Bass for recording around 500-700€ ?

[Flammable]

Hi people.

I've been searching through the forums for a few weeks about this but still I find it hard to choose what to go after and thought I might ask for some new ideas to narrow down possibilities.
So, I need a bass for recording purposes for around 500-700€. The only condition I have is the bass should be easily available in the EU market. I don't want to order anything across the sea.
The music in style is acoustic/electric pop-rock.

Would you have any suggestions? Thanks.

[RonGherkins]

I use a fender p-bass for recording usually. I have a j as well. You might be able to find an american for 700 euro, you definitely can find a v good condition used one for that price.

Do you have an preferences for basses you've played? active or passive ( I like passive for recording)? Style of pickups? Or maybe post some tones you're trying to achieve and someone can help you with selecting something for you more personally.

All in all I'd say go to a place that has a bunch and play each one and buy one that speaks to you. Every bass is slightly different.

Can't go wrong with a p-bass though.

[swartzfeger]

Originally Posted by RonGherkins

I use a fender p-bass for recording usually. I have a j as well. You might be able to find an american for 700 euro, you definitely can find a v good condition used one for that price.

Do you have an preferences for basses you've played? active or passive ( I like passive for recording)? Style of pickups? Or maybe post some tones you're trying to achieve and someone can help you with selecting something for you more personally.

All in all I'd say go to a place that has a bunch and play each one and buy one that speaks to you. Every bass is slightly different.

Can't go wrong with a p-bass though.

+1. A Squier P or J, or maybe a Fender MIM P or J. As a bassist I definitely prefer the Fender Jazz, but as an all round go to bass, a Fender P can't beat.

Depending on your style/songs, you can throw on flats or wounds, do pick or fingerstyle and pretty much have all the sounds covered you'd need for an acoustic/pop project.

Also, agreed on playing basses first. If you're not primarily a bassist, necks can seem pretty different, ie, P basses are a bit wider at the nut, J's are narrower.

[Flammable]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm looking in to them right now.

Also, I've been thinking that I'm gonna/I should buy a bass that I will be using for many years to come so the budget could be expanded -if need be- to 800-900€.
I should add that I believe the options should be narrowed down to Fender. I would like to get a Fender bass. But I have to ask, how much "air" is there in Fender prices? Do I end up paying for the logo so to speak with Fenders?

Anyone tried the Reggie Hamilton Standard Jazz Bass?

I will be be playing the bass not thru an amp but directly in to my soundcard (MR816x).

[swartzfeger]

Originally Posted by Flammable

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm looking in to them right now.

Also, I've been thinking that I'm gonna/I should buy a bass that I will be using for many years to come so the budget could be expanded -if need be- to 800-900€.
I should add that I believe the options should be narrowed down to Fender. I would like to get a Fender bass. But I have to ask, how much "air" is there in Fender prices? Do I end up paying for the logo so to speak with Fenders?

Anyone tried the Reggie Hamilton Standard Jazz Bass?

I will be be playing the bass not thru an amp but directly in to my soundcard (MR816x).

As far as air/padding of the price, I can only speak for the states... yeah, there's air in Fender's prices but no more than in any other name brands. The thing with Fender's is that you can still get a quality bass (depending on the year) by going with a MIJ, MIM or Squier model vs. a full-priced MIA model. FWIW, I'm not sure what the made in japan/mexico/america availability/distribution is like in the EU.

re: Reggie Hamilton -- it seems like Fender signature line prices usually have a bit more padding and are subject to price changes. I bought my Geddy Lee Fender Jazz in 2009 for $800 new, and now they're $1000.

Buying used is always an option if you're comfortable checking things like fret wear, intonation/action, dead spots, solid nut, bridge etc.

Since you're going direct, you may also want to consider a DI like Sansamp's BDDI or Para Driver DI, which are both also very useable with guitars and acoustics as well.

[haryy]

Originally Posted by Flammable

Hi people.

