Shopping for a new bass (already)

[Eight]

Well I've been a bass player for all of what, three weeks? Already I'm thinking of getting that next bass - but to be fair, I bought a £50 one (which looks ghastly) just to get me going.

I've been searching the £200-£300 range, something that's a definite upgrade but still not splashing huge amounts of cash when I'm new on the instrument.

I'm down to three options at the minute but as I don't know the tech, its hard to judge between them other than looks and price. Struggling to find local dealers for any of the basses I had on a list of 9, so playing it first might not be possible.

ESP LTD EC-54
Bolt-On, 34" Scale, Basswood Body, Maple Neck w/ Rosewood Fingerboard, 40mm Standard Nut, Thin U Neck Contour, 22 XJ Frets, Chrome Hardware, ESP Tuners, ESP DB-4 Bridge, ESP SB-4 p.u. w/ ESP ATB-1 Active Tone Boost, Black Satin Finish
**Can't find any reviews for this yet.

Epiphone EB-3
SG style electric bass - mahogany body, maple neck, chrome hardware, rosewood fingerboard, trapez inlays, 1x sidewinder and 1x mini-humbucker pick-up, Colour: Ebony
**Glowing reviews

ESP LTD F154DX
Bolt-On, 35" Scale, Basswood Body w/ Flamed Maple Top, Maple Neck w/ Rosewood Fingerboard, 40mm Standard Nut, Thin U Neck Contour, 24 XJ Frets, Black Nickel Hardware, ESP Tuners ESP DB-4 Bridge w/ String-Thru-Body, ESP SB-4 (B&N) p.u., w/ ESP ABQ-3 3-Band Active EQ, Colour: See Thru Black
**Ok so this is over-budget and much more expensive than the other two.

Anyone got any comments that might help me understand which of the three might be a better purchase? My gut is saying the EB-3 or F154DX. I love look of the F-series basses but the EB-3 is no ugly duckling and I haven't seen a bad word against it; whereas the F154DX is at the bottom end of the F-series so I don't know how good it really is.

Edit: and just to prove I'm not going on looks alone, I had to reject the Warlock which concensus says has a very poor sound for the money. Shame, it would have matched my gu*tar.

Edited January 15, 2009 by Eight

[teaser360]

i use a yamaha bb614, good bit of kit once it was set up right, and at a sensible price, £239 from back alley music

[charic]

Ive only tried a few esp's but i found them lacking. Have you tried any out? I believe the sg shape basses suffer neck dive issues. If your looking for a good bass for that money id give peavey a look too. Aswell as the classifieds here.

Rik

[joe_bass]

£300 could probably get you something decent 2nd hand wise.

A nice Ibanez SR500 say.

[bass_ferret]

Im not familiar with the ESP range so cant really say much about them. What I do know is everyone is raving about the Squire VM range. Other than that the budget Ibanez are pretty damn good. Its a job to really say without knowing what you are into and where you are, and deciding what to buy based on what you have read on the internet is not always the best idea.

What have your local shops got that you can try?

[OutToPlayJazz]

+1 on the Yamaha BB614 & also the Ibanez suggestion of the Ferret. The SR300 has some serious punch for the money.

[lemmywinks]

There was a sweet Tobias 5er in the for sale section a few days ago for around your price range, lovely basses them.....

[Balcro]

[quote name='Eight' post='381453' date='Jan 15 2009, 04:18 PM']Well I've been a bass player for all of what, three weeks? Already I'm thinking of getting that next bass - but to be fair, I bought a £50 one (which looks ghastly) just to get me going.

I've been searching the £200-£300 range, something that's a definite upgrade but still not splashing huge amounts of cash when I'm new on the instrument.
I'm down to three options at the minute but as I don't know the tech, its hard to judge between them other than looks and price. Struggling to find local dealers for any of the basses I had on a list of 9, so playing it first might not be possible.

Anyone got any comments that might help me understand which of the three might be a better purchase? My gut is saying the EB-3 or F154DX. I love look of the F-series basses but the EB-3 is no ugly duckling and I haven't seen a bad word against it; whereas the F154DX is at the bottom end of the F-series so I don't know how good it really is.[/quote]

One odd question and one plain question. In which County do you live? In repect to your age or size, do you have large or small hands or fingers? [i]Yes, I know, medium.[/i]. These minor details all help to refine the advice Basschatters will give you.
Balcro.

[Eight]

[quote name='Balcro' post='381890' date='Jan 15 2009, 11:22 PM']One odd question and one plain question. In which County do you live? In repect to your age or size, do you have large or small hands or fingers? [i]Yes, I know, medium.[/i]. These minor details all help to refine the advice Basschatters will give you.
Balcro.[/quote]
Ah cool, I should have thought of including stuff like that. I'm in the North East of England (currently Tyneside but moving again) and I guess I mainly play rock and metal - although I'm only learning so will play absolutely anything. My hands are on the smaller end of medium, fingers aren't too huge either.

