First Bass

[Ado]

Hi. Lookjng for some advice on my first bass. Playing electric for years and want to give Bass a go. Ideally I'd buy locally but that wont be an option for a few months so am looking online. Like the deep bass, precision sound.

Habe decided on a Roland Microcube Bass amp.

Trying to decide between....CV 70s precision, Omen 4, LtD 204 and Sterling SUB.

Know that the squire is probably the safest bet but would like something a bit different if its not a crazy/risky decision.

 

Thanks

 

Ado

[NickD]

I guess it depends what you want to play.

I'd agree that the Precision is the safest bet as an allrounder, and the Sub is great value if you want the kind of sound it offers too. I know nothing about the Omen, but I tried the LTD 206 and couldn't find anything I liked about it, particularly in terms of sound. I definitely wouldn't say it was worth the price premium over the Squier or the Sub.

[Ado]

Thanks. Mostly hard/ classic rock. Some punk and metal

RHCP, Rush, Billy Talent and then all the usual 70s 80s and 90s rock

Like the SUB sound. Are they reliable and good quality out of the box? A reasonable beginner choice?

Edited April 7, 2020 by Ado

[Lozz196]

Given your comment, like the deep bass, Precision sound I’d recommend the Squier.

When starting out I too loved the Precision sound, virtually all of my fave bassists played them. So what did I do, I bought basses other than Precisions and tried to get the Precision sound on them. When I finally bought one it suddenly clicked, there was what I’d been chasing all along.

So save yourself the trouble, get the bass that makes the sound you like. Additionally the Squiers are very good basses, and should you - you will - decide to upgrade later on the CV will be a great backup bass. I have a Squier VM77 Jazz and the quality for a so-called budget instrument is amazing.

[adamg67]

New or second hand? You get more for your money second hand, but on the other hand you need to know what you're buying. I've got 8 basses & guitars of various sorts, and only one was bought new (and that was built to my spec, not off the shelf). Same with my amp and pedals as it happens.

[Al Krow]

You should definitely AVOID this thread...

...otherwise you're going to end up with a Sire P7 instead of a Squier! 😁

[NickD]

1 minute ago, Al Krow said:

...otherwise you're going to end up with a Sire P7 instead of a Squier! 😁

Which to be fair is in the ballpark of the Schecter and the LTD.

[hooky_lowdown]

4 minutes ago, Ado said:

Thanks. Mostly hard/ classic rock. Some punk and metal

This music requires a Precision bass. The Squire CV is an excellent choice - there are pro musicians who gig a CV, so that tells you how good they are. Pair the bass with a Fender Rumble V3 25 and you are sorted. :)

 

[linear]

Sire P7 and a bottle of T-Cut.  Best £407.94 you'll ever spend.

Edited April 7, 2020 by linear

[bassfan]

I’d buy a P/J... not only because I have one for sale, but it’s the best of both worlds. 

[Al Krow]

33 minutes ago, linear said:

Sire P7 and a bottle of T-Cut.  Best £407.94 you'll ever spend.

Did you just summarise about 350 posts with that one? You'll be putting a lot of BC'ers out of work with such dastardly efficiency savings 😂

[Cuzzie]

LTD and Schecter are more than solid great options

[ezbass]

Squier CV Precision all the way given your chosen genres. It will hold its value better than some, given it’s from the Fender stable and upgrading the hardware (should you choose to) is simple as the majority of the upgrade market is aimed at budget Fender basses.

[Dan Dare]

If you have any decent shops within reach, drop in a try a few of your chosen models. When you've found something you like, look for a used one in decent shape. As it's a first instrument, I wouldn't buy new. A budget (price, not quality - there are some very good budget instruments around) instrument will not usually realise that much of the new purchase price when the time comes to upgrade.

As others suggest, a P bass is a solid, if a little safe, choice. A used Squier can be picked up for a very reasonable price - loads around on places like eBay - and can always be moved on easily at no great loss if you want something nicer.

