£700 - What would you buy?

[Cuzzie]

Sandbergs are not plummeting, but they have a shelf. They are fantastic bases across the range.

If you want a Fender P or J - best value are the Highway One series second hand - under appreciated, MIA but finished in Mexico - I like the grease bucket circuit.

Get a decent fender body - make a bitsa - I like a Status neck.

Aria Pro SB1 elite

Hohner headless Jack or B2ADB, pop in the EMG replacements and have change for pork scratchings and tangfastics

[Marc S]

1 hour ago, silentbob said:

,,,,,,,,I'm also waiting for a heart transplant which the chances of receiving are pretty low, so I figure if I get myself a half decent bass, it's a nice treat for me........

Sorry to hear of your health woes. Obviously, my first hope is that a transplant can be arranged for you absolutely ASAP - fingers crossed
In the meantime, I'd say you definitely deserve a treat - and if you feel that a bass guitar IS that treat... then go for it
Best of luck in both your search, and more importantly, with your health

Some good suggestions here - but my two pennorth of a MIJ / CIJ Fender wins!  

[Maude]

8 hours ago, silentbob said:

As per the title, if you had around £700 to drop on a bass, what you buy? 

I did, so I bought a Pelham Blue Jack Casady. I can't tell you what it's like as it's a special deal where you give them your money and they might send you one in around six months or so, or maybe not, who knows. 

 

[Mudpup]

Personally i would go for a used bass which will be pretty stable in resale value.

USA built G+L basses are stupidly cheap for some odd reason - L2000's pop up for about that money and are really versatile but seem hard to move on if you need to. A Sandberg California may be a touch over your £700 budget but they are fabulous basses with great build quality. And finally a USA S.U.B would be on my list - they're getting a bit expensive now though IMHO - they were around £450/500 for ages and just recently seem to be fetching £600+ 
I would be happy with any of those.

I definitely wouldn't buy a new bass though - the depreciation is too painful

Edited April 19, 2021 by Mudpup

[silentbob]

Lots to think about. Thanks for all the input so far guys.

[Trueno]

Hofner Club HCT... with enough change left for Tomastic flats and a vintage leather strap.

[kwmlondon]

I would buy an early 80s Ibanez blazer or Roadstar. I can't believe how epic these bases are. I'd be on the hunt for a hellish well worn one with loads of mojo, ideally either a P-type or maybe a 24 fret job. As long as the neck was good then anything else just adds to the vibe for me but I'd have to try it first.

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, kwmlondon said:

I would buy an early 80s Ibanez blazer or Roadstar. I can't believe how epic these bases are. I'd be on the hunt for a hellish well worn one with loads of mojo, ideally either a P-type or maybe a 24 fret job. As long as the neck was good then anything else just adds to the vibe for me but I'd have to try it first.

I have absolutely no intention of attempting to resist the temptation to post this, a demo I'm absolutely fixated with. (At least, the second halves of the flats-then-rounds pairs of phrases: the flats seem a waste on such a vibrant instrument.)

 

[Paddy515]

I'd go for 2 differing G&L Tributes, prob an L2000 and an LB-100, both used and string them with cobalt flats (just my prefered option).

[kwmlondon]

34 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

I have absolutely no intention of attempting to resist the temptation to post this, a demo I'm absolutely fixated with. (At least, the second halves of the flats-then-rounds pairs of phrases: the flats seem a waste on such a vibrant instrument.)

 

Can confirm. Have played something very similar to this and it was one of the best bass guitars I've ever tried out. Personally I think it sounded great with well-worn rounds. It was knackered, gigged to hell and back but the tone and the feel was out of this world. Could have done with a re-fret but if it was for sale I'd have bought it then and there but the owner cherishes it as it was her dad's. If I ever see one in a store though...

