Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: Muso on August 20, 2006, 08:23:58 PM
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Hey guys
I'm looking at buying a bass guitar i've never really played bass properly so I don't know what makes a good or bad bass. Anyway I think I got about £250 to spend would it be better to go for second hand or brand new?
If anyone can reccomend anything, I do have some ability so I don't really wanna get the most newbie one. The aim is to have something to play Rock/metal in a band.
Cheers in advance
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For your budget, I would look for getting a good 2nd hand bass. The think is to find a good action-something that feels solid. Look for the same things as you would on a guitar.
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OLP MusicMan is a pretty damned good budget bass.
I can't think of any others that are decent at that price!
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We (my wife and I) picked up a really nice Daisy rock elite for 250 around christmas.
Build wise it's pretty damned amazing for the price (sounds pretty good too)
Rob...
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Cool thanks for replies, what about the ammount of strings? I guess if I had a 6 string one I could play it just like a guitar right?
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I went bass shopping in birmingham last weekend and the ones that impressed me most in that price range were these:
http://www.soundcontrol.co.uk/mod_1/pages/mod_1.12/pages/mod_1.12.1/pages/mod_1.12.1.1/pages/index.php?sku=1.1.2.1.1-161-72
http://www.soundcontrol.co.uk/mod_1/pages/mod_1.12/pages/mod_1.12.1/pages/mod_1.12.1.1/pages/index.php?sku=1.1.2.1.1-110-53-8.122.113.54.102
http://www.soundcontrol.co.uk/mod_1/pages/mod_1.12/pages/mod_1.12.1/pages/mod_1.12.1.1/pages/index.php?sku=1.1.2.1.1-64-300
The Tobias had a weaker sound than the other two basses but was quite well made for the price. My favorite was the schecter but its a bit above your price range. They had the spector in more normal finishes as well.
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Cool thanks for replies, what about the ammount of strings? I guess if I had a 6 string one I could play it just like a guitar right?
not quite
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Cool thanks for replies, what about the ammount of strings? I guess if I had a 6 string one I could play it just like a guitar right?
A "proper" long-scale 6-string bass would have a huge neck and be a bugger to play. I'd stick to 4-string, at least until you get used to it.
Unless you managed to get something like an old Fender Bass VI or a MusicMan Silhouette Bass Guitar, but they're really baritone guitars not proper basses. And serious money.
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I'd also say 4 string though I am a traditionalist so ignore me.To me the only reason you should get a 5 string bass is that you can use the 5th string as a spare strap. A guy I know recently lent me a 5 string bass and when he told me it had 5 I said not to worry, I'll soon get that extra off with a bolt cropper. Seriously, get a 5 if you really must but I think 4's are best.
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Most 5 string basses on the market have a useless 5th string, at best it sounds like a slow wet fart. I'm not saying there are not good 5 strings out there but i havnt seen one for that kind of money.
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Most 5 string basses on the market have a useless 5th string, at best it sounds like a slow wet fart. I'm not saying there are not good 5 strings out there but i havnt seen one for that kind of money.
A decent 5 string bass would be a Warwick, but you're looking at 600ish aint ya?
Anyway, must say I'm a big fan of fender PBasses, I bought a chinese Squier PBass, it shouldnt have played so well if some people on the web were to be beleived at the time. It turned out to be great, still gets used, I paid Tim to make me a decent pickup though as the stock one is cr@p.
Cost me £150, the shop even threw in an amp for free as it was something they couldnt shift! 8) :lol:
If you want to look at the Squiers, or Mex/Jap Fenders, I'd suggest a really hands on play in a good shop, possibly taking a more experienced bassist with you if you know someone. One squier may be different to another in terms of quality control, so its worth it, you may even find a bargain.
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possibly taking a more experienced bassist with you if you know someone
I'm finding this thread quite interesting, as a friend of mine is having bass lessons at school but doesn't own her own bass as yet - and I've been recruited as the more experienced person to help her buy something...I've never had a bass myself, but I'm in the same position as Muso - considering buying one...
I guess it's just because I'm Mr Fretted instruments as far as she's concerned :P
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I guess it's just because I'm Mr Fretted instruments as far as she's concerned :P
if she's hot, then just go along with it
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I guess it's just because I'm Mr Fretted instruments as far as she's concerned :P
if she's hot, then just go along with it
:lol: My thoughts exactly :drink:
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Hahaha!! :lol:
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It's a very different experience from playing guitar - the frets are so far apart and the strings are so heavy, you can't just transfer your guitar technique across. Unless, I suppose, your hands are huge and extremely strong.
The good thing is, when you go back to the guitar the neck feels really small and friendly and the strings are like rubber bands!
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My hands are fairly huge :P
My theory is that even if I don't play, I can at least tell her the sort of things to watch out for - Neck Relief, Fret Heights, Dead Spots, Playability, Sound, all that sort of stuff that might get overlooked bearing in mind that it's her first purchase...
