Budget basses, anyone else fallen in love with their's?

[StraightSix]

[quote name='bassman2790' timestamp='1325070568' post='1479492']
Why should it be a back-up? I gigged with a GSR190J (from the jumpstart package) for 12 months. I even got a compliment on my sound at a wedding from a Ric 4003 owner

I know that my fellow band mates would look at me as though I'd lost all grip on reality if I left either of the Fenders on a stand while I played the BB414, but the Yamaha is of equal build quality to either of the Fenders and the BB tones aren't a million miles away from the Precision.
[/quote]

Maybe I should qualify that more by adding that I often use the GSR200 as my main bass - it's hard to put down...

[molan]

I fell in love with my S for a while but then had some serious Gas for a deliciously curvaceous B and the S just had to go

[thepurpleblob]

I played a Yamaha TRB4 for years and it cost me £190. Perhaps not exactly budget as it would have been a lot more new. I regret getting rid of it sometimes - it would stand up against anything. Yamaha make some fabulous stuff at very sensible prices (and, strangely, some oddly overpriced gear too).

[Guest MoJo]

Listen to the brief comparison I recorded [url="http://soundcloud.com/thebassdoctor-1/sets/p-bass-comparison"]http://soundcloud.com/thebassdoctor-1/sets/p-bass-comparison[/url] and see just how little difference there is between a £900 Precision and a BB414 worth one quarter it's value

[bertbass]

Had a Ric 4001, 72 Precision bought new, Overwater also bought new, guild Starfire 4, Shergold 4 - 12 twin neck new, EB3 and many more too numerous to mention but the love of my life is now Danelectro. Loved the sound since seeing Golden Earring live in 74 but getting a left handed one, well you know the rest. Now got a L/H long horn and a L/H DC bass. Bliss!!!

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1325116947' post='1480084']
Had a Ric 4001, 72 Precision bought new, Overwater also bought new, guild Starfire 4, Shergold 4 - 12 twin neck new, EB3 and many more too numerous to mention but the love of my life is now Danelectro. Loved the sound since seeing Golden Earring live in 74 but getting a left handed one, well you know the rest. Now got a L/H long horn and a L/H DC bass. Bliss!!!
[/quote]

I had a DC for a while, mate of mine wanted a bass and it was a cheap and good option, luckily I had it for a while before he picked it up, I was impressed with the sound.

[Delberthot]

They're not for everyone and some slight modification may be required but I've now had my Thunderbird for well over a year making it the longest I've had a bass since my Stingray.

Thought about selling it and nearly did but its far too good for that. I also discovered at the weekend that a wee bit of adjustment on the controls gives it a pure mad mental plectrum tone - so good that i played most of the second set with one the other night.

[NancyJohnson]

I bought a Sunn Mustang (essentially an Indian made Precision copy) on here for under £30 about six months ago. I threw on a new bridge, scratchplate and Wilkinson pickup and it's quite wonderful...it's never gone into the rack and I play it daily. Total outlay around £110.00.
P

[Norris]

I've just bought a [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/162766-fs-squier-p-bass-special-pewter-pj-l140-sold"]Squier P/J bass[/url]. I've fancied trying out a P/J for some time, and that was a nice price for an experiment. Having got the bass last Friday, I gave it a bit of a tweak on Saturday morning. I managed to get the action nice & low and gigged it that night - New Year's Eve. It needed another tweak to the pups at the first break but ... it sounded MASSIVE.

I've been really enjoying playing my thunderbird recently, but am now torn. The Squier feels and sounds great, and the workmanship and finish is excellent. It's one heck of a bass for the money! The stock pups sounded very good - the P pup had a heck of a punch, the J added a nice growl and the tone control is excellent. On most basses you lose the tone when you wind the control right down, but this had balls by the bucketload.

It's definately coming with me to the next gig!

[EmmettC]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1325083947' post='1479643']
I played a Yamaha TRB4 for years and it cost me £190. Perhaps not exactly budget as it would have been a lot more new. I regret getting rid of it sometimes - it would stand up against anything. Yamaha make some fabulous stuff at very sensible prices (and, strangely, some oddly overpriced gear too).
[/quote]
I loved my Yamaha BB405, it was cheap, comfortable, really nice string spacing and it sounded ok, it felt cheap though. I think it's the same shape as a Nathan East sig, so I may look at getting one of those at some point. Too many basses not enough time or money!!!!

