Pretty much feel stuck..

[LKdubby]

For the last couple of months I've been lurking around this board and making a post or two here and there.. The discussion taking place here has been helping me form an idea of what I need in a bass for it to suit my needs.. At least to some degree, still a bit lost in some areas though..

Upon hanging around Guitar Center for a number of hours I was starting to lean towards the Schecter's.

Stiletto Studio ($650)

Stiletto Elite-5 ($600)
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Tried something in the Musicman brand, $1500 range.
Looked similar to the bass below, but don't remember which model it was specifically.. The bass felt nice and sounded killer, but is way out of my price range...

Last bass that I tried and liked (in my price range) was the Peavey Cirrus BXP. ($650)
People have said that I should save and get the used USA model Cirrus for just a little bit more (roughly $8 or 900'ish we'll say)
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So far I've been looking at new Bass'es as opposed to used because I'm really trying to get a feel for the different types that are out there.. I've owned in the past, but do not own a bass at this time. What I had before was a generic brand and left me dissatisfied when I could not produce the tones I hear in reggae/dub. I temporarily lost interest and wandered away from the cosmic and spiritual path of the bassman! I've finally been re-enlightened and re-inspired and have found my way back to the light!

I have reached out with questions here and been given many opinions, each one I've appreciated and considered while making my choices for what I want to buy.

Here is where I'm really stuck though..
I'ts been heavily suggested to me through members of TB.C that I should be patient and start searching for used equipment (bass+amp). It's been said that I will eventually find a killer deal on an upscale bass and get something really nice for essentially the same price that I'd be buying a lesser bass brand new.. However there are two main problems that I'm having with that.. On one hand I do understand that those deals are out there, if you happen to know your bass'es and know what to look for.. But I don't really.. Which is why I've been going to the stores so much and trying to feel out which one is right for me.. The second problem is that I'm having a SERIOUS CASE OF GAS!!!!!!!! I have no bass, I have no amp.. I can only imagine still... I can only get my fix by going up to GC and trying to play with all the other guys testing basses out.. Since I'm at novice playing level and only know one or two riddims I feel pretty shy about playing in the presence of too many people and keep the volume low.. I'm really dying to get something in my hands for real, at home, so I can practice practice practice!!

I don't think I can deal with trying to find the bargains on used equipment right now.. Even if I did look, I would limit my searches to local sales only so that I could at least drive to the location and test the bass out first.. There is no way at this point that I'm going to experiment with having a bass that I've never picked up be shipped to me from another state... I don't want to be dissapointed in my bass ever again.. I want to be absolutely sure that I'm comfortable with it and that it will produce the tones and vibe of what I feel and hear!

I can only imagine how long it "might" take me to acquire a complete rig if I were to only buy used.. My birthday is next week, and Christmas is right around the corner.. The thought of not owning a bass by the end of next week or by Christmas at the very latest is completely unacceptable to me!! :scowl:

This will be me by the end of the month , but preferably by the end of next week!

 

[pingone]

if you are looking for a reggae sound i don't see how you can go wrong with a fender jazz bass. i would definately check one out next time you're at GC if you haven't already. a jazz with pickup amd bridge cover is all i can think of when i think reggae.

 

[El-Bob]

if you are looking for a reggae sound i don't see how you can go wrong with a fender jazz bass. i would definately check one out next time you're at GC if you haven't already. a jazz with pickup amd bridge cover is all i can think of when i think reggae.

judging by the other basses he mentioned i don't know if he'd like the feel of a jazz

 

[cricketfever32]

I think you should really hold onto what you can save and get that bongo, or a usa cirrus, they are similar in quality, but sound completely different IMO. I'm personally waiting for that sexy 6 string bongo to come out before i start looking at any bongos' because the 4 looks weird, the 5 looks very attractive, but the shape of the bongo was made to be on a 6 string bass, on top of that the 4 band (i think) eq seems more effective on a bongo than on a usa cirrus.