I had a look round the localish shops recently and was a bit disappointed - couldn't see much I liked in my sort of price range. A lot of Fenders & Squires which (with no disrespect to anyone) I just find very dull to look at. I'm not gigging so looks shouldn't be important, but I kinda hate to spend money on something that has anything about it I really don't like. And I think I saw some Ibanez SR300s.

Feret, you're right of course. Buying based on what you read on the internet or even magazine reviews etc. is not always a great plan. And if I was spending more than £300 then I wouldn't consider it - but it doesnt seem sensible to spend serious money travelling too far afield to try £200-300ish basses.

Charic, I've not managed to try an ESP bass. I seem to remember trying an ESP guitar years and years ago and not being overly impressed... but it was just one and it might have been good but not for me. I think Bass Guitar Magazine reviewed an F-series recently and said something like the low-end didn't quite match up to the price. But it still scored pretty good if memory serves.

I'll check out the suggestions you guys have made so far. Particularly the Yamaha BB - I must admit I'd kinda overlooked Yamaha basses but at first glance the BB614 seems pretty cool.

Thanks for all the comments so far. This is helping a great deal.

[cytania]

Eight, you're on the right track there's alot of good stuff around for £300 and yes you really do need to get your hands a bass in a shop to judge if it's for you. You'll get more bangs per buck avoiding Fender and Gibson. I've not tried that particular EB3 bass but the SG body can feel odd, lots of neck pointy horns, so do try one.

Other names to consider Spear (love my S2), Ibanez (SRX series has a trebly rock voice), Rockbass/Warwick and Cort. May be worth an away day to a nearby metropolis that has big music stores...

[Dr.Dave]

Just to act as a bit of a champion for the Fender cause...............

Folk have been using Fender Jazz and Precision basses for 50 ish years to make every form of music imaginable. You're perfectly entitled to think every single one of them is wrong but - if I were you - I'd figure that with only a few weeks experience I'm not yet in a position to say that.

So - dull looking as you may find them - seriously consider a Fender style instrument as a good 'reference' and workhorse as you begin your journey. Doesn't have to have the magic F on the headstock as there are many quality copies available. Having said that a used Mexican made Fender P or J is certainly within your budget and a look at the classifieds here should soon sort you out. I think you'll find the likely seller here is honest,helpful and knowledgeable.

[Eight]

[quote name='cytania' post='382486' date='Jan 16 2009, 03:11 PM']Eight, you're on the right track there's alot of good stuff around for £300 and yes you really do need to get your hands a bass in a shop to judge if it's for you.[/quote]
Hmmm... Maybe I should hang on an extra month or so until I'm next in London. They must have most of the manufacturers available in shops down there I'd guess.

Dr. Dave, no doubt there are and have been millions of happy Fender players over their many years. I suppose I'd be doing them a disservice by ruling them out just because I don't like the look. I will promise to give them more consideration.

[quote]I think you'll find the likely seller here is honest,helpful and knowledgeable.[/quote]
Is that you then?

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='Eight' post='382564' date='Jan 16 2009, 04:08 PM']Is that you then? [/quote]

Ha! Top marks for deduction and cynicism but no - I've nothing for sale nor am I pointing you towards friends of mine or similar. I just think a Fender style bass is a great 'improver' instrument and could easily end up being all you'll ever want.
Bare in mind too that resale is easy with a Fender should you wish to trade up later.

I'm a great believer in breaking rules - but in order to break a rule it helps to know it first , if you catch my drift. A Fender is the absolute 'reference' instrument in that respect.

[Eight]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='382588' date='Jan 16 2009, 04:26 PM']Ha! Top marks for deduction and cynicism[/quote]
No cynicism - I just thought you were making a suggestion, happened to sell a few Fenders etc. from time to time and were being jokey/friendly about saying so.

I do genuinely appreciate the advice, and at this point anything is possible. I may well decide to buy a Fender (or the ilk) and forever thank you for persuading me to reconsider my negativity towards them.

[cytania]

Oh, forgot Peavey, Washburn and if you're into spikey 'rawk' shapes BC Rich and Dean.

Nothing against Fender per se, the Precision and Jazz are _the_ classic basses. However I would recommend Eight try out everything rather than just trust in the Fender name on the headstock. Fender do a huge range of the same basic models and often the differences are immense. Some Squiers have great necks, some MIA Fenders have duff necks. Buying online opens you up to buying the wrong Fender. Checking them out in a shop ensures you notice which have 'vintage' necks or pickups and see if you could live with them. Jazz and Precision are pretty broad envelopes; weight, contouring, pickups, circuits can vary alot.

Eight, check real instruments in real shops you may find a second hand bargain or a budget line like Squier that has just been finished with a bit more care than usual. It's the sort of 'right for me' choice you can't make from reviews or canvassing opinions online, certainly don't trust eBay where sellers have never heard of twisted necks, wonky bolt-ons or crackly pots. In a shop you'll naturally spot any faults as you try out basses. Be prepared to disappoint salesmen, then go off, have lunch, forget basses for a few hours. Later the best instruments should stand out in your mind.