I’ve been on Sweetwater and some other sites for 2 hours now. This is tougher than looking for an acoustic 6 string.... I like the G&L Tribute JB-2, need to do some searches here on that. I appreciate all the input.
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Upgrading, need advice!
- Thread starter Hillcapper
- Start date
For Sale - Ibanez SR650
I'd take a look at this post, I know it's not the "pbass" body style, but still a really good deal. Plus, being a guitar guy, these necks should feel really nice to you.
I'd take a look at this post, I know it's not the "pbass" body style, but still a really good deal. Plus, being a guitar guy, these necks should feel really nice to you.
That would definitely cover all the bases, and I like natural and sunburst and it’s got both.
I would have already bought it if it was a 5 string, but I have similar model with nordstrand single coil (jazz bass style) and they sound soooo good.They put Nordstrand pickups in basses that cost 3x that much, plus you get an on board preamp if you want, plus a bypass switch to just play in passive mode. And I agree the sunburst over natural looks really nice... dang I'm gettin all hot and bothered just talkin about it haha
Yamaha, G&L, and Ibanez are gonna give you the best bang for your $800. Mexi Fender is a good buy at that price. If you're looking for a J, I like the Sire v7 in this price range. Tons of good options, but it sounds like you've been playing long enough that you should go out and play a bunch of different basses until one "speaks" to you. Mainly, you're looking for something that sparks joy when you touch it, thus inspiring you to practice a lot.
I had already thought about heading to Sam Ash and GC and playing some different basses. I’m confident doing that with acoustic guitars but much less so plugging a bass in and playing R5O and the couple of scales that I know!
Don't forget the classifieds here.
I've done a number of deals here, and everybody was honest, courteous, and fair.
+1 on the SR650.
Currently have one myself and really enjoy the bass for its amazing tonal quality. Looking to score another for a better deal to swap out the Nordstrands for a set of Aguilars just cause the Nords can be a bit aggressive for my taste IME.
I think an amazing P bass is the 1980s Ibanez rb620 / rb30 / rb650
There is a reason why Fender choose to have that same factory build their MIJ Fender Basses.
I would agree that the Tribute SB1 would be a solid choice too.
There is a reason why Fender choose to have that same factory build their MIJ Fender Basses.
I would agree that the Tribute SB1 would be a solid choice too.
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Life is short! Just go and do it! At the very least, get them in your hands and play them unplugged.
... and Go Mountaineers! (Class of 1986)
Sandberg Electra. They got both a jazz as a p.
Parts are made in Korea assembly in Germany.
With that good old German workmanship.
Parts are made in Korea assembly in Germany.
With that good old German workmanship.
Maybe this? It has a fast jazz neck, jazz pickup and a humbucker split coil so you can use it as a beefy humbucker or pull the knob and split the coils to a more mid punchy jazz tone.
For Sale - FGN Mighty Jazz J Standard
For Sale - FGN Mighty Jazz J Standard
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And that’s a fair point. If you can afford it then there’s no reason not to do it.
For $800 get 2 $400 basses!. Have fun. You can always sell them again. I have owned most basses. No. Seriously. Life is short!
Im not a p-neck person. Jazz basses have always been my go to but I no longer own any. My main bass is a bottom line Yamaha bb404. Its an older 90's bass that can be gotten between $100-$300. I tried some differant pickups in it and landed on passive aguilar pickups. Best sounding bass ever. It has an alder body and a very comfortable neck. J pickup config. The whole BB line has been pretty consistantly good.
I also really like Warwicks. I currently have a neck through Streamer but that would be your whole budget. It has a pj config and I do use both pickups. I will back off on the p for more articulation & funky stuff or go heavier on the p for more driving rock stuff. Warwick has a lot of differant lines. Lots of differances in necks, woods, and components(and prices). So you might have to try a few.
As far as Squiers and the mim lines -In my experience I have had to play a lot of them to find a good one. But they can be very good and a good platform for upgrading.
Eb Musicman Sub stingrays can be nice if you upgrade the pickups. I had one with a bartoloni in it. Smooth and funky but a really skinny neck. I had a 78 Stingray and the neck was completely differant.
G&L's are nice too but I never really bonded with the one I owned. I bought one when I was trying to get over selling my 78 MM Stingray.
