hey ive been playing the bass for about 3 years and im deciding that its time to buy a new bass. Im looking for a good offordable new bass. Under 450. I play mostly rock but am in a school jazz band so i want a bass that can do mellower tones. Give any suggestions...i need ideas. Thanks.
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looking for new bass guitar
- Thread starter gijoey109
- Start date
hey, i will warn you now, some snobby people are gonna complain saying u have to try em out .....
but i was just like you and i recently bought myself a fender jazz bass MIM like 4 days ago,
AND im loving it, the neck is very thin and smooth which allows quick and comfortable sliding.
The string and neck spacing is excelent because it sounds perfect slapped, plucked or picked.
the 3 tones allow you to alter your sound so you can switch from your rockstar sound to a mellow jazz noise.
but i was just like you and i recently bought myself a fender jazz bass MIM like 4 days ago,
AND im loving it, the neck is very thin and smooth which allows quick and comfortable sliding.
The string and neck spacing is excelent because it sounds perfect slapped, plucked or picked.
the 3 tones allow you to alter your sound so you can switch from your rockstar sound to a mellow jazz noise.
Saying to try out basses yourself is snobby? I would say only recommending high end basses would be snobby. Just because someone else likes a bass doesn't mean you will.
First of all, what kind of bass do you play now? What do you like? You can get a lot of basses new and used under $450. The Squier Vintage Modified line and the Classic Vibe line all get high marks from me.
First of all, what kind of bass do you play now? What do you like? You can get a lot of basses new and used under $450. The Squier Vintage Modified line and the Classic Vibe line all get high marks from me.
If you're after a mellow sound for an affordable price, I'd recommend at least having a quick look at a Hofner Club Bass - these are pricey, but Hofner's Contemporary series is within your price range, I think. I normally play rock, metal and punk, but I love my Hoff to bits and it's great for playing something more relaxed and mellow. Other than that, Epiphones are supposed to be good at keeping up the mellow end, but that's only from what I've heard, not first hand experience.
A Fender Jazz will give you classic tone and a comfortable neck. The MIM version gives you great value. All basses are used as soon as you take possession of them; therefore, buy one used and let someone else take the depreciation.
For $450, your best bet (in my opinion) is Fender, ESP, or Ibanez Soundgear. A lot of great basses from those companies are within your price bracket (new). You can also get some excellent deals with used basses, especially from craigslist. Though, admittedly, more folks are onto craigslist and the good deals generally go pretty quick (IME). Hope this helps....
very nice...the prices I'm finding are well over $1000Look at both Js and Ps, just because one says "Jazz bass" on it doesn't mean the other isn't. I actually prefer Ps for jazz, you can get a warmer sound out of them. Unfortunately, you don't find them fretless often.
What kind of bass(es) do you play now? What do you like and dislike about it(them)? A little more info, please.
Mark Wilson
Supporting Member
^^^ I agree with the above because they are exceptional instruments even when I don't factor money into the equation. The Squier line is leaps and bounds better than they have ever been. They've always been good values for the money but I feel that now they are approaching some of the highest levels of instrument quality and desirability in an entry level product line from any large manufacturer in history. I'm impressed. 
I know a lot of you dislike these threads but I like being able to share what I've learned (the hard way, mind you!) with others. I think about when I started - how valuable all this information would have been and I think its great.
I know a lot of you dislike these threads but I like being able to share what I've learned (the hard way, mind you!) with others. I think about when I started - how valuable all this information would have been and I think its great.
