Your Budget #1

[bassbiscuits]

Duplicate post in error. Sorry. 😔 

 

Edited January 31 by bassbiscuits
Duplicate post soz!

[msb]

For ages my number1 budget bass would have been my Dano Longhorn. Last year I picked up a Harmony H22 Batwing , I’d been hoping to find one for years. Love the little thing.

 

[Kiwi]

 

Spector NS5CR - transition between SSD NS5CR and Euro LX, made around 2000.
I've told this story before but I first played this bass at a BC bash in 2007 and had a 'wow' moment even though it wasn't even plugged in.  A member called Homerplaysbass owned it and he was the latest in a line of owners  A little later on he sold it to another guy just north of London and in 2009 he put it up for sale on here and I bought it for about six hundred quid.  This was a few months after selling three Smith BSR5GN basses. I discovered that the neck had a slight S curve but about 7 years later Jon Shuker managed to steam it back into shape and it's never played better.  I have other basses but this one emits some pretty tasty growl and it achieves a remarkable balance of being warm but not muddy - it actually sounds like a Smith but without the mid scoop which means it plays nice with other amps.  There are no deadspots at all and the B string is firm and fruity.   I've modded it with custom Wizard humbuckers, coil splits, a Noll semi para preamp.   Fifteen years later, there have been contenders - the Moon MBC5 is in the same ballpark but it's darker sounding, the Vigier Passion also but it's brighter sounding.  But this one sits in the middle and while I might change the electronics at some point, it's a keeper.