• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Need help deciding

B

bammax

Feb 1, 2012
9
0
#1
I'm looking to pick up a basic bass for a couple hundred or less. I'm stuck because the things I'm looking for in a bass don't seem to be very important to most players which kind of makes finding the right one tricky. For background info I gave up playing any instruments 10 years ago due to muscular dystrophy which makes it hard to use my hands in any precise way over a long period. That being said the bass was the easiest thing for me to play, thanks to the string spacing, and hopefully playing again will allow me to keep my hands as strong and limber as possible.

Here's the tricky part. I want something that's light and balanced so that it's not tiring to play. It also has to have a neck that's easy to slide your hand down since I'm a slide and pluck kind of player. And it has to be basic enough that I can fix it myself, but advanced enough that it can handle playing more than just a small range of tones.

In the past I had a cheapy Rouge fretless and it felt great in my hands, but it sounded horrible. I ended up returning it at a loss because I just couldn't stand listening to it. That was 12 years ago so maybe they're better now.

I tried playing a Squire P-bass yesterday and it looks great and is easy to tinker with from what I've heard, but it didn't have the right feel because of its hefty weight and the neck was not very slide friendly.

I'm assuming the J-bass will have the same issues as the P-bass in that regard.

What are the other options I should be looking for? I know most of the brands I heard of are way out of my price range, and the brands I can afford either don't feel right or need alot of work to sound good. I'm completely lost right now.
 
#2
A lot of "playability" comes from the way the bass is set up, string height, kind of strings etc. So its not just the bass. Also the same model might be a different wieght, they aren't exactly the same. No matter how great the bass is, if it isn't set up right it won't play well.

Personally, I think a P-bass would work for you if set up right. Reasonably wide string spacing. If you put flats on it, you'd eliminate string noise etc.

Just ideas.
 
#3
Look into the "Classic Vibe" line by Squier. They make a '51 P-Bass (with the single coil pickup near the neck), a 'regular vintage' P-Bass (with the split coil pickup), and a 'vintage' J-Bass (with two single coils wired together). I think you will find something you would like in that little line-up of instruments.

I own a number of basses that cost over $2000 and when I played a Squier Classic Vibe '51 P-Bass at the local music store last year, I HAD to buy it just because I found it to be extremely well put-together for such a low price and also I really wanted that unique single coil neck pickup in my bass inventory. And I still play it just as often as I did when I first bought it and have yet to encounter any problems.
 
#4
Hi Bammax,

hard to find something fitting. :confused: Let's try. :hyper:

The next ones are basses that I know, which are cheap, worth the price, and almost flawless.

The Kramer DS1 is just around the budget (even if it's new)... looks somewhat like a Tobias Growler (just because Kramer is run by Gibson)... passive... fast... not so narrow in the neck.





The Bach PJ02R is actually a bit more expensive (I mean more than $. 200,00) is made in Czech Republic, has active circuitry
and is somewhat resembling a Sandberg. P/MM pickup sound more than it costs. The name is for it's a Precision body w/a Jazz "ultra narrow" neck.

Hope to be of any help

Cheers,
Wallace
 
#6
I strongly recommend the Ibanez Soundgear SR line. I bought a 300 last summer for $250 new on sale at Guitar Center. Of course you can get more bass for your money going used. If you find the right deal even a higher model SR might be in budget.

More importantly, I share your emphasis on playability and weight. As far as I know nothing matches the Ibanez SR line for slender necks and lightweight bodies. Pick one up at the store and feel it yourself.

I don't work for Ibanez, but I do own two of these bases now and every other bass I pick up my first gut reaction is "yuck."
 
#8
I'm taking in all the suggestions. I'm heading over to the local guitar center in the next couple days and will spend some time with the Squire and the Ibenez lines. I'll check out the Yamahas too since they tend to be pretty light and easy to handle from what I remember.

The Squire I played with yesterday was the Pete Wentz signiture model and that weighed in around 12 pounds. Way too heavy for me to handle on a regular basis.

What ever one I decide to go with I'll find a used version and then use the savings for new strings and tuning gear. There's a small music place near by that sells used gear and does repairs and lessons and everything. If I find something I really like I'll see if they have any used ones in stock since they could use the business.

