jeff.nicol_scotland Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Having always wanted to learn the bass I'm away to buy my first guitar been look at the Santa Monica Bass Guitar but can't seem to find any reviews , good buy? Advice welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 A few reviews on gear 4 music. I would probably suggest a Harley Benton or Squier. All good tried and tested entry level basses. https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Santa-Monica-Bass-Guitar-by-Gear4music-Black/1I00#full-des Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 I've owned 3 Gear4Music L.A. basses. The first 2 were amazingly good value. After that, when I saw them selling slightly damaged ones I jumped in thinking I'd do it up. When I got it I found the newer bodies were much lighter. The balance of the body to neck wasn't as good as the older ones were. So I returned it to Gear4Music; which they were good about. Another good make for lower cost instruments is Westfield. There's also another thread on here with recommendations for budget basses that would be worth reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Looks like a kind of Musicman Reflex inspired bass. At £99 including a gig bag and lead, you probably can't go far wrong TBH. Gear4music have a 30 day return option so the risk is minimal too. As Hobbayne points out, Squier stuff is generally good for the money, and has the added advantage of holding onto their prices quite well when/if you decide to sell to upgrade. Second hand is best for a lot of people, although if you're a complete novice it's best to take along a more knowledgeable mate to help you. Try something out if you can, as only then will you know what will suit you best. If that's not possible, then at least prepare yourself for maybe having to buy & sell a bit till you find your 'fit', although you never know you may get lucky first time! Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff.nicol_scotland Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) Thank you everyone Edited February 25, 2018 by jeff.nicol_scotland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 a used ibanez SR 300 would be a great first bass as they have lovely thin necks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Hey Jeff Welcome to the forum. As an absolute novice it may be a good idea to find a more experienced Bass player who lives nearby, possible here on the forum, who can give you an idea on what to look for when you go shopping for a bass. For many new players the only consideration is aesthetics - "I like the look of that.." - but there are lots of other considerations when buying an instrument. Find a shop with a large selection - I believe that GuitarGuitar is well respected - and go and try different instruments. Remember that two instruments in the same range can differ significantly so try black/white/sunburst basses even if you only after a red one. The best option may be to get to something like the London Bass show in March where you can try lots of equipment before parting with your cash or pop along to Jam nights in your location and have a chat to bassists there. They'll be happy to chat - after all we're generally ignore by most musos... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 @TheGreek has raised some good points, @jeff.nicol_scotland. The bass you've selected has a particular sound. Is this selection based on a like for that sound, or is that based on looks? As @TheGreek says, you probably should try out some basses and don't overlook the fact that the amp and speakers make up a good contribution to the overall tone/sound. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) I seem to recall someone on here has been modding Gear for Music basses, taking advantage of the lightweight paulownia bodies to make super light Precisions. If any anyone can remember who that was, they could probably give an idea of the quality of the unmodded instruments. Edit. I think it was @tom1946 Edited February 25, 2018 by Cato Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 44 minutes ago, Cato said: I seem to recall someone on here has been modding Gear for Music basses, taking advantage of the lightweight paulownia bodies to make super light Precisions. If any anyone can remember who that was, they could probably give an idea of the quality of the unmodded instruments. Edit. I think it was @tom1946 I entered a stock version of a Gear4Music L.A. Precision bass into a blind head to head challenge test at a Herts Bass Bash. @Lozz196 would know where the link is to the results, but my L.A. came 4th, above some USA Fenders. The body of mine was a little heavier than the current versions though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Here you go: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzbass Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 SX Jazz bass Standard. Awesome thin neck on this cheap bass. $299 Aus which would be around 120-180 Euros? Really really good player. Even the pups are keepers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrunoBass Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 I bought a J&D Jazz from DV247 for £105 as a back up, and something to mess around on, learn about truss rod adjustment. It’s brilliant. I regularly gig it in the more rowdy venues we play and whilst I still intend to upgrade pickups etc I haven’t ‘had’ to, it’s a perfectly solid, functional, growly sounding Jazz bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 14 hours ago, PaulGibsonBass said: I bought a J&D Jazz from DV247 for £105 as a back up, and something to mess around on, learn about truss rod adjustment. It’s brilliant. I regularly gig it in the more rowdy venues we play and whilst I still intend to upgrade pickups etc I haven’t ‘had’ to, it’s a perfectly solid, functional, growly sounding Jazz bass. I had one too, one of the surf green ones... it sounded great. I loved the neck too. But it did need a little bit of work which for a novice may be offputting (needed a new nut as it was very poorly cut, the fret ends were sharp and the frets were reasonably levelled but they could be better if I wanted lower action). It's the trouble with the low end of the spectrum: there are some really cool instruments, but they often need a bit of TLC. To the OP: buying used is the most effective way to get a good instrument. If you're anything like I was, you might not have a good idea about the sound and feel differences between different types of basses. Buying used allows you to sell an instrument you don't quite gel with and get another, without wasting much (any) money in the process. In addition, buying used can mean that someone else has ironed out all the kinks, so it'll be a decent player and all you may have to do is alter action to taste, if at all. If you know anybody local to you who knows basses... try to take them along. Exciting times, regardless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Value+ reliability = Squier 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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