Cheap Bass

[Rudi]

I am looking to find an inexpensive bass. It will not be gigged, but used solely for recording. It doesnt matter if it has crap action. A clear signal is best priority. Any views / advice ?

[Steve]

Get on to Ebay mate! I've just seen one go for 18 quid + 16.50 for P&P. Brand new from Germany! I got mine for 50 quid. Brand new.

[john]

Hey Rudi

What sort of tone/sound are you looking for? What's your budget?

Cheers

John

[hariossa]

I own 2 cheap bass guitars, both of them are Hartley Benton's from Thomann.de, one is a 5 string fretless with active electronics, and the other is a McCartney's Höfner style with passive electronics.

With cheap instruments like these you can't expect a well calibrated instrument and atention to detail, but since I spend all my weekends repairing instruments right now, I was able to drive both basses into their maximum stage.

I have done a lot of recording with them and they do their job pretty well, all I need after recording is some EQ and compression.

Some day I'll change them the pickups and replace the active circuit in the fretless for a better one (but I'll wait 'till the cheap one dies first), also I should replace the plywood block under the beatle one's bridge (the one inside the body between the top and the back) for a real piece of wood to improove it's sound.

If you buy one be sure to get a set of good strings at the same time, the ones that came from factory were useless and went directly to the can.

The fretless has the dots on the upper side of the neck "between the frets" and came with roundwound strings, it's obvious that this bass comes from the same production line of the fretted ones.

cheers!

Edited July 8, 2007 by hariossa

[Rudi]

Thanks for the insight Hari, always get good to get your reponse & take on things. Strings I had not even thought about. They are relatively expensive so I should have expected that.

Hey Rudi

What sort of tone/sound are you looking for? What's your budget?

Cheers

John

tone/sound ideally will be clean, and the pickups should deliver evenly across the strings (cheap pickups sometimes favour the mid or upper range at the expense of the bottom which will be quieter)

Budget is what ever it costs to get the above.

[Lee]

Hi Rudi

I bought this bass a few weeks ago for exactly the same reason you want one.

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/fl...roduct_id/19396

It's very basic one pick up, one volume control, one tone control and the finish isn't brilliant but it sounds great and plays great.

I looked up some reviews on the internet and they are all very positive.

It's out of stock at the moment but I'm sure you can buy it elsewhere.

Lee

[Rudi]

Thanks Lee. Thanks Tunesmith. Both of these are now on my peruse list.

[Rudi]

My search has ended. I tried a Peavey (nice but pick-ups were out of balance), A Squier P (nice but noisy pots) an Ibanez (couldn’t get a clean tone out of it), finally settled on a Squier Affinity Jazz Bass (in black)

I went all the way to Nevada to buy it too.

http://www.fenderstore.co.uk/acatalog/Affinity-P-Bass.html

kind thanks to ALL contributors here

[Nightwolf]

Nice one Rudi, that one should serve you well

[Rudi]

Its been great so far. Intonation is spot on & I have beeen able to use it straight out of the box without a set it up.

Now if I could only think like a bassist. Disipline.... disipline...

[Steve]

Its been great so far. Intonation is spot on & I have beeen able to use it straight out of the box without a set it up.

Now if I could only think like a bassist. Disipline.... disipline...

Hang the Bass very low. Almost below the knees is good. Slump forward like there's a great weight on your shoulders, Half close both eyes and let your tongue loll from the side of your mouth. Ingest some illegal and obnoxious substances and place a burning cigarette in the opposite side of the mouth from the lolling tongue and you might just be approaching the frame of mind of the average Bass player.

n.b.

This description in no way resembles any Bass players here present who are fine musicians of exceptional calibre.

[Nightwolf]

the disclaimer saved your ass mister!!

Shameless plug for Bass article by.....ME

[Steve]

the disclaimer saved your ass mister!!

Shameless plug for Bass article by.....ME

Who loves ya baby?

I've been trying to get Hivemind as my ringtone!

[Nightwolf]

Who loves ya baby?

I've been trying to get Hivemind as my ringtone!

[smiley=bounce.gif]

I'm all better now [smiley=bounce.gif]

[hariossa]

also I should replace the plywood block under the beatle one's bridge (the one inside the body between the top and the back) for a real piece of wood to improove it's sound.

I've just changed the plywood block for a massive piece of ebony and it sounds way better now look!!!

Here's the bass without the bridge and all electronic stuff:

Look at the cheesy block of plywood under the bridge! I stuffed a lot of wet cotton around the block's base and top to soften the glue...

A closer look to the bastard after it first came out:

A very close look to the new ebony massive block!! look at how the block top matches the bass arched top.

I ruined the first block I did because I sanded too much, this one is the second and last one, it's very hard to find ebony that thick...

This one is to prove that I did it

Sorry Rudi for hijacking

I'm glad you have a new bass, I'm sure you're going to have great moments with it...

after you heal the blisters on your right hand

Cheers!

[Donna]

Rudi, very interesting the bass you bought and comments on it.

I'd seen the same mere days ago (in catalog) and have been foaming-at-the-mouff er, I mean, wondering about it.

The Frankenbass will not stay in tune up the neck. That has been my biggest beef about any guitar (but my Seagull which I love more than ever!)

Thinking like a bassist... I try to remember way back when I was one. Does it help to listen to bass players you like? To hum bass lines during the course of your day?

(PS: Hari, my respects to you in your art of repair!)

Edited August 3, 2007 by Donna

[Rudi]

Donna, I checked the intonation by ear. I start with striking the harmonic at he 12th fret, and then striking the fretted (12th) note. If they sound the same, they are. Do this for all strings.

However, not many 'proper' bassists go that high do they?

Rob Wasserman is an exception.

The squier is surprisingly good quality for such a cheap model. Its made in China.

Hari, I would love to see more of your work of this sort. How about a dedicated thread to it? Or on a blog here even?

[Donna]

I second Rudi on that, Hari.

OK, I'll check that 12th fret, but it's already outta tune Because I'm not a bassist, I do go that high!

[Rudi]

I second Rudi on that, Hari.

OK, I'll check that 12th fret, but it's already outta tune Because I'm not a bassist, I do go that high!

I guess the best solution would be to plug it into a (digital or analog) tuner and check all strings at every fret. I personally am happy to live with a + / - 1/8th tone tolerance here and there.

I find the bass harder to tune by ear. When plugged into the (guitar) tuner the note 'wobbles' by about an 1/8th anyway (if I strike it too hard).

[hariossa]

Donna, I checked the intonation by ear. I start with striking the harmonic at he 12th fret, and then striking the fretted (12th) note. If they sound the same, they are. Do this for all strings.

The intonation problem is very simple to solve, just get new strings, an electronic tuner and a screwdriver that fits the string saddle screw and tou'll be on your way. I disagree with Rudi on striking the harmonics, I believe it's more accurate to compare the 12th fret with the open string, if the octave at the 12th fret is higher then tighten the saddle screw, tune the string and check again (repeat until you achieve the right intonation), obviously if the octave at the 12th fret is lower than the open note you must loose the saddle screw...

Hari, I would love to see more of your work of this sort. How about a dedicated thread to it? Or on a blog here even?

Hey that's not a bad idea at all!!!

Edited August 6, 2007 by hariossa