If there is a Best Buy store near you on this list, check it out in person;

http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/en_US/images/abn/2013/mi/pr/MI_Clear_031513.pdf

I have just been reading that they are closing their instrument sections down and bargains are to be had. Don’t have them my side of the pond, and I read they have clueless salespeople but that’s not an issue if you know which way is up. One bassist in PA said there was a Squier Mike Dirnt with a gouge in the back for $65 😯 . Heck yes at that price. Also might be a cheap combo going.

I’ve also been checking into Xaviere – a new name for me but I’m up to speed with GFS stuff and they also look very viable. I prefer the look of their maple-boarded P basses to the lone rosewood J but I’m starting to think that one of these vs the new Affinities might be the battleground. As said above, I don’t think resale value is a major issue. Could be the Xavieres have better pups out of the box but the Affinity, once the production rolls out, will be much easier to try before buying.

Update: I gather the latest Affinity Jazz for 2013 has the same sort of improvements (pickguard, logo, tuners) and the Lake Placid Blue looks quite nice. Affinities have started to become a consideration – that will probably knock down the value of 2nd hand older Affinities once the latest spread around.

Scott, just to add to the confusion, this is an Affinity Squier that I could actually recommend at least trying:

http://www.fender.com/en-CA/basses/precision-bass/affinity-series-precision-bass-pj-rosewood-fingerboard-black/

It’s very, very new, has an RRP of $180 but has yet to turn up in GC and the like. I’ve mentioned that I like the PJ pup configuration as a versatile set for an only bass and, whereas Affinities have been low rent, this has some features that might apply across the range of Affinities in future.

1) Solid alder body. I’d be surprised if it’s American alder and would be unsurprised if it turned out to be agathis (sometimes called Eastern or Asian Alder). Either way, I pretty much guarantee that you wouldn’t tell the difference in tone from a bodywood on electric bass. Squier VMs and CVs use basswood (as does my new Maestro), which is less ding-resistant than alder/agathis and this bass comes in a solid colour so grain looks aren’t an issue. 3-ply pickguard, now, too.
2) “Two colour Squier logo” means that cheap-looking black “Squier” on the headstock is replaced with a more pleasing gold + black job.
3) Best news of all is that the hideous-looking and badly performing enclosed tuners of the Affinity have been replaced by proper, open cog clovers. I have never found any problem with Squiers trad-style tuners and, even if I did, at least they’d be an easy replacement compared with the nastier closed ones.

Apart from the PJ, I like the P body (more compact than the J) but mated to the thinner (1.5″ nut) Jazz neck. I’m not always a fan of rosewood fingerboards, particularly the cheaper Indian rosewood with those pinholes and no nice grain, but it’s a minor issue. If my GC or MF had one to try, and it felt good, I’d seriously consider it because – if the pups are only so-so – upgrading would be stupid easy.

If you got bored of learning all the complexities of being a good bass player and settled for just being a guitarist (or, conversely, realized bass was finally an instrument worth devoting more of your life and wallet to) 😉 , you’d probably get $100+ on resale or trade up so it’s not a huge hit to try as an experiment.

http://assets.fender.com/frl/dd1c85cfc2b65b925c339b3441167dc1/generated/86ceb3c861ac3d7b0737b2ccde488ca3.png

This was probably not a reply to me,but I agree the Jazzer is the best bet for you. For a fairly cheap step up for the Squire Jazz Bass,go to the Guitar Fetish website and check out the ” Overwoundt” Jazz Bass replacement pickups. I have advized several Squire Jazz Bass players to try them out and in every case they are very,very satisfied. Great pickups indeed for the money.

Good luck to you !! 8)

Oh Scott, I didn’t specifically comment on that SUB you pictured. Things can get confusing, so bear with me. Back awhile, Ernie Ball brought out USA-made SUBs as more affordable Stingrays which are well regarded although the paint job (especially running up the back of the neck) is not everybody’s taste. The Musicman Sterling (named after EB’s son, who now runs the company) is a high spec/cost bass. Recently, there have been semi-affordable Sterling by Musicman basses made in Indonesia (as are recent Squiers) and the cheapest is SUB Sterling. Confused? So am I.

