Returning player - guidance required

[FatDrunkStupid]

Hi inmates. I hope that this isn't one of "those" posts. Apologies in advance if it is but I did do due lurking dilligence, honest.

I'm an ex-semi-pro bassist (did music college, sessions, pit work etc.) who was forced to join the rat race and sell most of my gear for the usual reasons. 25 years later I want to get back into playing and am fortunate to be able to afford some decent gear. Apart from a brief fliration with Yamahas I've always been a jazz bass guy and I guess I still am although due to a bout of middle-aged contrarian-ism I don't want another Fender or Fender-alike although I do want a 4 string with a jazz-style passive, dual pickup configuration and correspondingly simple controls. These are not "musts" but my starting point. So my short list currently is:[list]
[*]Cort Rithmic (Jeff Berlin)
[*]PRS SE Kingfisher
[*]Chapman MLB-1
[*]??
[/list]
What other instruments should I be looking at? I'll mostly be doing home recording and small club gigs so I've pretty much decided on a Mark Bass 300 combo but are open to suggestions in this area as well.

All advice and/or personal abuse welcomed!

[Number6]

I really like the look of the PRS and would love to give one a try. G&L do the Tribute JB4 which is Active/Passive switched i believe and maybe worth a look at too.

I have recently picked up a fender-alike Jazz Bass made by a company called Fame in Gdansk (may be the Mayones factory?) and the quality of that is very very good.

Nice one on your return. I took many years off from playing too but i am enjoying being back.

👍

[cocco]

I can't recommend G&L Tributes highly enough. The L series and JB would fit in nicely with what you describe, and they can be had for a steal on Thomann

[neilp]

I like the look of the Cort Jeff Berlin myself. My backup fretless is a Cort B4 and I really like it, they seem like great value for money. Welcome back, I've been on a very similar journey myself, except I never sold the two best basses!

[FatDrunkStupid]

Thanks for the tip on the G&Ls - I never really considered them because of the close pickup spacing on most models and the fact that the neck pickup is a long way from the neck. How does this affect the bottom end? I guess I need to try one. The reason the Rithmic is top of my list is because I've heard nothing but good things about them and it looks like the kind of thing I'm after in terms of scale, pickup configuration and string spacing (not that that means a lot, I know and I've yet to play one myself).

Thanks for all the advice, keep it coming!

[Naetharu]

A Maruszczyk Elwood might be well worth considering. Here is my one: not regretted getting this for a moment. Its very flexible, feels wonderful to play and sounds amazing. Also, they are made to order so you can specify all the stuff you want in the way of pickups, neck profile, string spacing etc.



Edit: Fixed problem with image link

Edited December 18, 2015 by Naetharu

[CamdenRob]

Welcome back to the bass

I did the same (although i was never semi-pro) and took many years out to build a career etc... then came back to it with avengeance a couple of years back

Be careful hanging around BC though, you'll end up spening a fortune on gear you didn't even know existed...

G&L tributes are ridiculous value from Thomann

[cocco]

[quote name='FatDrunkStupid' timestamp='1450219909' post='2930760']
Thanks for the tip on the G&Ls - I never really considered them because of the close pickup spacing on most models and the fact that the neck pickup is a long way from the neck. How does this affect the bottom end? I guess I need to try one. The reason the Rithmic is top of my list is because I've heard nothing but good things about them and it looks like the kind of thing I'm after in terms of scale, pickup configuration and string spacing (not that that means a lot, I know and I've yet to play one myself).

Thanks for all the advice, keep it coming!
[/quote]

My L2000 has bottom end in spades. I'd recommend playing one for sure

The preamp in the L Series is a bit left field, its cut only and has switch controlled series/parallel and active/passvie. I personally like it but if you dont have a go on an M Series, its a similar beast but it has a bass, mid, teble boost/cut preamp.

[Drax]

[quote name='FatDrunkStupid' timestamp='1450207289' post='2930576']
Hi inmates. I hope that this isn't one of "those" posts. Apologies in advance if it is but I did do due lurking dilligence, honest.

I'm an ex-semi-pro bassist (did music college, sessions, pit work etc.) who was forced to join the rat race and sell most of my gear for the usual reasons. 25 years later I want to get back into playing and am fortunate to be able to afford some decent gear. Apart from a brief fliration with Yamahas I've always been a jazz bass guy and I guess I still am although due to a bout of middle-aged contrarian-ism I don't want another Fender or Fender-alike although I do want a 4 string with a jazz-style passive, dual pickup configuration and correspondingly simple controls. These are not "musts" but my starting point. So my short list currently is:[list]
[*]Cort Rithmic (Jeff Berlin)
[*]PRS SE Kingfisher
[*]Chapman MLB-1
[*]??
[/list]
What other instruments should I be looking at? I'll mostly be doing home recording and small club gigs so I've pretty much decided on a Mark Bass 300 combo but are open to suggestions in this area as well.

All advice and/or personal abuse welcomed!
[/quote]


Hi FDS

+1 for the Cort Rithimic. High price for a Cort but fantastic value for money, very well made, allows low action and the thin neck makes it effortless to play.

Tone and controls are pretty straight - whilst there's a nice Jazz parp, it won't bark under attack.

Great review vid from Dood of this parish;

[url="http://www.iguitarmag.com/magazine-editions/guitar-interactive-issue-26/reviews/cort-jeff-berlin-bass/"]http://www.iguitarma...ff-berlin-bass/[/url]

Still unsure on the design (by his wife), but like the feel enough for this to become current main bass. Surprised there isn't more love for them on here.

Heard Jeff's relationship with Cort has run it's course. Hopefully the fact it doesn't have his name anywhere on it (another plus point), means they'll keep making it.

Edited December 29, 2015 by Drax

[TheGreek]

There's a huge amount of quality gear out there now so it might help if you posted your location so that local BCers may be inclined to let you try their gear. Alternatively there's the London Bass Guitar Show in March which will confuse you further and infect you with the inevitable GAS. Also check out your local Bass Bashes in the "Events" thread.

Edited December 26, 2015 by TheGreek

[Grahambythesea]

If you want to get away from the Jazz body shape but want a jazz pickup, then if you would settle for the P/J pickup set up check out Spector basses. Depending on the size of your budget the Korean made Legends are superb for the money but the Euro LX BASS would be perfect.

[White Cloud]

Warwick corvette standard should meet your criteria well!

[R.I.P.]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1451166846' post='2938671']
Warwick corvette standard should meet your criteria well!
[/quote]

What he said

Edited December 27, 2015 by R.I.P.

[Telebass]

Don't forget Yamaha BBs. Lots of bass for not much dosh.

[iiipopes]

I gig with an Ibanez SRA 305. The SR series have the two pickups, a Jazz-style neck on the 4-string instrument, well balanced, good tone and playability, and are great value-for-money.

[FatDrunkStupid]

Holy thread resurrection!

It's taken a while but after trying what feels like a million different instruments including a few that were way out of my price range (just for comparison purposes), I've finally bought a G&L M2000 GTS. Feels great, sounds great. Just wanted to close this one down and thank everyone once more for all the suggestions. I know the M2000 doesn't satisfy ANY of the criteria I outlined in my original post but I guess the lesson to be learned is that you shouldn't limit yourself to what you [i]think[/i] you need...

[Telebass]

Nice one!