Big Descision!

[grubs]

Hello. New to this & seeking some expert advice.

Having given up Bass about 18 years ago i have recently realised how much i miss playing, ( been concentrating on Guitar)
I am now in the market for a new model & am undecided. I am looking for a big sounding easy to play machine with a fast neck (Mostly play Indie Rock / Metal / Punk.)

I have tries the Gibson SG re-issue, found it to be ok but felt a little cheap (and it shouldnt at those prices!) have tried the Gibson Thunderbird Which i thought was very good, but i have a sneaky feeling that i would be buying it for looks rather than sound & quality. I like the look of the Fender "P Bass special" & "Duff Mckagan Signature Model" but not had the chance to try one out.
I have always aspired to owning a Rickenbacker, but having tried a couple recently i have to confess to being a little dissapointed (If i was willing to shell out £1700.00 - £2000.00 on a Rick i would have to be more than sure that it was the Bass for me, & im not!)
When i played years ago i had an "Aria Pro" (not a top of the range model i hasten to add, although very reliable & easy to play)
This time i am looking for something traditional, Ideally Gibson / Fender, not looking for Heavy Metal Cliche (BC Rich / ESP etc.
I would say i play with fingers about 60% of the time & also use a pick. Generally looking for something versatile & Rock solid. My Budget is about £900.00 max ideally much less.

Any Recommendations?

Cheers
G

[Cat Burrito]

Welcome to Basschat.

Owning an instrument is always a personal thing so ultimately you'll know when you play the right bass for you. The current Fender range is great & would certainly suit your genre / budget but ultimately you won't know until you plug in. Happy hunting

[Lozz196]

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='918303' date='Aug 7 2010, 08:12 PM']Welcome to Basschat.

Owning an instrument is always a personal thing so ultimately you'll know when you play the right bass for you. The current Fender range is great & would certainly suit your genre / budget but ultimately you won't know until you plug in. Happy hunting[/quote]
Welcome to Basschat

Agree with BurritoBass - current Fenders are very good indeed. One point I would make though, which may be of help. Last year I was gassing for a Jazz bass - just love the look - and wanted to extend my playing. So researched them, and got one. Great bass, played really good, looked fantastic. But! It just didn`t sound right. I`m so into Precisions, that the Jazz, no matter how good, wasn`t for me. So, as well as playability, don`t forget the sound you want to make/hear. If that isn`t right, the bass will never truly be right for you.

[Pbassman]

Hi, and welcome.
Having started a mini collection of basses (16 currently but lookingto offload as moving house soon) I can contribute the following opinion (no more, no less as I am not an expert) that may help.
Rickenbackers (got an '83 4001) - great sound, hard to get get set up right and to maintain the set-up, and the top edge makes for uncomfortable playing over longer periods.
Gibsons - have a Les Paul standard - heavy, big sound, comfortable neck, but expensive - but they do look lovely. G3 - have a 70s one which is very good to play. They have issued a new version now which looks pretty interesting but maybe pricey. Triumph bass - short scale, so very personal preference to play this.
Musicman - have a Stingray - well balanced, light, distinctive tone, great for all styles, but there is something about it I just don't like enough for it to be top, but you could pick up a s/h one for around £900 which would be a great buy. (Let you have mine, with case, for £975!)
Fenders - I've a couple of 70s USA PBs which I love - incomparable tone, great looking (sunburst w/roseneck and black w/maple), lovely feel. Of the other PBs, the '64 reissue and '57 reissue are also great but the neck is thinner, front to back, and doesn't seem to fit the hand so well - but again it's a personal thing. I've an original '73 Jazz bass - probably my favourite of all, so doesn't get played too much! Beautiful. '75 US Reissue is everything you expect from a JB, narrow, fast neck, great tone. Pricey again.
Lakland may be a good option.
When my local music was open, I tried to play any different one they got in - and generally a lot of the 'cheaper' end are very good too. Maybe without any re-sale value, but will provide all you need.
I do not have much experience of Yamahas, Washburn, Warwick etc, etc.
You have experience - you know what you like - it is just a case of trying what you can get your hands on. But for me, it would probably be Fender all the way.
Good luck - you'll have great fun trying to find something.
Phil

[molan]

With a £900 budget you've got a great range of options if you are happy to buy used.

Pretty much any Fender up to the American Reissue series, Lakland Skyline series has a range of great basses & you'll easily bag a Stingray at this budget (some have dropped right down to £650 recently).

Personally I'd look around that that £600 - £750 market as pretty much everything mentioned above will be affordable used.

The range which I think almost always throws up amazing consistency is Lakland. I've owned a few and never played a bad one (unlike Fender which can sometimes be patchy - much more consistent since '08 onwards though).

