List of basses (new OR second hand) that are a lot of bass for the money

[Annoying Twit]

There seem to be a number of basses that are considered 'a lot of bass for the money'. E.g. we have threads on J&D and Harley Benton new basses. There are the Westone, Bass Collection, and other Japanese made basses. People mention American made Peavey's (not so much the T40 as those go for higher prices, but other models) as being little known classics and undervalued. We've had discussions of Westfield basses being a lot of bass for the money, and available for peanuts second hand. There are good value for money Yamaha brands, I've seen the Ibanez SR300 described as a lot of bass for the money. The Classic Vibe/Vintage Modified Squiers are also often described as a real bargain for what you get. I've seen the Aria STB bass range (basic P and J basses) described as a bargain, and they sometimes go for extremely low sums on ebay. Vintage (the brand) also, but I'm not sure which are the really good models, and which aren't so good.

What other bass brands/models are a huge bargain for the money that you pay for them? Either new models or second hand.

[Lw.]

I'm not sure the J&D or Harley Benton basses can really apply to this category as in reality you're not actually getting very much bass - the simple Fender style copies (and most proper Fenders) are as stripped back as a bass can be. I'm not being down on these brands, they look pretty good when you consider they only cost £100 but they're not exactly brimming with features & have a couple of tell-tail signs that indicate their price point.

Some of the mid to high end Ibanez basses can really be called a lot of bass for the money (in my opinion) - exotic woods, neck-through, active - Ibanez are churning these out at half the price some of the other big name brands are doing.

Second hand there are almost too many to name, some real bargains out there - almost any brand that has no association to Leo Fender seems be be having a dip in second hand value at the moment (you can see it when watching the classifieds on here) - if I weren't being strict on myself I could buy 3 or 4 incredible basses for 6/700 each on here that would cover every possible playing requirement.

[Jellyfish]

Most brands with low resale value. Two that I've had personal experience with are [b]G&L[/b] and [b]Ibanez[/b].

If you have around £350 to spend, the [b]G&L Tributes[/b] are amazing, both the 4 and 5 strings and, as long as you can get on with the feel of it, it'll stomp on most other things in that category for versatility and quality.

The [b]Ibanez[/b], at least for me, was a similar story. Bought a 5 string Prestige for £600 and it was only since trying out other, more expensive, basses that I realised what a silly price that was to pay for such a good instrument.

Perhaps I'm being a bit biased here, but the [b]Alpher Instruments[/b] range of affordable basses, their [b]Prime[/b] range, is stupidly good value for what is essentially a custom built instrument. For £999 you get an instrument with pre-defined pickups and a small selection of woods to choose from but that is put together in the same way that their high end basses are. Compare that to most other popular brands and it comes in at under their prices for an instrument that's hand build in the UK. And if you're worried about having not heard much from them, just take a look at the recent reviews in this months Bass Guitar Magazine. To get something of that quality for £999 is crazy. I know there's one on my list.

[muttley]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1392808639' post='2372910']
Vintage (the brand) also, but I'm not sure which are the really good models, and which aren't so good.
[/quote]

I only know one: the V1004 (because that's what I have) and it's a superb instrument. Light, well balanced and excellent playability if a little too bling for my taste. I bought it s/h for well under £200. Even new they're good value but if I was spending that sort of figure I'd probably choose something with better s/h value (just in case, y'know. After all, we only [i]rent[/i] our basses).

[HowieBass]

Don't forget Cort, great instruments for the money (and they make many basses for other people, Squier and Ibanez included).

[Annoying Twit]

Some very interesting comments here. Personally I think that something is 'a lot of bass' if it plays and sounds good. I wouldn't personally put too much importance on fancy woods and accessories. Not that I'm saying that others shouldn't, that's just my personal way of looking at things. Hence, if I found a basic jazz bass made from maple and alder or whatever, with simple passive electronics, but an excellent neck and fretwork and which sounded like the dog's gonads, I'll feel that would be a lot of bass. Fancy woods etc. would be a bonus, all else being equal, but a basic bass can be a 'lot' for me.