 

[Sounbwoy]

I can only imagine how long it "might" take me to acquire a complete rig if I were to only buy used.. My birthday is next week, and Christmas is right around the corner.. The thought of not owning a bass by the end of next week or by Christmas at the very latest is completely unacceptable to me!! :scowl:

As in any music discipline, there's technique involved, so even if you bought the bass of your dreams, it doesn't necessarily mean it'll sound good for what you want to do. I recommend you get something that you can afford and then as you progress, you can start looking for your dream bass. There's no substitute for playing time and the longer you wait to find something is just means less time for playing.

Here's a real life example. I play reggae too. My first bass (which I still have and use) is a Series10. Never heard of it? Of course not. It's a cheap ($300.00 new) P-Bass replica. The company no longer exists. If you ask most TB'ers about a Series 10, they'll tell you to keep your money.
That was my only bass for close to 8 years till I got my second bass (Hohner BBass V). The only thing I did to that Series 10 was replace the pickups with real Fender pickups. The tone is awesome, AND it's actually LOUDER than the Hohner which is an active bass.
The bottom line is that that the Series10 WORKED and continues to. I roll with BOTH basses and the Series10 is the backup and sometimes I switch during the performance.

One more thing. It's been addressed in other threads, but a Jazz bass is not necessarily the first choice for reggae. It used to be, but not anymore. Try to check out some videos or live show DVD's and you'll see everything from Ken Smiths to Steinberger Spirits. More importantly, the TONE is awesome.

To be honest, I'm seriously considering one of those SX basses as my next purchase. They're cheap, you can modify them for little cash and I'd say 95% of the TB'ers that have them LOVE them.
Sorry for the long response, but please don't get caught up in the "must have Brand X syndrome".
Get something now and start playing.

 

[stingray69]

Though I can't speak to which bass is "right" for you, you are definitely on the right track. Sounds like you've done your homework & more importantly, the leg work to actually get out there in some stores and just play everything that peaks your interest. I would definitely recommend turning up just a bit when trying out the basses - extremely low volume is detrimental to getting a true indicator of a bass guitars tone. Good luck.

 

[Thunder Pulse]

A G&L L-2500 is a verrrrrry versatile bass you might want to take alook at. Their Tribute series is in your price range. Here's a clip of their 4-string model:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WT4AP58jC5o

 

[Sippy]

I absolutely LOVE my Elite 5! I love it so much I'm actually selling my Geddy Lee, since I never use it anymore

 

[IconBasser]

GET THE SCHECTER STUDIO 5!!!!

it sounds the best out of all other schecters I've played.



most peaveys I've played were pretty cool, except for the Cirrus BXP. IME, they have a very loud, muddy bottom end, and then as soon as you start playing on the D and G strings, all the volume completely disappears.

Never played the USA Cirrus, but I've heard good things about them.




music mans are pretty well thought of around here, I've heard mostly good reviews.

I'm not personally impressed by them, they sound pretty mundane and ordinary (and not even very good IMO), they are pretty heavy, their necks IMO are too bulky.. I've never noticed anything special about them that separates them from a 400 or 500 dollar bass.




so I'd have to say, depending on your financial situation, go with the schecter studio or used USA Cirrus.










now, if money weren't an issue, I would recommend a Carvin. They have a mixed reputation around here, but mostly because they have certain characteristics that some love and some hate. For example: they have very thin, flat necks. I happen to love them that way, and after owning a Carvin, no other neck has ever been satisfactory but the Carvin's. They are very well made and very beautiful. Unfortunately, a new Carvin would run ya anywhere from about 1k-1.6k.


of course, you could also buy one of these used...

 

[woodenskillet]

Personally, I think some people are overly optimistic regarding "great deals" that you can find on high end basses. A friend of mine put it best with this car analogy - he knew lots of people that said they knew someone who could rebuild a transmission for $800, but when his transmission died, suddenly none of those people could find their $800 repair guy, so he ended up paying $2000. Personally, I would love to find an older Pedulla Rapture for $600,but people around where I live still seem to want $1200 for them.

