I’m not you. In the price range I prefer to spend, Chinese and other Asian makers offer me great performance and value.
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Just Wait?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
This might get me kicked off TB, but I've never owned a Jazz (style) bass!!! (I did play a 1969 P-Bass for many many years so that probably counts!).
There are tons of Jazz type basses out there in your price range. Even more if you add another grand to your budget. Seems like everyone makes one.
Good luck with your quest. Just like (not really!) getting a new cat, the right bass will choose you.
My old Peavey is sounding good today. At times like this I forget it weighs 11.7lbs.
Wow! for a minute there I thought you were gonna sell an old heavy Peavey bass and buy a Ritter! One of the ones where he works your entire family photo album into the finish of the bass.
Of course Ritter is German, so that's not made in the US either.
I posted my reply at exactly the same moment you posted the Peavey vid! I wrote it, took a few minutes to look something up, posted it, and there was your Peavey post right before it! Ha ha! I had no idea, but they do have a reputation for being heavy!
Synchronicity.
Synchronicity.
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They do.
Eastman and MTD Kingston are two Chinese brands I have great experience with. The Chinese Dingwalls are supposedly very good. South Korea produces quality too like my D'Angelico guitar and Modern Vintage Jazz bass.
No offense meant. Honestly, I can't afford anything. that is why I built my own. I just figured that based on the nice basses you already have, that you were looking to get better than those. Hope you find the ONE.
It always does. American made, solid well built , and very rare. I know she has a little weight on her and the string spacing is tight. Kinda like those old Yamaha BB’s.
I know those were Japan not US built but both are top quality .
No harm, no foul; if I had the skill, I would build my own too.
It’s funny how playing my Peavey can calm down my GAS. It is heavy and the strings are too close, but I love how it sounds.
just curious, what exact specs are we looking for?
lightweight?
wide spacing at the bridge?
do we care about color and/or the woods used?
how many frets? (Don’t need 2 octaves?)
34”?
and the biggest one is pick-up configuration and circuitry.
I think active jazz was mentioned by doc in one post, but I thought doc was also fond of sandberg p+mm at one point; maybe old school soapbars a la Ken smith might suddenly be interesting
I think timing and money is important, but we (this is doc’s thing not a team sport, but let me use we for now) probably should be a little more particular about what we want so that once this thing is purchased, we can focus on playing.
If we narrow down the specs, it’s easier to find a cheaper option that we’re happy with without having to convince yourself that you didn’t buy the thing just because it was cheap and readily available.
lightweight?
wide spacing at the bridge?
do we care about color and/or the woods used?
how many frets? (Don’t need 2 octaves?)
34”?
and the biggest one is pick-up configuration and circuitry.
I think active jazz was mentioned by doc in one post, but I thought doc was also fond of sandberg p+mm at one point; maybe old school soapbars a la Ken smith might suddenly be interesting
I think timing and money is important, but we (this is doc’s thing not a team sport, but let me use we for now) probably should be a little more particular about what we want so that once this thing is purchased, we can focus on playing.
If we narrow down the specs, it’s easier to find a cheaper option that we’re happy with without having to convince yourself that you didn’t buy the thing just because it was cheap and readily available.
18 or 19mm string spacing at the bridge would be nice. A weight of no more than 9.5lbs would be nice. I could live with JJ, J/MM, close to the bridge soap bars like my Peavey. I am fine with 34 or 35” scale.
Doc you have worked your butt off, I know you are a great husband and father. Now’s the time do something for yourself. You have expressed your love for Sadowsky basses for years. For retirement I would suggest placing a down payment on a US or one of the German built models .I think all of us at TB would agree you deserve it!
We should all start a GiveSendGo for Doc, then buy him what we all think he should have, selected via a poll. Being a nice guy, he'd play it and tell us it was great even if he heated it, but at least his decisional angst would be gone for a while...
IME the best far east bulk production bass would be the Xotic XJ.
Not found anything in that class to beat it.
I'd rate it above the Metro's I found.
Not found anything in that class to beat it.
I'd rate it above the Metro's I found.
That’s a great story.
Without knowing your wants/needs and overall financial situation, (not asking btw), it’s difficult to offer meaningful advice, but with everything else the same, I feel like it’s best to wait and get what you want. Otherwise, you spend the rest of the time wishing you had gotten the one you wanted in the first place.
This helps me too.
It’s good to remember why you bought it in the first place.
Hey Doc,
I realize in a subsequent thread you mentioned that you were pumping the brakes on a new retirement bass. I think your reasoning was pretty sound. However, after revisiting this thread, I think your Peavey is going to be an issue down the road due to its weight. You've worked what I'm guessing has been a very rewarding career. What better way to celebrate it with a custom Sadowsky. While the Peavey is good, a custom Sadowsky will take things to the next level. You've been putting time and effort into lessons and will appreciate the subtle nuances this kind of bass will provide to you. And you're probably talking something in the less than 9 lb. range. Life is short and you'll get so much joy providing your congregation the music you produce from a 5 string fretted Sadowsky.
Around 10 years ago, I had a NYC Sadowsky build commissioned for my 50the birthday. It's a fabulous bass and worth every penny.
Best wishes for whichever decision you make.
Bones
I realize in a subsequent thread you mentioned that you were pumping the brakes on a new retirement bass. I think your reasoning was pretty sound. However, after revisiting this thread, I think your Peavey is going to be an issue down the road due to its weight. You've worked what I'm guessing has been a very rewarding career. What better way to celebrate it with a custom Sadowsky. While the Peavey is good, a custom Sadowsky will take things to the next level. You've been putting time and effort into lessons and will appreciate the subtle nuances this kind of bass will provide to you. And you're probably talking something in the less than 9 lb. range. Life is short and you'll get so much joy providing your congregation the music you produce from a 5 string fretted Sadowsky.
Around 10 years ago, I had a NYC Sadowsky build commissioned for my 50the birthday. It's a fabulous bass and worth every penny.
Best wishes for whichever decision you make.
Bones
Thanks so much for thinking of me! Right now, I am working on building my skills to their full potential. Remember, I have a pretty light Tagima TJ435 passive Jazz. My MetroExpress fretless five is about 9lbs. My Peavey is heavy, but I rarely play standing. An upscale Sadowsky would be nice, but I will see how I feel at retirement.
More than anything else, I am most concerned with how well I play, not what I play.
