Yet another recommendation thread.... (bass)

[-=AnatomiC=-]

I have this little Boss recorder, with Cosm effects, and I tried to record some tunes with it, using my bro's guitar.
I've picked bass simulation model, and I must say I felt in love with real bass :smile:

I mean, it's so intuitive, (relatively) easy and fun! Sounds great too... simple bass lines, but yet so awesome :biggrin: (I am a noob, but I'm already familiar with acoustic guitar, but I never liked it really much)

So I was thinking about learning how to play bass, so I will be needing a bass guitar.

I've heard Ibanez is the best price/performance ratio - so I was thinking about this one.
SR 300 (http://www.ibanez.co.jp/world/country/frame_belgium.html)

It's affordable and I like how it looks (yes, good looks is very important for me)
I've also checked Yamaha basses, but they look lame, IMHO.
I would say my budget is 300-500 euro, but I will buy it after this summer, because now I need to study and no money left...


I also want to study music production at conservatory, after I get my sound tech education, and they say it's very important for music producer to play different instruments, so I was going to learn one anyway... only didn't knew which one... so bass it is!

Just wanted to share my thoughts,,, bass rocks :biggrin: oh and any bass equip recommendations are also welcome.
And as a synthesizer freak, I also want to experiment with bass synthesizers :biggrin:

[gylfih]

a good bass is the ibanez gsr200... its only about €185 so its well with your budget... 3 of my friends use it and say its amazing, and one of them's in a band that's starting to kick off (if you live in Manchester they're called allegiance - they were at the academy a week or 2 ago... if you're in Cambridge, they might be showing up there soon). Anyway, its cheap, the black version looks amazing, and its cheap! No apparent downside!

Good luck with your search for a bass...

[Syrinx]

If you live in Europe, I don't think Ibanez is the best price/performance option. Cort is definitely much better, and I think Cort is much more available in EU than in the US so it's a shame if you don't at least try one.
If you really do not have enough money, the new Squier Vintage Modified seems to be a great instrument for the money.

[-=AnatomiC=-]

Cort? Never heard of it... (can't even find it in musicstore.de)

Now, I wouldn't say Ibanez is not available in Europe - there are 70 types of Ibanez basses in musicstore.de (only warwick and fender have more) and at my local store Ibanez is the most popular brand, I would say (lot's of them)


Btw - I will check gsr200 out, but SR has a good price also, so...

[Syrinx]

Cort (http://www.cort.co.kr/english/products/common/list.asp?category=Basses) is a well established guitar company, they make a lot of nice instruments, nicely built (in Korea not China) and have very competitive pricing. Check out some videos and mp3's, just click on the small tv icons to start the videos (http://www.schoolmusic.co.kr/Shop/index.php3?var=GoodList&middle_name=Cort&large_name=%C5%94%C4%8E%C2%B7%C5%9F%C5%9F%C5%81%C5 %94%C4%9A%CB%9D%C5%9F&large_number=4&middle_number=296).

I did not say the Ibanez is not available in Europe, but my brother (who lives in Sweeden) told me that the Ibanez basses and guitars there are quite expensive (more than in the US). For Ibanez, I wouldn't touch their low budget models with a 10 ft pole, their higher price models is another story, just check out any BTB bass and you'll see what I mean.

IF you're looking for a budget good quality (new, not used) bass, say about $200-300 US, then I'd definitely consider, Cort, Squier vintage modified, Peavey Millennium, Yamaha RBX.
Another option is to go the used route, then you have a much better chance to get a better bass at a reasonable price.

EDIT: A great place for bass reviews is the talkbass forum reviews, here: http://www.talkbass.com/reviews/

[-=AnatomiC=-]

They just don't have Cort in musicstore.de :confused: it's like the biggest store in europe lol... (see for your self - musicstore bass department (http://www.musicstore.de/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/MusicStore-MusicStoreShop-Site/nl_NL/-/EUR/ViewGuidedSearch-Browse;pgid=TOZgS1SZUWSb00000000000000005UksQbTJ?C atalogCategoryID=ckvVqHzlx6EAAAEVmhtWf70R) - somewhere in the left lower corner, where all brand names are.)

