What does £300 buy you

[Twincam]

Ok I love my mustang bass but fancy trying something else preferably with a longer scale so medium or long. I've raised 300 pound and been having a look about second hand and new and have a few ideas.

What's everyone else's thoughts on what 300 possibly even a little more can get? I have no particular preference in what bass I'm looking for.

[silentbob]

The Squier Matt Freeman P Bass always gets a lot of love. They seem to sell for less than £300 s/h.

[LukeFRC]

Musicman Sub bass go for about that, the older USA made ones.

[Prosebass]

A wonderful Fame I have for sale

[uncle psychosis]

There have been yamaha TRBs going for £300ish on the forum recently. Fantastic basses.

[discreet]

[quote name='silentbob' timestamp='1396564178' post='2415275']
The Squier Matt Freeman P Bass always gets a lot of love. They seem to sell for less than £300 s/h.
[/quote]

I believe this bass to be top value for money and then some.

[skankdelvar]

Quite apart from any useful advice you get here, go to the Basses For sale sub-forum and stick '£300' in the search box. Pulls up a really mixed bag of stuff

[goblin]

You can get a lot of bang for your buck at £300 with the right deals. If you want something Jap, check my signature

[Prosebass]

[quote name='goblin' timestamp='1396571930' post='2415345']
You can get a lot of bang for your buck at £300 with the right deals. If you want something Jap, check my signature
[/quote]

Is this allowed? surely my plug for my hand-built Polish bass is, but I'm not sure about Japanese built basses?

[goblin]

No comment

[MarkG3]

I got my Squier VM Jazz V for around £300, brilliant bass

[hamfist]

THe used bass market is so depressed these days you can get an amazing amount for £300.

As already mentioned Yamaha TRB's can occasionally be picked up that sort of price, as can German-made Warwick Covettes.
Also a raft of different 80's Jap made stuff which is often of the highest quality. So much depends on your taste in bass tones.

Edited April 4, 2014 by hamfist

[theyellowcar]

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1396594141' post='2415401']
THe used bass market is so depressed these days you can get an amazing amount for £300.
[/quote]

This.

I picked up an immaculate '11 Mexican Precision for less than your budget in the FS section here. If I remember rightly there is a lovely LPB P for sale for around the same price right now.

[Truckstop]

Yamaha BB424's are great basses and you'll get plenty of change out of £300.

Alternatively, have a look at some 80's Ibanez and Aria. Some great instruments there with the kudos and mojo of an oldie.

What a lovely position to be in!

Truckstop

[HowieBass]

A new or secondhand Squier Jazz or Precision; the Vintage Modified or Classic Vibe or signature specials or Active Deluxe (Jazz) models... for your first long scale I'd say you can't go wrong with a good passive Precision.

[badboy1984]

I say a jazz bass. P, J and MM bass is all i ever need to cover 99% of the sound.

[Conan]

Made in Mexico J or P. Over £700 new, but can easily be picked up for £300 second hand on here.

[Thunderbird]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1396600127' post='2415463']
Made in Mexico J or P. Over £700 new, but can easily be picked up for £300 second hand on here.
[/quote] +1 to this I love my MIM but try before you buy as there are some awesome ones and some dogs but that is true in any bass make IMO

[geoffbyrne]

If you can get a TRB for £300 or under, grab it.

Also BB's - don't forget the BBG's and the BBN's either. My fretless is essentially a modded BBG and it's worked out great.

G.

[humapuma]

Edit: Let me add to this - reading your OP again it seems a Fender style (J or P) in a 34" would be the easiest way to check out the longer scale. There are loads of Squires and MIM Fenders around. Others here could give you much better advice than me on the specific ones to go for.



There' a lot of cheap 4-string Tanglewaters about, and some in a J style. (I may as well own up to being a big fan of Overwaters though).

Lots of other stuff about as well for that money. Been looking at 5'ers with a 35" scale and been surprised at the choices, so if you want a 34" and/or a 4 should be even easier. That said it was E-Bye Gum, but I would think there'd be something in the marketplace here as well.

Good luck!

Edited April 4, 2014 by humapuma

[barryman]

To add my tuppenceworth, I own both a Bass Collection SB310 (Jap made) and an Ibanez EDB500 - Luthite body and ebonite neck. Both are outstanding basses with the best actions I've ever known. The Iby's can be picked up for £150 - ish and the Bass Collections for not much more. Both are great but there's so much out there that nobody's advice will be relevant as we all have different preferences - the only way is for you to go and play the things and see what they sound and feel like to YOU!!

[allighatt0r]

We could throw suggestions at you all day, but your best bet by far is to browse the for sale section and see what you like the look of. There is such a lot of thoroughly nice kit in there, you could go in with a £250 or £200 budget and still come away with a beauty.

[SubsonicSimpleton]

@OP £300 buys a lot of bass secondhand, and there is almost too much choice of quality instruments at this price bracket, so you might make your own life easier if you can identify what you want - go to your nearest music shops and play with whatever they have in stock(remember to play them on a strap not just on your knee), everyone has different preferences in terms of neck profile, string spacing and sound, best to check them out first and getter a better idea what you like, then you can get some solid advice on what might suit your needs best.

[JohnFitzgerald]

My Status Energy 4 string cost me £150.

Do I win ?

[goblin]

Nope, I know someone who got an early OLP Stingray for £40 today

That, and my dad picked up the Wal for £400...