And I have played a bass before (I can play "Another One Bites the Dust" but only 'cause it's the same as the guitar part :lol: )
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Plus your fingertips are like iron 8)
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I have played both bass and guitar in bands and you have to get into a different mindset to play each. I user to play with a mate in 2 bands, one was rock where I was playing lead and doing the vocals and he was bass, and the other was a covers band in working mens clubs where I played bass and he was rhythm and vocals.
Sorry mr 38th but I like 5 string basses, I have a Modulus Graphite and I am having one built by Will Scott. However they do take a bit of getting used to, but I used to be in a band where a lot of the songs were written in D, and a 5 string is great for keeping more bottom end. I do have 4 strings too and when I was back in London for a couple of years I picked up a Bass Collection Jazz bass for about 100 quid. With a pickup change it was a really nice bass for the money.
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i thought the 5th string was another top string????
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no it is lower than the E- tuned to B.Horses for courses but my preference is for 4 and if someone was starting out, I'd suggest a 4.
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Much like someone buying their first guitar would probably buy a 6 string rather than a 7 string.
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Muso,
I'm about to sell my Yamaha RBX760A second hand. 4 string, active, twin soapbar pickups, a real looker, plays well. Let me know if you're interested.
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Froglord if you could post some pics that would be greatly appreciated!
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Rather than use up BKP's bandwidth, use the following link:
http://www.salsbury.f2s.com/bass.jpg
Let me know if you want more pics.
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Cool it looks pretty nice, whats the crack with active pickups tho? I've only ever used passive ones.
Can you vouch for the action as this is my most important feature, cheers.
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I think active pickups give more punch and an extended frequency range to a bass. Some modern active basses sound a bit too trebly for my tastes, but the Yamaha has a nice balance.
The action is pretty good. You need a little bit of air between the strings and the board to get the "thunk", but it certainly isn't a difficult bass to play. It's got height-adjustable saddles and a truss rod, so the action can be adjusted to taste anyway.
It's also a good instrument for a guitarist - not too huge, as some basses can be, and everything falls nicely to hand. Mind you, I mostly play the guitar fingerstyle, so I think my transition to bass was a bit easier, but once you get the hand of the "walking fingers" (alternating forefinger and middle finger) you're away.
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Cool, it sounds decent how about the price? also with active pickups they have to get power from somewhere right, is there a battery in the guitar or something?
I've played a fair bit of bass already and Ive got 6 years classical guitar playing under my belt so my fingerstyle is half decent. How about a case/carry bag?
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Much like someone buying their first guitar would probably buy a 6 string rather than a 7 string.
Except that probably half the songs you'll want to play will require a 5 string, and 5 string basses make a lot of sense in a musical context.
Whenever people ask me for advice on getting a bass I always say to get a 5 string, on the grounds that if they don't then within a year they'll be wanting one badly, so it's cheaper to get one straight off.
The Dean Edge basses are nice, as are the Vendetta ones, Yamaha make excellent entry level basses, and some of the Ibanez ones are decent as well. Vintage, Peavey and Cort also make some nice budget basses.
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The OLP Tony Levin gets good reviews (it's an active 5 string) which apparently totally outclasses the rest of the basses in the OLP line.
Rob...
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If you are going for a 5 string bass get one with strings that go through the body or one with a 35" scale.
I want to say the through body stringing increases the tension of the string, but it doesnt or you would get a different note. What it does do is change the 'feel' of the string so that it feels tighter.
Here is an article about 5 sring basses, a bit long but worth reading if you are thinking of getting one:
http://www.glennletsch.com/html%20folder/taming.htm
I did see a gadget for five string basses that was supposed to stop the B being flabby but i cant find it now. It was basically a tube that went behind the bridge and the string went through the tube before the bridge, effectivly having the extra length of string behind the bridge that a through body strung bass has.
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Much like someone buying their first guitar would probably buy a 6 string rather than a 7 string.
Whenever people ask me for advice on getting a bass I always say to get a 5 string, on the grounds that if they don't then within a year they'll be wanting one badly, so it's cheaper to get one straight off.
And even if they don't want to play stuff on the 5th string, it's better to have a string you don't use than have to buy a new bass :drink:
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Cool, it sounds decent how about the price? also with active pickups they have to get power from somewhere right, is there a battery in the guitar or something?
I've played a fair bit of bass already and Ive got 6 years classical guitar playing under my belt so my fingerstyle is half decent. How about a case/carry bag?
It has a 9v battery. Like most active instruments, you have to remember to pull the cable out after playing, otherwise it will continue to drain the juice!
If you've played classical with rest strokes an' all, you've probably got a head start.
No case or bag, I'm afraid - it didn't come with one. Probably best to collect in person if at all possible. I'm PMing you with the price.
FWIW, I don't agree that a 5-string makes a good first bass (and I'm not just saying that because I've got a 4-string for sale!). There are musical genres that benefit from a 5-string - funk and detuned metal spring to mind - but the majority of blues, pop, classic rock and hard rock only require a 4-string. It's also an easier transition, since the strings are exactly the same as the four low strings on a guitar, but one octave further down.
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Just a reminder that Tim and BKP make some great bass pickups as replacements for P and J basses
WE have used a few and they are brilliant