Most consistently well-crafted and problem-free basses?

[el_Bajo_Verde]

Still a newbie rocking my $99 Squier P-bass but further down the line I would like to invest in a higher-grade bass. I prefer consistency and would like something low-maintenance, reliable, and easy to fix. What brands/models tend to be the least problematic?

For example, every Epiphone I test has the same loose nut on the input jack and the same wobbly loose tone knob problem. Upon further research, most people with those basses have to fix those issues, sometimes right out of the box! And If I were to get a Jack Casady, I'd have to fish in the f-hole to do any repairs which sounds horrifying.

I want something that is the opposite of that. What basses are generally problem-free and easy to fix? I'm guessing a Fender P-bass?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I also shy from Epi/Gibson for a couple of reasons. Loose parts & their bridges look like a PITA to adjust intonation on.
I really hated the chicken head knobs I've seen on EB basses.

My RIC 4004 is in pretty spectacular condition after almost 20 years.

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

I didn't know Rickenbackers existed without all the extra clutter! They're so expensive but clearly you got your money's worth and then some!

 

[BassNoobSuomi]

Rickenbacker couldn't be further from consistently well-crafted and problem-free.
I won't go into detail as i am lazy and know others will surely chime in.

Ernie Ball Music Man gets my vote.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

G&L

 

[knumbskull]

Fenders can be lovely but also can require some fixing out of the box. nothing wrong with that, but since you asked

Ibanez have great QC at affordable prices through to high end stuff. well worth checking out for a "next step" bass.

 

[MrLenny1]

Most budget basses have the same issues you have seen.
I have a 25 year old Pedulla with no issues.
Others will chime in with more affordable axes.

 

[distortion81]

yamaha is my choice. and more so if your budget is around $500 to $800.

 

[JMacBass65]

Rickenbacker couldn't be further from consistently well-crafted and problem-free.
I won't go into detail as i am lazy and know others will surely chime in.

And............here we go.

 

[catcauphonic]

Hmm I haven't played all there is to try out there, but I bought myself one of Spector's most economical USA basses (2nd owner), & it's a fantastic sounding work of fine craftsmanship!

I don't GAS much since

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Quality only means something on a bass you want to play. What kind of sound and feel do you want?

I see you mentioned Fender Precisions. I played a wonderful American Standard Precision yesterday at GC. In my heart, I'm not a P-bass guy, but I wanted that bass. I think the American Standard or Roadworn Precision would be great. It is hard to screw up a P-bass.

 

[oren]

For a relatively low cost bass the Sires seem pretty high quality. For a lot more dough I'll testify that the craftsmanship and work in a Roscoe is top notch.

 

[archisland]

I'd say Yamaha. I have played basses from $100 to $300 - and all of them have been great builds (after being properly set up, that is). But the BUILD has always been great.

 

[BaltBass5]

For a lower priced bass, I'd recommend:

1. Fender standard Jazz
2. Spector Legend Classic

For a higher end bass:

1. Fender USA Std Jazz
2. Lakland Skyline

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I don't think there is one "most" or "best" consistently made and problem free bass. There are many great basses out there and once you get beyond most budget level basses, you will get a lot of reliable choices. However, most basses are made of wood and there is always a chance you'll get a "bad" piece (we're usually talking necks) and even electronics will have a certain amount of wear and tear (output jacks). Generally, if you take care of your equipment, it should provide years and years of good service.

 

[Kirk Bryant]

Here's another Red Herring, or snipe hunt. Solid body instruments that are fairly well made require very little maintenance. Most of which can easily be done by the end user. Generally these are merely small tweaks to adjust playability, such as a bridge adjustment or to tighten up loose screws or nuts. Nothing to worry about at all. If there something fundamentally wrong an instrument I would return it to wherever it came from.

 

[tbz]

Still a newbie rocking my $99 Squier P-bass but further down the line I would like to invest in a higher-grade bass. I prefer consistency and would like something low-maintenance, reliable, and easy to fix. What brands/models tend to be the least problematic?

For example, every Epiphone I test has the same loose nut on the input jack and the same wobbly loose tone knob problem. Upon further research, most people with those basses have to fix those issues, sometimes right out of the box! And If I were to get a Jack Casady, I'd have to fish in the f-hole to do any repairs which sounds horrifying.

I want something that is the opposite of that. What basses are generally problem-free and easy to fix? I'm guessing a Fender P-bass?

Fender is pretty solid. EBMMs and G&L tend to be built like tanks.

That being said maintenance should probably be your last deciding factor here.

When you fork over $2k plus for a bass $100 in tech work isn't really a problem. Makes more sense to buy something that sounds, looks, and feels good to you and just plan to, worst case, get a tech to do any repairs you don't feel comfortable with.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Learning to make a few minor adjustments or simple repairs can save you a lot of $$$ later on... you might even get a lot more bass out of a deal if you can apply some D-I-Y knowledge.

Good luck with your search.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

It's a gamble with any bass you buy, regardless of brand or model...a good bass is a good bass. If you play one and it feels/sounds good then there you go.

I will say that, like you mentioned, the P bass is a very standard bass for many applications. P-bass is probably one of the most common designs for bass guitars out there as well (copied QUITE often). It's a single pickup, two pots, and an output jack...elegant simplicity. You can take them to any shop worth their weight in salt and they should be able to work on it. Aside from that, you can get some killer deals on Ibanez and used USA Peavey basses...both of which get pretty good reps. around here. Key is to play the one you like and buy THAT exact one though.

 

[osonu]

Not that I've been around that long, but I have done a good bit of shopping! I highly recommend this as it taught me a lot about different feels and sounds (and helped me gather the fine herd I now have to thin ; ) Anyway, to address your question, I have found anything but consistency in anything but the cheaper basses I looked at.

A fine American Fender P was mentioned above- coincidentally I looked at an American P at GC this afternoon and it was the worst of its kind I have ever played. The last time I was looking for a p bass I managed to find 3 American Standards at the same store and all 3 sounded different (but I thought all p basses sounded the same?). I ended up buying a MIM that sounded better than any of them. I've seen 2 Music Man basses with some pretty bad fret sprout in spite of them being known as quality, well made instruments- the one I bought used certainly is! I had a German Warwick that pretty much sucked, too.

Now here's the good news- you don't need to care about consistency because you only need one, right? It's not like you're going to play a different bass every day so they need to all be the same. As pointed out above, any decent bass is going to be pretty maintenance free, at least all of mine have been. I just can't stress the importance of either trying before you buy, or if you have to buy sight unseen, having a generous return policy. I've played at least 5 fairly high-end basses with dead notes, so make sure to play every note on the neck. A salesman at GC actually asked me when I pointed this out on one of his basses "Do you play that note a lot?" I wanted to ask him how much he'd take off, but I wasn't going to buy it anyway so I just looked at him and handed him the bass- and lost all respect for that particular salesman.

Have fun, nothing like shopping for your next bass!