Mikey2341 Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Hi Guys, I posted in the introductions section that i was thinking of buying the suire affinity p package with the amp etc as I thought it seamed a good deal for 160 quid and you got everything. However, a couple of people posted saying that maybe it would be better to save up and buy a better quality bass, which got me thinking and I now have a couple of questions... If I were to buy a better quality bass, say a squire modified at around 200, would I be ok to play on this without an amp for a while whilst I saved up some more for the amp etc, How much do I need to spend to get a reasonable quality bass to start off on, I've seen the vintage V4 going for 130 which has good reviews by people on here and I would then have enough money to buy a cheapish amp with... With regards to amps, what sub 100 amp is recomended? I've seen the microcube rx for 100 new which seams a good deal? I'm not adverse to second hand either, so will keep an eye out on here aswell for bargains! advice please Mikey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 (edited) Vintage v4 has a good reputation and would probably make a better starter than the Squier affinity. SX is another mfr that some people on here rate very highly. If you trawl through the bass guitar and general bass discussion sections here, you'll find lots of threads about starter gear, Squiers and other 'bargain' brands. If you use the search facility, you'll find bundles of advice and opinions. Also worth checking the Wiki area of the forum - there's some good advice there too. As regards amps, you only need a little one for practising at home - under 100w and pref with a headphone output and audio (mp3/cd) input for late night practising. I haven't bought a small amp for a while so can't recommend any, although I'm sure others can. Have a look in the amps section, where there's a fair number of threads on small practice / bedroom amps. (Remember to budget for a strap and a lead or two -£10 per item. You may also wish to purchase a tuner £12-25). When you decide to join your first band, you'll probably want a bigger amp, say up to 300w. Hartkes, Ashdowns and Peaveys get a reasonable rap, but again, opinion varies. The trick with all this is to buy in stages - no sense in getting an expensive bass and colossal rig when you're just starting out. There's a law of diminishing returns, and you'll see a lot of posts on here about £2000 basses and £1500 rigs(!). While there's a lot of sense in buying quality gear later on, the improvement, while satisfying, is often marginal. Don't feel that lower cost items are 'inferior' - in fact, a lot of them give the bigger boys a run for their money. Buying secondhand is good, and there are lots of bargains out there, as long as you know what you're doing. If not, take someone with you who's got some experience. there's a good pinned thread here - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1880"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1880[/url] - which covers how to check an amp out before buying. You may also find some starter gear in the 'for sale' section here. Most sellers here are pretty straight but some buyers here also like to take into account the number of posts that the seller's made, in order to judge whether they're a serious member of the forum (with a reputation to maintain) and therefore (potentially) less likely to sell you a lemon. There's also a seller's feedback section, but not everyone bothers to use it. Good luck with your quest. Feel free to PM me with any further q's if your thread goes quiet. Edited January 4, 2009 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Splayer Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Status or Rickenbacker ......just joshing i would say go for the SX option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 I tried a lot of basses recently for a friend who wanted to learn bass. To me, the bassic Squiers (bronco, Affinity P etc) were the worst playing of all. Surprisingly, the one that played the best was an Epiphone Thunderbird. Probably due to the narrow neck. They are neck heavy so aren't the best for playing live IMO, the whole reason for me selling mine. The Bass Collection Speakeasy and the other clones of this ( SX, Stagg etc ) modelled after the original Bass Collection basses are phenomenal players. They are very light, slim necks, most are actives but they are very comfortable to play. If having a bass that doesn't need to look like a Fender is something you are considering then check these out. The Rockbass Streamer & Corvette were very similar as well. As far as amps go, I am using a guitar combo in the house as it is quiet and doesn't boom as much as a regular bass amp so its neighbour friendly. For gigging I would say at least 300w with either 2x10" or 1x15" should be enough. Hartke, GK Backline Series & Ashdown are probably going to be the best for starting out - not saying that they are rubbish,just that they are more common so tend to be cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Dont forget Yamahas..... They are excellent VFM new or 2ndhand..... Practice amp for less that £100 has got to be a Roland Cube 30x in my opinion... you will not get bored..... and by the time you can afford an upgrade you will know what want / need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 [quote name='The Burpster' post='370031' date='Jan 4 2009, 04:15 PM']Dont forget Yamahas..... They are excellent VFM new or 2ndhand.....[/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 If you add your location to your profile we can see where you live and therefore tempt you with cheap secondhand kit that you can save the courier charges on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 [quote name='Hamster' post='370056' date='Jan 4 2009, 04:37 PM']If you add your location to your profile we can see where you live and therefore tempt you with cheap secondhand kit that you can save the courier charges on [/quote] You're a fiend in human guise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey2341 Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 Thanks for the replies guys I've updated my profile to include my location, during the week this is York, at weekends its Manchester. Having spent a good while looking through the pages on here it seams that the quality of instruments even at the "bottom" end of the market are of a reasonable standard and I should end up with something quite playable. Does anyone have any experience of Cort models? My friend has recently bought a Cort guitar from an online shop in leamington spa that specialises in them and they do a full set up on all purchases in with the price, so I presume from somewhere like that it would play quite well?? Cheers Mikey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 [quote name='Mikey2341' post='370179' date='Jan 4 2009, 06:25 PM']Does anyone have any experience of Cort models? My friend has recently bought a Cort guitar from an online shop in leamington spa that specialises in them and they do a full set up on all purchases in with the price, so I presume from somewhere like that it would play quite well??