[Blademan_98]

All of my basses are sub £200 and I love them

The two cough 'fender' jazz basses were £150 each and they get played every day (one fretted and one fretless).

The Epiphone Viola hangs on the wall (best place for it) and the Rogue fretless goes to jam nights etc.

Very happy with my little collection and GAS has dissapated on the bass front

[fatboyslimfast]

Here are my lot, all budget basses and I love em all. Details in sig. Whisper it (don't want to offend the other basses), but the Aria (that I got recently for £120 bundled with a Laney RB1 amp, case and other bits) plays fantastically well and could well turn out to be my new "go-to"...

[Rumple]

Picked-up an OLP Ray 5 copy here for £150 to leave at a relatives house as a cheap pracitce bass to save lugging one over there each time I visit, I can't put it down and will be taking it to the next rehearsal instead of any of the others I own, I've had a 'real' Stingray 5 before but actually prefer the passive sound of the OLP, it could do with a set up and I might ask Wizard if they can rewire the pick-up but even as it is it may become my weapon of choice.


I need another one now.

[discreet]

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1325777807' post='1487514']
...I can't put it down and will be taking it to the next rehearsal instead of any of the others I own...
[/quote]

Does that mean you want to sell your 76P, Dave?

[Rumple]

No the P is going nowhere Mark, I'm on the look out for some suitably aged pup covers for it

[discreet]

Oh well, I can't afford it at the moment, anyway!
Seriously though, do let me know if you decide to move it on...

[Rumple]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1325779497' post='1487558']
Oh well, I can't afford it at the moment, anyway!
Seriously though, do let me know if you decide to move it on...
[/quote]

I would always give you first refusal on it, it still feels a bit like I have it on loan anyway

Right I'm off to search for OLP's

[threedaymonk]

I absolutely love my Yamaha RBX200F fretless. Even with the addition of a better bridge and an EMG pickup scored off fleabay, the total cost wasn't much above £100. Back in the 90s, I'd have hated its styling, but now I rather like it. I can't stop playing it, and it's displaced my other basses to the hallway rack.

[rumblejunkie]

id still love a good fender but im more than happy with my ibanez GSR its superb £165 with a half decent gig bag

[grandad]

Just bought an Epiphone Viola, MIK 2003, £150. After a quick set-up & flatwounds fitted it is is now my favourite noodling bass.

[TomWIC]

My two Epiphone Thunderbirds, between £250 and £350 each (bought new), found them both better to play than the Gibson variants in the shop. Both in need of a good setup now, but I wouldn't change them for the world. I'd gladly pick up several more when I can afford to!

Ibanez GSR200 (bought new, around £250) which I sold a few weeks ago (and regretting it) was a cracking bass, missing it already. LTD B15 bought second hand for about £130 is the best 5-string I've ever played, put Bill Lawrence pickups into it after the stock pups failed, and made it even more fun to play.

And last but not least, the Squier Silver Series Precision that I bought today from a fellow Basschatter. Got home with it around 4pm today, haven't put it down since, an absolute dream to play and gorgeous tone.

[Guest]

[Karnage]

I have paid little for either of my two basses but not bought either new at normal price.

So often it is the combination of bass and amp that either works or doesn't for someone's playing. If you have had an instrument for a long time then there is a good chance both your playing style and amp setup are far more tuned to it than a new bass, and it can be hard to give the new one the same 'optimisation'. Didn't take too long with my new six string beast (LTD B 206SM) but it definitely took a concerted effort to tweak how I played for the best results from the bass.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Karnage

[skydivepaul]

+1 for the ibanez GSR200
This was my first bass almost 2 years ago. I have a Peavey T40 which is mighty on tone and presence but my go to bass is the GSR200.
Lately this is all i am playing.
been looking at trading the peavey in for a jazz bass - 70's style or geddy lee??

[Greggo]

My last acquisition was a swap of my Yamaha RBX 5 (which I originally got as part of a swap for an Encore bass which cost £120 years ago) for a Yamaha BB414 and I love this bass more and more each time I use it.

After fearing the truss rod was broken and the neck was doomed to be bowed forever, a bit of perseverance and turns out the rod was just seized so I've got the neck relief spot on now and the bass just plays so nice.

So all told this bass has not cost me anything as it's a product of various swaps over the last 12 years and it's better built and plays nicer than the bass I purchased last year (which in itself is a budget instrument - a jhs Vintage stingray lookalike)

Having said that the last bass I bought I've had fun with because I've done various mods to it and learned a lot about wiring / soldering so it's not all bad!