I think this is a Vintage V1004: [url=http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Fretless-Bass-Guitar-/261397106659?ViewItem=&ssPageName=ADME%3AB%3AWNA%3AGB%3A3160&item=261397106659]ebay link[/url] It sold for just over 2/3s of its new price, which isn't bad, but a fair number of Vintage basses sell for a fraction of their new price. The V1004 looks like a very fancy bass to me, but I've never played one and hence can't evaluate them. If they play and sound great, that would be a real bargain.

I've heard a lot of good things about G&L basses, but have never played one. I must do so one day.

Cort basses - I'm not sure about. I played a number of Corts from entry level to A5. All of them had high action, and while they felt OK, the action got in the way for me. I don't understand why shops put basses up on the wall for hundreds of pounds and won't adjust the action.

[tom1946]

I've had a G&L tribute and stupidly sold it, never seen a used one since, I'd jump on it if one came up. I even bought a new maple neck/board in case a body came along they are amazing for the money.

I'm still reeling at how good my HB Jazz is, it's the best bass I've ever had for out of the box string balance etc'.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Vester custom shop

[iconic]

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1392816694' post='2373025']
I'm not sure the J&D or Harley Benton basses can really apply to this category as in reality you're not actually getting very much bass - the simple Fender style copies (and most proper Fenders) are as stripped back as a bass can be. I'm not being down on these brands, they look pretty good when you consider they only cost £100 but they're not exactly brimming with features & have a couple of tell-tail signs that indicate their price point.

Some of the mid to high end Ibanez basses can really be called a lot of bass for the money (in my opinion) - exotic woods, neck-through, active - Ibanez are churning these out at half the price some of the other big name brands are doing.

Second hand there are almost too many to name, some real bargains out there - almost any brand that has no association to Leo Fender seems be be having a dip in second hand value at the moment (you can see it when watching the classifieds on here) - if I weren't being strict on myself I could buy 3 or 4 incredible basses for 6/700 each on here that would cover every possible playing requirement.
[/quote]

interesting points raised, but I'm puzzled what 'features' a J&D or Harley Benton Jazz is missing from say Fender Mexican Std or even US jazz?
cheers

[Paul S]

Agree totally about Westones. The Thunder range in particular are excellent.

I would add some Hohner basses to the list. Hohner B2A in its various incarnations, the full-bodied Jack and full-bodied plus headstocked B Bass all go for not a lot of cash but are perfectly good basses.

Squier Deluxe range - I have the Deluxe Jazz and it is ridiculously nice for a bass that costs around £250 new.

Squier Silver Series I think are tremendously good value. I've had both a J and P, both cracking basses. The Precision, particularly. They can usually be found for under £250.

I had a Washburn Scavenger, around 1980 or so, that was gorgeous. Heavy, though, so it had to go. To my eyes it is the nicest looking bass ever made... I think I may be in a minority, though.

Recently bought an Aria Pro II Laser Classic for £140, which is a stupidly low amount of money for a bass like that.

[iconic]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1392808639' post='2372910']
There seem to be a number of basses that are considered 'a lot of bass for the money'. E.g. we have threads on J&D and Harley Benton new basses. There are the Westone, Bass Collection, and other Japanese made basses. People mention American made Peavey's (not so much the T40 as those go for higher prices, but other models) as being little known classics and undervalued. We've had discussions of Westfield basses being a lot of bass for the money, and available for peanuts second hand. There are good value for money Yamaha brands, I've seen the Ibanez SR300 described as a lot of bass for the money. The Classic Vibe/Vintage Modified Squiers are also often described as a real bargain for what you get. I've seen the Aria STB bass range (basic P and J basses) described as a bargain, and they sometimes go for extremely low sums on ebay. Vintage (the brand) also, but I'm not sure which are the really good models, and which aren't so good.

What other bass brands/models are a huge bargain for the money that you pay for them? Either new models or second hand.
[/quote]

I think you nailed that list very well.

[Raslee]

Farida.....scored a Farida p bass for £95 a few days a go and just awaiting delivery; i had a Farida before briefly and the quality was great.

[TheGreek]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1392819935' post='2373071']
Don't forget Cort, great instruments for the money (and they make many basses for other people, Squier and Ibanez included).
[/quote]

Really?? I was disappointed with the one I bought when I started playing again...just lacked something..

[Lw.]