Also, for Reggae/Dub, I'm not sure you've been looking at the right basses. I tried several Schecters a while back, and they had a somewhat modern tone, though the EMG-HZ pickups were somewhat lacking, in my opinion.

 

[IconBasser]

here's a song I recorded on my Carvin:

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pay no attention to the crappy recitation of TS Eliot's The Waste Land, I did this song for a english project.

 

[koobie]

I recommend getting a Squier P or J style, get whichever neck feels more comfortable to you, and practicing & playing your a__ off for at least a year. Then maybe consider going back to the stores to see if a different (and probably more expensive) bass feels and sounds a lot better than your Squier. If you then decide to sell the Squier and upgrade, you stand to lose maybe $100-150, a small price to pay to help you get off the ground floor. I played some Squiers recently and the necks/action of the better ones were not all that different from some of the much more expensive Fender versions. Sure, the pickups in some of the Squiers were a bit underwhelming, but they'd be fine for a person doing a lot of woodshedding on a basic level. As far as tone, I prefer a P over a J for deep dub, but get whatever you prefer.

 

[IconBasser]

Everybody on here always suggests jazz basses no matter what the OP is asking for. I think its rather irritating, and it gets old REALLY quick...

 

[spade2you]

Everybody on here always suggests jazz basses no matter what the OP is asking for. I think its rather irritating, and it gets old REALLY quick...

Nah, most people usually suggest a P for everything.

For quality and bang for buck, there isn't anything out there that can compete with the features of a used Peavey Cirrus. Amazing action and comfort. I'd think you should be able to find one around $700 used. Sub $1k, best out there. Period. The low B competes with anything in the high end department

For reggae, I'd avoid the bubinga/walnut Cirrus and stick with a maple or redwood on alder. A good tone you'd probably like is neck pickup with a tad of bridge for phase purposes. Cut the highs -50% replace with +20% mid and +30% bass. That's what I've done. Perhaps a nice set of flats will help, too.

Carvin would be a decent option, too, although their 34" scale low B didn't wow me. I still need to hear one of their 35.5" scale basses.

 

[LKdubby]

if you are looking for a reggae sound i don't see how you can go wrong with a fender jazz bass. i would definately check one out next time you're at GC if you haven't already. a jazz with pickup amd bridge cover is all i can think of when i think reggae.

judging by the other basses he mentioned i don't know if he'd like the feel of a jazz

I picked up a couple of Fenders, not feeling as comfortable with them as with the other basses in the pics above though.. A sales-dood at GC said the only reason they were mainly using P's and J's for reggae back in the day is because it was pretty much one of their only choices..

I think you should really hold onto what you can save and get that bongo, or a usa cirrus, they are similar in quality, but sound completely different IMO.

I'd like to try the Musicman again, I only spent a short amount of time with it until I noticed that I had misread the price tag and realized it was far above what I was willing to spend at this time.. Haven't tried the USA Cirrus though..

As in any music discipline, there's technique involved, so even if you bought the bass of your dreams, it doesn't necessarily mean it'll sound good for what you want to do. I recommend you get something that you can afford and then as you progress, you can start looking for your dream bass. There's no substitute for playing time and the longer you wait to find something is just means less time for playing.

That's basically how I imagined it. The first time I owned a bass, it sort of just fell in my lap and I knew nothing about them. What I soon learned is that it wasn't the bass I wanted.. Now I am at the second step, knowing a little more about them and doing a thorough search for a good beginning bass to suit my needs. The next step will probably be acquiring a boutique bass, something of a race car as far as basses go! That'll be when I get some skeelz!

One more thing. It's been addressed in other threads, but a Jazz bass is not necessarily the first choice for reggae. It used to be, but not anymore.

That's essentially what the GC salesdood was saying to me. They didn't have all the brands back then that they do now apparently..

