easy to find spare parts for and modify/upgrade. It is a very good platform to start with.

The Pro 4 Thunderbird seems to have some sort of electronics issue, because several owners have complained of noise. This is not true for a passive TBird.

Both of these basses also have a different sort of sound. Which did you prefer?
 
#10
Bobster said:
The Fender has the advantage of being very common parts-wise. It will always be easy to find spare parts for and modify/upgrade. It is a very good platform to start with.

The Pro 4 Thunderbird seems to have some sort of electronics issue, because several owners have complained of noise. This is not true for a passive TBird.

Both of these basses also have a different sort of sound. Which did you prefer?
Click to expand...

The thunderbird i used at the GC didnt seem to have much noise, and it sounded like a great rock n roll guitar, the jazz bass felt great, but seemed to have less sustain and some sort or rattling on it. The jazz also had a cool sound, basically Iam looking for the better value of the two, and it seems that the fender with available parts + resale might edge out, however epiphone has that lifetime warranty on it...Yikes :help:
 
#12
As the owner of a MIM P Special (passive) PJ, and an Epi Pro IV, I'd say that if I was to choose one or the other, as an only bass, the nod would go to the Fender. It can handle about any situation or type of music. The Epi Tbirds can too, but the perception is rock and metal...it really depends on how you intend to use the bass. Regarding resale, if you take care of the instrument, I'd say it would be about a wash. If you don't you'll take a hit at resale time, from either one.
 
#13
bassplayer8953 said:
As the owner of a MIM P Special (passive) PJ, and an Epi Pro IV, I'd say that if I was to choose one or the other, as an only bass, the nod would go to the Fender. It can handle about any situation or type of music. The Epi Tbirds can too, but the perception is rock and metal...it really depends on how you intend to use the bass. Regarding resale, if you take care of the instrument, I'd say it would be about a wash. If you don't you'll take a hit at resale time, from either one.
Click to expand...

Thats really helpful, thanks.
 

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