I've been searching through the forums for a few weeks about this but still I find it hard to choose what to go after and thought I might ask for some new ideas to narrow down possibilities.
So, I need a bass for recording purposes for around 500-700€. The only condition I have is the bass should be easily available in the EU market. I don't want to order anything across the sea.
The music in style is acoustic/electric pop-rock.

Would you have any suggestions? Thanks.

You are lucky my friend. It took me 20 years to find a good and cheap bass which can easily KILL most everything else out there. Here it is.

BB424X - BB Series - Basses - Guitars & Basses - Musical Instruments - Products - Yamaha United States

[Flammable]

I guess I should keep an open mind and chek out the Yamaha too. It is cheaper so I could buy it and one of the DI boxes mentioned. This would be smart? What are the differences between the different BB424 models? I can't seem to find any BB424x models. I can only find the basic(?) BB424 model. What is the difference? Would definitely fit my budget.

[haryy]

I think the only difference is the lack of pickguard.

[Flammable]

For the sake of the argument let's say I would buy:

- the BB424
- Para Driver DI or Bass Driver DI
- New high quality strings

I believe with the Fender budget of 800-900€ I could easily afford all of these. Do people think this would be a good idea? What high quality strings should I get and if I should choose should I get the Para driver or the Bass driver? I'm not picky so I think I will follow recommendations here.

[haryy]

Originally Posted by Flammable

For the sake of the argument let's say I would buy:

- the BB424
- Para Driver DI or Bass Driver DI
- New high quality strings

I believe with the Fender budget of 800-900€ I could easily afford all of these. Do people think this would be a good idea? What high quality strings should I get and if I should choose should I get the Para driver or the Bass driver? I'm not picky so I think I will follow recommendations here.

I have the sansamp rbi and have tested every sansamp pedal including the ones you propose. The rbi is heads and tails above those.
A cheaper one and very good also is the mxr m80 (better than the sansamps you propose). Check it out.
As for new strings, i made that mistake also and threw a few euros away. The stock ones (dadario 100) are the best.

[duff mcshark]

I bought an Ibanez that I thought played well and put all new electronics in it. See what has the nicest neck and feels the most comfortable and do the same. You'll end up with a nicer bass for less money.

Sent from my C771 using Gearslutz.com

[duff mcshark]

Also look into something with the P Bass / Jazz Bass pickup configuration for some tonal flexibility.

Sent from my C771 using Gearslutz.com

[duff mcshark]

Sorry to keep posting but if I was going to buy a new guitar or bass I would check out these before I bought anything.
http://www.reverendguitars.com/reverend/guitars.html

[Flammable]

If I decide to go Fender should I stay away from Mexican made Fenders?

[jonathan jetter]

Originally Posted by Flammable

If I decide to go Fender should I stay away from Mexican made Fenders?

not necessarily. IME the quality control is not consistent, but if you try 10 or 15 different ones, you're very likely to find one that is excellent.

hell. i have a friend who has a $200 squier bass and it sounds great.

[Flammable]

I have to ask do I even need a bass DI because the preamps in MR816x are supposed to be excellent? Maybe I should look for a bass pedal instead? Does it add anything to the sound to use a DI box between the bass and the MR?

[thezebralad]

I would look for a nice P-Bass. I've got a Squier Silver Series MIJ P-Bass which I use for pop/punk and it plays great and as others have mentioned you can get a range of tones from changing strings and using pick or fingers.

I also like using the Tech 21 VT Bass pedal, I got mine off Ebay for about 90 Euros and it can give you a excellent bass sound right out of the box, may not be super clean but the SVT setting is brilliant.

[ivansc]

I bought a p bass in 1963 a used 62.
sold it in64. idiot.

I now have a mij p bass and a weird prototype gibson explorer thingy with active pj pickups.

Also have a Hohner Jack bass.
All of them work great for both live and recording.