I really wish I could find an RBX4 A2 locally, but those are almost impossible to come by and I don't want to buy sight unseen.
 
#9
So after some more wandering I've decided that the Squires are just a bit heavier than I want.

I found a nice Yamaha RBX250F for $140, but it needed quite a bit of work. The knobs were loose and the tuning hardware was rusted up. Also the body itself was pretty beat up from someone playing it hard while wearing what had to be a chain belt. The overall feel was great and the weight and balance felt good.

I also checked out a Ibanez GSR200 which was even lighter, although it had some nose dive for some reason. The price was better and it was barely used. I decided to hold off on it though since I'm not very familiar with that model and wanted to do some more research first. Right now the only knocks against it are that it's an active while I prefer passive, and it's not a fretless.

I have decided that whatever I get will probably get strung with Rotosound Tru Bass 88's since those seam to be the easiest on the fingers for us slide type players, plus they sound really good when I hear them being used. I quit playing guitar all together because sliding my fingers up the super thin E string on a nice tight stainless string set basically recarved my fingerprints.
 
#10
Just an update.

Spent some time checking out another guitar place and found a few I liked but they were way out of my price range. The fiancee ended up buying a nice lefty Squier Strat which is funny because she wasn't even considering electrics a week ago.

The search goes on
 
#13
Just out of curiosity, what kind of Wentz bass you play? I am probably one of the very few that own one, my parents bought it and I swore I'd never sell it because of them, and my Wentz weighs just under 9lbs.

bammax said:
I'm taking in all the suggestions. I'm heading over to the local guitar center in the next couple days and will spend some time with the Squire and the Ibenez lines. I'll check out the Yamahas too since they tend to be pretty light and easy to handle from what I remember.

The Squire I played with yesterday was the Pete Wentz signiture model and that weighed in around 12 pounds. Way too heavy for me to handle on a regular basis.

What ever one I decide to go with I'll find a used version and then use the savings for new strings and tuning gear. There's a small music place near by that sells used gear and does repairs and lessons and everything. If I find something I really like I'll see if they have any used ones in stock since they could use the business.

I really wish I could find an RBX4 A2 locally, but those are almost impossible to come by and I don't want to buy sight unseen.
Click to expand...
 
#14
I once handled one, and everything seemed to me, but heavy... Anyway: the OP rules the game...

I still support Yamaha RBX alder body good resounding overall feel and some wearproof reliability...

The look... That's where RBX series lack credibility... And the RBXA2, with inner chambers, are light and balie for the price, yet unfortunately rare.

Let's see

Cheers,
Wallace
 
#15
How about a short scale Squier VM Jaguar Bass?

They come in red, black, and silver. They have a short 30" scale, slim neck, and P+J pickups. They sound incredible. Cheap as chips, too!

0328800591_frt_wmd_001.jpg


$154 at Musicians Friend http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/squier-vintage-modified-jaguar-bass-special-ss-short-scale

Same at Guitar Centre! Invalid Link Removed
 
#16
Id say save up some more and buy better bass then $200 will get you. You could get lucky and find something like a Ibanez SR300 for that two hundred, since they sold for $299 new. But other then used, your better off saving up at least $300 for a used or new bass in that range. For better build, pups, fretwork, etc.
 
#18
klokker said:
A lot of "playability" comes from the way the bass is set up, string height, kind of strings etc. So its not just the bass. Also the same model might be a different wieght, they aren't exactly the same. No matter how great the bass is, if it isn't set up right it won't play well.

Personally, I think a P-bass would work for you if set up right. Reasonably wide string spacing. If you put flats on it, you'd eliminate string noise etc.

Just ideas.
Click to expand...

I agree, I would say don't buy it online cause your #1 priority is comfort, so check a couple basses at stores, One more thing, recently I played a couple basses with plastic fingerboard instead of actual wood, those things are unplayable, awful... so try to stay away from those...:P

Invalid Link Removed

http://www.youtube.com/user/pablodellabella/videos
 
#20
Try out a few short scale and/or hollow-bodies. I tried a Hofner Icon bass a few days ago and it sounded and played great, and was very light. I have also tried the SS Jaguar and VM Mustang, but the Hofner was my favorite in both feel and tone.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back