One to consider is the OLP (Officially Licenced Product) Stingrays that EB had done. They can be had used for used-Squier money and I think they make good Stingrays on the cheap. Repeating myself, but putting in a Warman pup and active EQ makes them even closer to a good, cheap Stingray. However, I think a PJ or straight J bass is a more conventional bass sound for you.

Keep posting up links to anything that catches your eye; either right here or via PM if you’d like an op before trigger-pulling.

GREAT POST OZ !!!! 😆

Hi, sorry to be quiet but I’ve been in Malaga and have briefly returned before heading back again later today. Scott, that Maestro MM5-style bass I mentioned is on the 1st page of this thread (big pic, sorry). I’m really pleased with it at <$140 and would recommend it to you but for (1) The Stingray kind of thing is not everyone's 1st and only bass and (2) there are little quality issues to address. Nothing major; fret leveling mainly but a Squier, for example, is usually more sorted out of the box. I'm going to make it great, though, and Jimmy mentions the Warman pup. This Maestro has a decent but not Stingray-sounding pup and passive electronics. I was going to use the bass as a mule for my genuine Ernie Ball triple coil MM5 pup and a Duncan preamp. The best compliment I can pay the Warman, £15, pickup is that my long-intentioned project (I’ve had the EB pup over 10 years) is instead simply going to have the Warman MM5, an EMG BTC preamp and series/parallel switching. That’s what I did for my son’s OLP (another great used buy, Scott, if a Stingray style appealed) and the sound is simply fantastic. I’ve A/B/C’d the Warman Stingray stylee against the Wilkinson, Maestro, OLP and even the much pricier Seymour Duncan ceramic and it comes tops. It would take the likes of a Nordstrand on, IMO. Anyhoo, back to your search. Yes, I like the idea of a Squier VM Jazz (I really like the 70s style with the block markers) and I think you’re right to pass on the Affinities which are a bit too low rent for someone of your capabilities. If a Squier Japan passed my radar, whether MIJ, CIJ, 80s, 90s, Silver Series or whatever I would jump on that in preference. The Japanese Squiers are beautifully done and only 80s ones with JV, SQ or E serial numbers attract interest. 90s ones, even clearly described, don’t attract the interest, especially in the US. Even here in Britain I had to pass on this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Squier-Precision-Vintage-P-Bass-Guitar-1990-91-Made-In-Japan-MIJ-Upgraded-/230939467731?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=gFb1YCKbhbFzWForplxnsJVNyuI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

because my son now has too many basses for his semi-interest. All clearly listed is 1990/1, MIJ (better than CIJ) and an SD 1/4lb pup, yet no-one put in a bid @ £125 and the seller pulled.

Which reminds me, Scott. Keep a very close eye on any VM or suchlike with a starting price of around $100. All of my bargains have been because of a start that’s still cheap but high enough to put people off sticking it in their watch list.

e.g., VM P (Telebass) £100 start, I got for £102, a later £1 auction finished at £175.
Squier Mike Dirnt with 30W Ibanez amp + Fender strap + lead, £100 start, I got for £121, later auction of the bass alone crossed £150.

Love those starter prices that make everyone forget to put it in a watch list and you’re only up against one other bid. Of course, a regular scan of Craig’s List is always worthwhile.

Hey I meant 1bassleft . Great guy and vast knowledge of ALL THINGS BASS !!!!

Hey man sorry about that. The Jazzer is a good choice for you.I now a little about Fender basses. I own every year of P Bass from 1853 through 1968 and currently play on the bandstand with a Fender Custom shoe 1954 Tele bass and a John Bolin built Tele bass,

8)

Hey 1bass————– give her the lowdown on the mm bass and adding a Warman . I finally got mine complete and it is really quite good. I even checked it out comparing to a friends real MM. It is amazing indeed. 8)

BASS PLAYERS ROCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 8)

That auction ended @ $77. That sort of thang, at that sort of price, is just Goldilocks. A sale or auction local to you should get your attention, IMO.