[/quote] Couldn't comment on Cort basses, but the shop would be Richard's Guitars (formerly Regent Guitars). Good VFM, IMO. Plus it's a real shop, not an internet re-seller. Chaz, the tech, is a good guy and did a nice set up on a guitar my mate bought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey2341 Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 [quote name='skankdelvar' post='370199' date='Jan 4 2009, 06:38 PM']Couldn't comment on Cort basses, but the shop would be Richard's Guitars (formerly Regent Guitars). Good VFM, IMO. Plus it's a real shop, not an internet re-seller. Chaz, the tech, is a good guy and did a nice set up on a guitar my mate bought.[/quote] Yeah thats the shop, they only stock cort as a brand, but the write up on the site highly recomends them, will see what I can find out about them, Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elom Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Even though I have a good rig for playing live I still tend to still use the little [url="http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/peavey-max-126---new-product!!!/66691"]Peavey Max 126[/url] around the house when the rest of the family don't want to be disturbed. Decent sound, headphone socket, line in etc. - fine for your needs. Should be able to pick one up new for £50. There are loads of good basses out there in the sub £200 bracket even new - many, many more if you go 2nd hand. The problem is that you really need to try a few before you know what suits you - does it sound ok, do you like how it looks and does it feel comfortable? Some might say it's all about the sound but in my opinion you need an instrument that you don't want to put down when you're starting! Have a look in the for sale forum here and see if there is anything in your price range that is relatively close to you. Most people here are pretty sociable and wouldn't mind you going round to try it out. You really don't need to spend a lot of cash to look and sound good, what you need to spend is time practising. Now if only I could practice what I preach! Best of luck in your search and let us know how you get on, elom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmachine2112 Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 hiho,I recently bought a cheap bass for a knockabout which was a vintage v4 precision copy,my main bass is a ricky with a musicman for other jobs.I must admit that I am knocked out with the vintage v4.I bought it s/h for a low price but it was in as new condition.I love it to bits,excellent piece of kit. Amps-well here we go,roland combo,s are in my opinion for the price excellent.I have a db700 which i use for practice at home,band and gigs.I also use marshall,peavey and hartke all of which I have only good words for. The above advice about wattage is very good,you will need power at some stage when you come to practice ,jam with other people.You might think that 100 watt will be fine with a 100 watt guitar amp but you will be drowned out if they crank it up,so 250-3000 only jokin 300 will be about right. S/h is a good option if you know what your doing or have somebody who knows the score.Most bass players are very good at looking after their gear.If you want any advice I,m sure that you have come to the right place and although opinions may vary we all try to give the best advice as we see it.All the best and enjoy the bottom end. :brow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born 2B Mild Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 I'd say, budget £130 for a used bass (look in the For Sale part of the forum, here) and whatever you can spare for a lead, tuner and amp. If you are comfortable with computers, you can use your PC with amplified speakers as a bedroom practice amp, which is handy if you are moving between two residences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey2341 Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 [quote name='Born 2B Mild' post='370435' date='Jan 4 2009, 10:23 PM']I'd say, budget £130 for a used bass (look in the For Sale part of the forum, here) and whatever you can spare for a lead, tuner and amp. If you are comfortable with computers, you can use your PC with amplified speakers as a bedroom practice amp, which is handy if you are moving between two residences.[/quote] Well I've finaly bought a bass! I should pick it up on friday, Its a vintage Icon V4 - the aged looking model, its an unwanted xmas present in as new condition. I've bought it off ebay for £125 which is less that the non reliced models cost. Am happy at this, so now need to hunt for an amp! Cheers Mikey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Nice one to start with. Lots of good words about those. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Cooke Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Peavey Max 126 is a nice little practice amp... has CD/MP3 player input and headphone out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathewsanchez Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Squier Classic Vibe series? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHUFC BASS Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 For me, the perfect beginners bass is one that is cheap, but will outlast that "beginners" phase. That for me has to be a Warwick Rockbass Corvette. Slightly (not a lot second-hand) dear than a cheap beginners bass but for the money its great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Yay! Always nice to see a budding bassist get their first bass, the Vintage should be a goodun as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 [quote name='Mikey2341' post='387821' date='Jan 21 2009, 06:06 PM']Well I've finaly bought a bass! I should pick it up on friday, Its a vintage Icon V4 - the aged looking model, its an unwanted xmas present in as new condition. I've bought it off ebay for £125 which is less that the non reliced models cost. Am happy at this, so now need to hunt for an amp! Cheers Mikey[/quote] I think Noirpunk will agree you've made a good choice - he loved his so much he ended up getting an endorsement! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey2341 Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 [quote name='Musky' post='388287' date='Jan 22 2009, 10:29 AM']I think Noirpunk will agree you've made a good choice - he loved his so much he ended up getting an endorsement! [/quote] I picked it up last night - its great, am chuffed with it. Just need to learn to play it now!! Cheers Mikey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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