My favourite Lakland is the Darryl Jones Signature but the Joe Osborne / Bob Glaub / Duck Dunne basses are all great in their own individual ways

The other good thing if you keep in the sub £750 bracket is that you should always be able to sell on again easily if you don't get on with something.

[alanbass1]

Welcome aboard. I would be inclined to look out for a second hand Musicman Stingray or a Sterling if you prefer a slimmer jazz profile neck. These are really nice and well put together basses that are more versatile than people think.

[Telebass]

Howdy!
I won't say my opinion - I'm far too biased toward the Precisions!

[Chest Rockwell]

Grubs, I was in the same boat last year, (hadnt played regularly for years, had a cheaper Aria Pro ) I looked around as best I could, borrowed a Fender Jazz that had that 'bass' character I thought I was missing and then played a Geddy Lee Jazz in a guitar shop and was sold. They're under £800 new and I picked one up on Ebay for just over £400. An 'expert' may find holes in it and the neck is a little sharp if you play slung low, meaning the neck can dig into the fingers/palm of the hand, but this is probably me as I stabbed myself in the hand accidentally(!!) a while back and i get that sensation. having the guitar higher slung would help. but the neck is Fast. everyone thats played it likes it. and they look great. anyway, there's quite a few on sale here at the moment. Try one out in a shop, then come here and pick one up. With that and my Orange Terror bass head, the two bands I play in are always happy with my sound.

[grubs]

[quote name='Chest Rockwell' post='919319' date='Aug 9 2010, 09:55 AM']Grubs, I was in the same boat last year, (hadnt played regularly for years, had a cheaper Aria Pro ) I looked around as best I could, borrowed a Fender Jazz that had that 'bass' character I thought I was missing and then played a Geddy Lee Jazz in a guitar shop and was sold. They're under £800 new and I picked one up on Ebay for just over £400. An 'expert' may find holes in it and the neck is a little sharp if you play slung low, meaning the neck can dig into the fingers/palm of the hand, but this is probably me as I stabbed myself in the hand accidentally(!!) a while back and i get that sensation. having the guitar higher slung would help. but the neck is Fast. everyone thats played it likes it. and they look great. anyway, there's quite a few on sale here at the moment. Try one out in a shop, then come here and pick one up. With that and my Orange Terror bass head, the two bands I play in are always happy with my sound.[/quote]

[grubs]

[quote name='Pbassman' post='918711' date='Aug 8 2010, 01:21 PM']Hi, and welcome.
Having started a mini collection of basses (16 currently but lookingto offload as moving house soon) I can contribute the following opinion (no more, no less as I am not an expert) that may help.
Rickenbackers (got an '83 4001) - great sound, hard to get get set up right and to maintain the set-up, and the top edge makes for uncomfortable playing over longer periods.
Gibsons - have a Les Paul standard - heavy, big sound, comfortable neck, but expensive - but they do look lovely. G3 - have a 70s one which is very good to play. They have issued a new version now which looks pretty interesting but maybe pricey. Triumph bass - short scale, so very personal preference to play this.
Musicman - have a Stingray - well balanced, light, distinctive tone, great for all styles, but there is something about it I just don't like enough for it to be top, but you could pick up a s/h one for around £900 which would be a great buy. (Let you have mine, with case, for £975!)
Fenders - I've a couple of 70s USA PBs which I love - incomparable tone, great looking (sunburst w/roseneck and black w/maple), lovely feel. Of the other PBs, the '64 reissue and '57 reissue are also great but the neck is thinner, front to back, and doesn't seem to fit the hand so well - but again it's a personal thing. I've an original '73 Jazz bass - probably my favourite of all, so doesn't get played too much! Beautiful. '75 US Reissue is everything you expect from a JB, narrow, fast neck, great tone. Pricey again.
Lakland may be a good option.
When my local music was open, I tried to play any different one they got in - and generally a lot of the 'cheaper' end are very good too. Maybe without any re-sale value, but will provide all you need.
I do not have much experience of Yamahas, Washburn, Warwick etc, etc.
You have experience - you know what you like - it is just a case of trying what you can get your hands on. But for me, it would probably be Fender all the way.
Good luck - you'll have great fun trying to find something.
Phil[/quote]

many thanks for taking the time to reply in such detail. i have heard that the Stingray is worth trying & i intend to do so. Aesthetically though i am drawn to the Fender precision, or Jazz. Another member has suggested the Geddy Lee Signature, which i also intend trying. 16 Basses sounds like more like an obsession rather than a mini collection! Ha ha! you must have a very understanding Missus!
Cheers.
Grubs.