Moving over to the darkside!

[Jonesy64]

Hi guys, new poster here, pleased to meet you all!

I have been playing rhythm guitar in a few rock covers bands down the years and the one I am in at the moment I think is coming to an end...I blame the drummer!
I have a real hankering to move across to Bass and have been doing a bit of research to see what I could get my hands on with a tight budget, prob £700 absolute max for guitar and amp.

My intention is to find a band quite quickly (and after a lot of practice!) should this one break up so the bass gear needs to be good enough for the usual pub/club venues and maybe an occasional festival without me needing to upgrade further down the line.
Space at home and in the car is also at a premium so a lightweight combo is top of my list. I am looking closely at the TC BG250 combo and the Genz Contour 115 or 210 combo. Both can be had for £300ish. I think the Genz has the ability to run an extension cab which is why I am tending to sway towards one. Should I be looking at other options besides these two?

I am a bit stumped on guitars, I have no experience of the manufacturers line ups and would love to get some guidance....after the combo I will have around £300/£350 left. I have been to BassDirect and tried out a Sandberg Electra which had a really comfortable neck, the Spector Legend looked smart but both are still £150 plus above my budget.
Ibanez looks to have quite an affordable range and I assume there are others to consider? No problem looking at used either.

I would really welcome anyone's thoughts and advice in getting this idea off the ground :-)

.....and apologies for the long-winded first post!

Cheers, Mark.

[lojo]

Go for used, borrow one even if possible, dont buy new unless you really know what you want and have your heart set on something you can only get new

Id say, but some second hand buget basses which you could pass on again with little loss, then you can experiment a little.

Good luck and welcome to the world of making everyone else sound great

[SpaceChick]

Firstly, this isn't the dark side, it's you finally seeing the light

I would suggest that your transfer to bass isn't as easy as most guitarists would think. The fact that you play rhythm should hopefully mean that you have a greater understanding of the bass as a rhythm instrument. However, many guitarists have discovered that becoming a bassist isn't as straight forward as they anticipated!!

As for Ibanez basses, I'm a great fan! The SR300 range is fantastic value for money, and has a slim neck which may help you move over from a guitar easier.

Good luck!

[discreet]

I blame the drummer, too. Because it really is his fault.

[size=4] [/size]

[steve-bbb]

squier J

or P if you must

Edited July 8, 2013 by steve-bbb

[rOB]

Welcome!

Plenty of great cheap basses too. Ibanez and Squier have already been mentioned. Also Yamaha get a lot of love

With regards amps and cabs, you'll need a [b]lot [/b]more power than you're used to as a guitarist, combo sounds like a good place to start but I'd be looking for one which can power an extension cab.

Specific recommendations might be easier to make if we had an idea of what you want to sound like? Any favourite bass sounds? Bass players?

[jezzaboy]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1373306395' post='2135952']
I blame the drummer, too. Because it really is his fault.


[/quote]

Always the way!!

Mark. What brand of guitar do you play? Some people like to stick to what they know and already use.

If I had your budget and was looking to buy new, you can`t go wrong with a Yamaha BB, P and J pickup, good build quality and will do anything you ask of it. The neck is nice and slim and comfortable.

If you are looking s/h, your best bet is to scan the classified ads on here. For your budget you will get a good selection of Yams, Ibanez, Fenders etc. If you need further info on a purchase, this is the best place as [i]everyone[/i] on here has an opinion.

[Jonesy64]

Hi chaps, appreciating the replies, thankyou!

To answer a few comments and questions I feel like I will be able to make the transition but I am not under estimating it. I have a lot of work ahead to give myself a chance when replying to some of the 'bassist wanted' ads :-). I am really looking forward to it though, I feel like it's the kick up the arse I need to get interested in playing again...thats the drummers fault as well playing his boring song choices!

My current gear is quite traditional hand wired tube amps, Matamp GT 50 watt head into Matamp 2x12. I also have a Dr Z Remedy head which might be the sacrificial lamb if I need to push the boat out further on my budget. My main guitar is a Les Paul Standard. It's fair to say then that I am no stranger to head and cab arrangements and was looking at the bass combo's from the practical angle. If a head and cab is the way to go then I am more than happy to look into those options.

As for musical style and tone, there isn't a particular bass player who I am thinking of and as for the kind of music I would be playing first and foremost I would look at classic rock as I would have a good starting point having played all the usual stuff over the past 6 or 7 years I think it's been. If a punk covers band should advertise then I would be all over that like the proverbial rash :-))

I remember Yamaha Basses have a good rep from donkeys years ago, I will def add those to the search.

Oh, and yeah I have been a constant visitor to the bass and amps for sale sections for the past couple of weeks....been mighty close to picking something up off there but have resisted so far....absolutely no problem buying second hand though.

[BassTractor]

Hey Mark,


Welcome to BC!
That was your first good choice. We'll get you there.

