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The best cheap bass?
- Thread starter dave84
- Start date
To be fair, Ric prices are so bloated that they really do cause you to lose sense of reality. I recently saw one of the 5-string models on Ebay for $1500. I came so close to buying it, even though I have one just like it. My rationale? I don't think I can overlook it when it's so cheap! $1500, cheap. These were actual thoughts I had.
Had an SX fretless. Played and sounded great. Sold it REALLY cheap to a friend who gave it to his daughter. I miss that bass a lot, but it’s great to see pix of his daughter still playing it 4-5 years later. Glad it found a good home.
I'll probably get flack for this one but I really don't care ..GLARRY hands down is one of the best budget brands on the market today! I don't consider Squier to be a budget brand anymore,I'd say their an intermediate brand,for someone that's getting more serious about playing,just like epiphone is. I've watched Glarry basses just get better and better,I'm willing to bet they most likely share a lot of the same hardware like bridges and tuners as squier uses. I'm really glad I bought one when they did their first run of basses,I got the 5 string Gjazz as they cal it. Funny thing is I bought it to make a bad ass "SUPER GLARRY", so I got a nickel bridge with zinc saddles,locking of course, I found some Schaller liscenced tuners,and some Wilkerson pickups for it, sounds AWESOME. It pretty much plays itself,lol I actually made this bass long before Glarry did it themselves with the GP2. Another good budget brand...if you can find them that is,is Suzuki....yes the same one that builds motorcycles. I'm not sure if they still do or not but their basses from the 80s were actually made by the ESP guitar company,that was before they got big. I'm lucky enough to have a pbass ,it's called the SB10...student bass 10,you'll see them in newer 90s models with really ugly ,headstock, not familiar with them,guessing not much different. Mines from between 85 and 89 from my research, it's got an alder body,SLAB rosewood board not laminate! Flamed maple neck and 250k pots,the bridge is really cool as it's kinda high mass,but it's the saddles that really chunky not the plate. The electronics in the suzuki weren't bad either,I'm just unfortunate that I lost the original pickups for it. Before I knew what I had I ripped mine apart ,replaced all the electronics, and defretted the neck,only not in a good way. I was young and dumb I guess,lol. I still have the original neck and it's salvageable, I'm going to leave that to a pro though,I have a squierII maple neck on it now. Killer bass,especially considering it is supposed to be a budget bass,yet has the hardware and build quality of a Mexican fender
I have a 300E and feel the same way. Ridiculously good for the price.
What is the string spacing on the Eden 5 string? Can't find that info on their website.
Was hoping to get one for a mod project but not if it's too narrow.
Dang, that was quite a while ago. I sold it and don't recall whether the spacing felt tight or not. It looks like they are not available on their site any longer. There seem to be a few used ones on GC for between $350-$400. While it was a GREAT bass for the $209 I paid for it, I think there are better options (especially used) when you get up in to the $350-$400 price range. You could be hitting a used Sire around there.
I've had Sires, great bases but too heavy. Even trying to find one at the 9lb. weight is very hard.
Right, I had a Sire V7, really nice, but at 10 pounds and neck heavy it had to go.
As a new player I bought this bass this summer. It is a Glarry GP precision bass and a small amp that came with it. I am upgrading soon to a Fender Player Jazz and Precision series as I am doing very well and will begin playing some at church this year. Paid like 150.00 total for it. It has a great tone, even after getting it set up and changing to Earnie Ball Nickel Strings it still has a terrible fret buzzing in it and bad humming.
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I mentioned the Ibanez TBM30 earlier. I am also greatly enjoying the Fender 40th Anniv Jazz.
The Sterling Ray and Toby V both look good and sound like they should.
A level lower, the Thomann Rick copy I have is are usable and looks cool, aa is my Xaviere Jazz.
I wanna try/get one of those Slick basses from Guitar Fetish - I really like the tele-style guitar, altho' it's a bit heavy - which I also like.
I bought these for recording purposes (well, the 40A matches my Mascis Jazzmaster) and they all perform well for that purpose.
The Sterling Ray and Toby V both look good and sound like they should.
A level lower, the Thomann Rick copy I have is are usable and looks cool, aa is my Xaviere Jazz.
I wanna try/get one of those Slick basses from Guitar Fetish - I really like the tele-style guitar, altho' it's a bit heavy - which I also like.
I bought these for recording purposes (well, the 40A matches my Mascis Jazzmaster) and they all perform well for that purpose.
Did you ever get one? I've thought about it, but it's not something that I really need. I kinda dig these 2:
I like keeping a few lower cost basses kicking around. And exchanging them and experimenting and such.
Recently switched out a 4 string SR400qm for a 5 string trbx305. Both are great in that category. The Soundgear neck is a love it or hate it kind of thing. I found it very easy to play, but I would probably need to only have basses from that line because it's a big adjustment from a thing else I have.
That said, flats on that neck are a blast..
Recently switched out a 4 string SR400qm for a 5 string trbx305. Both are great in that category. The Soundgear neck is a love it or hate it kind of thing. I found it very easy to play, but I would probably need to only have basses from that line because it's a big adjustment from a thing else I have.
That said, flats on that neck are a blast..
Well... my answer would have to be - none. You did say "try", not "buy", but I'm afraid that I've never tried a bass in that price range. I have bought one, though; but, I didn't buy it to play. I bought the $139 Chinese Starfire violin bass to be sort of a sacrificial bass; something I could develop my bass/guitar tech skills on. It survived everything I did to it, though; I still have it, and play it once in a while. Plays fairly decently, too... Everything else I've bought, though, has been out of your stated price range; mostly, considerably outside that price range... Not because I'm a gear snob; it's just that if you want something like a Rick 4001? Well, they aren't cheap - especially left handed ones...
And, that's the reason I've never even tried "cheap" basses; in 99.9% of the music stores I've ever been in, there were no lefty basses for me to try - regardless of price. With very few exceptions, every one of the 26 basses in my basement were bought online, or from the manufacturer. Very few of the basses in my herd, cost less than $1,000. The ones that cost less than that, are old. But, even when they were new? They still cost more than your stated price range. And, I bought the last bass I plan on buying, last week. It was way outside that price range...
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