new bass guitar advice.

[kulabula]

Ibanez or yamaha, ibanez or yamaha, ibanez or yamaha, ibanez or yamaha, ibanez or yamaha, ibanez or yamaha, ibanez or yamaha???????????????? Definitely one of life's more concerning questions!!

[thisnameistaken]

The Ibanez might feel more comfortable just because it's familiar. I've never had an Ibanez bass and to me their necks feel weird and too thin.

In six months you might be perfectly happy with the Yamaha neck.

[ubassman]

I love Ibanez necks and the balanced weight of the instrument - they are so playable. A lot depends upon your style that you play but for me getting around quickly is important and the thing I like about Ibanez basses is that there is minimal neck dip. I play a lot sitting down in orchestra pits and its important to me to not have to support the instrument with my left hand. So, when comparing basses I always do a little test .

Have a go next time you are in the shop at putting each bass on your knee and start playing. If you raise then both hands up in the air the Ibanez pretty much will stay in its balanced position. The yamaha I imagine ( like so many other basses ) will be neck heavy and will need to be supported with the left hand when you play. This inhibits movement unless you wear a strap to try to correct that but essentially I have always loved Ibanez for the feel of the neck but also the balance.

I play an Ibanez BTB670 and it has a big bottom end ! I don't know about the Yamaha - it may be exceptionally well balanced too and if you play standing up all the time then it may not be so important to you? Good luck with it !

[Conan]

How important is tone to you and your band? If it is very important, then it sounds like you should go for the Yamaha, even if it is less comfortable to play (in the short term). I believe that you can get used to any instrument if you play it long enough, as long as it is decent quality to start with.

Would buying the Ibanez be taking the "easy option"? Do you want your life to be easy or slightly challenging?

Get the Yamaha!

[Mr Lizard]

You're making it sound like the Ibanez has a crap tone, and I can assure you it doesn't! It sounds awesome! especially with those Nordstrand pickups in there.

I vote Ibanez!

[stoker]

Go for the Yammy!

[kulabula]

Ha ha ha . That's my whole point. Having settled for the yam, I picked up my ibanez and I'd forgotten how good it felt and sounded. Therefore leading me to thinking that I need to try the 1200 again. Because they feel great( like my 300) but with steroids. So , I need to plug em both in again and turn them UP!!!!!

[ubassman]

..you need an Ibanayamy !

[ubassman]

[quote name='stoker' timestamp='1370431962' post='2100667']
Go for the Yammy!
[/quote]
Go for the Ibanez!

[rogerstodge]

Get a Precision !!!

[ubassman]

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1370459009' post='2101328']
Get a Precision !!!
[/quote]
Thats the cat amongst the pidgins now !!

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1370411807' post='2100365']
The Ibanez might feel more comfortable just because it's familiar. I've never had an Ibanez bass and to me their necks feel weird and too thin.

In six months you might be perfectly happy with the Yamaha neck.
[/quote]

this - you will grow used to the size of the BB in no time

[ubassman]

Read jellyfish's comments here http://basschat.co.uk/topic/209367-new-bass-day-btb675/page__pid__2101338#entry2101338 !! Figure your just going to have to flip a coin !!

[Myke]

It seems to me you were leaning towards the Yamaha from the beginning. Don't second guess yourself, just go for it!

[ubassman]

Wind- ups to one side ...both are going to be great basses - perhaps the shop will let you borrow one for a couple of days and then the other - most shops are pretty good that way if you are going to buy one or t'other for definite. Out on approval I think its called.

[borisbrain]

+1 for the Precision (!) but if I had to choose, I'd go for the Ibanez. I used to have a Musician back in the day, which had some great tone. In the end I found it too heavy and traded it in for a MiM Jazz which I still have (now, [i]there's[/i] another thought...), and I recently bought Jap Precision which I also love.

I guess a lot will depend on the style of music you're gonna be playing. For rock, I'd head for the P-Bass or the Yammy. For pop I'd head towards the Ibanez or the Jazz. But that's just me.

Keep GASing,

BB

[kulabula]

What is MiM??

[Dingus]

[quote name='kulabula' timestamp='1370467217' post='2101553']
What is MiM??
[/quote]

Made in Mexico .

I had an Ibanez Musician too , back in the 80's when they first came out . It was, indeed, heavy .

[mike257]

I'd agree with the posters who've said you'll soon get used to a different feeling bass. If the Yamaha sounds better to you and doesn't feel uncomfortable (just different) then I'd go for it.

Made a similar change when I traded one of my Stingrays for my Sandberg, totally different feel and was set up completely differently to how I had my rays too. It felt odd for a couple of months, especially changing between the two, but the Sandberg feels so comfortable now. Just took a bit of time to get acquainted!

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1370459539' post='2101349']
perhaps the shop will let you borrow one for a couple of days and then the other - most shops are pretty good that way if you are going to buy one or t'other for definite
[/quote]

i dont know of any shops that do this and i reckon any shopkeeper who did would seriously need their business acumen tested (unless of course it is to some well known pro)

im sure though that a good local shop would allow you to spend a considerable amount of time in the shop testing and comparing the two

or save time and just get the Yamaha

Edited June 6, 2013 by steve-bbb

[ubassman]

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1370502060' post='2101797']
i dont know of any shops that do this and i reckon any shopkeeper who did would seriously need their business acumen tested (unless of course it is to some well known pro)

im sure though that a good local shop would allow you to spend a considerable amount of time in the shop testing and comparing the two

or save time and just get the Yamaha
[/quote]



You usually have to leave a deposit for the full value of the instrument / credit card charged which will be refunded later if its a "no' on the instrument ..maybe the shops round here are more friendly than elsewhere?!

I suspect that they may be more switched on that we realise - its pretty tough to sell against the competition on the internet where people spend hours in the shop comparing instruments and then buy cheaper on line . My local shop after 2 days "on approval" just rang me up and asked how was I getting on? To be quite frank once I had it at home and was playing through my amp well, it was mine - SOLD ! ... they just said you don't need to come in again they already had the card payment ...now I think that is called "business acumen" from our local shop !

End of the day if you don't ask then you don't get and the worst they can say is no .

[ubassman]

See http://basschat.co.uk/topic/209456-the-contrabass-shop/
... well worth a punt and making the suggestion to any music shop that doesn't currently do that .

[kulabula]

I'll let you know when I have visited the shop in the big bad city again.

But, I have had one nice chap assure me that once turned up the ibby is all about quality sound. So it's down to a test. I have played fenders they just don't seem to be for me.

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1370529470' post='2102264']
See [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/209456-the-contrabass-shop/"]http://basschat.co.u...ontrabass-shop/[/url]
... well worth a punt and making the suggestion to any music shop that doesn't currently do that .
[/quote]

i must admit that ive never come across that

but now im puzzled how thta differs from actually buying it and asking for a refund/return

get the yamaha - you wont regret it

[ubassman]

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1370543094' post='2102508']
but now im puzzled how thta differs from actually buying it and asking for a refund/return
[/quote]

..probably doesn't !!