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What about Stagg basses?

René_Julien

René_Julien

Jun 26, 2008
5,440
1,160
44
Belgium
#1
My local music store has a majority of Stagg instruments on display.
Now I was just wondering about this brand.

A few minutes before I posted this thread I visited the Stagg website, and found out that their HQ was here in Belgium.
I'm a Belgian and I didn't even knew that.
That probably explains why Belgian stores have so much of their instruments on display.

Anyway, what are other bassists experiences with these basses. Good for the price?

I searched the basses forum here and sometimes Stagg is mentioned but not much attention payed to the brand.
Does the company lacks soul and passion? And are they just considered budget beginners basses for that?


Now I'm considering a Stagg bass. I played exclusivly fretless basses the last years, and for a decent fretless bass I wouldn't mind paying more for a high end bass. But I'm looking around for a cheap fretted 4-string which I will modify just for playing tap.
So I was thinking these basses will be an ideal platform for experimenting with modifications.

Any ideas on this?
Any experience with Stagg in general?
 
#2
I worked in a shop for a year, and we carried Stagg.

To put it bluntly: You will be flushing your money down the toilet. I have never seen a worse instrument in a music store ever. They are one step above the Wal-Mart First Act instruments. Their headquaters may be in Belgium, but they are made in China.

I'd say that of about half the Staggs we used to get had a serious neck problem (warpage, loose frets, really un-level frets, etc.). The other half needed TONS of work to be playable.
 
#4
CapnSev said:
I worked in a shop for a year, and we carried Stagg.

To put it bluntly: You will be flushing your money down the toilet. I have never seen a worse instrument in a music store ever. They are one step above the Wal-Mart First Act instruments. Their headquaters may be in Belgium, but they are made in China.

I'd say that of about half the Staggs we used to get had a serious neck problem (warpage, loose frets, really un-level frets, etc.). The other half needed TONS of work to be playable.
Click to expand...

I could have guessed they were made in China. Most companies here in Belgium have production in China these days.

Thanks for the heads up.
I played a fretless Stagg in the music store but I was testing an amp and didn't payed much attention to the instrument.

So, you really state they are real bad...
Hmm... okay, I'll take your advice and not waste a forenoon testing these basses out. (Unless someone can counter your arguments.)

I favor Yamaha basses because they are cheap and very good in my opinion.
But since little pop&mom stores don't carry Yamaha (because they must also carry pianos and keyboards from Yamaha) I was looking around for other cheap brands with reasonable quality.

Thanks for the feedback.
 
#6
like most ultra low budget cheapos, im sure most Staggs are pretty dire

*but*

my main conventional bass is a Stagg

im a firm believer that amongst all the dross you do find gems

Black.gif


granted ive done a lot of work on it and added bits

but its my one irreplaceable instrument

and i have some that cost *20* times as much

cheers
Lucy
 
#7
I have never played a stagg bass but I have an acoustic guitar, and it actually is really nice, especially for what was payed for it. Not comparative to $1k+ instruments but for $99 it was a really good deal, however if everyone else is complaining about there basses I would believe them. Try one out in a store see for yourself. You might want to get a beginner level Ibanez or something instead for probably around the same price.
 
#10
froovs said:
like most ultra low budget cheapos, im sure most Staggs are pretty dire

*but*

my main conventional bass is a Stagg

im a firm believer that amongst all the dross you do find gems
nted ive done a lot of work on it and added bits

but its my one irreplaceable instrument

and i have some that cost *20* times as much

cheers
Lucy
Click to expand...


Pretty much what I was thinking, especially if you are goign to be doing work on it ANYWAY, it might be a good choice for the money, but play it first feel it out see if u can repair the flaws!
 
#11
Sandman1278 said:
Pretty much what I was thinking, especially if you are goign to be doing work on it ANYWAY, it might be a good choice for the money, but play it first feel it out see if u can repair the flaws!
Click to expand...

That was actually one of my questions in the OP.

I am considering a Stagg because I want a platform to experiment with modifications.
So the bass I start with must be cheap, so I don't mess up a more expensive instrument.
(I shouldn't have made the OP such a long read I guess. ;))

But if the bass itself (like CapnSev mentioned the neck and frets) is crappy I'll steer clear.

At the moment I don't have much time to go properly test out basses in my local store.
I'm a store owner myself (motorcycles) and I have about the same opening hours as the music store. :hmm:
I only have a half hour window on saturdays to go get something necessary quickly.
But in a few weeks my store closes for two weeks and I'm gonna do some serious testing and perhaps shopping.

So that's why I'm asking some feedback here. To be well informed when I do test out something.
 
#12
If you plan to mod your bass, then the Stagg would be an economical starting point. Found a cheap pre-owned Stagg Jazzmaster bass a few years back and practically re-tooled the entire thing to my specs. It's one of my favorites right now. But I agree with the others - you'd be wanting more out of it if you want to play it right away.
 
#14
A student of mine had a generic stagg modern shaped bass. You couldve ski'd down the slope on the neck. I spent a good day working on the action, intonation and electronics (crackle and movement in the pots and jack) just to get her a useable instrument. Since that experience i wont reccomend them.

A very negative review i know, it couldve been an extremely bad example.
 
#15
Synplicity said:
A student of mine had a generic stagg modern shaped bass. You couldve ski'd down the slope on the neck. I spent a good day working on the action, intonation and electronics (crackle and movement in the pots and jack) just to get her a useable instrument. Since that experience i wont reccomend them.

A very negative review i know, it couldve been an extremely bad example.
Click to expand...

This is a pretty typical review. I think the other reviews are the rare ones.
 
#19
basadam said:
Did it work out at the end? This may exactly be what the OP is looking for. A crappy setup does not mean a crappy bass.
Click to expand...

You brought up a good point there.
Someone said the neck tends to warp, so that is a thing that can't be fixed (easely).
I was thinking replacing the frets, bridge, pickups and electronics, strings.


AustinxHxC said:
For a "platform" bass, check out Essex (SX) basses.
SX Basses
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. But I haven't seen a Belgian store carry this brand.
I don't know anything about SX Basses. Are they all Fender copies?
I was actually looking something like my Yamaha RBX, sleak, small neck, 24frets.

My local store carries: Fender, Squier, Warwick, G&L, Warwick, Stagg, VOX, Eastwood, Cort, Ibanez, MusicMan, MTD.
So some high-end brands are available to me.

I alway loved Warwick, but I never played one. :)
And I don't wanna mess up a great expensive instrument up for the project I have in mind.
Especially because this project I have in mind I only will use about 10%.

Perhaps (a cheap) Ibanez is a wiser choice, after hearing so much bad things about Stagg. :hmm:

I might get a (fretless) Warwick in the future to replace my main instrument.
 

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