have £130 to spend on bass

[dio61]

i am looking to buy my first bass and learning mainly the stranglers and rock and have £130 to spend any ideas ?

[Grand Wazoo]

keep an eye on ebay, cause in a shop you won't get much quality for that amount, also check your local cash converters.

good luck

[paul h]

You should be able to get an Epiphone EB-0 for around that or maybe a tenner more. They are short scale meaning they are closer in size to a guitar but it's a good place to start.

If you are into the Stranglers some kind Fender Precision copy would be suitable. There are plenty to be had for not a lot of money on Ebay but be aware that they may not be the most playable instruments to learn on. Best if you know someone who can do a set up of some kind to make things easier.

[WILD FROG SHOT]

Hey dio, i'm selling a [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=85206"]Cort G Series[/url] for £100 if you're interested?

[LawrenceH]

At that end of the market then I think offerings from Yamaha are excellent value - both new (RBX170) and the slightly more expensive models secondhand. They are very consistent from one instrument to another and most people find them quite ergonomic to play, which is important when you're starting off. The RBX174/274 are tonally reasonably versatile with a P/J configuration which would allow quite inexpensive worthwhile upgrades later on. Alternatively I was genuinely impressed by the pickups on a newer RBX374 - VERY solid and articulate tone if you can find one secondhand. The older Yamaha budget actives (RB370A?) were noisier and the pickups weren't as good, though they're still a nice instrument.
Ibanez are also solid performers for budget instruments though they can be a little dark in character for my tastes.

FWIW I started with a Yamaha RB170 which I picked up for £90 secondhand on the recommendation of others, it did me very well and was versatile enough for most styles and to allow me to decide what I wanted from my next instrument.

[throwoff]

Can't go wrong with a little eBay scout, if you find something your not sure about post it on here and I'm sure someone will give you the lowdown

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Squier-bass-affinity-P-bass-in-sunburst-finish-new_W0QQitemZ120544325039QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item1c11006daf"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Squier-bass-affinity...=item1c11006daf[/url]
nice Affinity pretty close to the price

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-bass_W0QQitemZ280495610533QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item414ed75aa5"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-ba...=item414ed75aa5[/url]
Funky old Westone

[skankdelvar]

Should be able to pick up a s/hand Squier Precision somewhere for £130. Get the 'Standard, rather than the Affinity.

Stretch your budget a touch and you might get a new one. Or spend £130 on something s/hand from the Basschat 'Basses for sale'

Edited April 22, 2010 by skankdelvar

[lemmywinks]

ESP B-50 for £110 delivered:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ESP-B-50-BASS-CHEAP_W0QQitemZ180497313096QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2a067a6d48"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ESP-B-50-BASS-CHEAP_...=item2a067a6d48[/url]

It's also worth scouring eBay for local collection only bargains. I picked up an Aria HSS strat with an amp, case and leads the other week for £50. Good as new!

[MB1]

[quote name='dio61' post='814803' date='Apr 22 2010, 11:28 AM']i am looking to buy my first bass and learning mainly the stranglers and rock and have £130 to spend any ideas ?[/quote]

MB1.
...Try Before you Buy!..anything with a known name isnt going to devalue as much if you wish to upgrade at a later date...Theryre are some very Good Squire basses about at the present time (which as you may or may not know are Fender). Might be worth saving a little more money before you decide....Keep your eye on the Basses for sale Section.
And Buy LOCALLY! wherever possible!

Edited April 22, 2010 by MB1

[lemmywinks]

This Yamaha is a good deal at £100:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Yamaha-BB414-Bass-Guitar-and-Extras-BB-414_W0QQitemZ150436356166QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2306b4a046"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Yamaha-BB414-Bass-Gu...=item2306b4a046[/url]


Comes with a strap, bag and 2 sets of Ernie Ball strings. Even better if you can arrange your own courier (Parcelbee or Interparcel will ship a bass for around £7)

[brummie]

I started on a Squier Jazz and have loved them since, slightly thinner neck than precision, a second hand standard is a bit better built than the current Affinity.

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited February 15, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Stylon Pilson]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=82275"]Aria STB-PJ[/url]

S.P.

