priest_of_syrinx Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 I've been wanting a bass for Christmas for about half a year. Being I'm 14, I still live off my parents' budget, so a good time to get something I won't be able to afford myself for about a decade is Christmas. This year it is the wonderful bass guitar. i know that their budget is around $300, so if you could tell me about some good quality basses at that price, I'd be delighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadwing2112 Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 I don't know basses at all. But I have a friend who plays bass and he started off with a begginer bass package that he got from Eckroth music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeddyRulz Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 For $300, you should be able to find a used Fender Precision or Fender Jazz in good condition; they usually go for about $279 and tax. A brand new Squier Precision or Squier Jazz (Squier is the Mexican division of Fender) goes for about the same price. Avoid anything made by Cort. And buy the bass at a musical instrument shop, not Target. In short, avoid those $99 package deals for "students" - the quality of the bass is usually poor. If it's cheap, there's a reason - these "student packages" are aimed towards parents who don't have a clue and think one bass is as good as another; their kid wants an instrument, and they find the cheapest one in their price range. You get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortkort Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 QUOTE (priest_of_syrinx @ Dec 4 2006, 07:14 PM) I've been wanting a bass for Christmas for about half a year. Being I'm 14, I still live off my parents' budget, so a good time to get something I won't be able to afford myself for about a decade is Christmas. This year it is the wonderful bass guitar. i know that their budget is around $300, so if you could tell me about some good quality basses at that price, I'd be delighted. what about this one? http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squ...Bass?sku=519639 i think it looks really cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rand Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 You should read this: http://www.edromanguitars.com/rant/beginner.htm Or better yet have the ancestors read it. Rand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telegraphcreeklocal Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 Maybe you could wait a little longer until you have 7 or 800.00. then get a Geddy Lee Fender Jazz. Guitar Center will do Credit for you if you'd like one for Christmas and can't wait. What about the Amp? Gallien-Kruegar has a backline combo for under 300.00 well, Merry Christmas to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeddyRulz Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 QUOTE (telegraphcreeklocal @ Dec 5 2006, 07:37 PM) Maybe you could wait a little longer until you have 7 or 800.00. then get a Geddy Lee Fender Jazz. Guitar Center will do Credit for you if you'd like one for Christmas and can't wait. What about the Amp? Gallien-Kruegar has a backline combo for under 300.00 well, Merry Christmas to you. I strongly disagree with this strategy. Prolonging the wait for your bass and saving every nickel for another year just so you can get Geddy Lee's name on your instrument isn't the way to go. A standard Fender Jazz is almost always just as good as the Geddy Lee signature model, if not better, and owning the Geddy Lee signature model will not help you sound like Geddy Lee. Why postpone the satisfaction of owning and learning to play bass, just so you can own a bass modeled after the one your favorite player uses? For about $300, you can get a good quality used Fender P or Fender J bass; all it's missing is Geddy's name and the block-inlaid fret markers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
priest_of_syrinx Posted December 6, 2006 Author Share Posted December 6, 2006 Thank you all for your posts! Last night, my parents and I went to a regional chain called Eckroth (they're in Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota) to look at what they had. We talked to a guy who seemed to be very knowledgeable and not out there for the money and he suggested a Samick Fairlane. (We asked about a slightly more expensive 5-string and he said no.) It was $229 or so, but it came out to about $300 total because we needed the other stuff as well like the bag, cords, and the strap. I don't need an amp because my dad has a big Roland mixing board, and a 12-watt receiver with 50-watt speakers. Hello effects! And anyways, we bought it because they were about to move to a new building and we weren't sure if it'd still be there. It's black with a white pickguard, much like Geddy's bass! Also, he said Samick is the biggest maker of guitars in the world. He said they provide materials for Fender and a few other big names, so Samick gets first pick and can make Squier or Fender-quality guitars for a lower price. What do you think of our decision? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeddyRulz Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 Sounds prudent. Congratulations on your new acquisition. Now get out there and learn how to play! Welcome to the low-frequency music world of electric bass guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortkort Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 congratulations! sounds like a good deal. now get out there and play! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
