And the Winner Is...

[peterbata]

Good day all. I had posted something similar in another Bass forum and was wondering what the consensus would be here at Basschat. I will keep it as brief as possible.

 

This would be my first bass. I mainly play guitar but have played some (little) bass a good number of years (decades) ago.

 

After having been provided with some very worthy conrtenders I have compiled a short list.

Budget: Somwehere in the vicinity of $800 - > $1000 CAD (Canadian)

For some reason, I seem to have taken a liking to the G&L Kiloton Tribute for no particular reason.

Admittedly, I have not even had a chance to hold it in my hands yet. As many have said one should always try out several instruments before making a final decision.

I just have not had the time and energy to go retail shopping / hopping as of late. That being said I was hoping to get your input and guidance. That will be greatly appreciated.

 

G&L Kiloton

[Rayman]

Depends on what kind of sound you like, if you want versatility, style of music etc….

 

Go and try basses in stores as much as you can, it really is the only way to know what floats your boat.

 

In my opinion, I’d be looking at maybe a Sire V7 or V9, G&L Tributes are all great basses too. Ibanez SR and Yamaha BB basses, all brilliant. Guitar players may prefer the slim neck and smaller body on the Ibanez SR range.

 

If you buy used, that opens even more doors.

 

You really need to try them though, it’s horses for courses.

[Skybone]

I'd agree with the "try as many as you can" sentiment.

 

To be fair, you can't go far wrong with either a P or a J bass (or a P/J bass), and for that budget, you can easily get something that you can develop as a player on, as well as rehearse/record/gig confidently with.

 

Like guitars, they're all a bit different, and you really do need to try a good few out before deciding which one to buy (especially with that budget). Better to find one you have a "connection" with in a shop, than spend a shed load buying stuff on the internet and finding it doesn't work for you.

 

Good luck finding the right bass for you.

[jd56hawk]

1 hour ago, peterbata said:

Good day all. I had posted something similar in another Bass forum and was wondering what the consensus would be here at Basschat. I will keep it as brief as possible.

 

This would be my first bass. I mainly play guitar but have played some (little) bass a good number of years (decades) ago.

 

After having been provided with some very worthy conrtenders I have compiled a short list.

Budget: Somwehere in the vicinity of $800 - > $1000 CAD (Canadian)

For some reason, I seem to have taken a liking to the G&L Kiloton Tribute for no particular reason.

Admittedly, I have not even had a chance to hold it in my hands yet. As many have said one should always try out several instruments before making a final decision.

I just have not had the time and energy to go retail shopping / hopping as of late. That being said I was hoping to get your input and guidance. That will be greatly appreciated.

 

G&L Kiloton

One of the best in its price zone.

Sorry I missed out on this one when they were available everywhere.

Very versatile for a single-pickup bass, very comfortable.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/g-l-kiloton-tribute.1601420/

Edited June 29, 2023 by jd56hawk

[itu]

I have ran after so many basses during the years. Big things happen after trying them. Steinberger was the biggest disappointment of my bass playing life: very round, chunky neck from a double bass. Never again. Alembics still interest me, but so far I have met sky high prices, super small string spacings, instruments made of lead (I think)... but maybe one day.

 

Of course the bass has to look good, but the feel and later on the sound will tell, whether you will really play it or not.

Edited June 29, 2023 by itu
.rammarG

[TheGreek]

Any of the G&L range will be more than adequate as a first bass.

[peterbata]

2 hours ago, Rayman said:

Depends on what kind of sound you like, if you want versatility, style of music etc….

 

Go and try basses in stores as much as you can, it really is the only way to know what floats your boat.

 

In my opinion, I’d be looking at maybe a Sire V7 or V9, G&L Tributes are all great basses too. Ibanez SR and Yamaha BB basses, all brilliant. Guitar players may prefer the slim neck and smaller body on the Ibanez SR range.

 

If you buy used, that opens even more doors.

 

You really need to try them though, it’s horses for courses.

Thank you for the prompt response @Rayman. I have enjoyed bass players / sounds from a multitude of artists and genres spanning decades. So, it is difficult for me to narrow it down to just one or two sounds / styles that I enjoy. Used a bit strange in my neck of the woods. Especially, if you scour classified sites such as FB Marketplace and Kijiji. I came across a very clean (the seller described it as mint) Ibanez SR750. This model was discontinued in 2017 if I am not mistaken. The last retail price was new 899.00 CAD. The seller wants 900.00 and  is located approx 2.5 hours from where I am located. So, that is out of the question on a couple of fronts. Another was selling the same model in "good" shape as the he described. Prepare youself for this one. He was asking $650 which I agreed to pay. I then receive a FB notification that he increased the asking price to $725. Obviously, he wasn't well. I really do NOT have time for that skullduggery.

