Verminox Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 Hi, I'm fifteen and been playing bass for four years and have had the same bass since the begining (a japanese copy) and i think it's time now to get a new one. I play a wide range of things from heavey stuff in my band, to jazz, blues, funk etc. outside it. I've asked other people and alot them said go for a fender jazz, you can't go wrong, suits every style.....yakk yakk, but wondering if there are any other brands i should consider. Budget is around £500 Also if any know of any shops in America (Tennessee) area that sell basses then that would be useful as im going there in October, since there alot cheaper over there then UK. Oh yea what does GAS mean?!?!? Cheers for any help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 GAS = Gear Aquistion Syndrome And for £500, just get out and about and try them in shops. Jazzes and P basses are the standard basses that everyone tries but there are lots of others on the market (Warwick, G&L, Musicman, Rickenbacker, Cort, Ibanez etc.) Also don't be afraid to look further afield like on here and ebay, can get some 2nd hand bargins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassboy115 Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 Gas means - gear accusition syndrome or sumat like that. It means you really really want a bit of gear. Ive got a mex jazz bass and its great. I really like the thin neck and the tone of it. Ive also got a harley benton music man copy (only a budget bass) but even so it has a lot fatter/ punchy sound. IMO jazz basses have quite a thin clangy/gritty sound but can also have a very smooth funky sound. Whereas precision basses and Music men etc have quite a full punchy beefy sound. But hey thats only my opinion other people may think completely different. Its really all about what suits YOU. Go to a shop and try a bunch of basses and see what suits you. Have a look around the internet for ones you like and go and try em out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 There's a very tasty Yamaha BB414 currently for sale in the FS section for under £200. Great, versatile bass, that feels more like £500 and it's not a copy of something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 (edited) As for the US, check out [url="http://www.musiciansfriend.com"]http://www.musiciansfriend.com[/url] (Guitar Center) and [url="http://www.samash.com"]http://www.samash.com[/url] Remember that you run the risk of being stopped bringing anything back into Britain and charged VAT and import duty. Lots of people don't get stopped by factor that into your calculations when in the States! Edited July 9, 2007 by stingrayfan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-T-P Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 £500 can buy a heck of a lot of bass these days. If you are okay with buying second hand, even more so. If you look long and hard enough you'll probably find a second hand Fender Made in USA P-Bass or J-Bass for £500 and they are so popular and often copied (either cheaply or very expensively) for good reason - you can use them in pretty much any situation. You can get a Lakland 44-01 or 55-01 second hand for around £400 and I personally think that is the best bang for bucks buy in that price bracket. If you are looking at buying new, a Yamaha TRB1004 will cost just over £500 and would be an exceptionally nice bass to play, as are most of the Yamaha basses. Ibanez also make some great basses under £500 and I think there's a lot to be said for the Cort GB range of basses too. Personally I don't think the Made in Mexico Fenders are a good new buy. I've only ever owned one MIM Fender that I liked, the others weren't that well made. You'll get a far better bass if you can find a Made in Japan Fender and you can get one of those new for under £500. Warwick's RockBass line are excellent value for money but may not suit all situations as readily as some others I've mentioned. Remember, if you buy new, when it comes time to sell, you can expect to only get about 60% of what you paid for it so be sure that any new bass is one you really are going to stick with. If not, second hand is almost always the way to go as you will get a lot more bass for your money and if you look after it well, when it comes time to sell you will get most, if not all of your money back. As others have said, get out there and try some basses, find what you like and what you don't like. Most bass players are pretty down to earth too so don't be afraid to ask for in person advice, I'd bet most will chat away quite happily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 Great avatar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verminox Posted July 10, 2007 Author Share Posted July 10, 2007 Cheers for the feedback guys, try looking for a decent second hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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