[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1392836678' post='2373356']
interesting points raised, but I'm puzzled what 'features' a J&D or Harley Benton Jazz is missing from say Fender Mexican Std or even US jazz?
cheers
[/quote]

They're not missing any, that's the point.

For me the Fender design (either P or J for the sake of this) is the basic/standard bass, they do everything that's needed & have done it very well for the last 60 years or so. Over those years other brands have taken that design and added bits (as have Fender) be that different designs for bridges or tuners to through-necks & active circuitry etc...

The far eastern copies (J&D/HB etc..) do currently look ok for the money & at only £100 it's not even a gamble, they don't miss any features the standard fenders have, but I think it's fair to say that they're not as good in fit/finish/sound/looks (nothing to be ashamed of, they're 10% of the price of US Fenders) & they offer nothing above the basics so I don't see how they can possibly be "a lot of bass", when they're really a standard amount of bass.

Again, not picking on them or being snobby - I think they fit well into the good for a beginner/modder category for not much money, just voicing my opinion.

[Dazed]

If it hasn't already appeared a USA Musicman SUB. A Stingray in a cheap suit.
if you can find one for the right price. I almost had one from crack converters last year for £180 until they realised their mistake.....

Although I haven't owned one I amazed how cheaply you can pick up an old status energy.

[Kev]

[quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1392843350' post='2373494']


Although I haven't owned one I amazed how cheaply you can pick up an old status energy.
[/quote]

I think that goes for any wooden necked Status, people overlook them as they are not graphite and they go cheap as a result. Cracking basses

[neepheid]

Can only second the G&L Tribute motion.

[fiatcoupe432]

[quote name='Jellyfish' timestamp='1392819538' post='2373060']
Most brands with low resale value. Two that I've had personal experience with are [b]G&L[/b] and [b]Ibanez[/b].

If you have around £350 to spend, the [b]G&L Tributes[/b] are amazing, both the 4 and 5 strings and, as long as you can get on with the feel of it, it'll stomp on most other things in that category for versatility and quality.

The [b]Ibanez[/b], at least for me, was a similar story. Bought a 5 string Prestige for £600 and it was only since trying out other, more expensive, basses that I realised what a silly price that was to pay for such a good instrument.

Perhaps I'm being a bit biased here, but the [b]Alpher Instruments[/b] range of affordable basses, their [b]Prime[/b] range, is stupidly good value for what is essentially a custom built instrument. For £999 you get an instrument with pre-defined pickups and a small selection of woods to choose from but that is put together in the same way that their high end basses are. Compare that to most other popular brands and it comes in at under their prices for an instrument that's hand build in the UK. And if you're worried about having not heard much from them, just take a look at the recent reviews in this months Bass Guitar Magazine. To get something of that quality for £999 is crazy. I know there's one on my list.
[/quote]





+1 on the alpher ! great instruments and quality ! the prime range is amazing ! if alpher started to make instruments ten years ago i would have saved so much money..........

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1392843066' post='2373487']
They're not missing any, that's the point.

For me the Fender design (either P or J for the sake of this) is the basic/standard bass, they do everything that's needed & have done it very well for the last 60 years or so. Over those years other brands have taken that design and added bits (as have Fender) be that different designs for bridges or tuners to through-necks & active circuitry etc...

The far eastern copies (J&D/HB etc..) do currently look ok for the money & at only £100 it's not even a gamble, they don't miss any features the standard fenders have, but I think it's fair to say that they're not as good in fit/finish/sound/looks (nothing to be ashamed of, they're 10% of the price of US Fenders) & they offer nothing above the basics so I don't see how they can possibly be "a lot of bass", when they're really a standard amount of bass.

Again, not picking on them or being snobby - I think they fit well into the good for a beginner/modder category for not much money, just voicing my opinion.
[/quote]

I would say that the 'lot of bass' comes from the details. Playability and sound. There are some (e.g.) Jazz basses with great playability and sound, and some basses with pretty much the same design and specs, but where the playability and sound is pants. If I am buying a bass, then I'd be prepared to pay more for greatly improved playability and sound, but not so much for fancier woods and extra electronics if playability and sound aren't any better. Note: that's just my opinion, I'm not claiming it's objective fact.

