Second Bass Guitar Advice

[John Lobb]

Hi Guys,

 

I've been playing bass for around a year and have been playing a Yamaha TBRX174. I like the bass, I've learnt how to setup the instrument, polished the frets and changed the nut as it cracked. 

 

However, the pickups are questionable in quality. I think they pick up a lot background noise and aren't generally excellent. (although I'm certainly not an expert)... and I don't really want to put the time into changing the pickups and making it more noise resistant with grounding out the insides etc as I think it won't add much value to the bass and it's quite a lot of work. (tell me if i'm wrong)

 

So, with all of that considered what do you think would be a good second bass guitar? (I will sell the TBRX174) and my budget is around £500-£600.

 

I have been looking at some Sire basses. In particular the P7 2nd Gen as it appears to be good value for money (but I don't really know enough). I like the PJ setup with the pickups as I like having the versatility of sounds in one instrument, harsh to warm etc. (I don't know if this is a silly preference)

 

I'm open to all suggestions. 

 

Thank you in advance for any replies!

[BassApprentice]

If you find a sire 2nd hand you really can't get a better quality bass for the money right now. If you can also keep your eyes peeled for a Sandberg Electra VS4 or TT4 (depending if you want P bass or Jazz bass vibes)

 

Plenty of other options of course, might be worth heading to a local store (permitting they have a decent selection that isn't some Fenders and Squiers) and get hands on to get a better idea of what style and sound you want for your second bass! 

[Paolo85]

If you like to work on instruments I do not think shielding is a lot of work although I have yet to try myself. Of you are in the mindset of doing that that would give you more options.

There could be a number of reasons that make you unenthusiastic about the pickups. I found that I was never excited by the celebrated Yamaha BBs. Then I figured out it's because I like precision basses and the BB appear to have the P pickup slightly closer to the neck than a Precision, with significant change in sound.

It may turn out that's the issue you are having. Or that your bass has ceramic pickups and you like alnico or viceversa. Or that what maybe you would be happier with a bass with two humbuckers or two single coils, or an active MM style bass (all options would give you versatility harsh-to-warm, just in different ways)

I guess what I am trying to say with that is that it is very hard to give you an answer that goes beyond listing basses with supposedly good value-for-money.

Sires for example, much like the BBs I tried, did not work out for me. They tend to sound harsher than similar basses from Squire, and to be heavier. And I do not use preamps much.

Note that your bass has a reputstion of being light (and with great balance!) and I think has 40mm nut width. Maybe, and that's a guess, you take these factors as a given but long term you'd be bothered by a bass that is very different in that sense.

It could be worth going to shops to try basses out and watch loads of youtube videos (eg LowendLobster's channel)

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Paolo85

[Mykesbass]

If you like the Yamaha then consider going up the range. They are very good value second hand.

[Baloney Balderdash]

Impossible to answer for you.

 

A very personal thing to ask, and no one got any chance of knowing your personal preferences, even less if you don't even yourself.

 

Also doubtful that your next bass within your budget will be properly shielded from stock, leaving you with ending up still having to do it yourself anyway or having to pay someone to do so.

 

That said traveling around to different music gear stores and trying out as many basses firsthand yourself, actually playing them, might prove fruitful to you.

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[crazycloud]

One with a 5th string.

[Mudpup]

Maybe try and isolate what's important to you sound wise? Do you prefer something traditional like a Fender P or J or maybe something a bit more modern sounding. If you want something that's old school but very useable in most situations and will hold its value if you flip it look for a used Mexican Fender maybe. If you want something a bit more flexible then maybe a more modern active bass (maybe with a passive switching option) would be a good plan.

 

Once you're up to the £500/600 budget you'll struggle to buy a bad bass (especially if you stick to buying used from the classifieds here - it's a buyers market at the moment. Not much is moving so there are some bargains about). The mid range quality is amazing from most manufacturers generally. The likes of Yamaha, Sire, Cort, Ibanez are very consistent quality wise - they're mostly pretty safe to buy without playing them if you really have to. Fender maybe a little less predictable - there are good ones and dogs and you'll only find them if you play them. Sterlings seem to have a few more QC issues than they used to - dodgy tuners and suchlike.

 

I would recommend trying to sit down and play a few if you can though. You can have the best sounding bass in the world but if the neck or ergonomics don't work for you and you find it hard to play physically you won't enjoy playing it and it will slow up your progress.

 

Take a day out and visit a few decent stores (maybe on a weekday whilst they're a bit quieter if you can). Call ahead to see what they actually have on the wall to play. Make sure they have a reasonable bass amp to play through too - I've been to a decent music store to check out a £1000 bass in the past and they only had a tiny little £100 bass practice amp to play through!. Try PMT/DV247/GuitarGuitar/Bass Direct or any stores local to you.

 

Maybe go to a local jam night or some pub gigs and see/hear what people are playing. Talk to them about their gear - muso's are usually a friendly bunch and like to geek out together.

 

It's a great time to be a bass player!

Edited June 12, 2023 by Mudpup

[Jonesy]

Some great advice already and there isn't really anything better than going to a shop to try a few to see what you like, especially seeing as your new to it all and still figuring stuff out.

 

As well as the brands already mentioned, I'd suggest looking at the G&L Tribute range. They're cracking basses and most of them have the same bridge and pickups as the full fat made in USA line. The SB2 is their PJ and sounds like a P on steroids, with the J pup adding some extra bite. The L2000 is worth checking out too, it's armed with a pair of mighty humbuckers and all sorts of tone shaping possibilities.

 

It might help if you chuck us a couple of examples of other bassists tone you like, or take a look at what your favourite bassists play if your after their tone.

[neil___lien]

Hey there!

