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Location: Utah | My daughter has asked me to pick a bass for her very-soon-to-be husband. He's 30 and used to play bass a little bit in high school. He's been talking about getting back into it. This will be a part time hobby for him, not a major career change.
The budget is $600 for the bass and up to $200 for an amp.
Obvious top contenders are the F***** P-bass or Jazz, made in Mexico. They certainly get good reviews online for the price point.
Of course she remember to tell me about this when his birthday is only 6 days away! If I had the time I'd be looking at used instruments on craigslist etc.
So what comments or recommendations do the bassists here have? |
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Location: When?? | @FlySig-- >>>This will be a part time hobby for him, not a major career change.<<<
Or so you hope.. lol.
Have you considered getting him an acoustic/electric bass? I always enjoy playing them. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | For the price range you are looking at those are good choices.
Do you have a Music-Go-Round anywhere near you? Good choice of used amps and basses that are reasonably priced. |
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Location: Utah | Love O Fair - 2016-05-09 10:17 PM
@FlySig-- >>>This will be a part time hobby for him, not a major career change.<<<
Or so you hope.. lol.
Have you considered getting him an acoustic/electric bass? I always enjoy playing them.
Interesting idea. I'll ask my daughter. |
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Location: Utah | Stephen, thanks for your input. I was hoping you'd chime in. No Music-Go-Round in Utah. We do have a few mom-pop stores and of course the dreaded Guitar Center. |
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Location: undisclosed | Ibanez makes some great playing instruments for the money. In the price range active EQ is easy to find. The main thing I'd suggest is something with a P bass pickup with a Jazz Bass bridge pickup to cover all the basses (ha). For amps a US Peavey,or Randall come to mind. On the import end Roland or Yamaha are good units. Yamaha basses can also be a good value. I'd worry about the acoustic guitar bass route as it isn't as versatile. |
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Location: Jet City | double post
Edited by Damon67 2016-05-10 3:38 PM
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Location: Jet City | I hate buying imports, there's not a single one under my roof (aside from the Applause Uke). I'd suggest an older used USA Peavey for the bass too. My 'house bass' is an old Peavey Fury, but see if you can't find a T40. Those are pretty cool. I've had several of it's guitar cousin, the T60
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Enjoy the musical relationship with your future SIL. Our daughter's wedding is coming up soon and she's marrying a great guy, but he has no musical interests from what I can tell. At least he's not a drummer. He's in charge of the set list for the wedding reception. That should be interesting. I don't suppose it would be appropriate for me to walk out if I hear a rapper. |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | Just trying to help, I know Nothing about bass's, but here is an Ovation Elite Acoustic Bass:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ovation-Elite-TX-Mid-Depth-Acoustic-Electri... s8AAOSwKfVXFV6d
or an Ultra Bass:
https://reverb.com/item/1157936-ovation-ultra-bass-w-kahler-tremolo-...
Edited by Nancy 2016-05-10 3:46 PM
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Add basses to my list of things I know nothing about, but I like red, think the Ultra GS series is a bargain and the Kahler bridges are cool and expensive. I tried to find Miles' list of his guitars to see if he still had an Ultra Bass, but couldn't find it. They couldn't have made many of those. Your daughter might not want him to have anything so cool. All the groupies might want to run off with the bass player. |
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Location: Jet City | Mark in Boise - 2016-05-10 3:28 PM I tried to find Miles' list of his guitars to see if he still had an Ultra Bass, but couldn't find it. http://www.baronaudio.com/collection/
Edited by Damon67 2016-05-10 6:04 PM
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Location: undisclosed | Ha, I've brought an import into Damen's house, but when I think about it I never did get a chance to play the thing being busy with violin. Hmmmm crafty of him. Seriously, decent Ibanez and Yamaha basses play better than the US Fenders I've tried. I'm global.... what does the job gets the job. In fairness most of what I play is USA but none of it was made after the 1980s.... |
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Location: closely held secret | Every bass I've played with Yamaha on the headstock played great. My skill was the weakest point. |
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Location: Jet City | How about that '61 P-Bass Mel was playing last jam? That was sweet.
Imports can visit the house, they just can't live here. |
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Location: undisclosed | Damen, what about world peace !! Next time I'll bring my $60 Ibanez geo with 24 frets, super slinky neck, P bass, jazz neck pickups and active electronics and we can do the blindfold thing.
I know Mel played the bass last time I was there and it sounded nice. I like your Ovation solidbody bass, those are great. My dream bass is a Rickenbacker and the list of US stuff is long but it doesn't fit the budget. For me as a violin player a bass is justified as a writing tool only so the one from the punk rocker is it. When I seine fished in Alaska during my optimistic youth a bass from the pawn shop was the only thing my net swollen fingers could handle and it was a Ibanez so there is some history there. Same with guitars, only thing I could afford when I started were imports. My US stuff is there because I built it from wrecks. |
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Location: Jet City | I think I spent $80-100 for the Fury.... built in Meridian MS.
I drive a Chevy, you drive a Volvo... It is what it is.
Hey, wanna come out Saturday? We have Tony Walters of Mana Basso (custom bass guitars) visiting for the Tacoma Guitar Show.
Here's one of his...