 

My apologies for the long-winded response by the way. Long story short. I will be focusing on new moving forward. I will definitely give your suggestions consideration. Finally, here is that $900 Ibanez SR750 that I mentioned above for anyone that is interested in what I was referring to.

 

SR750

[peterbata]

49 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Any of the G&L range will be more than adequate as a first bass.

Thank you for chiming in @TheGreek much appreciated.

[peterbata]

2 hours ago, jd56hawk said:

One of the best in its price zone.

Sorry I missed out on this one when they were available everywhere.

Very versatile for a single-pickup bass, very comfortable.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/g-l-kiloton-tribute.1601420/

That is so funny. I have actually watched both of these YT videos when researching the Kiloton. It looks and sounds so sweet. Thank you for taking the time to respond. Much appreciated.

[peterbata]

1 hour ago, itu said:

I have ran after so many basses during the years. Big things happen after trying them. Steinberger was the biggest disappointment of my bass playing life: very round, chunky neck from a double bass. Never again. Alembics still interest me, but so far I have met sky high prices, super small string spacings, instruments made of lead (I think)... but maybe one day.

 

Of course the bass has to look good, but the feel and later on the sound will tell, whether you will really play it or not.

Thank you @itu Words of Wisdom. Much appreciated.

[Paolo85]

1 hour ago, itu said:

I have ran after so many basses during the years. Big things happen after trying them. 

This absolutely. The feel of the neck especially, which I think is big big deal for a bass. None of this is matter of life and that. One can just buy a "sensible" and well reccommended bass that looks nice and everything will be alright. But seeing something in picture or holding it in your hand is different.

On that note, while the reccomendation of getting a skinny Ibanez neck as it is more "similar" to a guitar is sensible, I would not worry too much about it because things may play out in ways that are surprising. I switched from guitar to bass when I was a teenager because I bought a P bass (relatively big neck) just for an occasional noodle. But then I had so much fun with that big neck and those big strings that I could not stop playing it

[peterbata]

1 hour ago, Paolo85 said:

This absolutely. The feel of the neck especially, which I think is big big deal for a bass. None of this is matter of life and that. One can just buy a "sensible" and well reccommended bass that looks nice and everything will be alright. But seeing something in picture or holding it in your hand is different.

On that note, while the reccomendation of getting a skinny Ibanez neck as it is more "similar" to a guitar is sensible, I would not worry too much about it because things may play out in ways that are surprising. I switched from guitar to bass when I was a teenager because I bought a P bass (relatively big neck) just for an occasional noodle. But then I had so much fun with that big neck and those big strings that I could not stop playing it

Thank you @Paolo85 Very inspiring

[jd56hawk]

4 hours ago, peterbata said:

That is so funny. I have actually watched both of these YT videos when researching the Kiloton. It looks and sounds so sweet. Thank you for taking the time to respond. Much appreciated.

You're welcome.

(I've been a G&L guy since 2017.)

[peterbata]

1 hour ago, jd56hawk said:

You're welcome.

(I've been a G&L guy since 2017.)

I could be wrong but I don't think the L-2000 is available anymore. No I stand corrected. I just located it here at a local dealer and sells for $999. My bad. Sorry about that. I noticed that you have placed dampers at the bridge location. Any reason in particular?

Edited June 30, 2023 by peterbata

[jd56hawk]

I have ten basses. I keep mutes on several instead of storing them in this or that case.

I use them, too, of course for that nice thumping tone.

Edited June 30, 2023 by jd56hawk

[uk_lefty]

If you really like the Kiloton and you can afford it I say go for it. Yes, there are loads of basses well suited to different musical styles, some are more versatile than others... But, if you have fallen for the Kiloton, and who can blame you?, get it otherwise it will always be at the back of your head as a "what if?". Buy a bass that inspires you to pick it up and play it. Other great basses are around, someone mentioned the Sire V7 and V9 series which are superb instruments, but they don't have a single, fat humbucker in the sweet spot like the Kiloton does and they won't punch and thump like one. They'll do other stuff better but.... So what?

[peterbata]

@uk_lefty The L-2000 that @jd56hawk owns looks pretty sleek as well. The Ibanez SR600E SR Standard Bass isn't too shabby either. A little out of my price range though. Thanks for the words of encouragement by the way. Much appreciated. Have a safe and wonderful Friday / weekend. Peter