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WHERE ARE SOME CHEAP BASSES

T

tomber

Sep 8, 2010
20
0
#1
Does anyone know where I could get a cheap bass that I can just take around for practice?
Or maybe a cheap japanese bass (because I've been wanting one of those).
I was just wondering because I've been wanting a bass to just take around instead of my awesome Jazz Bass.
I'm kind of protective of my bass.

But I only have the one bass.
I play it practically every night.
It's just a pain carrying the thing around because it's heavy.
It's not hollowed or sectioned.
 
#3
tomber said:
Does anyone know where I could get a cheap bass that I can just take around for practice?
Or maybe a cheap japanese bass (because I've been wanting one of those).
I was just wondering because I've been wanting a bass to just take around instead of my awesome Jazz Bass.
I'm kind of protective of my bass.
Click to expand...

Do they have pawn shops where you live? :)
 
#7
OVER THERE. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEARCH BOX.

I'm just messin with you, couldn't help myself :p.

Take a look at Squier. I personally don't think SXs are worth spit unless you mod them but I've played stock Squiers that sound fantastic. Look at the Vintage Modified and Classic Vibe lines, that's where the money is. As for where, I highly recommend the used section on the guitar center website. LOADS or great stuff to be found if you check regularly. If you have experience with eBay or are willing to learn how to "spot" good auctions go there to. I've gotten quite a few great basses from eBay.
 
#9
lots will say it, then lots will say they're wrong, but speaking from experience, SX is exactly what you're looking for. I bought one, and it sounded and played fine out of the box, though i ultimately modded it for fun. I still play it, almost daily.

it's true, some have issues out of the box. thankfully rondomusic has a great customer service, and kurt is very willing to accept returns if there's any issue. if i found myself in need of a cheap player bass I'd buy another SX in a heartbeat.
 
#11
When I was a child I had a football jersey that I loved so much I only wore it to look at myself in the mirror. One year I was on vacation and saw my jersey on my cousin! It was torn and covered in chocolate ice cream and dirt! I asked my mom about it and she said she didn't think I ever wore it so she gave it away.

I loved my mother very much so, please, no comments.

Point of the story: play the beloved Jazz Bass and enjoy it.:)
 
#12
SnakeKappele said:
When I was a child I had a footbal jersey that I loved so much I only wore it to look at myself in the mirror. One year I was on vacation and saw my jersey on my cousin! It was torn and covered in chocolate ice cream and dirt! I asked my mom about it and she said she didn't think I ever wore it so she gave it away.

I loved my mother very much so, please, no comments.

Point of the story: play the beloved Jazz Bass and enjoy it.:)
Click to expand...


Nice story and a good point.

Why bother having a nice bass if you're afraid to play it?
 
#13
Ace Ventura: [with a German accent] How can I be getting zis vork done wit all de shouting? Control de shouting?
Reporter: Who's That?
Ace Ventura: Heinz Getwellvet. I am trainer of dolphins. You want to talk to de dolphin, you talk to me.
Reporter: What happened to the *regular* trainer?
Ace Ventura: Vat happened to him? Vat happened to me? Seven years I am wit Siegfried.
[he holds up only four fingers]
Ace Ventura: Ve are making de dolphins disappear, und den Roy is coming wit de vite tiger und ze shtuffing in de pants und den I'm gone.
Reporter: [skeptically] Where is Snowflake?
Ace Ventura: Why do you care about Snowflake? Do you know him? Does he call you at home?
[shouts]
Ace Ventura: Do you have a dorsal fin? To train ze dolphin you must zink like ze dolphin! You must be getting inside ze dolphin's head. I am saying to Snowflake, "Akay!... Akay Akay Akay?" und he is saying "AKay Akay!" und he is up on ze tail "Eeeeeeeeee!" und you can quote him!
[Ace spits]
Roger Podacter: Alright, it's almost time for Coach Shula's press confrence, uh, lets let Heinz do his work?
Ace Ventura: [shooing reporters] Go to de conference, go to it.
 
#14
Check Sam Ash online. They had Kramer Focus closeouts for $130. P-bass style. I bought one. The neck is nice, the balance is nice, the things sustains for a fairly impressive amount of time. The pup is straight up OK. I'm going to replace the electronics and hardware on it, to make it a nice little inexpensive Frankenstein. :D

And apparently they have free FedEx ground shipping.
 
#17
ishouldbeking said:
lots will say it, then lots will say they're wrong, but speaking from experience, SX is exactly what you're looking for. I bought one, and it sounded and played fine out of the box, though i ultimately modded it for fun. I still play it, almost daily.

it's true, some have issues out of the box. thankfully rondomusic has a great customer service, and kurt is very willing to accept returns if there's any issue. if i found myself in need of a cheap player bass I'd buy another SX in a heartbeat.
Click to expand...

I was going to do this myself. But I found the cheap Kramer instead. Instant gratification wins every time.:hyper:
 
#19
RobertUI said:
I would also keep an eye on your local CraigsList. I just got a REALLY nice beater for $50 (it needed some electrical wiring and a good cleaning) and now I've got a great bass to leave at work, or let friends borrow etc, without having to worry about my other 5 basses. Wait... maybe I have a problem :-)
Click to expand...

This right here. I have an app that scours the local Craigslist for any keywords I choose. I got a MIM P-Bass for $100. A Squier P-Bass for $80. An Ibby BTB455 for $300. The Squier has become my firehouse and experimental-surgery bass.

All you need is the patience to wait on a deal, the cash to pay for it, and speedy wheels to get there before everyone else.
 
#20
tomber said:
Does anyone know where I could get a cheap bass that I can just take around for practice?
Or maybe a cheap japanese bass (because I've been wanting one of those).
I was just wondering because I've been wanting a bass to just take around instead of my awesome Jazz Bass.
I'm kind of protective of my bass.
Click to expand...

Cheap, but good basses are where you find them. Everybody in this thread is right. SX basses from Rondo are incredible basses for minimal cash OR they are chinese crap put together with half-baked construction, crooked screws and poor fit. You can find incredible bargains at pawn shops or you can have your wallet taken to the cleaners for some utter trash. Craig's list has amazing beater basses for low dollars often sold by players who paid a fortune for them and then just got tired of them OR Craig's list has horrible basses with broken truss rods, twisted necks and other hideous deformations that are being unloaded by knowledgeable musicians who will tell you these instruments are "perfect". You can drop by Music-go-round and look at used basses and find high dollar basses for pennies that just need minor work and a D&C [dustin' and cleanin'] OR you can find some utter chinese no-name beater that won't even make a decent boat anchor. Squire basses are as good as any MIA Fender OR they are ultimate dogs with tone and workmanship like the worse chinese clones.

The point is that ALL of these things work and NONE of them work! It's all going to depend on just how much you know about basses. If you want to just go buy a bass without being careful or thinking, well who knows what you'll get.

My personal choice for a beater "bar bass" was a couple of SX basses. A few minor tweaks (nothing expensive like bridges or pickups) and I ended up with basses I actually like better than my "real" Fender. Also found a nice demo OLP at GC for $100. Also bought a bunch of gear from a local bass player with bad GAS who'd constantly buy new gear that took his fancy and then would sell it (to me!) after a few weeks at a fraction what he paid. The stories go on and on. So just go look. And then choose wisely.
 

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