Last time he was here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki3kB7AHcJo
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Location: undisclosed | I'll be there.... Anyone remember Alembic basses? Those were great. In my bang for the buck I did list Peavey and Randall from the USA first for affordable bass amps, Ampeg might break the budget.... The older Yamahas are good value and quality too, a G100 bass amp would be good.if it was in decent shape. Chinese amps have caused me lots of time in repair.so no Crates etc......
If your friend is there the Ibanez can stay home, American's working for themselves are craftsmen of the first order. Good deal on that Peavey bass, I was tempted by a unusual Peavey lapsteel down in Hollywood, wild looking. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Alembic is still alive and well and builds fantastic basses but the starting price is closer to 6K than $600.
Mark, don't put too much thought into it since the fiancé is just getting back into it and hasn't played in over 10 years. Just go to GC and find a used bass that feels and plays pretty well and go with it. As long as you recognize the name and the build quality looks good, the bass should be good enough for someone just starting out again...and the bass may or may not go into the closet after 6 months. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | So far as amps go, find a used Ampeg BA series, either BA12 or BA15 and he will be good to go. You should be able to find those used for under $250. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Also, I assume everyone has been talking 4 string when most younger players and the music they play gravitates to 5 string basses. I own about 10 basses from medium to high end and only 1 of them is a 5 string ( and one 6 string). I typically only use the 5 for practice but when I go out and watch other bassists, 75-80% of them are playing 5 string basses.
Edited by stephent28 2016-05-11 11:52 AM
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Location: Utah | Mark in Boise - 2016-05-10 2:37 PM
Enjoy the musical relationship with your future SIL. Our daughter's wedding is coming up soon and she's marrying a great guy, but he has no musical interests from what I can tell. At least he's not a drummer. He's in charge of the set list for the wedding reception. That should be interesting. I don't suppose it would be appropriate for me to walk out if I hear a rapper.
I hope to enjoy playing music with him. He's one of the real good guys and we're all thrilled he's joining the family. As to him running off with groupies, he is far to aware of how unbelievably lucky he is to have found my daughter given some circumstances.
Besides, she plays a 2078T and could attract her own groupies! |
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Location: Jet City | stephent28 - 2016-05-11 9:45 AM most younger players and the music they play gravitates to 5 string basses I had one, a Peavey again... Woody got it from me, now I'm wishing I wouldn'ta sold it. |
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Location: Central Massachusetts | well, I do have this guy gathering dust. bought it when I had money and aspirations of learning bass.
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Location: Utah | Well I found an Ibanez ATK 810 for $600. Great price on it, at a local mom/pop shop called Guitar Czar. I walked in and saw the guy behind the counter is someone I know who used to work at another mom/pop and who is a good friend of one of my daughter's. He forced me to play his D-scale black Elite T before I left the store. The guy loves everything Ovation/Adamas and is trying hard to get DW to give them good pricing on low quantities, as they can't afford or physically fit a large lineup of O/A guitars in their shop.
Anyhow he talked me out of a F***** J-bass with this Ibanez. Next is the search for a good amp this afternoon. There's a good used equipment shop downtown which I'll check out for one of the Ampeg BA series.
Edited by FlySig 2016-05-12 3:29 PM
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Location: Indiana | Good choice. Ibanez makes great bass guitars. |
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Location: undisclosed | Very nice, I like the ash. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | stephent28 - 2016-05-12 3:45 AM Also, I assume everyone has been talking 4 string when most younger players and the music they play gravitates to 5 string basses. I own about 10 basses from medium to high end and only 1 of them is a 5 string ( and one 6 string). I typically only use the 5 for practice but when I go out and watch other bassists, 75-80% of them are playing 5 string basses. I had a 5 string Steinberger 20 years ago and only used it for one song in the band I was in at the time. I've been thinking of trying a 5 again, and I've always secretly coveted a single pickup Stingray5. Then the planets aligned I bought one last week. It's taking a while to adjust to the extra string. I keep getting lost. I don't see myself going any lower than D on that string. My reasoning for going to a 5 is to avoid playing open strings. dvd - 2016-05-13 6:54 AM well, I do have this guy gathering dust. bought it when I had money and aspirations of learning bass. Wow! I never knew Ovation made 5 string basses! It's an Adamas, right? Tell me more about it please? |
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Location: Central Massachusetts | muzza - 2016-05-20 6:22 AM
Wow! I never knew Ovation made 5 string basses! It's an Adamas, right? Tell me more about it please?
Hey, Muzz, sorry I didn't see this until now.
I picked it up a few years ago off of eBay but I never learned how to play bass so I can't tell you much about it.
It's marked as an Ovation B5768 Elite and the serial dates to 1995. Every search for that model number comes up with wood tops, but obviously it's got a CF top on it so who knows it's origin story. When I bought it and asked John Budny about it, he figured it for a custom order. Ebony fingerboard, maple inlays, gold schaller hardware, OP-X pre-amp, pretty sure it's a deep bowl.
It is on it's way to the mothership for some TLC and then on to a new owner who will certainly make better use of it than I ever did. Staying in the family. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | I wish I'd seen it earlier then. Can I ask how much the new owner paid? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | A buck three eighty and change plus shipping |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | But i'd be happy to sell it to you Muzz, but you have to come here to get it. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Sure, but you'll have to give me a few years. Maybe I can play some harp on your next album...? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | oh yes, for sure Number two just got released, pm me where to send it. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Just bring it (and the bass) next time you come to Queensland. ;-) (You know you want to...) PM sent.
Edited by muzza 2016-05-28 1:43 AM
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