BTW, my Maestro arrived on Friday. Not perfect but, at $136, the basis for a seriously decent axe.

Not much added info other than “great sounding bass” 🙄 . I expect it to be an Affinity, made in Indonesia to fairly frugal standards but it has the P+J pups and D’Addario strings that have done a few laps but they look like flatwounds which, IMO, sound better with age.

Useful to gauge price and I’d even consider throwing a ca $65 bid at it; a perfectly decent start in bass for that sort of money.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-Squire-Precision-Bass-P-Bass-Nice-Clean-/151015332234?pt=Guitar&hash=item232937198a

I think Squier Jazz, Precision or – what I’d place above the standard P or J – the Precision Special. These are P shaped bodies with a bridge J pup and the P in the middle giving more flexibility in tone and, IIRC, come with the Jazz profile neck that I think you’ll find less of a handful. A new Squier Affinity is around the $130-170 range but I think a new SX bass from Rondo gives them serious competition.

One potential solver for your “bass or Telecaster?” problem is to go for a Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster bass. They come in two flavours; both having a 32″ scale neck which is mid-way between the feel of a guitar and the full 34″ of a standard bass. I know a few bassists who’ve picked one up for the looks but also found them fun and decent players.

There’s the single-coil, using the ’51-’55 unsplit SC of the Precision and a 3-way switch that uses passive resistor trickery to give deep bass, normal and a baritone sound. Then there’s the other which has the “mudbucker” at the neck for Jack Bruce thump and a Jazz single coil at the bridge.

Both can be found used around the $200 and you can listen to Squier demos by typing “squier telecaster bass” into youtube.

For around that money, though, I would keep a lookout for Squier Japans of the ’90s and, sometimes for very cheap dough, a Korean copy by Cort or Samick. The same factories made Squiers in the 90s but their own brands were often better quality and, lacking the family name, can sell very cheaply on the used market.

As for amps, I continuously find Peavey bass amps bland and unlikeable. Roland’s Cube 30 is certainly worth a look for fairly small money although it won’t get you gigging. To gig with, there are bargains around with big, solid state gear that many bassists are getting rid of because of the new, 700W jobs that are the size of a box of chocs.

Just read your “who are we?” and I see you have combos so an amp does need sorting (I thought you had valve heads, must have been someone else). OTOH, with your acoustic experience, you might not find a standard P neck such a club. How much would you consider spending? Almost any price range is do-able and would you consider a used bass off the ‘bay or prefer new from GC, MF or Rondo (who also have a returns policy)?

Sorry to take so long. Bass won’t damage a valve head, only the speakers possibly. Consider a used bass cab from Craigslist or local ebay collection only, often for peanuts, or an empty 2×10″ and put bass speakers in. I’ll leave amps for now though.

I wouldn’t go for an Epi EB bass as my only. The EB0 is a bit limiting in tonal variety and I think Epi EBs are a bit crummy quality, TBH, and short scale isn’t my thing although the familiar guitar size can initially appeal.

A P or J type bass seems the most obvious choice (or, a good versatile option, the PJ combined). I have a Squier Mike Dirnt, which is a good P bass although that star on the body might be off-putting. The neck is the old-style, ’54P with a square heel instead of the later rounded heel. They’re only semi-interchangeable, in the same way as a Tele and a Strat. Like a lot of Squier sort-of reissues (the Classic Vibe P and the Vintage Modified P tb), the neck is thinner at the nut, more like a Jazz than a Precision’s clubbier neck. A lot of players, and as a guitarist you might, find the Jazz profile faster.

Used Squiers made in Japan are excellent instruments and often don’t fetch the money they should. Even Fender-badged Japanese don’t:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-P-Bass-Carbon-fiber-pick-gaurd-MIJ-T-serial-number-/271174584494?pt=Guitar&hash=item3f2343c8ae&nma=true&si=Wo%252BAzGM0Iow1nJtS3%252FpXgYR3SEM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

In Britain, a Japanese Fender would have gone for considerably more but a lot of Americans think they might be inferior. I would also investigate new and used Squiers and new and used SX from Rondo.

