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Underrated Basses?

#61
Figjam said:
your best buy sells basses?
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I only recently learned they were getting into the instrument business. I cannot wait personally for it to happen in Dallas. Because all of my favorite small local stores are now out of business, I either have online or GC. GC I have always thought of Best Buy with instruments anyway. I have the idea that they are going to try to go head to head with GC. This will do one of two things or both I think. 1. GC will really try to compete price-wise or 2. they will get a bit more boutiqey. In general I don't care much for the stuff typically carried at GC. For the nice basses they tend to really only carry 5 or 6 string basses. And rarely any cool fretless basses no matter the string count.
 
#62
Some of the stuff from Japan from the late 70s and well into the 80s. Although these are making a big come back price wise these days. Aria, Daion, and Vantage are great examples. I would say you have to pick the right models but figuring that stuff out online is easy enough. Some have mentioned G&L for US made and I agree.
 
#63
soma89 said:
Hi, i was wondering what basses you guys think are underrated??
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A couple of makes come to mind: Fernandes and Washburn. Years ago, I played one of each - the Fernandes was a Jazz Bass copy (1988), while the Washburn model I don't recall (1978).

Each one surprised me with how well-constructed and resonant it was. Each one sounded like an instrument worth 2-3 times the showroom price. And this was at a time when lower-priced instruments were generally not nearly as high-quality as they are now... :hmm:

MM
 
#64
I can't believe no one said 70s and 80s Tokais.

I have a 82 jazz sound and had a 82 hardpuncher. They are second to none fender I've ever played (contemporary down to mid 70s models, haven't played 60s fenders or 08 models). These are really smashing basses.

Allso Yamaha as has been mentioned before. I have a BBG4A and it is amazing. The build quality, playability and sound are amazingly good. The only thing I dislike about yamahas is that they don't have a lot of character, whatever that may be.

I do'nt really agree on SX or Squier VM. Allthough I find them amazingly good, I feel the get enough praise. I don't believe they are underrated.
 
#75
LP75 said:
Carvin - especially here on TB. Incredible build quality for very reasonable prices.
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Even without ever having played a Carvin, it seems to me they must indeed be much underrated. Carvins get next to no love on TB, but from what I can see they are very well-built by a small company that has been going for many decades. Maybe the marketing is, ironically, just too unassuming and folksy for them to be popular.
 
#76
Carvins are fantastic. Their prices have gone up over the last few years, but I still think they're great bargains for semi-custom instruments, especially US-made ones. I'm convinced that the only reason they are not more popular is that, despite their semi-custom nature, you still have a relatively small selection of pickups and preamps which do not include the "standards" (Bartolini, Aguilar, EMG, Duncan, etc). Carvin electronics are not bad at all, but it's a name-brand thing.
 
#79
Anything from Gibson that is not a T-bird. Seriously, the dude from Danava plays an SG bass, and before I heard it, I hated them. His tone is awsome. Just muddy and bassy and exactly how it should be(Even though my tone is more trebley than bass :hiding: ).

Also, I must agree, squiers. Squiers are good for their price.

Trabens too. I love trabens but only ever hear unreasonable hate for them. I can understand if it was because of the neckdive, but people just dislike them purely because they're Trabens.

And I think Rockbass too. My rockbass sounds better than every warwick I've played. Thought, they might not be as underrated as I think, because mine turned a few heads last time I took it into GC ;)
 

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