New bass dilemma

[Master Chief]

Hey guys,

I've been playing a Cort EVL Z4B for ~6 years and I've been looking to get a better instrument.

I'm torn between a Fender American Elite Precision and an Electrical Guitar Company EGC500 (all aluminum).

I know they're totally different beasts, but it's what it's come down to.

• Fender

+: Instantly available, 1000€ cheaper than the EGC till Monday due to Black Friday sale.

• EGC:

+: Once-in-a-lifetime instrument, been dreaming of one like forever.
-: Won't get it before summer, will need to travel to the USA to get it, because of import fees etc (will combine it with a nice road-trip though).


Have till the w-end to decide on the Fender, otherwise I'll be paying a deposit for the EGC.

Thoughts?

ps: I play post-metal stuff (think Cult of Luna, Amenra, etc)

 

[buldog5151bass]

Have you ever actually played one? My main comment I there is a reason Fenders have been the standard for over half a century. Perhaps there a reason the other design isn't.

 

[Flaked Beans]

 

[LT131]

My thoughts are very biased so please forgive.

Fender. I've only played a couple of basses with aluminum necks and they just were not for me. I do not know what adjustments are available on the EGC in terms of setup nor how they would sound in a band. What is true is that, unless you get a screaming deal, if you lose interest in the EGC you will likely take a beating. If you can afford that no problem!

Fenders are not that exciting but they are a known quantity. Easy to buy, sell, and modify if you want to try something different. They are widely accepted and almost guaranteed to be acceptable in any mix or genre you may encounter in your travels.

Wood feels better! IMHO of course. Good Luck, we'll be expecting pics!

 

[Master Chief]

Have you ever actually played one? My main comment I there is a reason Fenders have been the standard for over half a century. Perhaps there a reason the other design isn't.

I have thoroughly tested the Fender and really like everything about it.

The EGC, on the other hand, is impossible for me to test and will actually first play it when/if I buy it.

I know the rational thing is to go Fender, it's just the EGC is something truly unique and its sound really fits the music I play.

My thoughts are very biased so please forgive.

Fender. I've only played a couple of basses with aluminum necks and they just were not for me. I do not know what adjustments are available on the EGC in terms of setup nor how they would sound in a band. What is true is that, unless you get a screaming deal, if you lose interest in the EGC you will likely take a beating. If you can afford that no problem!

Not a deal on the EGC by any means. Full price.

Truth is if I were to get the EGC I would never think of selling it, but that said, I've seen them go for pretty high prices on the used market, often not very far from what a new one costs.

Fenders are not that exciting but they are a known quantity. Easy to buy, sell, and modify if you want to try something different. They are widely accepted and almost guaranteed to be acceptable in any mix or genre you may encounter in your travels.

It's true that EGCs -and any aluminum guitar for that matter- really cater to a pretty niche audience. No doubt Fender is the easy choice here, it's just that I've long considered an EGC bass to be "The One" for me..

 

[buldog5151bass]

Then all smart money is on the Fender.

 

[LBS-bass]

I owned and played one of the old Kramer aluminum neck basses for many years. I wouldn't own aluminum again, primarily because it expands and contracts with temperature fluctuations and sends your pitch to hell and back during a gig, as the neck warms up under your hands.

It's the only bass I had to warm up- literally- for 20 minutes before I could reliably play it and stay in tune.

 

[Paulabass]

I can't speak for the EGC, but long ago I owned Travis Bean #22, a spectacular aluminum instrument. It sounded GREAT. It also had two problems that made me sell it within months.
In the days of par stage lights, where a 95 degree stage was not uncommon, it went out of tune very, very badly. It never did settle down thru the coarse of the nite. In first set it would rise in pitch by most of a semitone.
I spoke to Dave Torbert ( New Riders of the purple Sage, Kingfish) at length backstage one night, and asked why he wasn't playing his Bean. Same problem, would not stay in tune once the lights turned on.
Now, par lights are few and far between, so stage temp. doesn't shoot up during the first song, so this will not be as much of an issue. It may be problamatic in bright sun.
The other problem was my Travis Bean weighed close to 15 pounds. We call some basses boat anchors. This WAS an anchor.
I have never played an EGC, so please take this as observations of a different aluminum bass, and judge accordingly.

