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Best of the ultra low budget basses??


Jamesemt
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Firstly, hi. I've been lurking for a while, but only just got around to registering.

Anyways, I'm looking for a really cheap bass for work (a beater that I can play on my dinner break) - what should I look out for?

There are a fair few Westfields, Alba (??), No names etc on ebay.

Would I be best off with an Encore? (Did my first ever gig many years ago with one of these :) ). Is a Squire going to be a huge step up quality wise?

Any advice would be greatfully appreciated.

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If its an old knacker for work, then as long as its got an aceptable action, and a neck profile that you're used to then does it matter what it is?

If you start going down the 'is an Encore better than a Squier' comparison route..... before long you'l be hankerin' after a '54 P bass....

When you're buying real bottom end basses, any make or model could be an absolute keeper or a bag 'o 54ite.....

(bit like buying a £200 car for a year, dont be fussy but just make sure it does what it should!)

That'd be my advice...... :)

Oh and welcome.......!

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I have pupils with lots of P-bass copies... The nicest ones are the Squire Affinity (quality can vary on these hugely), the Boston bass package at under £100 is a great bass. Lovely neck. But the one I'm going to go with is the Crafter Cruiser. We just bought one the other week for our retiring head of the Music Dept., and it was lovely. I think I got the bass for £90 but what an instrument!





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I got a 3/4 sized Westfield P bass that I could keep next to the bed at home. I think I could probably fit it in my desk drawer at work. Cost me about £60.

There's a cool throw-around guitar from a company called Wesley Guitars for the same price that I know I could fit in my desk drawer (unfortunately, it's a guitar - but there are times when they have their uses).

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Thanks for all the advice - might give the Harley Bentons a look...

Size isn't an issue - I'm in the ambulance service and can leave the bass in a spare room (which I'll probably practice in).

The SX bases are branded Jim Deacon in this country - the cheapest I can find those is £85, which is still a bit more than I want to pay...

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  • 5 months later...

[quote name='PJPofStHelens' post='114859' date='Jan 6 2008, 06:40 PM']I've noticed you've got an Ibanez SoundGear...Which one have you got? I've got the SRX 400... What do you think of them? I love mine![/quote]

I got the SR500. I love mine, too. It is so good! I'd definatly reccomend it to anyone looking for... well anything! So versatile and always sounding good.

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[quote name='Buzz' post='115030' date='Jan 6 2008, 09:57 PM']Woah. Thread revive by 5 months.

What did you go for in the end OP?[/quote]

Was planning on using my new SX Jazz as an everyday bass, but slipped with the screwdriver when changing the scratchplate...so my work beater bass is an SX Jazz with tortoiseshell scratchplate, gotoh bridge, hipshot ultralites and upgraded pickups...must learn not to go near a bass with a screwdriver...(did a similar thing with a strat last year :))

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[quote name='Jamesemt' post='117930' date='Jan 10 2008, 04:01 PM']Was planning on using my new SX Jazz as an everyday bass, but slipped with the screwdriver when changing the scratchplate...so my work beater bass is an SX Jazz with tortoiseshell scratchplate, gotoh bridge, hipshot ultralites and upgraded pickups...must learn not to go near a bass with a screwdriver...(did a similar thing with a strat last year :))[/quote]


Which SX Jazz do you have or what was it when you started, I mean.
We should start a sub plot for SX maniacs

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I've got a 62 Jazz in Vintage White (think margarine, under false light it looks bright yellow...).

TBH when I first got it I thought it was awful, but the more I play it, the greater respect it seems to get!!

I've replaced the bridge pickup, but the neck pickup is really high output.

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[quote name='Jamesemt' post='118098' date='Jan 10 2008, 07:41 PM']I've got a 62 Jazz in Vintage White (think margarine, under false light it looks bright yellow...).

TBH when I first got it I thought it was awful, but the more I play it, the greater respect it seems to get!!

I've replaced the bridge pickup, but the neck pickup is really high output.[/quote]

Ah yes I think that was the colour of NeilB's SX Jazz that passed through my hands last night en route to my mate Ash who's just bought it. It's more yellow than my "vintage white" Fender used to be - and we called that "The Custard P" - the SX has a touch of green, oddly ...

I'm still waiting for my used SX P from a bloke in Colorado .. I think the US or UK postal service has eaten it ...

I've been playing the unmodified SX Jazz I used to have at the jam session I go to where my tutor (who now has it) is the house bass player. There's 4 or 5 good bass players who regularly attend and they are all well impressed with it. I think a few more orders will be popping up from around here...

Edited by OldGit
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[quote name='OldGit' post='118158' date='Jan 10 2008, 08:54 PM']Ah yes I think that was the colour of NeilB's SX Jazz that passed through my hands last night en route to my mate Ash who's just bought it. It's more yellow than my "vintage white" Fender used to be - and we called that "The Custard P" - the SX has a touch of green, oddly ...

I'm still waiting for my used SX P from a bloke in Colorado .. I think the US or UK postal service has eaten it ...

I've been playing the unmodified SX Jazz I used to have at the jam session I go to where my tutor (who now has it) is the house bass player. There's 4 or 5 good bass players who regularly attend and they are all well impressed with it. I think a few more orders will be popping up from around here...[/quote]


Si, you seen my new SX P??

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