[lojo]

Yes, a 2nd hand recent squire would be a good buy

I sold a newish VMJ for 160 last summer, so you must be able to pick up a std jazz for the price you have set

[Conan]

[quote name='MB1' post='815121' date='Apr 22 2010, 04:08 PM']....Keep your eye on the Basses for sale Section.
And Buy LOCALLY! wherever possible! [/quote]

Great advice! In this price bracket you can get some genuine bargains as well as some horrific, almost unplayable wrecks! By shopping locally you can try each individual bass, as quality control at this end of the market is notoriously variable! Depending on where you are, there may even be a friendly basschatter who would come with you to check out second-hand basses in your area!

If you try one and don't get on with it, walk away.

Good luck!

Edited April 23, 2010 by Conan

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='Conan' post='816046' date='Apr 23 2010, 12:04 PM']Great advice! In this price bracket you can get some genuine bargains as well as some horrific, almost unplayable wrecks! By shopping locally you can try each individual bass, as quality control at this end of the market is notoriously variable! Depending on where you are, there may even be a friendly basschatter who would come with you to check out second-hand basses in your area!

If you try one and don't get on with it, walk away.

Good luck![/quote]

+1 on getting an experienced player along to help you choose. ESPECIALLY if going for a Squier - I very deliberately didn't recommend those as, while there are some good ones, the QC is just too variable for an inexperienced player to trust they'll get something that is problem-free without getting advice from someone who actually knows what they're doing. This is true of the Standard, Affinity, and VMJ range instruments that I've seen in shops and has always been true in the past apart from the very early Japanese ones. The CV range seem to be better but you'd be bloody lucky to get one for close to £130 secondhand.

That BB414 up there looks like an absolute steal! I'm sort of glad I didn't see that til it had ended or I'd be £129 less well off

[parker_muse]

Vintage musicman copy from Gear4Music. Great service. The bass is fantastic and it's served me at hundred of gigs, total workhorse and a big variety of tones.

[skankdelvar]

...and you may wish to check this out (if you haven't already):

[url="http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:buying:choosing_your_first_bass"]http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:buying:cho...your_first_bass[/url]

[hagguy]

peavey milestone is a good starter, i picked one
up from cash converters for £60 great wee bass
if you can hold off a bit get some more cash it will
give you more options. try some in shops then look for secondhand
deals once you find which bass suits you, if you can try the actual bass
its better ebay might seem good but is very easy to get burned. try
basschat for sale you will get an honest bass here.

[Dom in Dorset]

I'm always impressed with Ibanez stuff, I don't know what this one is like but it's £135 new
[url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Ibanez-GSR180-Bass-Guitar-Black/7TI"]http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/...uitar-Black/7TI[/url]
It's got Jazz style pick ups, I don't know if they do a P bass model (I think JJ Brunell's sound is done with a P bass)

[HarryPotter]

If a westone thunder suits your hands its all the bass you will ever need.

[dio61]

i found a bit of extra money and bought a fender p bass from shop i tried a few basses and this felt most comfortable and i thought had best sound now i need advice on a bass amp im totaly lost with valve amp and normal amps andwhatever else i want to spend between £30 and £60 just to practice in the bedroom

[Ajrt]

Go for something off ebay might be a good idea. Otherwise have a look at Kustom. I've got one and find it's very good and they cost around £60 i think. I guess other people will have better suggestions though.

[Paul S]

[quote name='HarryPotter' post='817090' date='Apr 24 2010, 11:31 AM']If a westone thunder suits your hands its all the bass you will ever need.[/quote]

+1 I just bought two of the damned things for £72 (Thunder Jet) and £110 (1A) and I don't see how you could get more for your money anywhere. The 1A in particular is totally superb - I am actually considering parting with my Fender Jaguar as I will probably use the 1A all the time.

[lemmywinks]

[quote name='Ajrt' post='821010' date='Apr 27 2010, 07:17 PM']Go for something off ebay might be a good idea. Otherwise have a look at Kustom. I've got one and find it's very good and they cost around £60 i think. I guess other people will have better suggestions though.[/quote]


+1 for eBay, it'll most likely be collection only so there's bargains to be had. This 300w Ashdown 4x10 combo went for £115 near me the other day, was thinking about buying it just because it was so cheap!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110521589475&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]