I would not say Ibanez is very expensive. From 170 to 1000 euro.
Yes, you have to pay the same amount of euro, as you would have to pay in USD, for their guitars - but this is a general rule.... just like what I did for FX and Radias - you just can't avoid it :rolleyes: (you always pay 60% more, if you live in Europe)

And what would you call "low budget" and "higher price" - I can go up to 500 euro, if it's really necessary (I don't want to spend my precious money op crap, lol)

Btw - I've checked second hand market, but basses don't loose their value over time, like most synths do - and you have much less choice, so I've decided to buy it new.

Edit: I see Peavey have some nice looking basses (yes, I do like pretty) - I think dark wood pattern is the best looking pattern. But I don't like Millenium.
Mayones basses look just awesome, but they are just a bit out of my budget :biggrin:
RBX - cool, like John Muyng bass :smile:

[Syrinx]

www.thomann.de has many Cort bases, see for yourself: http://www.thomann.de/be/search_dir.html?gk=GI&bn=CORT&sw=bass&oa=pra

500 euros!!! You're rich :biggrin: In that case try the higher Ibanez models, like the SRX 700, SR 590, and the Korean made BTBs.
Peavey has a very good model (sold here for $650 in the US), it's the Korean Cirrus BXP, has the same electronics as the higher end Cirrus.

EDIT: The Yamha RBX line has some great value, my brother bought a used, like-new, 5-string RBX from someone in Stockholm for 2500 Kronas (that's about 265 euros), so there could be some great bargains out there.

[Staccato]

I quite fancy yamaha´s stuff. Got a 5-string myself. You should look them up as well. The best would if you found a used Warwick, they are amazing!

[Grey Loki]

I quite like my Yamaha RBX375 5-string active bass - flexible tone, quite easy to play, and I think it looks pretty sweet in black.

[-=AnatomiC=-]

www.thomann.de has many Cort bases, see for yourself: http://www.thomann.de/be/search_dir.html?gk=GI&bn=CORT&sw=bass&oa=pra

500 euros!!! You're rich :biggrin: In that case try the higher Ibanez models, like the SRX 700, SR 590, and the Korean made BTBs.
Peavey has a very good model (sold here for $650 in the US), it's the Korean Cirrus BXP, has the same electronics as the higher end Cirrus.

EDIT: The Yamha RBX line has some great value, my brother bought a used, like-new, 5-string RBX from someone in Stockholm for 2500 Kronas (that's about 265 euros), so there could be some great bargains out there.

No, I'm not rich... my annual income is my scholarship + what I earn in the vacations... so next vacation is the summer vacation, which means a fat pay check...
I just have almost no bills to pay - that's all (exept for school)
So 99% of my money, I spend on music stuff...

I just want something that will last couple of years. Well, I said maybe I could go up to 500 euro, but I still would like to spend no more than 300.

I don't like how the other Ibanez basses look, exept for their most expensive stuff... (EDB looks nice, but only because it's real wood)
Silver RBX374 (yamaha) is also pretty... but they look so heavy!!! White Aircraft Grey looks awesome too - with LEDs lol :biggrin:

So I'm choosing between SR 300 and RBX 374 (silver)
But THE most cool looking bass, is IMHO Baphomet 4 from Fame... but it's expensive and I don't know jack about fame... I only know they make very cheap amps and digital drum sets :rolleyes:

[Grey Loki]

Silver RBX374 (yamaha) is also pretty... but they look so heavy!!!

It could be said that the RBX series aren't the lightest of all basses, but they're far from the heaviest either, and my 375 is very well balanced - the head doesn't want to dip at all, which is always nice :)

[-=AnatomiC=-]

I think I'm leaning towards RBX now.... looks more serious to me... and I can handle heavier stuff...

But what about on board electronics? What's that? The EQ, I guess?
I heard that active require batteries... is it good or bad?

[Staccato]

I think I'm leaning towards RBX now.... looks more serious to me... and I can handle heavier stuff...

But what about on board electronics? What's that? The EQ, I guess?
I heard that active require batteries... is it good or bad?

Well, active microphones tend to sound better, but yes they require batteries, which means that if you are gonna use it live, you need to keep some backup batteries or even a back-up bas with you. EQ on the bas will not differ much in that pricerange.. the sound is much more defined by the quality of the microphones and the speaker and so on.

[Grey Loki]

Plus, if you're using it mainly as a studio bass than playing live with it, there are much more comprehensive EQs available in every single DAW i've ever come across, rather than using those available on the bass - the only knob I ever touch on my RBX is (what I think is, since they're not labelled) the pup blend control.