I own a P7 2nd Gen with flats. My only other bass is a V3 with tapes. & obviously i do second the P7 choice. It's a great bass, very versatile & reliable IMO. Both bought second hand, i have less than £500 invested there, cue that's all i could afford. Up until recently i didn't even have my own gigbags to carry them round... 

Before going the Sire route i was obsessed with the Yamaha TRBX504/505 & the TRBX604/605. I believe i have watched all the reviews available on YT twice & read most of the Talkbass thread about them... and i would say those are also great options in Ur budget.. 

I have an instagram account as neil|lien where U can listen to both my basses in action if U need some soundclips!

[alyctes]

I'd stay with Yamaha, at least to start with.

[Rayman]

There’s really no exact answer I’m afraid. The “which bass should I buy” conundrum is a difficult one to answer and one that only you can I’m afraid.

 

Play as many basses as you can in stores and pick the one you like the look, feel and sound of most.

 

Anything by Yamaha is great. The BB series are particularly good at all price points. Sire, you can’t go wrong, they’re definitely the “in thing” at the moment in terms of value and quality….

 

….but honestly it’s endless. For 5/600 quid you can get a superb used bass, and as the years of playing bass go on, your taste and requirements will change, so something versatile is always good, personally I’d stick to 4 strings for now, and, re-sale value is worth thinking about too, because if you’re on here, it’s highly likely that you’ll get hooked on buying/selling/trading gear.

 

Good luck 

[Paolo85]

As implicit from my previous post, if you visit shops don't forget to try Squier Classic Vibe and Fender MIM (which used could fit your budget) with an open mind. You may find that despite a lot of people turning up their nose at them, brand is not the only reason why they are so popular. They just sound and work great. Other brands supposedly offer more value for money but the definition of value is subjective. If you want your neck to be roasted, your body to be of heavier alder instead of lighter poplar despite minimal to no changes to the sound, your fret edges don't just need to be good enough not to poke out, they need to be supersmooth to ensure zero friction as you move superfast up and down the neck while at the same time keeping your fingers in contact with the edge of the fretboard, and you want things to look and feel "premium", a Squier is certainly not for you. If you look at that from the angle of having a great sounding bass that plays well, then things may start to look the opposite unless you want a preamp.

[John Lobb]

Thank you so much for all of your replies! I will take it all into account and visit some shops and try some out.

 

This forum is amazing! So many helpful people. I will certainly be buying my bass from here if I find what I need. The prices look great and its obviously run by people who care a lot about basses in general. Thank you again.

[Rayman]

Most important……

 

Take your time in the search…

 

A: it’s half the fun 

B: it’s not the best idea to buy the first “shiny” thing you see.

 

👍🏻

[Jack]

Don't sell your first bass! 

[Rayman]

7 minutes ago, Jack said:

Don't sell your first bass! 

Oh I dunno, mine was a ‘70s Columbus Jazz, I was glad to see the back of it.

[Owen]

3 hours ago, Rayman said:

Oh I dunno, mine was a ‘70s Columbus Jazz, I was glad to see the back of it.

Snap. 

 

But back on topic, wait until you can get to a bassbash, try 70 gazillion basses. 

[jd56hawk]

I can tell you which bass I'd buy...

[alexa3020]

You'll get a great used bass for £500-£600. There's been some lovely ibanez, sire, g&l, fender mexis, etc on classifieds recently. Theres so many review videos on YouTube you'll get a good idea of whether it ticks the boxes of what you want, but you won't know for sure till you've got it in your hands.

Don't be afraid to spend the money if you have it. If you buy second hand (and buy well), you don't really lose money in fact the more expensive basses appreciate.

The hunt for Excalibur has begun for you. Enjoy the ride!

Edited June 13, 2023 by alexa3020

[bassbiscuits]

I think it's fair to say almost all cheap/mid budget instruments are far far better than they were when I started playing in the mid 1980s (when plywood bodies, terrible hardware, poor electrics etc were the norm).

 

For £500-£600 you'll have no problem in finding a really decent bass. There's no right answer as to which one to get, as everyone has their own favourites.

 

As the others here have said, try out as many as you can and get a feel for which aspects of them you like or don't like (I've lusted after a Thunderbird for years until I tried one and realised its totally the wrong shape for me!)

 

But most of all enjoy it - the fun is in the journey of discovery!

 

[TheGreek]

All of this has been very helpful but what are we advising for the  third and fourth bass?

 

Don't give all your best advice just about No2.

[chris_b]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

All of this has been very helpful but what are we advising for the  third and fourth bass?

 

Don't give all your best advice just about No2.

 

This.

 

You might be modding because you want to, or because you have to, but I'd suggest the next bass you buy should do the job without any help from you.

 

Think of a bass, then get a better one., A used bass in great condition, that sounds right, will help your budget go further. 

[TheGreek]

9 minutes ago, chris_b said:

 

This.

 

You might be modding because you want to, or because you have to, but I'd suggest the next bass you buy should do the job without any help from you.

 

Think of a bass, then get a better one., A used bass in great condition, that sounds right, will help your budget go further. 

 

Then, once you've got used to that one go to the Basses for Sale thread and find another one which you don't need but will look the biz in your rack.

 

You won't be able to resist now you're a member here. I blame the others....👈👉☝️👇

[Rayman]

And you’ll find yourself in a Premier Inn staring at the 11th bass you’ve bought in 6 months, wondering how you’ll get it past the Mrs tomorrow.

 

Unlike myself of course 

[TheGreek]

There is the fall back position of "it's not mine - it belongs to xxxx and I'm borrowing it/ looking after it for him so his wife doesn't know he bought it." 

 

This works unless your wife knows his wife.