Not a fan of Ibanez though people like them. They always feel a bit cheap to me. The upper lines look nice though.
There are a million options. Just go play and have fun. You have a servicable bass now so you dont have to be in a rush. Sometimes I think the right bass finds you!
Im not a p-neck person. Jazz basses have always been my go to but I no longer own any. My main bass is a bottom line Yamaha bb404. Its an older 90's bass that can be gotten between $100-$300. I tried some differant pickups in it and landed on passive aguilar pickups. Best sounding bass ever. It has an alder body and a very comfortable neck. J pickup config. The whole BB line has been pretty consistantly good.
I also really like Warwicks. I currently have a neck through Streamer but that would be your whole budget. It has a pj config and I do use both pickups. I will back off on the p for more articulation & funky stuff or go heavier on the p for more driving rock stuff. Warwick has a lot of differant lines. Lots of differances in necks, woods, and components(and prices). So you might have to try a few.
As far as Squiers and the mim lines -In my experience I have had to play a lot of them to find a good one. But they can be very good and a good platform for upgrading.
Eb Musicman Sub stingrays can be nice if you upgrade the pickups. I had one with a bartoloni in it. Smooth and funky but a really skinny neck. I had a 78 Stingray and the neck was completely differant.
G&L's are nice too but I never really bonded with the one I owned. I bought one when I was trying to get over selling my 78 MM Stingray.
Not a fan of Ibanez though people like them. They always feel a bit cheap to me. The upper lines look nice though.
There are a million options. Just go play and have fun. You have a servicable bass now so you dont have to be in a rush. Sometimes I think the right bass finds you!
I was recently in a somewhat similar situation recently where I knew I wanted to upgrade but couldn’t quite find the instrument I was looking for...I ended up going this route: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Don’t let the fact that it’s an active bass necessarily deter you-I’m guessing it’s versatile enough to play the kind of music you described.
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To stick more to your original criteria of a passive instrument-$800 bucks would get you a new MIM Jazz Bass...
I came REALLY close to buying one before I decided the ESP was more what I was after.
I tried to like the MIM Fender P bass, but something about the neck just didn’t “do it” for me, so in that price range I would go with a MIM Jazz as I think it probably fits your criteria (someone else I believe also pointed out that you already have a P style pickup on you existing bass).
I almost pulled the trigger several times on the Fender MIM Jazz...If they had a black one w a Pau Ferro neck in stock at one of the Guitar Centers near me I probably would have given it a shot.
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They are pretty ergonomically comfortable and will do most anything you want them to...
I feel like they are kind of a jack of all trades / Swiss Army type bass (if that makes sense).
Also-A lot of people seem to swear by the Fender Jazz so I don’t think you could go wrong with either MIM Fender. Of the two I happened to like the Jazz better as it seemed a little more player friendly, but YMMV.
Just my .02 cents.
Good Luck! \m/
Don’t let the fact that it’s an active bass necessarily deter you-I’m guessing it’s versatile enough to play the kind of music you described.
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To stick more to your original criteria of a passive instrument-$800 bucks would get you a new MIM Jazz Bass...
I came REALLY close to buying one before I decided the ESP was more what I was after.
I tried to like the MIM Fender P bass, but something about the neck just didn’t “do it” for me, so in that price range I would go with a MIM Jazz as I think it probably fits your criteria (someone else I believe also pointed out that you already have a P style pickup on you existing bass).
I almost pulled the trigger several times on the Fender MIM Jazz...If they had a black one w a Pau Ferro neck in stock at one of the Guitar Centers near me I probably would have given it a shot.
Invalid Link Removed
They are pretty ergonomically comfortable and will do most anything you want them to...
I feel like they are kind of a jack of all trades / Swiss Army type bass (if that makes sense).
Also-A lot of people seem to swear by the Fender Jazz so I don’t think you could go wrong with either MIM Fender. Of the two I happened to like the Jazz better as it seemed a little more player friendly, but YMMV.
Just my .02 cents.
Good Luck! \m/
Take some ear buds with you and plug into an amp with "headphones out" jack. No one will be the wiser, plus you block out the other players in the store.
I, also, think that Ibanez SR650 checks a lot of boxes with the Nords and overall versatility. Good hunting!