I can add little to what has already been mentioned. Just use most of the money on the amplification. Cheap basses can be great indeed, amp and cabs less so, unless you can lift old and heavy but still great gear like Trace Elliots, Peaveys and others.
Basses: Yamaha, Ibanez (except the cheap GSR-180), Squier (Affinity if checked, Vintage Modified if checked, Classic Vibe unseen), but also some leftfielders like a Danelectro 58 Longhorn or a used Hohner B2B cricket bat are good and fun basses. Me, I recently acquired a Daisy Rock bass for the excrutiating price of 69 quid, and it's just lovely (not perfect, but good enough).

When looking at the Marketplace, you can always ask the community for opinions on specific gear that has taken your fancy. I think that that might be the effective way of doing it.

Good luck!

best,
bert
Edited for specification of cheap Ibanez

Edited July 11, 2013 by BassTractor

[Truckstop]

Buy a Yamaha BB424x second hand for £250 max, buy some LaBella Stainless Steel strings (medium tension, not too bright) for £25 and then buy a Comfort Strapp for another £25. Now you'll be ultra-comfortable making some awesome sounds and looking great while you do it.

Ampwise, honestly just get anything you like the look of that'll be loud enough for your needs. With a £300 budget, I'd be looking at a second hand Ampeg PF-350, Gallien-Kreuger MB200 or TC Electonic BH250 combined with a Trace Elliot, Peavey or Ashdown 2x10 cabinet. If you can find a 4x10 in budget, then great. Go for that!

I prefer head and cab. It's easier to upgrade one component at a time and I think it's important for musicians to fully understand what a particular piece of gear brings to the table in terms of sound quality. Another thing to remember is that you really don't need to be as loud as you think in a band situation.

Good luck and have fun!

Alex

[discreet]

[quote name='Jonesy64' timestamp='1373311929' post='2136061']...thats the drummers fault as well playing his boring song choices![/quote]

Holy crap, you don't let a drummer make song choices! What were you thinking??

[BassTractor]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1373326843' post='2136366']
I prefer head and cab. It's easier to upgrade one component at a time and I think it's important for musicians to fully understand what a particular piece of gear brings to the table in terms of sound quality.
[/quote]

This.
Get two heads eventually. For learning, fun, back-up and whatnot.

b,
b

[cytania]

I liked Bass Direct's Legend 4 so much I bought one a few months ago. It's a modern style bass with a clean, defined, atriculate sound. You may also be liking the strings which are easy on the fingers even for roundwounds.

Stereotypical rock basses are thuddy, muddy, wiry and growly. A Fender Precision type bass will give you that. I tried an MTD CRB at Bass Direct with all those qualities. It was like a spark between the fret and string every note. But it wouldn't do subtle...

[Damonjames]

I would recommend getting yourself a Mexican fender jazz bass. They come up here on the classified, and if you find one that's been around a while, you can get them for a lot les than what you want to spend.
I would suggest investing the change in your amp, as a bassist you will quickly learn that you need a really decent amp if A) you want to be heard and you really want to fill your bands sound out. With a budget of about £400, maybe look at some trace Elliott gear, personally it's not my favourite but, hey it's cheap and it'll get you out making a racket!

[Les]

Hello Mark

First off you're absolutely right to blame the drummer.

As for basses etc, why don't you start off with what the lad in your band is playing ? What do you like or not like about it ? And as your often only 8 feet away from it I'm sure you could have a tinkle on it.

Ask about borrowing to try out from him and the other bassists you've played with. Cant think of any of the guitarists I've played with that I wouldn't lend my basses to for a couple of days if they asked.

Obviously if it was the drummer asking I would look askance.

Les

[Jonesy64]

That's it, i'm sold on the head and cab route, I have always preferred them for the reasons mentioned. At one time I had a 1x12, 2x12 and a 4x12 for different size venues and to mix and match with my Matamp and Dr Z heads.

Are there any good lightweight 2x10's to consider?

Really, really liking the GK MB heads, I guess the 200 is the most practical and certainly the logical choice solely on budget constraints. Is this one of those situations though where we always regret not pushing the boat out and getting the next one up?...in this case the 500?

I think i am going to put my efforts into finding a GK head plus lightweight cab and a sub £250 used bass along the lines of those mentioned, Yam, Squire Vibe, MIM Fender etc.,

Thanks for all the great pointers, it has helped no end.

Re' loud bands....Mark at BassDirect was talking to me about it and was actually something I understood from my own experience...and pleaded guilty to participating in!!

Les, I'm keeping this idea under wraps until I know what's happening with the band. I don't want them using me as an excuse to break up, it'll die of natural causes soon enough, of that I am sure :-)

I guess I should start asking for specific questions if I have them in the amps and bass sections from now on.

Thanks so far guys!

[discreet]

[quote name='Jonesy64' timestamp='1373360178' post='2136561']Really, really liking the GK MB heads, I guess the 200 is the most practical and certainly the logical choice solely on budget constraints. Is this one of those situations though where we always regret not pushing the boat out and getting the next one up?...in this case the 500?[/quote]

Always worth a bit extra to have some headroom! You do have the option of turning it down a bit...