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, kwmlondon said:

Can confirm. Have played something very similar to this and it was one of the best bass guitars I've ever tried out. Personally I think it sounded great with well-worn rounds. It was knackered, gigged to hell and back but the tone and the feel was out of this world. Could have done with a re-fret but if it was for sale I'd have bought it then and there but the owner cherishes it as it was her dad's. If I ever see one in a store though...

Possibly of interest....

Reverb seller in Maidenhead

[Obra]

Sandberg or MIJ Fender. Also, Your choice of USA SUB Musicman is one of the best choices for me in that price range. It's pretty hard to found them these days, so I quess the price will just increase. 

[el borracho]

1 hour ago, kwmlondon said:

I would buy an early 80s Ibanez blazer or Roadstar. I can't believe how epic these bases are. I'd be on the hunt for a hellish well worn one with loads of mojo, ideally either a P-type or maybe a 24 fret job. As long as the neck was good then anything else just adds to the vibe for me but I'd have to try it first.

I've got an early 80s Roadster which I love, but my biggest regret is selling the Blazer that preceded it when I got the Roadster in 1985. At the time I didn't have any idea the Blazer was a particularly good bass - bought & sold for £125. I'd just started playing & didn't like the colour (ie it wasn't black) so moved it on, but in retrospect... 

Edited April 20, 2021 by el borracho

[LukeFRC]

1 hour ago, Ricky Rioli said:

I have absolutely no intention of attempting to resist the temptation to post this, a demo I'm absolutely fixated with. (At least, the second halves of the flats-then-rounds pairs of phrases: the flats seem a waste on such a vibrant instrument.)

 

to be fair his videos make most basses sound really really nice 

Edited April 20, 2021 by LukeFRC

[silentbob]

Thanks for all the input guys. This bad boy just popped up on Marketplace for £575 and is now on it's way to me. Looks like a clean example, and I think it ticks all the boxes.

[TheGreek]

Good buy...

Be careful when posting a thread on whether to have a scratchplate, and if so which colour..😉😉

[silentbob]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

Good buy...

Be careful when posting a thread on whether to have a scratchplate, and if so which colour..😉😉

No thread needed, it has the exact scratchplate it needs😁

[OliverBlackman]

I saw that and it looks a cracking example. I preferred the sound of these to the 3EQ stingray I had instead.

Edited April 23, 2021 by OliverBlackman

[TheGreek]

7 hours ago, silentbob said:

No thread needed, it has the exact scratchplate it needs😁

What?? Not considering Red Tort???

 

 

 

 

Just playing Devil's advocate.

[silentbob]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

What?? Not considering Red Tort???

 

 

 

 

Just playing Devil's advocate.

Never😆😆😆

[Geek99]

On 19/04/2021 at 14:00, BigRedX said:

But if the OP already has a bass then a synth or drum machine would be a good companion instrument. Or maybe a guitar?

I’ll get your coat ... Fiend 😤

[mcnach]

I would get this:

 

Schecter Model T Session.

I'm not sure it'll become a collectable classic or anything, so in terms of an investment it might not work out, but it's a superb bass. 

My Sandberg VM4 was supposed to be the 'upgrade' for this one (I just wanted a fat humbucker at the bridge), but as much as I love the VM4, the Schecter keeps coming back as a solid #2 (the Stingray is #1). It's just a really really good bass.

 

[mcnach]

23 hours ago, silentbob said:

Thanks for all the input guys. This bad boy just popped up on Marketplace for £575 and is now on it's way to me. Looks like a clean example, and I think it ticks all the boxes.

 

Oh, nice one!

Prices have gone up a lot on these in the past few years, dang I should have kept the 3 I owned a bit longer!  

A Stingray in everything but name, great choice!

[ezbass]

23 hours ago, silentbob said:

Thanks for all the input guys. This bad boy just popped up on Marketplace for £575 and is now on it's way to me. Looks like a clean example, and I think it ticks all the boxes.

You won’t be disappointed. I preferred my US SUB to my full fat, EBMM 3 band.

[merello]

You always get your money back on a second hand Fender.

For playability? Spector.