priest_of_syrinx Posted December 6, 2006 Author Share Posted December 6, 2006 My dad and I were testing the connection for the board and I already figured out the notes on the G-string for The Pass. It's a start! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortkort Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 QUOTE (priest_of_syrinx @ Dec 6 2006, 06:38 PM) My dad and I were testing the connection for the board and I already figured out the notes on the G-string for The Pass. It's a start! nice! posting some vids on youtube soon? i checked out the Samick guitar, and i think they look really cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
priest_of_syrinx Posted December 7, 2006 Author Share Posted December 7, 2006 Youtube? Not even close! I don't even know the notes for each open string yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortkort Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 QUOTE (priest_of_syrinx @ Dec 7 2006, 04:58 PM) Youtube? Not even close! I don't even know the notes for each open string yet! you'll get there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o baterista Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 Good job............ rock on!!! POST a PIcture of your set up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telegraphcreeklocal Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Dec 6 2006, 04:57 AM) QUOTE (telegraphcreeklocal @ Dec 5 2006, 07:37 PM) Maybe you could wait a little longer until you have 7 or 800.00. then get a Geddy Lee Fender Jazz. Guitar Center will do Credit for you if you'd like one for Christmas and can't wait. What about the Amp? Gallien-Kruegar has a backline combo for under 300.00 well, Merry Christmas to you. I strongly disagree with this strategy. Prolonging the wait for your bass and saving every nickel for another year just so you can get Geddy Lee's name on your instrument isn't the way to go. A standard Fender Jazz is almost always just as good as the Geddy Lee signature model, if not better, and owning the Geddy Lee signature model will not help you sound like Geddy Lee. Why postpone the satisfaction of owning and learning to play bass, just so you can own a bass modeled after the one your favorite player uses? For about $300, you can get a good quality used Fender P or Fender J bass; all it's missing is Geddy's name and the block-inlaid fret markers. GeddyRulz dude was I talking to you? It was a suggestion only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
priest_of_syrinx Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share Posted December 10, 2006 QUOTE (o baterista @ Dec 9 2006, 05:54 PM)Good job............ rock on!!! POST a PIcture of your set up I'll do that... When I unwrap my bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tool/rush/mars Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 Ibanez Basses are wayyyy better than Fender basses. Especially in the lower price range, it's NOT EVEN CLOSE. Trust me on this. Fender in general is so overrated. Their strats and teles are solid, but everything else is nothing to talk about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya_Big_Tree Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 Actually I've recently been playing on my friend's Fender Jazz Bass and that thing is amazing!! I love the sound and the extra range it gets, such a beautiful instrument. I'm leaning towards picking one up for myself actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 The Mexican-made "standard" Fender basses are pretty decent. There's a HUGE jump in quality between the Squier (made in China) and the Mexican Fender. It's a lot bigger than the difference between Mexican Fender and American Fender, but the price difference between Squier and Mexican Fender is not much (maybe $100 to $200 more). My first bass was a Mexican Fender Jazz back in high school. Eventually I traded up to an American Standard Fender Jazz V, and now I play a Music Man StingRay 5. But that old Mexican Fender was a great bass. A couple years ago my father-in-law started playing bass for the contemporary services at the church where he's a pastor. On my recommendation he got a new Mexican Precision Bass. That thing is sweet! Great bass for the money. He's very happy with it. Contrast that with this: about 5 years ago my band was going on the road to play a couple of weekend gigs at a rowdy bar in a beach town. I was reluctant to bring my precious basses (the American Standard Jazz and a fretless Music Man, at the time) down there, so on impulse I headed out to Mars Music and picked up a Squier Jazz just for the gig. What the hell, I figured. It was about $180 and I'd be able to use it whenever I was going to play a "questionable" venue. Luckily I brought it to rehearsal the week before we went out, because it was CRAP! The pickups buzzed like a chainsaw. The action was way too high (I realize that can be adjusted, but even straight from the factory it should be better than it was), and it was just all-around the worst bass I'd ever laid my hands on. Needless to say I took it right back to Mars the next day and got my money back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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