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Amanda


Mands

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21 minutes ago, kendall said:

Hey Mands.  I had the 1980's equivalent of what you are looking to purchase when I was 15 years old.  It was awful, badly set up and the amp was useless. But...... I loved it, because it was my first bass.  I learnt the basics on it, learnt how to change strings, tune it, set it up etc. I also posed in the mirror practicing stage moves that I never actually had the balls to do. I covered it in stickers and used it at an audition for my first band.  I got the gig, and after about 10 months of unfaithful service I upgraded it.  It still lives in my mothers attic (so she tells me).

 

 

 

I had the Hondo II from my mothers catalogue. As you say it was terrible. The action was about half an inch high, the hardware was all sharp edges, it was just awful. How I stuck with it and actually gigged with it is amazing. I remember the pole pieces in the pickup fell inside the housing and I had a job sticking them so that I could hear the thing. If anyone can push. the boat out just a little bit, it makes such a difference.

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6 minutes ago, Mands said:

If he really does put in the practice time and gets good at it then at least he won't be so difficult to buy birthday/Christmas presents for. He already has the spare room claimed so he can use that as his practice room as the lounge is wall to wall full with my hobby of viking weapons and armour. I'm just hoping it's not going to be a fleeting hobby that he gets fed up with otherwise I may have to chase him with one of my many axes🤣🤣

Tell him to Come on here after 

 

11 minutes ago, Mands said:

If he really does put in the practice time and gets good at it then at least he won't be so difficult to buy birthday/Christmas presents for. He already has the spare room claimed so he can use that as his practice room as the lounge is wall to wall full with my hobby of viking weapons and armour. I'm just hoping it's not going to be a fleeting hobby that he gets fed up with otherwise I may have to chase him with one of my many axes🤣🤣

You’re from Suffolk? 😳

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11 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

If you don't mind the fact that I am in Pompey. I am happy to help him get started in any way. I wouldn't be the best teacher but I'd be the cheapest!!

 

Not to make him any better than he wants to be. Just to help out.

Thank you,I will definitely keep you in mind if he wished to learn from someone.....even if you are from pompey..😆 🤣 lol

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What will turn a nice present into a great present, and also have a much better chance of partner sticking with it and actually enjoy playing the bass would be to take it to a local music shop to get it setup properly once it has arrived. They will lower the bridge saddles and adjust truss rod in neck, so the strings sit as low as possible to the fretboard, intonate it, and maybe put a decent set of strings on it. All this will make a massive difference to a cheap instrument and should not cost too much to have done.

 

😎

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Gear4music have similar own brand packages cheaper than the ones on Very at £140.  Given that they're a music shop I'd trust them to sell something playable over Very.

 

I have an amp going free in the marketplace/recycling section here if you can collect (London) - that way you can spend your whole budget on a better bass.

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3 hours ago, ubit said:

 

 

I had the Hondo II from my mothers catalogue. As you say it was terrible. The action was about half an inch high, the hardware was all sharp edges, it was just awful. How I stuck with it and actually gigged with it is amazing. I remember the pole pieces in the pickup fell inside the housing and I had a job sticking them so that I could hear the thing. If anyone can push. the boat out just a little bit, it makes such a difference.

Exactly the same as me 😸

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17 hours ago, Mands said:

Thanks for the advice but as I'm on a tight budget I really need to get it from my catalogue so I can pay in installments...so its between those two...thanks anyway 

When I clicked on your link I got an avalanche of ''special offers'' coming at me as I scrolled down looking for the catalogue. That screamed spam to me and a few others. 

 

Maybe you can change the link so it goes straight to basses?

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17 hours ago, Bleat said:

What will turn a nice present into a great present, and also have a much better chance of partner sticking with it and actually enjoy playing the bass would be to take it to a local music shop to get it setup properly once it has arrived. They will lower the bridge saddles and adjust truss rod in neck, so the strings sit as low as possible to the fretboard, intonate it, and maybe put a decent set of strings on it. All this will make a massive difference to a cheap instrument and should not cost too much to have done.

 

😎

 

Getting the bass set up properly is the very best thing to do, chances are (specifically because it's coming from a catalogue) it'll be borderline unplayable out of the box.

 

Whereabouts are you @Mands? Chances are a BC member local to you will be willing to give it the once-over.

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I've had a bit of a look at around at 3rd Avenue instruments and all seems OK really. Mainly good reviews, admittedly from beginners so may not be know any better, but certainly nothing bad. 

I completely understand the need to pay on finance and this is limiting your choice. 

The thing to remember about modern budget instruments is that, with modern machining, they are far far better than the budget instruments that folks here are comparing them to from the 80s. 

Today's budget instruments can be made very playable with an hours tinkering if you know what you're doing, but taking it to someone for a set up, as has been mentioned earlier by someone, costs money. I would happily give it a set up myself but I'm down in Cornwall, but maybe there is a kind soul local to you on here that would just give it a few tweaks to make it easier to learn on. It may not need anything though. 

Personally, in your circumstances, I'd buy the package and then put a post on here asking if there's anyone local who could give the bass a once over and adjust anything that needs it. I'm sure there'd be someone willing to help out. 

If you were able to buy without paying by installments then I'd look at Harley Benton basses from a German company called Thomann and put a package together myself. It would cost the same but the bass would probably be a better bass. But only probably as I've never played a 3rd Avenue bass, they might be just as good. 

Whatever you go for, best of luck getting it sorted and it's a great thing you're doing. 

😉👍

 

Edit, Bassassin posted the same thing at the same time. 

Edited by Maude
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