AMD8806 Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 I have decided it is time to replace my old Ibanez Talman Bass and wondering what is the cheapest and best value for money bass i can get i tried to get a Harley Benton PB-20 SBK to discover that it will not arrive until late February what should i get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrixn1 Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 What don't you like about the Ibanez Talman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 Your're setting the bar pretty low at sub £100 for anything decent but here's a few under a £100, but you may have to pay postage too.. https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/brands/jack-danny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMD8806 Posted December 16, 2019 Author Share Posted December 16, 2019 The talman is all right but just is uncomfortable for me as the cutout is the wrong place for my leg, although about the J&D basses would you say that are they are good for the price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrixn1 Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 (edited) The normal (not SBK) PB-20 seems to be in stock. I had one for a while and it's good. I also still have a J&D, although mine's the mini jazz , not the precision (this or perhaps this). I play my J&D every now and then at gigs and it's good. In fact I got a really nice compliment on my tone recently from the singer, whereas with my Sandberg no one's ever said a thing! Edited December 16, 2019 by jrixn1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 47 minutes ago, AMD8806 said: The talman is all right but just is uncomfortable for me as the cutout is the wrong place for my leg, although about the J&D basses would you say that are they are good for the price? Play standing up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binky_bass Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 For under £100, go second hand. You'll pretty much only get trash for £100 brand new that will be worth £50 at best the second you've bought it. If you buy pre-owned, and buy smart, you can get something half decent, and if you don't like it after a week or two you can sell it on and break even or maybe make a few pennies which can be reinvested in another second hand bass where the cycle can continue! I did this with amps for about a year until I finally settled on something I really liked. Gives you a great chance to try what's out there without really spending anything other that your initial outlay. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 (edited) Second hand? Who knows what might turn up? (Edit- beat me to it, Russ!) Edited December 16, 2019 by Lfalex v1.1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 Spend twice that much on a brand new Revelation (Bass Gallery). One of the best basses I've had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 J&D are very, very good, if my £113 Thinline Tele copy is any indication. What's very interesting is that it's possibly to buy the exact same guitar, obviously from the same production line, with a slightly more Fender-shaped headstock bearing a "Tokai" logo. Costs about 3 times the price of mine. I'd have no hesitation in picking up a J&D Precision or Jazz copy for around the £100 mark, same goes for Harley Benton, from everything I've heard. The idea of cheap instruments inevitably being junk really is a thing of the past. Hail China! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealting Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 Revelations are as good as anything I’ve tried new in that sort of price range (well, slightly higher, but worth it). Secondhand, you could do worse than a Yamaha. Pretty much any one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 I must admit I have never picked up a Yamaha and thought anything but "yep, that will do the job nicely". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 1 hour ago, owen said: I must admit I have never picked up a Yamaha and thought anything but "yep, that will do the job nicely". Yep, for a ton used nothing would beat a Yammy RBX170. Saw one go for 67 quid on ebay last week actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 If you want the best sub £100 bass, send me a message - I have a Yamaha rbx170 in black, with MIJ Fender P pickup, and Roswell jba vintage jazz pickup (both alnico), in excellent condition. Can post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 Anything under a ton is likely to be a sideways move, really. The Yamaha referred to above is good for the money, but if you could save up a bit more - say another £100 - you could make a more worthwhile improvement. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 (edited) I personally believe that we are living in the golden age of lutherie. It is very difficult to buy a poor instrument now. Pickups generally are the weak spot, but even then they are not rubbish. I just got 2 J&D Jazz basses for work for £125 and they are fine and dandy. I could happily gig them. They are slightly heavy and the Poly on them is nice and thick, but I think that is the norm until you spend quite a bit more. I think you have to climb much higher than another £100 to get anything that is appreciably better. Dan, on reading it this again, my post could seem as if I am disagreeing with you in a forum/troll stylee and that was not my intention. Edited December 18, 2019 by owen 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 (edited) 13 hours ago, owen said: I personally believe that we are living in the golden age of lutherie. It is very difficult to buy a poor instrument now. Pickups generally are the weak spot, but even then they are not rubbish. I just got 2 J&D Jazz basses for work for £125 and they are fine and dandy. I could happily gig them. They are slightly heavy and the Poly on them is nice and thick, but I think that is the norm until you spend quite a bit more. I think you have to climb much higher than another £100 to get anything that is appreciably better. I usually buy the best I can but at the moment I have three basses, all worth no more than £250, and furnished with pickups costing no more than £30. They all do a great job. Most remarkable is the Entwhistle p bass pup on my Revelation (£199 new). which punches way way above its £12 weight. Edited December 18, 2019 by lownote12 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushbo Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 1 hour ago, lownote12 said: I usually buy the best I can but at the moment I have three basses, all worth no more than £250, and furnished with pickups costing no more than £30. They all do a great job. Most remarkable ia the Entwhistle p bass pup on my Revelation (£199 new). which punches way way above its £12 weight. Entwistle pickups are ace - they can make an OK bass sound great for a pocket-money price. As long as the neck is decent, with an action you can cope with and fret ends that don't lacerate your hands if you dare to do a glissando, £100 will buy you something more than adequate. Your options are wider if you're handy with a soldering iron, too. Westfield basses are worth a look - they crop up fairly regularly second hand for well under £100 and I think they're every bit as good as a Chinese Squier. With the money you save, you might consider upgrading the tuners and the pick-up, but they're good basses, straight from the factory. failing that, here's another vote for a Yamaha - their "entry level" instruments are really good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 If you fancy a Squier Precision Special, Jazz neck, P & J pickups, made in Indonesia and CAR for around a ton, PM me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 In that price range i'd look for a second hand Vintage (the brand). They're stupidly good for the money, and you can pick a second hand one up for next to nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 SX are another brand when you’re on the lookout for a really playable instrument on a budget. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 Harley Benton 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 15 minutes ago, stewblack said: Harley Benton I've got my eye on the HBZ-5000 NT. Above the price range of the OP, coming it at about £270. But they look ridiculously good for the money. https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_bz_5000_nt.htm Just need to get some funds together now. 😞 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 26 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said: I've got my eye on the HBZ-5000 NT. Above the price range of the OP, coming it at about £270. But they look ridiculously good for the money. https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_bz_5000_nt.htm Just need to get some funds together now. 😞 I have to steer clear of Thomann! So many great looking basses 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 Needed to reach for the tissues earlier 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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