 

[Ghastly]

I'm a Fender guy, but with everything that you've said, I think I would probably go with the aluminum just because of how much you wanted it, and what it sounds like it's going to mean to you; and, as everyone else has said, the Fender is pretty accessible and you can always get one down the road if you really want to.

 

[Master Chief]

Thanks to everyone who's chipped in so far, appreciate it!

Still trying to make up my mind but, as @Ghastly said, I catch myself dreaming of owning an EGC. I've spent hours trying to make a mockup of my ideal build and really think this might be a now-or-never kind of thing, since I doubt I'll be able to afford another expensive bass if I were to get the Fender.

One thing I forgot to mention is that the Elite Precision offers many EQ options which I practically don't need since I shape my tone using a preamp and pedals. So I'm thinking I could easily get a cheaper, stripped-down (probably used) Fender P down the road to satisfy that Precision itch while also avoiding feeling regretful about missing out on my dream bass.

Thanks again for taking the time to read my ramblings.

 

[stringthrough]

. . . If you only have a mediocre bass, why would you even consider a niche bass when you should be considering a higher end traditional bass? Fender, G&L, Musicman, Rickenbacker, etc. etc.

 

[Admiral Thrawn]

I'd go with the Fender because you've had the chance to play it. I can't fathom buying an expe sive bass, made of metal no less, without first playing it. Makes me think of buying a car without having test driven it, and I doubt too many people would buy the car sight unseen and untested, even if it were a dream car.

If it were my money, I'd go with the one I've test played over the exotic dream bass. The dream could easily turn into an expensive nightmare once you get it on stage.

Best of luck, and let us know what you go with!

 

[lbbc]

I had a Kramer Aluminum Neck Bass for years...great playing bass, went out of tune and was heavy. The only reason I sold it was because my band broke up and thought I'd never play again. I'd love to have that bass back again.
With that said, Fenders are reliable and well-known. Your choice...get what you want and rock it!

 

[Doctor J]

I've owned serveral Fenders and have always sold them on eventually. They're fine instruments but not very exciting, to me. They're meat and potatoes. I like it spicy, however. I would always take a gamble. Better to fail trying to reach for something spectacular than embracing the mundane. If I had settled, I would never have discovered how much fun you can have with Alembic, Bacchus, Status, Warwick, Godlyke and loads of others. The Fender is a known quantity and, if that's what you want, that's cool. There will always be countless opportunities to buy a Fender in the future. The ECG wouldn't be for me, but I like that you're aspiring to something different. Me, I fancy a Wal at some point.

Roll the dice if you can, fella. Money comes and goes but life should be about experiencing new and interesting things.

 

[smtp4me]

When buying gear, if I am having trouble deciding between more than one choice I ask myself a simple question:

If you were able to buy everything you want and bring it all home today (in this case, both basses), and if you were to arrange all of this new stuff on the floor in front of you - which thing would you grab and use first? And later on, which thing would you grab and use most frequently?

If you can answer one or both of these questions, then you know which item you should buy.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I remember the Kramer aluminum necks back in the day, would NOT stay in tune. Id never buy a brand I hadn't played sight unseen.

 

[Paulabass]

In defence of aluminum Kramers- They stayed in tune better than Travis Bean, and Veleno. I think it was that the bolt on neck expanded less than an instrument that was aluminum from one end to the other. The wood inserts in the neck helped too, and kept the neck from being quite so alien feeling.

 

[Siggy]

Wholesome local girl or Russian mail order girl?

Go with what you know.

 

[LBS-bass]

In defence of aluminum Kramers- They stayed in tune better than Travis Bean, and Veleno. I think it was that the bolt on neck expanded less than an instrument that was aluminum from one end to the other. The wood inserts in the neck helped too, and kept the neck from being quite so alien feeling.

This is true. The wooden neck inserts and the bolt-on configuration were a big improvement for the aluminum neck. Even though it didn't stay in tune very well, I wish I still had my Kramer. It was a beautiful bass and I'd love to still own it just for the coolness factor . This is the model I had. Could be the same one, for all I know. I can't see paying that asking price, though. I see them online for half that.

Kramer 650B 1977 Natural with original case | Rhoads Music

 

[Master Chief]

So I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the EGC. Now for the long wait...

Thanks to everyone for making some very good points.