merello Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Always thought I wanted a Jazz but trying it in Merchant City Music, I preferred by miles a Schecter at £349 and the Ibanez 300M at £229! Now, the force still pushes me towards Fender but I'm not that bothered about style and fashion and have started looking at: [list] [*]Spector [*]Lace Helix [*]Warwick [*]MTD - cheaper series new [/list] Brothers and sisters - pray for me and help me get it right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Schecters are great basses. Similar to spectors imho. I'd say try as many basses you can,you may find that there is one you tried earlier and nothing's as good as that. That would probably be the one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donut Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 (edited) G&L Tribute? I think they're slightly above your budget but you may have better luck in the used market. Could be lucky and get a decent bargain on a USA one. Edited December 31, 2009 by donut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Pick whatever feels right for you... I'm surprised you weren't happy with the Fenders as they do some great basses within that price range but if you can't find the right one (or there are basses that are better suited) go for whatever feels good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 It pays to play a variety of basses to see what you like - thin/fat neck, wide/narrow string spacing, 34/35" scale etc. IIRC Schecter & Ibanez have a more narrow neck with closer string spacing? - so maybe that's what you like about them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raslee Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Try an old Warwick Corvette (Pre 2000 i think)...can't go wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merello Posted January 1, 2010 Author Share Posted January 1, 2010 Ray - can I rent your Steinberger for a while! Had a hohner copy years ago and loved it. I am also surprised at my reaction to the jazz but the build quality on the others seemed better. I do have small hands/fingers - maybe that's it! Thanks for all your replies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Yes, go for whatever you like the sound and playability of the most. Brand is immaterial at the end of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basshead56 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 +1 to above The brand is unimportant (as are looks to a certain degree), its the sound and feel that matter most You can get a fairly decent bass for 500quid so shop around and try as many different basses as you can. It´s too late for me, I´m a Fenderphile and will always be, but do try everything...while you have a choice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 What sort of music are you going to be playing? Remember, when trying out basses in shops, they might not be set up properly and the sound / feel of a bass can be transformed by choosing the right set of strings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 an often repeated tip, stop thinking "iv got £500 to spend, what can i get" and just go out there and try as many basses as you can, without looking at prices. So many £250 basses will probably be more suited to you than other £500 basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Yup - you could get 2 fairly decent basses for that money. For example, the Squier Classic Vibe series, or this: [url="http://www.rattleanddrum.com/product/3110/yamaha-bb415-bass-black-pearl-5-string"]http://www.rattleanddrum.com/product/3110/...-pearl-5-string[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 [quote name='merello' post='697559' date='Dec 31 2009, 08:28 PM']Now, the force still pushes me towards Fender but I'm not that bothered about style and fashion and have started looking at:[/quote] Just remember what happened to Anakin Skywalker when he was seduced by the Force..... Fenders can just be too hit and miss for me. You could end up getting a Korean Squire that plays and sounds better than a MIA. That would be just too much of a gamble for me. German or Jap would be my guidance from your list, but as said above - I would advise you try as many as you can and try not to think of the price. Sooner or later one will decide on you rather than the other way round..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merello Posted January 1, 2010 Author Share Posted January 1, 2010 Cheers guys - enjoying your contributions. Things I have spotted so far include: Cool as in orange! MTD Artist in maple (I hope) is just beyond my budget but I could wait a while! Still love this but with a black plate on it! Maybe I'm just starting my own Bass porn thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Bass Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Out of those three my first choice (based on visuals) would be the MTD every time. Dont worry too much about it having only one pickup. My Warwick fortress only has one pickup in that same location and is very flexible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merello Posted January 1, 2010 Author Share Posted January 1, 2010 MTD in black.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I'd go for the MTD-they're great instruments. I picked up an MTD Kingston Heir a few years ago for just over £200!!! I've done a load of gigs with it,all over the place,and it always plays and sounds great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) Check out my Spector ReBop in the 'Basses for Sale' forum. £1000 bass for £550 Link: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=71910"]Spector ReBop[/url] Only a little more than you wanted to spend and worth EVERY penny Edited January 3, 2010 by cetera Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 The only advice i would offer is try as many basses as is possible...and don't let the shop assistants make you feel at all guilty, it's your hard earned cash after all, if at all possible I'd ask if they have a demo of the same amp as you're running too - or at least something pretty near to it and set the EQ up as you' like it, some will say play them flat but how often do you do that?? Totally illogical IMHO. Finally don't be swayed by the name tag either, deep down and honestly I reckon most of us are snobs when it comes to what name appears on the headstock - one of my most played and gigged guitars is a std Squier Jazz Bass, it's got a great neck & action and I love it and certainly would never sell it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 I also owned the active version of that Yamaha you have in your picture - which was a nice, easy to play, versatile bass and really well made. It's difficult making a decision about a guitar after just playing it in a music shop. To help you make your decision I'd recommend checking out local bands and listening to the bass guitar. One of the best sounding basses I ever owned I first saw a friend of a friend playing at a gig. It was a Charvel by Jackson (which was never a make I would have thought about buying) but it sounded so good I bought then and there. But I would recommed that when you decide which bass to buy you get it secondhand as you get much, much more bang for your buck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
originalfunkbrother Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 [attachment=39459:yamaha_trb1005.jpg]Yamaha TRB1005. Cannot go wrong with that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Make sure you try one of these Squier Classic Vibes before you spend £500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='702619' date='Jan 6 2010, 11:22 AM']....Make sure you try one of these Squier Classic Vibes before you spend £500....[/quote] +1 for trying the Squire Classic Vibe series. If you want a "real" Fender, make sure you plan to play a lot, as the quality and playabillity seems to be patchy. Good move to include MTD. I think they are fantastic basses. In this price bracket I would not buy anything if I hadn't first tried a Lakland. The 44-01 or 44-02 are very good basses and worth a listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmaTheMirror Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 (edited) I recently had the chance to find a mint condition used Fender Precision Classic 50 for a very good price (€400, I wonder if you can find those prices in Britain as well), it's been one of my best buys so far for what I spent, the Classic's a lucky line Edited January 8, 2010 by EmaTheMirror Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfie Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Also worth considering is the Arts Council's [url="http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/takeitaway/"]Take it Away [/url]programme. If you find your ideal bass and it is a bit over your budget then it isn't the end of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.