I'd never heard of Alpher instruments before. Are there any pictures online? I searched (and went to their website) but couldn't find any. Only pictures of the Mako Elite range, where there is some serious spalting going on.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[yorks5stringer]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1392852998' post='2373648']
I would say that the 'lot of bass' comes from the details. Playability and sound. There are some (e.g.) Jazz basses with great playability and sound, and some basses with pretty much the same design and specs, but where the playability and sound is pants. If I am buying a bass, then I'd be prepared to pay more for greatly improved playability and sound, but not so much for fancier woods and extra electronics if playability and sound aren't any better. Note: that's just my opinion, I'm not claiming it's objective fact.

I'd never heard of Alpher instruments before. Are there any pictures online? I searched (and went to their website) but couldn't find any. Only pictures of the Mako Elite range, where there is some serious spalting going on.
[/quote]

There's a separate thread about Alpher on Tour.

Just going back to original premise, I've had a Gibson EB2, 3 G&L's L2500, a Status Groove V, a JD Roadie, an original Squier Precision and a VM Squier Jazz V, a Warwick Star V and a heap of others Basses I can't even remember and the HB PJHTR 5 I've just got is way better than the VM Squier for tone and playability. I'm not just saying that cos it is new and was cheap either. Now whether it's the PBass pickups that sound so much better than the bridge Jazz pickup on it or the blend of the 2 I don't know. It's quite heavy as I've said elsewhere, but so was my VM Jazz V.....

[Mornats]

Hmm, a lot of bass for the money...

I've experienced:

Yamaha TRBX: around £400 new. One of the best playing instruments I've ever played. Sounds great and is flawless in construction. Stands up well against £1200-1500 basses.

Overwater Classic or Contemporary Jazz basses: £400-600 new. Beats any Fender bass I've ever played (and I've played a few dozen in various shops) for playability and tone. They're a little heavy, a couple of rough edges in construction on some earlier models but stands in between USA Fenders and UK Overwaters based on the consensus of opinion from those who have owned both the UK and Tanglewood-made ones.

Any SGC Nanyo Bass Collection you can get your hands on. Easy to pick up for a couple of hundred and you'll soon question why people sell them.

[Annoying Twit]

@York5Stringer - any chance that you can record something DI'd tone wide open from the HB? I'd really like to hear the tone. EDIT: Or, you could tell me if this youtube video matches the sound of yours. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV_iSITTPUk Particularly the neck pickup and both pickups on this sounds good to me. Perhaps the B string could be a touch louder though.

@Kev - which wooden neck Status do you mean? I remember in the ebay forum we had a discussion where a Status bass was on for what seemed to be a very cheap price to me. People pointed out that it was wooden necked, and not as fancied (and if I recall correctly, not as good) as the carbon necked Statuses.

@momats - I haven't played a TRBX just yet. One of my local shops has one on the wall, but I haven't tried it out yet. The SGC Nanyo basses seem to go for bargain prices. There was a SB310 that went for about £115 near to me. And it might have gone for less if I hadn't bid on it as I was the second highest bidder. Here's a [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SGC-Nanyo-Bass-Collection-4-String-Active-/291070446248?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item43c5268aa8"]SGC Nanyo BC[/url], said to be in excellent condition, that went for £99. Bet the buyer was pleased. Seller, probably not so much.

Off to find the Alpher on tour thread.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[Pinball]

There seem to lots out there 2nd hand, many which have been mentioned. Recently while searching for my sound I was looking at Cort (A4 and B4) models and Ibanez basses as anything from the 500 model upwards seems great value. LTD/ESP and Schecters always seem good value as are Farida.

ooh I just happen to have mentioned all the 3 bass brands on my profile already and I'm very happy with them, no GAS for me

[ern500evo]

Spector NS2000, if you can find one.

[barkin]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1392845293' post='2373537']
Can only second the G&L Tribute motion.
[/quote]

Hmm...I keep reading this, but I'd not had my grubby paws on one until last weekend.

Perhaps I just happened upon a bad 'un, but I was very disappointed - the fretwork especially I thought was poor, and overall it just felt cheap to me.

I didn't bother plugging it in...

At that kinda price point, I'd take a Tanglewater any day.

Edited February 20, 2014 by barkin