[Ado]

Appreciate all the replies. Yeah, I like the Precisions sound but as some said, it's the sage option and I just wanted something different

The 60s CV are the same as the 70s except for cosmetics? May be an even cheaper option

[linear]

I have a Sterling SUB, and it's fine  I particularly like the slim neck.  The very first run of them had preamp issues, but I understand that is no longer the case in the more recent ones.  However, I feel at £350 you can do a lot better.

I'd only get one at RRP if you were dead set on that particular bass, for whatever reason.

Edited April 13, 2020 by linear

[Lozz196]

2 hours ago, Ado said:

Appreciate all the replies. Yeah, I like the Precisions sound but as some said, it's the sage option and I just wanted something different

The 60s CV are the same as the 70s except for cosmetics? May be an even cheaper option

Well they’re made of different materials, and if voices to be like their decades I’d expect the 60s to be warmer sounding, the 70s to be snappier. Both look great, I’ve played one of the 60s ones and it was a really nice bass, felt great to play.

[ead]

A slightly leftfield suggestion, but what about a preloved Spector Legend?  I started on a Squire P playing reasonably heavy tunes and then had a go on a Legend.  Saved like mad and bought one and it lasted me for a number of years (until I discovered forerunners of Basschat and picked up a serious GAS infection as a result).

[Jonesy]

The Squier CVs are good basses and you won't go wrong with one as your first bass. I could be wrong, but I think the 60s and 70s p have slightly different neck profiles? I don't think there's much of a difference (if there's any), it's only a couple of mm's so you'll likely not notice it really. 

What makes you sold on the Roland? Only asking as there might be a better amp for you. 

And what's your budget? I'm pretty sure everyone here likes shopping for new gear so would be more than happy living vicariously through you and helping you spend your hard earned dosh! 

[TheMaartian]

Hasn't been mentioned yet, but G&L Tribute basses are really good for the money. As has been mentioned, a PJ bass would be a good place to start, tone-wise. [FYI: The 'L' in G&L stands for Leo (as in Fender); it's where he went after selling Fender to CBS.] The G&L Tribute SB-2 sells for US$600 here. Not the least expensive option, but a superior bass with great playability.

http://glguitars.com/product/sb-2-2/

[Al Krow]

12 hours ago, bassfan said:

I’d buy a P/J... not only because I have one for sale, but it’s the best of both worlds. 

+1 ^^

Completely agree that a PJ can give you the best of both worlds.

A couple of great PJ bass brands which punch well above their price point include the budget end Yamaha BBs (any from series 1, 2 or the current '3' series e.g. a BB 234 or 434) and the Sire P7 v2

And while I've never had one, must admit that G&L in the post above looks pretty tasty too!

[Ricky 4000]

No help really, but I wouldn't mind trying one of those SUBs myself:

 

[TheMaartian]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

+1 ^^

Completely agree that a PJ can give you the best of both worlds.

A couple of great PJ bass brands which punch well above their price point include the budget end Yamaha BBs (any from series 1, 2 or the current '3' series e.g. a BB 234 or 434) and the Sire P7 v2

And while I've never had one, must admit that G&L in the post above looks pretty tasty too!

For reference, the US-made G&L SB-2 costs US$1500 (but it does come with a hard case). Also for reference, I have a Tribute ASCARI GTS guitar (Leo's only opposing headstock design), also made in Indonesia. It's almost flawless. Really nice finish and hardware.

Are G&L basses and guitars commonly available in the U.K.? I certainly hope so. Can't afford an original '63 Fender J bass (like the one my mother gave away for free (along with my brown tweed Fender Bassman) when I was off in the Army)? The modern G&Ls are excellent alternatives to the current crop of Fenders.

Edited April 8, 2020 by TheMaartian

[Ado]

Thanks all. Hadn't really consider G&L but the JB2 is fantastic sounding and just about within budget....450euros.

I'll have a look around over the next 2 weeks.

Last question about an amp....rumble 15 or blackstar 3 are the cheaper options. Is it worth spending a bit extra for the roland microcube (have the guitar version of this and really like it)?

[ezbass]

There’s a G&L SB2 for sale in our own pages at the moment