Fill me in on good cheap basses
 

Post Up Please!!!

Ibanez has some good starter packs for basses.

I saw a few at some of the stores websites but im not really a bass player just looking for something just under 150.00

Fender Squire is solid as fuck. Just over 100 or something like that.

pawn shops are your friend, especially at that price range. don't bite on the first thing you see either.

i usually go to pawn shops thats where i got my other rig.. just looking around for something to fiddle with..

I'm just learning- rented a Squier Bass, I have nothing to compare it to, but it's pretty comfortable. Any other ideas for beginner basses or is that the best choice?

I definitely will buy one but I'm also interested in checking out some second-hand stuff as well... Any suggestions for brands that would be solid if used?

squire's are fine for starting out. ibanez also makes great entry level basses too, same with samick and peavey (especially if you want a really narrow neck)

Thanks, I found someone selling a used Samick with some crappy 15 watt amp for $150, does that sound pretty reasonable?

yeah that's a pretty fair price. just make sure the neck is straight and the tuning pegs are solid.

If your just looking for something to mess around with then I'd recommend the Ibanez GSR series. Strong neck, great sound, not too pricey. Ive had my GSR 205 (5 string) for 7 years now, and recently played a gig with it, and it sounded as good as it did when I first bought it, which was around 125 Pounds. I honestly can't think of a better starter bass, either just messing around or taking seriously.

I ended up getting a new Ibanez Gio but I'm not sure which model, can't see it anywhere on the body. I thought it sounded clean so I got it even though I think the neck is a bit shorter. I like the longer necks. Does the size/length make a huge difference in the sound?

shorter neck would generally mean slightly looser strings so a bassier sound and not as much punch in the high end.

http://www.gregbennettguitars.com/images/rlb4_medm.jpg
Greg Bennett Samick Royale 4

Can get for 200. I have not played bu friend has one and it sounds/looks INCREDIBLE for the price. The Samick Royale line for guitars and basses are also made quite well (better than most others in there price range). I own a RL2 guitar and it hasnt failed me yet.

Im most cases, yes. But there are exceptions to this. I've played a few short neck with amazing pop up high.

As for cheap basses, you can't really get any thing decent (new) for less than about 280-300 $.

Yeah mine was $280 new (Canadian).

I have a noob question- I just noticed on the E string, the 14th, 17th and 18th fret are really distorted. It looks like the string is partially touching the fret after it... I'm wondering if I should get it repaired/adjusted since there's a warranty (don't know if it covers this type of issue) or if it's even worth it. Are those frets used often?

you can try to squeeze it in under warranty. it's hard to say if it's bad frets or a bad setup. bad frets should be covered under the warranty, setting up your instrument is generally your financial responsibility though.

I got some sort of "extended warranty" so I'll check it out. What do you mean by bad setup though? Cause the other strings are all fine so I don't think it's the fret.

Your string might be too large as well. are you playing on a 105 or a 100?

if it is a 105, try a 100.

or it could be your neck needs adjustment. that could hurt your action a little bit but might fix minor distortion issues. in that area of the neck.

Great, thanks for the advice!

no prob

I just bought a cheap 250W Ibanez bass amp for my 69' Fender replica and have had no problems with it yet. Check Samash.com they always have great deals. I suggest a cheap Fender to start with

OK so I went and got it "setup", it looks like all they did was replace the battery (which I had to pay for) and the frets still sound f'ed up so I guess that's just how it's gonna be. It's not too bad though, it's just 3 notes on E string...

Dude where are you taking this thing? Please don't say guitar center

Well, I just wanted to say that Hagstrom I basses are pretty cheap and reliable.

did you tell them the frets were buzzing or just ask for a setup? replacing the battery isn't really complicated.

Yeah you got jipped dude.

Check your local used instrument stores where they buy and resell instruments. Sometimes people come in and sell really nice instruments simply because they got a new one, when the old one works just fine! You can save a ton of money if your just starting out and can still get a decent piece of equipment.

Ibanez' are the best cheap basses around.
And unless your buying with lots of money, I recommend buying locally so you can inspect it before you make the purchase.

Yeah... buy a NON- BUZZING used in good condition.

I used to look at Ibanez RBX100s and 150s when I was younger and the whole Nu-Metal scene was blowing up. They're cheap: around $100-$200.

Squier by Fender is a little bit more pricey depending on what your looking for. $100-$300

But if you want seriously cheap, go with Rogue. I've never played one, so I can't tell you if they're any good or not. I guess it just depends on how well you treat it (just like any other instrument). $99-$200 ($200 fret-less 6 string, wha?)

A guy I work with bought a bass on THIS PAGE... he LOVES it. I bought a guitar from this site (as Mr. Dave knows) and I enjoyed it as well. Good, cheap stuff... and it stays in tune :)

haha yeah rondomusic.com is where it's at for cheap stuff. every now and then i'll day dream about their fretless les paul clone hehe. Agile AL-3000 Fretless Black

dream? it's $379... it's doable, put $10-$20 bucks away here and there... you'll have it in no time.

yeah the cash isn't really the issue. it's the fact that all my guitars have been collecting dust for the last year so. i really can't justify spending more money on another instrument until i actually start using the ones i've already got hehe.

Well both actually...

ahhh... that's a whole different issue. I actually sold one of my guitars because I wasn't playing it enough to justify owning it as it was a $2000 guitar.

i've thought of that quite a bit over the last year too (last one i picked up was $1500). i've only ever sold gear once - back in 1995 - to help offset the cost of my first 'serious' guitar (mexican strat). i just can't get over the feeling that i'll end up regretting selling gear later on, like someday i'll be in a situation where that one piece would make or break everything.

dunno hehe some people collect sports memorabilia, i collect music gear i've used over the years hehe

that's a bummer that you mentioned both but the issue wasn't properly addressed. at this point though it's been over a month since you mentioned it here, and i have no clue on how long it's actually been since you were at the store.

you didn't seem that bothered by it initially so maybe just chalk it up to a learning experience. when you bring something in to get serviced try it out as soon as you pick it up (in store) and call them out on it if it's not done right. at this point it's getting to be a little late for proper resolution.

yes, you will regret it... I do. It was a Custom shop strat and played like a dream. I got it for $1500 cheaper then it was going for as it was used but it was in excellent condition and came with the sweet case and the certificate of authenticity stating it was the only one of its kind in the world. Do I wish I still had it... not right now, but I do wish I could have kept it (for collective purposes) and found other ways of coming up with the cash at the time.