My budget bass is eclipsing my main basses!

[Silver Blues]

Her she is...
I call her " the Witness"
My favorite budget bass...ever!

Ah yes, those are very highly regarded basses. Nice.

--Silvie

EDIT: Have you got flats on that?

 

[Maxdusty]

I bought a Tobias Toby to be my beater bass- sure enough, it actually beat a lot of my other basses such as my Spectors and Ibanez and any of the mid-range basses pretty easily in terms of feel and playability. Comes close to my top end basses in quality. I'm sure if I invest in the right pickups in the Toby, it would wind up being my favorite!
I probably lucked out as I've heard some have had mixed results on the Tobias Toby- mine is set up just right and actually sounds pretty good with the stock pickups. Not a bad purchase for $169 shipped.

 

[Ras Thavis]

Ah yes, those are very highly regarded basses. Nice.

--Silvie

EDIT: Have you got flats on that?

No flats...I use either Dean Mrkls med. light gauge blue steel or Darkhorse mediums.
I have wondered about using flats of late though...any suggested brands or tips?!

 

[Sparky6string]

My daughter's 2002 Squier Precision beats out or equals my MIJ and USA basses. I don't like to play it back to back with anything I own because it exposes too much- I mean I love my basses and they normally sound great unless that happens.

 

[Im_telling_tim]

I've gone through this before and I just end up going back

 

[Smit_Dogg]

No flats...I use either Dean Mrkls med. light gauge blue steel or Darkhorse mediums.
I have wondered about using flats of late though...any suggested brands or tips?!

I have Thomastik J344's on my Vintage and find them fantastic. They have a great tone and a really playable tension across each string, daddario chromes seem to lack the latter.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Within 2 weeks of getting the Epiphone Jack Casady it was my main bass. Within 6 months I'd sold a post-Fender Kubicki and a Taylor AB-1 that weren't getting played anymore. I don't miss either.

 

[russjm]

I've had Sadowskys, Overwaters, Kinals, Musicmans etc etc.........and I've settled on a mexican Precision and a Schecter model T.

Great players, great sounding, great looking, and both were under £400 used. Outstanding basses both.

Some may say that £400 (used) basses aren't budget basses, but compared to the 2K instruments I've had in the past they are, and I wouldn't go back.

 

[Ras Thavis]

I have Thomastik J344's on my Vintage and find them fantastic. They have a great tone and a really playable tension across each string, daddario chromes seem to lack the latter.

Very interesting!
I've never even heard of "Thomastik" I shall have to look into these. Thank you Smith_Dogg !

 

[russjm]

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Awesome strings. Flatwound, low tension (unlike LaBellas) and quite bright sounding. Perfect all rounder, and they last forever.

 

[Orpheus55]

I have a short scale Ibanez ARTB100 that has become my guilty pleasure of late; big sound, easy to play, and looks great. Got it for a little under $300.

 

[Ras Thavis]

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Awesome strings. Flatwound, low tension (unlike LaBellas) and quite bright sounding. Perfect all rounder, and they last forever.

Thank you for the link! :Russjm: !

 

[CLMSHQ]

I hear ya.
I miss my Squire CV 60's P....I had many compliments on the sound and looks....it played very well. Felt better than MIJ and MIA P's I have owned.
May need to get another one real soon.

 

[Silver Blues]

...daddario chromes seem to lack the latter.

Really? Odd, I don't have that issue. I do agree though that TI flats are nice, if you like the lower tension, and can swing the price.

If it helps at all, from my POV, there are the "modern flats" (Chromes/EB, Sadowsky Black Labels, Roto 77s, and to some extent the 9050s) and the "vintage flats" (La Bellas, GHS P Flats, TIs, and if you like them, DRs). YMMV greatly, especially depending on what kind of tone you're seeking.

--Silvie

 

[Smit_Dogg]

Yes, I have a set of chromes on an ibanez bass I have in storage for my son. I don't mind the tone but dislike how stiff the higher strings feel compared to the lowers. Also I struggle to slide with them they have a sort of tacky resistance. Unlike the Thomastik which are smooth and silky, which let your fingers glide over them when sliding.

 

[phillybass101]

Cheap is only relative to the cost of another bass. Tone is another concept LOL!!!! Congrats on finding out something new. A bass can't be judged on it's pricetag alone!!!! I still have a $139 SX Jazz in my collection and I'm keeping it for the same reason you just described.

 

[Melonthief]

Yamaha BB300-$200
Badass2 bridge-$100
Seymour SPB3-$ 65

Sounds like a million bucks

 

[Ronbeast]

Every single bass I own cost me less than $300.

Actually, my main players only cost around $75 and $200 respectively.

Currently I'm infatuated with my squier Bronco. Astounding amount of bass for the price, and I've opted to keep mine 100% stock, as it sounds perfect for my music and the light weight is perfect for long gigs! I've gotten file the fret ends though, it has a minor case of fret spout.

 

[Smit_Dogg]

Really? Odd, I don't have that issue. I do agree though that TI flats are nice, if you like the lower tension, and can swing the price.

If it helps at all, from my POV, there are the "modern flats" (Chromes/EB, Sadowsky Black Labels, Roto 77s, and to some extent the 9050s) and the "vintage flats" (La Bellas, GHS P Flats, TIs, and if you like them, DRs). YMMV greatly, especially depending on what kind of tone you're seeking.

--Silvie

Last night I decided to root out my ibanez and try stringing the d'addario chromes on my Vintage and putting the Thomastik strings on the ibanez. The results were interesting.

I actually prefer the more lively tone and sustain of the d'addario's on the vintage but they feel very uncomfortable and they have increased the action with being higher tension. The Thomastiks are a no-go on the ibanez as the low string tension doesn't bow the neck enough and I get severe fret buzz. I'd have to alter the truss and bridge which I'm not willing to do.

So what I've found from this is d'addario chromes seem to be better suited for fretted basses and Thomastiks are tailored more to suit a fretless.

 

[JimmyM]

Love expensive basses but the most I ever paid for one was $1500, and it mostly sits in the stand in favor of my Fenders, which are nice basses but didn't cost nearly as much. I also have a couple really nice cheapo oddballs like a Chinese Danelectro Longhorn and an old Japanese Realistic violin bass from the 60's that get some play. But the $1500 one just doesn't sound as right for my bands these days as my Fenders or my oddballs. And as much as I love playing Sadowskys and Alleva Coppolos and the like, I can't bring myself to spend the kind of money they want for a Precision