I am looking for a Bass Guitar....

[BrokenMinnow17]

I am looking for a Bass Guitar, but i don't know what brands are good. My budget would be somewhere around $500-$800. Does anyone know any good basses around that price range? And what kind of effects sound good with a bass?

[BrokenMinnow17]

Where are all you bass experts tonight???

[SenorPapaCabasa]

Im not a bass expert.... but i like the Fender Jazz Bass. Good price, good sound.

[BrokenMinnow17]

Yeah i've looked at fenders but i don't really likke the looks of them. They look to much like an electric guitar.

[LWatford]

MTD Kingston-great bass for the money, 4 and 5 fretted and fretless versions. The 5 strings are a 35" scale length. Uses one Music Man pickup.

Ibanez BTB40x- another really good bass. Has a big neck (for and Ibanez) so you need to try before you buy. 4, 5, and 6 string versions are avalible. the 5 and 6 are a 35" scale length. Electronics are passive pickups with active electronics (3-band EQ with sweepable mids).

ESP Basses- I've heard good things about the B-304, B-305, C-304 and C-305 LTD basses. They are neck-through, 35" scale (even the 4-string!) basses. They use EMG-Hz electronics, which are passive pickups wired to active electronics.

Spector NS2000 basses are great. They are avalible in 4, 5, and 6 string versions, with 4 and 5 string neck throughs avalible (NS2000/4 and NS2000/5). The bolt on models play very well, with a nice feel to the neck. The 5 and 6 string versions are 35" scale. The electronics are EMG-Hz pickups wired to active electronics.

OLP Music Man copys look nice, I haven't played one. They tend to get mixed reveiws.

G&L SB-2- great bass, has the Fender style though. 4-string 34" scale. One P-pickup and a Jazz at the bridge.

Hamer Cruise Bass- 4 and 5 string versions 34" scale. Good Jazz-style bass, if you like these, try and find a used one with a 2-Tek bridge! They have more sustain than I know what to do with!

Peavey G-Bass and G-5 Bass. 35" scale, <I><B>graphite</B></I> neck bass, under $1000! The 5-string has two pickups, while the 4-string has one. They both have and active three band EQ.

You might could find a used Peavey Cirrus at that price, and they are also very, very good.

The Music-Yo Tobais basses have gotten a few good reveiws.

I've seen some 4-string bolt-on Warwicks for under $1000, though you have to look for them. When you find one get good pictures, especially of the neck. I've seen several cracked at the nut.

I've also seen some Music Man Stingray 4-strings for under $1000.

The Yamaha TRB-series basses are great basses also. Used they all run under $1000. The 5 and 6 are especially sweet, with super wide necks.

Yamha also has the BB-series which are great deals used. The RBX series is good, I just didn't like the neck on the 5-string.


Thats all I can think of now, anyone else have something?

Lee

[Pick it up!]

Ibanez and Washburn are good. get something with P and J pick-ups, theres alot more you can do. i fell limited if i have just one kind of pick-up.

[BrokenMinnow17]

Thanks everyone..i'll have to check them out.

[DavidAM]

Those are all fine intruments. Here are some criteria to help decide.

First of all, spend as much time at the store trying out everyting you like until you can answer these questions:

1) Which one is the easiest to play? Analyze fret spacing, string spacing, neck angle when when you are standing, and if you have a good place to plant the thumb of your plucking hand.
2) Can I distinguish the difference in sound between all of these? If you can't, then keep playing the same riff on each one until you can. Also, make sure you always use the same amp, and keep the volume level the same. Different intstruments have different output levels. Scale the amp volume appropriately so you hear each one at the some volume.
3) Which one sounds the best?
4) Which one has the most range of tone available in the on-board controls?
5) Which one appears to have the best manufacturing quality?
6) Which one appears to have the best tuners, nut, and bridge?
7) How easy is it to make adjustments to the setup (change the action), and tune it?
8) Which one is best in the previous categories that I can afford?

[BrokenMinnow17]

You forgot to mention...

9) Which one looks the best in the previous categories? ;)

That's one thing i really am picky about. :rolleyes:

[DavidAM]

To each his own.

I would suggest that when you are playing, the look of the thing becomes absolutely irrelevant. If it is difficult to play and sounds terrible, it wont matter what it looks like. Also, if your budget is under $800, you can't afford anything special anyway. Do yourself a favor and buy only on playability and the range of good tone it has, not how it looks. Even a few scratches or scuffs are irrelevent. You will regret puchasing on appearance, but will never be distressed if it sounds great and feels good in your hands. That is the purpose of an instrument/tool. To be usefull, not look pretty.

That's why God loves us.

[Jam4theLamb]

Might wanna check out the OLP Stingray5, if you want looks as well as playability and tone. OLP is basically the Ernie Ball equivalent of Fender's Squire, Gibson's Epiphone or Ovation's Applause. You can get a Stingray 4 or 5 for about $250 through Musician's Friend.

[BrokenMinnow17]

Yeah..i played one of those OLP's when i was at Guitar Center earlier. DavidAM, your right..once i started checking someof them out i forgot about the looks. I think i'd rather have something that sounds great rather than something that looks great. I also tried a few Ibanez's and found a couple of them that sounded and felt real good. I'll have to keep looking around before i choose one though.