Congrats to US Gold on his 100+ posts, and congrats to me on my 4000th post 😀 . Just think, if I hadn’t gone quiet for a coupla years…

Anyhoo, I have a new bass coming over from the States (Land of the Cheap, if not exactly Free) and it’s this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=121083927555

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Left-Handed-Bass-Guitar-5-String-solid-wood-body-/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjA0/z/U-YAAOxy9eVRPrPE/$T2eC16hHJGkE9no8jDMsBRPrPD(Fkg~~60_57.JPG

😯 , massive pic, sorry. I shall be ripping this up (genyooine Ernie Ball MM5 pup is just the start) but I’ll un-hijack and bore you elsewhere. Incidentally, check the seller’s other items for some ugleee guitars.

Point is, I’ve recently been buying for me and my righty son so, FWIW, I have a bit of recent purchasing advice and, you know me, I always go cheap but good.

Firstly, though, got to ask you some bassics (see what I did there? 😉 ) that could make this a longish, but very useful thread.

1) Consider whether to go with 4-string or jump right in to 5-string (I advise against more, unless freeform jazz is a must). I’ve come to depend on the thick-string, and not just for sub-E notes; it’s handy for certain runs around the mid-neck without having to swoop down. The flipside is that having E as your low string is just so much easier to get your head round – especially a you’re a seasoned guitarist and have the knowledge, as far as guitarists go. Secondly, 95% (may be more, better check with Youngwasp 😛 ) of the tunes you hear are done on a 4 so a 5th B can become just a long thumbrest.

Speaking of which, if you go five, string spacing is an issue and depends on…

2) Playing mostly fingerstyle, plectrum or thumb diddy dum. Wider string spacing is preferred for fingers and thumbs. I play mostly plec and prefer narrower strings, but mostly not to worry with 4s anyway.

3) What’s your muzak? This has a big say in looks and pup position/type.

4) New or used? OK, I’ve just bought a new but, like Tim, I’m always ears-up for a good used. Buying new, I would stick to a “trad” looker for max resale if you move up. Used, ditto unless you don’t care and can benefit from some ugly, dated, pointy thing costing you a shedload less than a recognizably P, J or MM shaped bass.

5) Active or passive. I like active, even if I keep eq flat, but there are passive basses I’m happy with, too. If you can solder, and read a diagram, moving a passive up to active is pretty easy whereas cheap actives can be a right plate of pasta to upgrade.

Without getting your answers yet, I would say spending $250 is absolute TOPS. Aim for less – plenty of good places in that region. Brands I’d be looking at are:

SX and other marques from Rondo Music, either new or used:
http://www.rondomusic.com/bassguitars4.html
the used ones have a nicer headstock but buying new from Rondo is solid as Kurt refunds well if unhappy; even with people who act like a-holes, IMO.
Squier. The Indonesians are coming up with great looking and sounding basses recently. Forget the basic Affinity (go SX) but the Vintage Modified, Artist Series and Classic Vibes are great value – maybe used at <$250. I have bought the Mike Dirnt and the VM Precision tb (mudbucker @ neck) and they're great. Indonesian necks are a bit soft, though, and take a little while to settle into the setup you want. Fine afterwards.
Also, used Squier Japans still sell for paltry money (not the JV, SQ or E serials, though). A 90/91 MIJ Precision over here attracted no bids at £125 – I had to stop myself from buying it. Mid 90s Korean Squiers are often ply-bodied; sound fine but ply 😳

Going to stop now. Need to know what you think looks good, and what you want to play, muzakerly. Amps? IIRC, you have some nice valve amps. Keep the vol low then, maybe, get a bass cab. I can talk bass amps another time.

Hey, I’ll have a think on brands and the like but first response is definitely look at second hand! Personally I never buy new instruments, don’t see the point.

My Aria Pro II was second hand (£200, I think) and has done me 14 years now. There’s some decent Japanese stuff that tends to be under-rated and therefore reasonably priced.