A Bass Adequate For Both Metal & Indie?

[Lew-Bass]

[quote name='joe_bass' post='398627' date='Feb 3 2009, 09:40 AM']Fair enough then mate but don't think buying a bass that someone else has owned before you means it won't have any sentimental value to yourself. Would you never consider second hand, even if it was a blinding deal? Just out of interest!!

I used my Rockbass primarily for the music course I did at college & we were playing a variety of genres etc, did fine for me! Go have a play in a local shop, see what you think.[/quote]

Thanks for the help and thankyou to everyone else, I think I'm gonna go for it . Yes I would consider second hand aslong as it really was a deal that was too good to refuse, but the main problem is the guarantees on second hand goods, how do you get around it?

[Buzz]

You've only been playing 7 months eh?

My advice: Buy a cheap righty and learn to play the more common way, it opens up a much bigger market for basses. Then the world is your oyster. Pretty much any bass will do metal and indie, barring fretless ones of course.

This is coming from a left handed writer who plays bass the normal way.

[josh3184]

well guarantees GENERALLY last for a year and I personally have never known a bass that is working fine when I receive it to stop working within a year. On the forum everyone is very friendly too so I'd have thought that if you got it secondhand and it was knackered you could give it back.
The best indicator of this is how many basses are still knocking around from the 70s/80s - they're designed to last for years really so a one year guarantee will cover a miniscule proportion of their total lifetime- their isn't a lot of electronics on a bass to go wrong compared to (e.g.) a car or an electrical appliance like a microwave!

Edited February 3, 2009 by josh3184

[joe_bass]

[quote name='Lew-Bass' post='399099' date='Feb 3 2009, 04:19 PM']Thanks for the help and thankyou to everyone else, I think I'm gonna go for it . Yes I would consider second hand aslong as it really was a deal that was too good to refuse, but the main problem is the guarantees on second hand goods, how do you get around it?[/quote]


With Ebay etc that is a risk you take of course. A lot of members can be trusted here though. I've done quite a few dealings in my time here.

[bremen]

[quote name='josh3184' post='399121' date='Feb 3 2009, 04:39 PM']well guarantees GENERALLY last for a year and I personally have never known a bass that is working fine when I receive it to stop working with in a year, on the forum everyone is very friendly too so I'd have thought that if you got it secondhand and it was knackered you could give it back.
The best indicator of this is how many basses are still knocking around from the 70s/80s - they're designed to last for years really so a one year guarantee will cover a miniscule proportion of their total lifetime- their isn't a lot of electronics on a bass to go wrong compared to (e.g.) a car or an electrical appliance like a microwave![/quote]

this has been my experience.

If you do get ripped off by a Basschat member (very unlikely if you check the seller's feedback) you can be sure that the rest of us will back you up and if necessary find a volunteer to go round the guy's house and feed him a portion of learning cakes. This has happened. It was a happy ending for all, including the villain; he escaped with his life.

[Lew-Bass]

Thanks guys! If anyone could recommend a good combo for me to go with the rockbass, I'll have a look for it secondhand :blush:

[damo200sx]

Westfield Warwick copy. Honestly is the dogs bollox for the money. The 4 string is half your budget. It has 2 pickups put the neck on for Precision sound, Front for Jazz or put them both on for the classic Musicman sound. Both have volume so you can blend the sound. It really is great, check it out. I bought another one in a different finish today!

[damo200sx]

I also bought a Hartke kickback 15" for under £200, the smaller speaker ones are less money but again it sounds good and has DI output for gigging if you need to put it into a pa.

[Lew-Bass]

[quote name='damo200sx' post='399546' date='Feb 3 2009, 11:14 PM']Westfield Warwick copy. Honestly is the dogs bollox for the money. The 4 string is half your budget. It has 2 pickups put the neck on for Precision sound, Front for Jazz or put them both on for the classic Musicman sound. Both have volume so you can blend the sound. It really is great, check it out. I bought another one in a different finish today![/quote]

I'll have a look mate, what's the actual model name?

[51m0n]

I cant stress how much I think you'd help yourself by switching to right handed now if you've only been playing a little while. My son is a leftie, played violin (they only come right handed, picked up bass rightie, and now plays upright as well (and they also are almost always right handed).

There is no problem playing wronghanded, it just takes a little while to get used to, and it certainly hasnt stopped the likes of John Patittuci (sp?).

All your lefty small market issues and not being able to try basses disappear too.

WRT what bass is good for what genre, literally any bass can be made to sound fine in any genre. I'm not kidding. It might look very out of place but if its half decent it can sound fine. What you want to concentrate on is playability and bang for the buck (resale value is a good one too). Mostly whether it works for you in your hands though. You can upgrade electronics, but you will struggle to make significant changes to the inherent ergonomics of a design.

Pick what works for you, I bought my Vester in '94, as it just fit my hands and body right, upgraded the electronics to EMGs a few years later (just like buying a new bass in terms of sonic difference, but like keeping the old one in terms of muscle , memory and feeling 'at home'). I only just felt the need to upgrade to a big boys toy (the Roscoe) - sure the workmanship is in a different league, but there is nothing wrong with that - it cost 3 times as much! I dont think I would ever lose a gig because I turned up with the Vester rather than the Roscoe, unless it required 5 strings.

Oh and my Vester is the one commonly called a Warwick clone, although actually it really isnt - there isnt a single Warwick that looks the same (vague resemblance to a Thumb) but the hardware is closer to a Spector (esp the brigde which is a complete clone - a very very good!) - in any event it is a really really good mid range bass, that you can easily upgrade the electronics on when the time comes.

I'd also strongly recommend you check out the Ibanez SR stuff - even the 300 series is a super playable bass!