Underrated guitar companies???

[Root 5]

Peavey USA.
Carvin.

 

[DanAdams]

Eastwood/Airline


View attachment 3244345

This one has inspired me to build a custom Butternut Squash bass.

 

[48thStreetCustom]

This one has inspired me to build a custom Butternut Squash bass.
View attachment 3244813

 

[DanAdams]

Love it!
HA! however mine would have the actual shape of the squash on the back side. much like an old lute.

and while I'm at it... Does a squash bass really need more than 12 frets? I think not. so maybe like this. Oh man, I'm going to get all the babes with my Squash Lute bass.

To keep this on topic, I'll add that it's likely to be an underrated bass.

 

[B-Mac]

Love it!
HA! however mine would have the actual shape of the squash on the back side. much like an old lute.
View attachment 3244842
and while I'm at it... Does a squash bass really need more than 12 frets? I think not. so maybe like this. Oh man, I'm going to get all the babes with my Squash Lute bass.
View attachment 3244843
To keep this on topic, I'll add that it's likely to be an underrated bass.

Very

 

[GwenOnBass]

Chiming in for Chowny.

As observed upthread, more "unknown" around TB than underrated.

The CHB-1 is the first new bass purchased in 39 years and pleased to report I am utterly delighted. Absolutely will buy another Chowny and said the same to @chowny when I received the CHB-1.

 

[EdO.]

Chiming in for Chowny.

As observed upthread, more "unknown" around TB than underrated.

The CHB-1 is the first new bass purchased in 39 years and pleased to report I am utterly delighted. Absolutely will buy another Chowny and said the same to @chowny when I received the CHB-1.

Pictures!

 

[GwenOnBass]

Pictures!

This is NBD +1, taken in July.



The actual NBD post is over here: Morrighan's Mystery Date NBD /w shockingly poor photos

D'Addario rounds are stock and they sound very good to my ear with the semi-hollowbody. As the roundwound tone already is covered with my StingRay, the CHB-1 now wears D'Addario tapes (the CHB-1 needs medium scale strings with a 34 inch winding length).

 

[RandomAxOfBass]

Reverend

 

[The mind train]

Well I'm sure I'm not going to be the first to say this but Harley Benton guitars by Thomann.de take some beating for the price. I have two of their jazz basses, one fretless, and I have to say I'm very pleased with them. Name another budget brand that gives you solid ash bodies at this price.

In fact there is a whole sub-section of talkbass for Harley Benton owners.

 

[FacStudio]

Sandberg

I like Dingwall.

Chowny are worth a mention as they are 'Made in India' but the versions I have seen have been very acceptable. I was surprised...

 

[rholler]

Everyone knows Fender and Gibson make great basses, but what are some of the more under appreciated companies in your opinion?

I own 3 different Fenders, but a few years ago while looking around online at vintage Mosrites, I stumbled across a Mosrite knockoff made by Wilson Brothers. It caught my eye not only because of the Mosrite-inspired body style, but also because the headstock had "The Ventures" inlayed into it. I did some research, and discovered that these were made by one of the members of The Ventures, who started a company with his brother making their own Mosrite-styled guitars & basses.

I took a chance and bought one sight-unseen on Ebay from a guy out in Colorado who was thinning down his collection, and got it for just a few hundred dollars. I spent another $50 having it completely gone thru and setup by my local guitar guy, put a new set of GHS PressureWounds on it, and I absolutely love it. It's *slightly* heavier than my light-weight 72 P-Bass, but it both plays and sounds just about as good. I use it, along with my MIM Fender Jaguar, as my regular players now, and I leave my vintage Fender 72 P-Bass and 72 Telecaster basses safe at home.

 

[bedrockhead]

As one can tell by my avatar, I've never met a Peavey I didn't like.

 

[Furutan]

Ibanez. While they started out as junk, they began producing good bases in the eighties and around fifteen years ago they really got serious about it. I've got an active 5-string and I love it.

 

[Tula]

Rick Turner Reniassance Guitar and Bass . Exceptional instruments. Basses include the Renaissance and Electroline series.

 

[hatchards]

Mike Lull, like driving a Ferrari.

 

[skeeneyman]

I love my Schecters and I want more Schecters!

 

[lat]

I've got a Schecter diamond series that is very nice and is underrated.
Also have a Hamer Cruise bass that sounds great and punches way above it's weight.

 

[iriegnome]

www.ggould.com and Invalid Link Removed are 2 of my absolute favorite makers of extremely fine instruments.

 

[buddha Longbone]

Ibanez and ESP/Ltd are the most underrated IMO. Both are most likely the most bang for your buck. If you pay 600 or 700 for and Ltd bass it is equivalent to 2000 from the more expensive companies, likewise with Ibanez. The top of the line Ibanez isn't cheap, but it's under 2 grand, but it will stand up against 5 or 10k boutique basses. Someone had me do a blind test once and I never forgot it. They had several basses, an Ltd, an Ibanez, a Fodera, a Fender, and a few others and had me blindfolded - all basses were perfectly setup, low string action. Both in sound and playability, I picked out the Ltd and the Ibanez as the best basses - I wasn't alone, most people who did that picked out the same two basses. They were thousands less than most of the basses, but they sounded and felt better to me. The Fodera was my third choice, and it played beautifully but the sound wasn't quite up to the others. I've been a fan of both ever since and have several Ibanez premium/prestige basses. I also own Fenders, Gibsons, a Fodera, and at least a dozen other brands that I use for specific purposes, but the basses I take to most gigs are Ibanez's or my trusty Ltd 4 string - some of which I've modified, others are stock.