What’s the cheapest bass you’ve been/are amazed with?

[donkennedyalbert]

1. Sterling by Musicman SUB bass - c. 2010, Indonesia - $250 + <1 hr work
2. Squier Jazz bass - 2017, Indonesia - $329 + $200 emg pickups + <1 hr work
3. Ibanez SR800 PJ bass - c. 1988, Japan - $95 + $200 emg pickups + <1 hr of work. The SUB bass with it’s stock pickup is the best value of all. I may get another.

All three play and sound incredible. The MIA Fenders and Warmoths and even the Mexicans clearly feel more solid, but that’s about the only significant difference.

If I lost all of my great basses and was only left with these three, I’d still feel pretty good about my gear.

PS: Indonesia is the next Mexico.

 

[MuthaFunk]

Ibanez ATK 5 strings from Japan, with a really good thin neck, the triple active pickup, with a sound & a neck like my actual MusicMan Ernie Ball Sterling 5. For 1/5 of the price !

+1!! For the ATK

I have lots of beautiful high priced pieces including a MusicMan but I gig my Korean Made ATK 5 string the most. I can’t believe how great the fretwork is on it and the low action I can get even when playing hard.

I put na unclefluffy original MM preamp copy in it and it plays and sounds great with the stock pickup!!

 

[Mark Gastambide]

Squier VIntage Modified Jazz Bass - I couldn't believe the feel, finish, tone, and playability of the first one I ever picked up in a Guitar Center (which are notorious for having horrible, un-adjusted, high - actions on their basses), and it was under $300. I eventually held out for a Fender Geddy Lee (when they finally released the sunburst finished ones), but could have been very happy with the Squier, in retrospect. Still thinking of picking up one of the fretless ones.

 

[Dr Reed]

Inanez GSR200. Great buy at $195. That's the one in my avatar.

 

[Big Fig]

Just from my own experience, my $99 purchase of a Dean Edge 09 in 2010 was the most satisfying bass bargain I have ever encountered! After a quick swipe of the neck with 4-ought steel wool and grapeseed oil, it was instantly the fastest neck I've ever played. The single soapbar pickup is a great thumbrest, also. 99 bucks from Music 123! It really performed once I put black tapewound La Bella Deep Talkin' strings on it.

 

[stefancaunter]

squier vm jazz, lefty, $200 in a longmc store, i just needed something to play and it had a woody tone that i like
so, i flipped it over and played it a lot
nice wood tone and great low end
heat gunned off the finish ("natural" meaning 1/4" of plastic over it) and it resonated better
i've routed in a p-bass pickup (rainville in toronto, excellent pickups), and bypassed the tone, wired from volumes straight to output (i use a volume pedal and tuner bypass for stage muting). next up is a les paul style switch (since the controls are up above the strings it makes sense)

 

[MikeD]

I have 2: The Rogue VB-100 Violin Bass & the Squire SS Jaguar.

 

[bacculus]

Danelectro Longhorn Re-Issue. Sounds killer with flatwounds, pick, or straight up diggin' in with fingers through a good tube bass head. Looks amazing too. sounds like the bastard child of a Rick and J Bass, albeit slightly thinner....but more than makes up for it with clarity of tone and punch, unlike other cheaply-made basses. And of course, the women love it Paid $350 on Reverb.

 

[Tbashin]

$25 out the door Telluride bass at a pawn shop. I set it up and found its a really cool growler straight to the amp with the split Ps at the bridge location. 24 frets. Looses punch though at the top end. Can’t beat the bottom end growl.

 

[Bigal1369]

My SS Squier Jaguar.....

Me too. SHORT SCALE Squier Jaguar. Great bass for the price.

 

[Eddie Cameron]

An Ibanez Talman TMB100 in sea foam green for $180Cdn...I then found a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass '77, which has a maple/maple neck with block inlays and bound fingerboard, on FB Marketplace listed at $100Cdn but the seller offered it to me for $60Cdn...I POUNCED on that deal and did a little bit of mods to the heel, and also to the Talman neck pocket and...viola, a killer hybrid bass!!

 

[Digits Molloy]

I got an Ibanez Talman 4-stringer as a backup bass from sweetwater for around $300 a few years ago. It plays great and sounds decent too for live shows.

 

[MikeD]

I had one of these for a while...
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/axl-badwater-ap-820-electric-bass-guitar
They were surprisingly well made. The pickups were passive EMGs manufactured overseas.

I'm sorry, don't mean to offend... but that's gotta be about the ugliest headstock I ever done saw.

 

[Thumper4]

Picked up a spector coda pj pro4 ,got it for $400 brand new on reverb,sounds and plays great!! liked it so much,picked up a second for my backup,didnt need em,but I added some blk hipshot clover tuners,and good to go!!

 

[stefancaunter]

An Ibanez Talman TMB100 in sea foam green for $180Cdn...I then found a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass '77, which has a maple/maple neck with block inlays and bound fingerboard, on FB Marketplace listed at $100Cdn but the seller offered it to me for $60Cdn...I POUNCED on that deal and did a little bit of mods to the heel, and also to the Talman neck pocket and...viola, a killer hybrid bass!!View attachment 3176767

those VM necks are great, i put the lefty neck on a p-bass body (Shark Custom Ash body from Ottawa) and it's very fast and flat, i just wish they had not made them so thin, i like wider thicker profile necks

 

[alfred curtis]

I have a Squire Fretless, 15 years old. Just love it! Greater after restring...thx!

Just curious!

For me, it’s a 6 month used Squier Affinity PJ which I bought strung with flat wounds !

It plays great and sounds better then what I could imagine.

Any other nice finds you feel like sharing?

 

[zorza]

LTD Vintage 204, pbass w/ pj. Made in Vietnan. Black distressed body, maple fingerboard, beautiful finish and Monstuous sound! I had three basses like these. Cant let go.

Go figure...

 

[D-G]

Recently picked up MusicMan Sterling SUB4 used from GC for $175 US. The previous owner replaced the knobs with wood knobs and the tuners with HipShot Ultralite tuners. The tuners alone were probably around 75$. Some one also did a really good setup job on it, which along with the weight makes it very fun and comfortable to play.

It sounds pretty darn good too (unless I A/B it with something for times it's price)

 

[SJan3]

Just curious!

For me, it’s a 6 month used Squier Affinity PJ which I bought strung with flat wounds !

It plays great and sounds better then what I could imagine.

Any other nice finds you feel like sharing?

For me it's my G&L JB-2 tribute.
Purchased NEW for $385, it kills!
Great bridge, pups, neck, workmanship, woods etc.
it all comes together for a lovely and flexible instrument for cheap!

 

[jcarlin]

Mine is the second bass I ever owned. A 2004 Squier Pbass Special. I upgraded the pickups to EMG Geezer Butlers, took out the J Pickup, put La Bella Deep Talkin flats on it, and put a piece of foam under the strings near the bridge. Sounds so good.