Good & Cheap Bass

comfortstarr · Post by **comfortstarr** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 6:45 am

So I bought an SX bass (SJB-57) at rondomusic.net last week. Mine was a b-stock due to a chip in whatever the hell coats the fingerboard. Shipped it set me back $84 big ones. It's a jazz copy with a solid alder sunburst body with maple neck and fingerboard. Non B-Stock it costs $119.

I've been playing it all weekend and I have to admit, it sounds pretty great, direct or through an amp. My other bass is a G&L L2000. I specifically got this one because I assumed it'd sound different. And it does. It sounds like a Fender Jazz.

It has very solid tuners and controls. The pick-ups that came with it need some adjustment, but to my ears (ones that aren't that familiar with j-bass pick-ups) they're quiet and achieve "that" sound. The neck is very nice, thin like a jazz should be, a little deeper than my G&L. The 1/4" input is a little rough, but no sonic issues. The bridge is a cheap one and I've ordered a replacement. I'll get the thing set-up and the bridge replaced, and with a gig bag, new strings, etc., I'll probably wind up having spent $200. If you can do your own set-ups and such, obviously it'd be cheaper.

I just thought I'd pass along the experience for anyone looking for a cheap bass that works. It strikes me as a great thing for the home recordist to have sitting around. I'm now intrigued by the Agile Les Paul copies they have on that site.

thesneakyjesus · Post by **thesneakyjesus** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:47 am

that's the great thing about electric bass. You need a pair of good pups, a slab of wood, and a good bridge/tuning machine set. You can buy a cheap bass and spice it up for cheap and it'lll sound great.

As for the best cheap bass ever

I ended up with a Hamer 2-Tek from the 80s I think... maybe late 70s, and only paid $400. It's basically the best jazz bass I've ever played.

the key to a good rock bass sound is:
Always avoid active pickups

Only really high end acive stuff is nice.. like the electronics on roscoe bass stuff

comfortstarr · Post by **comfortstarr** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:53 am

You're probably right about the actives. Though the ones in my G&L are nice, and I wouldn't term that a "really" high-end bass.

I do, even though I'm a bass player at heart, agree that there ain't much to the instrument. I think guitars and just about every acoustic instrument are more variable.

spacelabstudio · Post by **spacelabstudio** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:36 am

thesneakyjesus wrote:that's the great thing about electric bass. You need a pair of good pups . . .

Speaking of which, I think I can stave off my gear lust for an L-2000 if I can just get some nicer pickups in my Peavey bass. I keep being amazed at how much that thing doesn't actually suck. Pickups and electronics are probably the weakest link. What do you guys recommend? It has a p-bass style neck pickup and a j-bass style bridge pickup.

chris

comfortstarr · Post by **comfortstarr** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 am

I've only ever owned L2000s until now so I can't really help with pick-up advice. I did do a little investigation around Jazz pick-ups (assuming I'd have to swap the ones on the SX out). Here's a good resource for reviews:

http://www.bgra.net/2004/browse.php?ord ... kup&page=1

thesneakyjesus · Post by **thesneakyjesus** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:04 am

what kind of bass sound are you looking for?

There's a lot of options these days, but bascially the stand bys are seymor duncan's.

a common set might be a quarter pounder P pickup and some vintage jazz pickup.

My fall back these days is to find a session guy who's sound I like, and look at what he's using. Lee Skylar comes to mind.

darjama · Post by **darjama** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:53 am

I've played a few ibanez roadstar ii basses from the ealry 80s that were pretty nice. They go pretty cheap used. These look like a precision bass (sometimes with a jazz pickup too), not the more spector-like versions that came out later that had the same name.

Lindy Fralin just rewound a pickup for me and it sounds great, I know he does replacement pickups. But they're a good bit pricier than they seymour duncans, which I like just fine.

mcdisease · Post by **mcdisease** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:09 pm

spacelabstudio wrote:
What do you guys recommend? It has a p-bass style neck pickup and a j-bass style bridge pickup.

chris

If you go with seymour duncans, I wouldn't mix 1/4 pounders with vintage. You'll end up with a much weaker J pup and that 1/4 pounder is super hot so it would over power it.

I like the Nordstrand pickup I put in my P bass. It has a vintage 50's P design and sound. Great pickup and fairly cheap!

lancebug · Post by **lancebug** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 3:10 pm

+1 on duncan basslines. I have a jazz with stacked humbuckers. Not the high output ones. Clear natural tone. Not bad at all for noise either. Guess thats the point of the stacking.

these_go211 · Post by **these_go211** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 3:34 pm

i'm always amazed at the sound my early 90s peavey foundation bass can put out. i got it for the cost of taking my friend and his girl to dinner (about $50). i tend to think of it as my piece o' s--t bass....that is, until i play/record with it. then i'm stoked

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:20 pm

I have an Alvarez (cheap!) bass with stock EMG's, and it sounds really good, and as a short-scale compliments my stock "P" quite nicely. About US$125 used...

OT: Interestingly enough, I have one of those cheap Hohner headless (Steinberger-licensed) guitars, also with EMG's, and it sounds surprisingly good, too (although a bitch to play in the right key!:lol:)

kojdogg · Post by **kojdogg** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 4:44 am

i got a mark tobias designs kingston 4 (korean manufactured mtd) for $275 shipped off of ebay about a year ago. it beats the crap out of the string of sub $400 ibanezes (had 3) i'd been playing for years.

________
IPHONE GAMES

mikeyc · Post by **mikeyc** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:26 am

I've heard good things about the SX and Agile guitars and basses from Rondo, but the prices are so low I keep talking myself out of them.

I've finally settled with my favorite cheap bass: a recent MIM Fender Jazz with BadAss II bridge. I traded a MIM Strat for it a few months back. It's not as cool as the '73 Tele Bass I sold in a moment of stupidity, but it plays and sounds better than most basses I've encountered (except that Tele...)-- I've owned almost 20.

I know there's a lot of poo-pooing about stock Fender pickups, but I like the new factory "Vintage" p-bass pups. I agree with the passive thing though-- at least for straight ahead rock.

kayagum · Post by **kayagum** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:41 am

thesneakyjesus wrote:that's the great thing about electric bass. You need a pair of good pups, a slab of wood, and a good bridge/tuning machine set. You can buy a cheap bass and spice it up for cheap and it'lll sound great.

You don't even need a slab of wood. A slab of Masonite can work too- I actually love Danelectro basses and baritones (and the higher end Jerry Jones repros).

zachary · Post by **zachary** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:44 am

peavey t-40 bass forever.

and i have a hagstrom i traded a couple of cheap guitars for... but that was a once in a lifetime deal.

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