Sorry for the long response, but please don't get caught up in the "must have Brand X syndrome".
Get something now and start playing.

"must have brand X syndrom", Is that what they call it? Yeah I don't want to be a victim of that this early on.. I'm feeling you when you say get something asap and start playing, cuz I can hardly hold out anymore!

Though I can't speak to which bass is "right" for you, you are definitely on the right track. Sounds like you've done your homework & more importantly, the leg work to actually get out there in some stores and just play everything that peaks your interest. I would definitely recommend turning up just a bit when trying out the basses - extremely low volume is detrimental to getting a true indicator of a bass guitars tone. Good luck.

Thank you, I definitely am doing my homework this time, I want to get something that I'll have around for many years! As far as turning up the volume, I did turn it up a little bit the other day when I figured out the basic structure for the bassline from Disc 2, track 17 "Lion Dub" from [This invalid link has been removed] Felt good to play, and I felt confident in my timing. I was playing it on the Cirrus BXP at the time..

A G&L L-2500 is a verrrrrry versatile bass you might want to take alook at. Their Tribute series is in your price range. Here's a clip of their 4-string model:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WT4AP58jC5o

It's interesting that you linked to that cuz I've seen that before and subscribed to those vids. Ed Friedland's playing is definitely inspiring to me. Can't wait to try playing along!! Yeah right, maybe in 10 months of Sundays!

I gotta say though, that L-2000 looks a little intimidating to me.. Looks like so many tones can be dialed in on it that if I were lucky enough to find a setting that I liked I'd probably be hard up to find it again if it were changed! That's probly just the n00b in me tho..

I like the car transmission analogy by Woodskillet. To the others that mentioned their Schecter's, sounds nice, I'm still open to playing around with those some more before buying.

IconBasser, I'll check your song in a bit after I eat some dinner.

And I'd like to add in general, thanks for all the love guys! The abundant responses have given me a lot to consider, and if I were doing this alone I'd probably be making many mistakes and taking the long road.. I don't feel alone here, I feel informed! Thanks!

 

[LKdubby]

Well I haven't quite found a bass yet, and so I guess I'm buying in reverse.. Amp first, bass later..

I have thought about people's reccomendations to look in the used market for my equipment and happened to find an amp that I was playing around with at Guitar Center listed on Craigslist.

It's an Ampeg BA115 that was marked at $349.00 at GC and I got mine barely used for $250 off Craigs..

Here's a pic

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I think I got a good deal, got to plug a bass into it at the guys house so I know it works.. I know this amp has good reviews..

Sorry I didn't post this in the amp section.. I just thought it would be good follow up on this thread since many have told me to look used.. So I did!

Did I do good? or

 

[Anthbass]

Amp looks fine and a decent buy as well. I recommend that you stop reading threads here and go to various stores and play as many different basses as you can lay your sweaty little mitts on. This forum is fantastic in many ways; however it can spark a rather obsessive desire to acquire gear for no other reason than to ACQUIRE GEAR! Patience, sir, is a virtue. Eventually, you will find a bass that truly speaks to you. If you are truly fortunate, you may also be able to afford it. If not, look at used basses or drop down a price margin. If you locate a reputable store/seller, you will most likely make contacts such that you have an instrument technician at your disposal to properly set your bass up, change your strings, intonate, etc. I wish you much success in your venture and remember: play what you like and like what you play.
Peace.

 

[Stuggi]

Nice amp, I use a similar one at band practice. It's great, except that on the one I use (Rocketbass(?) combo) you really have to crank the treble to get some highend sparkle.

 

[FuryZ]

I recently bought a Squier MB-4. I like the tone, but I play more rock than reggae, so I'm not entirely sure how it'll work for it. It does have a P and a J pickup, which makes it quite versatile. The body is also a little smaller and lighter than most basses.

 

[EagleMoon]

Maybe you should look around at different GC's. I found that exact Cirrus mistakenly marked at the Grind price. I've heard other people have too.