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need 'bar bass'

#41
Another vote for the MIM Precisions. There's one in particular at my local music store (a Standard model) and if I didn't already own my MIJ P bass I'd grab that MIM in a second. I've tried some MIM's that were okay, but this particular one is outstanding. Plays and feels every bit as good as some of the MIA's I've tried.

I played it this past Saturday, it's been there for a while and I can't figure why no one has bought it yet.
 
#42
Mike M. said:
Another vote for the MIM Precisions. There's one in particular at my local music store (a Standard model) and if I didn't already own my MIJ P bass I'd grab that MIM in a second. I've tried some MIM's that were okay, but this particular one is outstanding. Plays and feels every bit as good as some of the MIA's I've tried.

I played it this past Saturday, it's been there for a while and I can't figure why no one has bought it yet.
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Price maybe? I've seen some MIM Ps go silly cheap lately
 
#44
Use the Dano . It took me a while before I started using mine for gigs but it's become a favorite . I wasn't crazy about the shorter scale at first but once I started using it I quickly adjusted . And I mostly play blues , never had any issues doing walking lines with it . I also have four Pbasses but the Longhorn usually goes out the door .
 
#46
Of course, I would probably turn down the gig at a bar that sleazy.

Its just life in the big city. I've used my 64 at every gig I've played since I acquired it back in '86. But I'm going back out after a couple of years of couch playing and some of the blues gigs are in places that might shock some of you. (insert your worst "people who live in big cities must be insane" story here) I went to an after hours party earlier this summer where I was probably the only unarmed male in the room, except for the band. (I wasn't playing, we knew someone in the band.) These kind of nights make for great stories, but anyone might think twice before bringing a $7,500 instrument to that kind of party - unless I want to hire my own armed 'posse' to watch the gear.
 
#47
Most top 40 in every genre of music now has notes below E, so a 5er is just about needed.

Slight/ quick learning curve and a 4 string will seem like a toy...even though most of the time B-string will be used for a handy thumb rest.

i have owned a Squier Jazz 5-Active since 2009...tone monster..my main go-to-bass..still should go under $400 new. Only thing I change on mine is strings and battery..and then...only when needed.

I turned my nose and never touched a Squier-Anything before 2009. I am surprised when anyone buys an expensive instrument any more..main difference being pawn shop value...
 
#48
zon6c-f said:
Most top 40 in every genre of music now has notes below E, so a 5er is just about needed.
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Or you can just avoid playing recent top 40 hits, which is how I handle it. :hiding:

Not trying to start a flame war or anything, but I have a feeling if I try to sell a 5-string to a "seasoned" player who's looking for something that will work in place of his '61 or '64 P, I'm basically selling him a four-string with a skinny thumbrest tuned to low B.
 
#49
Fair Warning said:
Cant go wrong with the MIM Fender Basses. Third world or not, they have a state of the art factory down there (see lots of photos on Google) and put out a quality product. Second hand, you can have any MIM P or J for around $300.

If it dissapears one day, it will be sad, but you can replace it without too much pain.
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Yup. Got my MIM J for $300 used. Absolute KILLER bass. However to be fair I must note I always hated the tone and the pickups. So I added the cost of SCN pickups to it and now it will take on ANY Fender bass. Main diffrence is that my MIM body is made of about 12 "sticks" of alder glued together instead of the trad 3 pieces. Does tonewood matter? Tonal differences are imperceptible.

My "Bar bass" collection also includes a number of SX basses. When modded and setup make KILLER basses that you don't have to be paranoid about getting ripped off. Those were my first "bar basses". (An alembic in a dive bar is NOT freedom from worry!) I love SX. Later I got a Squier P/J 5er because I wanted a P/J in 5 string plus a "real" Fender headstock which seems to be important from time to time. Again took new pickups and setup but the Squier is one KILLER bass. Only gripe is the Agathis tonewood in the body. Alder would be just a very tiny bit nicer. (Yes tonewood does matter even if it is VERY minor)

My only problem, however, is I bought these basses to be "bar basses" which meant that if they got ripped off or destroyed, a couple hundred would get a replacement. But now my junker SX it seems have the "old headstock" and now "vintage"! Irreplaceable! <sigh> To replace the Squier I'd have to find and mod a second one, which is doable, I guess, but the MIM Fender with the SCN pickups is also irreplaceable since the SCN pickups are now discontinued.

So now my great "bar basses" have all converted themselve to rare and valuable "vintage" basses. Look what happens to you!
 
#53
For a blues band, the Squier Classic Vibe Precision 50s in Butterscotch would be smokin' hot! Getting the "vibe" of Leo's first bass design in a brand new bass for under $400.00? That's a no-brainer! It's got a nice glossy poly finish, so it'll take a beat-down in a sleazy bar, no problem! If you need a little more punch than the stock vintage-looking pickup provides, SD makes a Quarter Pounder that'll slip right in with no fuss. Even after upgrade, you can STILL be under $400.00!

IMHO definitely worth checking out. I've been lusting after one for a year. Finally pulled the trigger on one of these. I'm eagerly anticipating the FEDEX truck early next week.

Oh, as for the Peavey T-40 recommendation? Outstanding! Not only is that one of the best vintage American-made basses around, it has the versatility to sound like almost any bass out there! As a bar bass, it has the extra value of being one heavy son-of-a-carrot! At 11 to 12 pounds, it's a great "equalizer" if you have to put down any ruffians!

Good luck. Time to keep your original Fenders under lock and key. They're a great hedge against inflation, and might come in handy if or when you retire. I can only wish my 401K could do as well as these old basses in today's market.


Mike in Texas
 
#55
Assuming you want something that feels and sounds close to your vintage P-Basses:

If it's gotta be a Fender, then I'd look for a used MIJ 60's reissue. They pop up here in the Classifieds fairly regularly and some are just...wow.

Non-Fenders? My first choice would be an ESP Vintage Four. You can find them used for about $500.00. They're built as well as anything coming out of Fender in a comparable price range (IMHO) and they play wonderfully. If you can find an older ESP 400 Series P or P/J, that'd do the trick, too.

Oddball, left-field suggestion? How about a Fernandes or one of the other MIJ "lawsuit" basses from the `80's? Total workhorses, and you can easily upgrade the pickups, if desired.

I also love the T-40, but it is its own beast...
 
#56
Take an afternoon if you can, roam around to every music store you can hit in an afternoon, play every bass that's in your pictured price range, buy the one that speaks to you the best. At the lower price points, there is a fair range of varriablity, form amazing to blah, just have to take the time to find the amazing one thats right for you.
 
#59
Kawai-chang said:
I wouldn't hesitate to play my SX in a bar. I did upgrade the guts to American Fender guts, to be honest.
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+1
My SX jazz has seen many bar gigs. I also modded mine with US Fender pickups from a Geddy Lee Jazz and US wiring/pots. It's a great bass for the money and since I only have about $250 in it I wouldn't be overly upset if it got banged up or broken at a bar gig.
 

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#60
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