Edited July 9, 2013 by discreet

[hamfist]

As for basses, I'd recommend getting a PJ pickuped bass. Simply more versatile, as you probably haven't actually really discovered your "voice" as a bassist yet. IMO, the Yamaha RBX270 is a hidden Gem at minimal money.
The GK MB amps, are excellent. I run the MB500 but I suspect that the 200 into a decent 4 ohm cab would probably be ample for your needs. The conundrum would be ... buy the 500, and you'd have power but less money for a cab to use it. Buy the 200 and you would have less power, but more money to buy a decent 4 ohm cab to project what power you did have. The GL neo cabs are excellent and, if you could find one used, would be ideal. Ditto for the TC Electronic RS cabs. It's a pity that weight and size are an issue as old, big 4x10's are cheap as chips these days.
I think you also need to be aware that playing rock you are unlikely to be satisfied with a purely clean tone and either need an amp which can dirty up a little or use a pedal (my preference), so budget possibly needs to include that also.
I think you could also do worse than one of the Genz 1x15 contour amps, ideally with a 1x12 or 2x10 extension cab. If I had your budget I think I'd be spending about £200 on a PJ equipped bass (used or new), the 1x15 Genz contour combo and a decent dirt pedal or two. I'd then be saving for an extension cab if the whole bass thing worked out for me.
Fun times !

[Jonesy64]

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1373441406' post='2137519']
The GK MB amps, are excellent. I run the MB500 but I suspect that the 200 into a decent 4 ohm cab would probably be ample for your needs. The conundrum would be ... buy the 500, and you'd have power but less money for a cab to use it. Buy the 200 and you would have less power, but more money to buy a decent 4 ohm cab to project what power you did have.

I think you could also do worse than one of the Genz 1x15 contour amps, ideally with a 1x12 or 2x10 extension cab. If I had your budget I think I'd be spending about £200 on a PJ equipped bass (used or new), the 1x15 Genz contour combo and a decent dirt pedal or two. I'd then be saving for an extension cab if the whole bass thing worked out for me
[/quote]

Thanks Hamfist, I read this and thought it made so much sense.....it has brought me full circle to my original plan of a combo. I was leaning towards the GB contour as it had the extension cab option.
BassDirect still advertising one at £329.....decisions, decisions. Aargh!!!!! :-)

I should be ok for dirt pedals. I have quite a few including a couple of muffs and the excellent MI Megalith. They aren't dedicated Bass pedals but they might work out alright before I experiment with dedicated bass dirt pedals.

So close to pulling the trigger on the GB Contour.....I'll hang on for a bit in case of any other suggestions :-)

[Jellyfish]

I can't believe nobody has pointed out the new Yamaha TRBX Range. I had the opportunity to play one recently and, for the money, it's one of the best and most versatile basses in its price range. There are a couple of different models too that should suit your budget equally depending on what amp you've got.

Alternatively, as others have said, a BB424X/425X is a good option. We currently have a 424X in our shop for £339 and, as well as being pretty, is also very comfortable to play considering the price.

[cytania]

Don't worry too much about the dirt pedals Jonesy. They aren't a big part of bass playing. Might be some with good resale values you could sell to raise funds.

[Jonesy64]

[quote name='cytania' timestamp='1373474530' post='2138089']
Don't worry too much about the dirt pedals Jonesy. They aren't a big part of bass playing. Might be some with good resale values you could sell to raise funds.
[/quote]

Good point, just listed three on the Bay!

[carl0s]

[quote name='Jellyfish' timestamp='1373463707' post='2137886']
I can't believe nobody has pointed out the new Yamaha TRBX Range. I had the opportunity to play one recently and, for the money, it's one of the best and most versatile basses in its price range. There are a couple of different models too that should suit your budget equally depending on what amp you've got.
[/quote]

I think I'm about to order a TRBX505. I want a 5 string, and it looks good. Good price at Thomann. Not much talk about that model though but then it is quite new.

[Jellyfish]

[quote name='carl0s' timestamp='1377036311' post='2182652']
I think I'm about to order a TRBX505. I want a 5 string, and it looks good. Good price at Thomann. Not much talk about that model though but then it is quite new.
[/quote]

I am recommending it to everyone I know who's looking for a decent budget 5-string. When I was looking for a 5-string around that price mark, I tried many of them out. I finally ended up landing on an Ibanez BTB as the 35" scale length made for a great low B string, but I if the TRBX had been around at the time, I would have definitely purchased that instead. They sound great but just feel extremely comfortable, I don't doubt that you'll be happy with one.

[carl0s]

[quote name='Jellyfish' timestamp='1377075710' post='2182899']
I am recommending it to everyone I know who's looking for a decent budget 5-string. When I was looking for a 5-string around that price mark, I tried many of them out. I finally ended up landing on an Ibanez BTB as the 35" scale length made for a great low B string, but I if the TRBX had been around at the time, I would have definitely purchased that instead. They sound great but just feel extremely comfortable, I don't doubt that you'll be happy with one.
[/quote]

Great. I ordered it last night and it's been shipped already.

I have a 4 string Peavey Cirrus BXP, which is 35".
I am looking forward to both having a low B, and a trying shorter scale again. I know the longer scale is better for the looser low B but nevermind