Bridgehouse

14 minutes ago, Doddy said:

New, I think the Sire v7 basses are the best instruments in their price range. They're well made, and the preamp is actually really good and usable, unlike a lot of sub £500 basses.

Used, you can get loads. I picked up a Yamaha Attitude Standard for about £400, and an MTD Kingston Heir for well under £300. I even found my old Fender Bullet B30 for under £300.

There's some great shouts there for further investigation!

The MTD sounds interesting, but I doubt I'd find a B30 for under £500 these days.. shame as I really do like the look of them, but I'm determined to try some cheaper end instruments rather than falling into the trap of just going up a bit more in price. 

Never tried a Sire. I really ought to as well. 

I'm getting the impression that Yamaha's are high on the sub-£500 list regardless...

Are any of them fretless, or are they a lot rarer?

I'm gonna have to read that BB-mega thread... 

Course, non-Yamaha answers also encouraged! 

Just now, bassbiscuits said:

I’ve got a Yamaha BB604 that was £200 s/h and would still be an absolutely brilliant bass at three times the price. 

Now that's exactly the sort of bargain I'm talking about!!

9 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

That’s why I exist 😂

So best bang for buck cheapie Yamaha either new or used?

Yes, also never owned a Yamaha bass. Shocking, I know. 

I've had some cracking Yamaha acoustics, and I've got a Yamaha Montage 6 synth which is bloody excellent so I have no idea why I've never looked hard at them..

I don't know my way around their models or numbers tho...

Quick recap on my current basses:

- Shuker Uberhorn Fretless 4

- Fender Custom Shop 62 Jazz Charcoal Frost

- Partscaster Semi-hollow 51 Precision Natural

- Partscaster 51 Precision with a custom wound Ric-style pickup in Surf Green

After an earlier exchange with @AndyTravis and a conversation in the Den of Iniquity, it's occurred to me that I've only ever really had either expensive basses (more than £500) or Partscasters (made up from parts, self build, or self assemble/finish etc.)

So, I'm clearly missing out on a huge chunk of basses here.. tell me, fine denizens of Basschat, what would you recommend that meets the following criteria:

- 4 string

- Fretted or fretless

- Less than £500 either new or used

- Active or Passive

- Any manufacturer (the less common the better!)

- You've owned it and really liked it, or thought it to be a great bass for the money

1 minute ago, AndyTravis said:

I just buy stuff I fancy, and if it doesn’t work out I just move it on.

 

Dont really get sentimental over gear.

 

If it’s not going to get used regularly, i move it on.

Mate, I know - and I love your philosophy on it as well. My problem is I just don't have the time to do the buying and selling - otherwise I'd be with you. Specially on the cheaper end stuff. 

I was musing earlier that I've only ever had expensive basses or partscasters.. I've got 2 expensives and 2 partscasters at the moment (and one more in build) - I've never bought a bass that's cost under £500... and I really need to do something about that!!!

2 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

No, it’s more a rotating door 😉

Ahh, you mean you shift your stock quicker than they do? 
 

2 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

Wahoo!

I always thought you had more stock than Bass Direct Andy….

Lindy Fralin Split Jazz. Silent. Fabulous musical rich sound. Expensive, but worth every penny

59 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

This is how it turned out, darker and less contrast than I'd hoped. Pure tung oil probably wasn't the best choice; I hadn't understood how different it is from tru-oil. Also, I think I overdid the stain, I should have sanded it back more. The restoration wax (satin finish), I could have built it up even more, but it was starting to leave white residue in the holes.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m waiting on my finishing oil at the moment - have both the Crimson penetrating and high build oil on order. 
 

I’ve sanded back quite a bit on the medium scale body, and it’s really very light now - even tempted to get the wire wool on it and give it a final going over. I’ve noticed when wet it’s a lot darker. I wonder if the slight tint to tung oil has darkened yours more.. 

28 minutes ago, Thunderbird said:

Digitech bad monkey is pretty underrated for bass

Yes. This is very true. I've got a Bad Monkey and it can, from time to time, do some phenomenal things with bass - particularly when combined with a clean mix as well

I'm not sure I can take any more of this punishment.

1 minute ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

So they've headhunted Bass Direct's web developer?

Yeah, they are even paying for him to go on a HTML 3.0 course

20 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

Yeah but he’s so cool he was into Japanese basses before they were popular

Are they popular now then?

1 minute ago, Bassassin said:

Not me neither. Already got one, ain't I?

Cor. You’s posh you is

There is something satisfyingly superb about everything to do with that bass.

Just now, LukeFRC said:

So how many you am I bidding against??!

Not me guv'nor. 

I'm waiting for something quality to come up. Maybe this?

3 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

Bit of a wizard, was he?

 

😉

We're not in the Bad Jokes thread now, Toto...

14 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

I had to sell my Roadster fretless to a fella in Oz because there was so little interest here.

Really? I'd actually quite like a Roadster fretless. 

Then again, First Law of Bass Acquisition states: "You will never want a bass when it's available, but you'll only want it when it's not"

14 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

Nah - I'm bidding. And they are only a few miles away from me. 

Cheers @TheGreek for sharing it with loads of other people I now have to bid against 🤣

Ah, in which case I might bid on it anyway, even tho it isn't fretless

If that was fretless I would have bid on it...

2 minutes ago, chris_b said:

 

You could try Carol Kaye's approach, threading felt through the strings.

I wonder if some embroidery silk might work... hmmmm....