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Bass Musicians Only

B

bleeb

Lifer
Hey I'm interested in learning bass guitar. I have a Crate MXB-25 Amp, and some monster cable. All I need is a bass guitar. Can you make some reasonable recommendations for a solid, active, bass guitar under 300 bones? What are some good brands? Anything I should look for in purchasing one? Help! =)
 
My suggestion -

Go to several music stores. Play and listen to as many basses as you can. Pick the one the sounds and feels the best for what you can afford.

 
I just noticed that your in West Linn....so, you have ton's of places to go. ( I am in Vancouver, WA)

 
Originally posted by: NL5
My suggestion -

Go to several music stores. Play and listen to as many basses as you can. Pick the one the sounds and feels the best for what you can afford.
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That too. But it is hard to find a new bass with active electronics for 300 or less.
 
Well then, he can try and find a new one that he likes in a store around town, then call around for a used one. If that fails, try the Oregonian or Ebay.

And, yes, that will be hard to do...$300 isn't a whole lot. Maybe he can set his sights a little lower to start, and then trade up.....that's what I did...several times.


Edited - because once again, I've proved the hands are quicker than the mind! LOL
 
Originally posted by: NL5
Well then, find a new one that you like in a store around town, then call around for a used one. If that fails, try the Oregonian or Ebay.

And, yes, that will be hard to do...$300 isn't a whole lot. Maybe set your sights a little lower to start, and then trade up.....that's what I did...several times.
Click to expand...

You know I am not the one wanting to buy it right? 😛
 
Originally posted by: bleeb
Hey I'm interested in learning bass guitar. I have a Crate MXB-25 Amp, and some monster cable. All I need is a bass guitar. Can you make some reasonable recommendations for a solid, active, bass guitar under 300 bones? What are some good brands? Anything I should look for in purchasing one? Help! =)
Click to expand...
Buy a Fender Squier PBass and a KORG Blues Driver stomp box. That should do it.
 
active or not, it's hard to beat fender basses. the original and still the best.

regarding ibanezes: i own a rather expensive ibanez guitar and it's flat out the biggest piece of junk i've ever owned. EVERYTHING sucks on it. the only thing that wasn't designed poorly or has since broken on it is the neck pickup, and it's an awful sounding pickup, so i wish it would break, too. hmm let's see:

bridge pickup: broken internally after a few years, had to be replaced.
body: comfortable and cool looking BUT wood was too soft and both strap buttons ripped out of the body, requiring extensive repair.
bridge: horrible sustain, and squeeks magnificently when you use the tremelo, also a pain in the ass to change strings. whammy bar won't stay screwed in for more than 10 seconds before it works its way loose
neck: very comfortable but fretwork is very poor and certain strings bottom out on certain frets, making it nearly useless for lead work unless you set the action unbearably high.
nut: ALL screws for the locking mechanism have stripped
string retainer: makes "pinging" noises when the strings move through it
truss rod: impossible to adjust with standard tools because you can't reach it with them due to the moronic string retainer.
knobs: they fall off randomly and the pots get loose and require attention about once a week.
wiring: idiotic wiring configurations make pickup replacement a real challenge.
jack: needs adjustment often to prevent plugs from loosing contact, and it's a pain to remove.

that leaves the neck pickup and the finish, both of which i have had no problems with.

when i bought this heap, i didn't know any better. but now i do, and i'm telling you: don't buy an ibanez.

in contrast, even the cheap fenders have remarkable reliability, both guitars and basses.
 
I have had pretty good luck with Ibanez myself, none of the ones I owned ever "broke down" on me, and I certainly like the way the SR series play better than a P Bass. The input jacks do suck though but it is an easy replacement. But either one would be fine for a first bass anyway.

BTW I have too many basses (5). My band recently broke up and I have to get rid of a few. I have a SR400 I would sell ya for 200 bucks, or an SR 505 I would part with for 300. If you wanna know more about them go to musiciansfriend.com and search for them under Ibanez basses.
 
Originally posted by: faZZter
I have had pretty good luck with Ibanez myself, none of the ones I owned ever "broke down" on me, and I certainly like the way the SR series play better than a P Bass. The input jacks do suck though but it is an easy replacement. But either one would be fine for a first bass anyway.

BTW I have too many basses (5). My band recently broke up and I have to get rid of a few. I have a SR400 I would sell ya for 200 bucks, or an SR 505 I would part with for 300. If you wanna know more about them go to musiciansfriend.com and search for them under Ibanez basses.
Click to expand...

I owned a SR400 when i first started out and I have played an SR505, both are nice basses for the money and the beginner.
 
You'll be pushing for "good" and "active" for under 300 bucks. My suggestion is that save up a bit more and get a decent active bass. My definition of good is relative though..
 
Originally posted by: faZZter
I have had pretty good luck with Ibanez myself, none of the ones I owned ever "broke down" on me, and I certainly like the way the SR series play better than a P Bass. The input jacks do suck though but it is an easy replacement. But either one would be fine for a first bass anyway.

BTW I have too many basses (5). My band recently broke up and I have to get rid of a few. I have a SR400 I would sell ya for 200 bucks, or an SR 505 I would part with for 300. If you wanna know more about them go to musiciansfriend.com and search for them under Ibanez basses.
Click to expand...

I don't know faZZter nor can I vouche for the condition of the bass but I would jump on his SR400 in a second. You can get a brand new P-bass Fender squier, that will not look as cool, play as smoothly, or sound as good as his used SR400 for the same amount of money. If you are starting out you probably don't need a 5 string bass. Stick with 4 string, plus it makes easier transition to guitar if you choose to do so down the road.
 
Originally posted by: Bassyhead
Originally posted by: faZZter
I have had pretty good luck with Ibanez myself, none of the ones I owned ever "broke down" on me, and I certainly like the way the SR series play better than a P Bass. The input jacks do suck though but it is an easy replacement. But either one would be fine for a first bass anyway.

BTW I have too many basses (5). My band recently broke up and I have to get rid of a few. I have a SR400 I would sell ya for 200 bucks, or an SR 505 I would part with for 300. If you wanna know more about them go to musiciansfriend.com and search for them under Ibanez basses.
Click to expand...

I owned a SR400 when i first started out and I have played an SR505, both are nice basses for the money and the beginner.
Click to expand...

Right. My SR505 is fine for me.
 
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