It really is mostly in the players hands, but I am most impressed by the mexican p.

[cavern]

Originally Posted by duff mcshark

Also look into something with the P Bass / Jazz Bass pickup configuration for some tonal flexibility.

Sent from my C771 using Gearslutz.com

Those are pretty cool.
I have one,a 50th anniversary american P bass with the push button switch in the volume knob that changes the pick up configuration to jazz.
One push and it sounds just like an episode of seinfeld.lol

[lovekrafty]

I,d highly recommend the Fender Jaguar Bass, highly versitile bass.

Nice neck too.
LK

[Flammable]

So, right now I'm looking at:

Yamaha BB424 465€

Fender Classic 50 Precision Bass 745.00 €

Fender Classic 60 Jazz Bass 825.00

Fender Precision Bass (used. Made in USA) 890.00 €

Reggie Hamilton Standard Jazz Bass 950.00 €

It's still gonna take me couple weeks to see this thru but I was thinking I might buy an excellent bass now and pedals, DI boxes etc. later if I need 'em.

[duff mcshark]

Play a bunch of Mexican Fenders, find the one that feels the best, and upgrade all the components. This will get you a pretty top of the line bass right in your price range. I did this to a Mexican Telecaster, a Samick "Les Paul", and an Ibanez bass. I don't think there's more than $600 invested in any of them and I love them all (as does anyone lucky enough to get my permission to play them). Do that and you'll have enough money to buy a sansamp bass DI or whatever you choose to get.

Sent from my C771 using Gearslutz.com

[swartzfeger]

Originally Posted by Flammable

I have to ask do I even need a bass DI because the preamps in MR816x are supposed to be excellent? Maybe I should look for a bass pedal instead? Does it add anything to the sound to use a DI box between the bass and the MR?

Something like the Sansamp Para Driver is going to let you dial in grind, or grit, or 'air' from a speaker, or a handful of other amp-like qualities that you wouldn't get from going direct into your Steinberg.

Yes, the Steinberg has excellent pres, much like my Apogee, but you're going to get a very direct sound. Something like the Sansamp will allow you dial in more drive. It may allow certain lines to sit better in a mix, or may sound better... it all comes down to subjective tastes.

FWIW, I think it's more important to 'color' a guitar signal (amp or speaker simulator) to bring it to life than it is to do it with bass. Recording a clean signal with just your bass and steinberg will in no way ruin your mix. The sansamp just may give you a few more options and may sound more realistic than slapping on an Amplitube after the fact.

Also, you might find a lot more info on this at the talkbass.com forums. But you might get inundated with options too.

Play a few basses in your budget, find one that feels comfortable, throw down your money and have fun. Honestly, as much as some players may gripe about MIM quality control from certain runs/years, not a lot of those quality issues would affect recording quality... it's generally details like neck binding or minor fret filing etc.

As someone else mentioned, I've purchased a $300 Squier fretless that rivals my $1000 MIJ Fender Jazz in quality.

[RonGherkins]

Originally Posted by Flammable

If I decide to go Fender should I stay away from Mexican made Fenders?

I bought a mexican P a little while ago that sounded great, was well built and was limited edition run of a specific colour knocked down to ~450. Hard to beat that for a new bass+ 2 year warranty and a gig bag. I have an american P that is slightly better tonally (But also has a maple instead of rosewood neck, so not a direct comparison) and a vintage american J.

You need to try the bass. Some mexicans are shit, but so are some americans (though it seems the quality control and materials are slightly better, as are the electronics - but you can upgrade those in a mexican). The P has a thicker neck which I was initially turned off by but now I like the feel much better than the J's.

In regards to a DI, I'd say a good bass DI (avalon, BAE dmp) would be a step up from the steinberg, but the steinberg is decent.

[RonGherkins]

Originally Posted by duff mcshark

Play a bunch of Mexican Fenders, find the one that feels the best, and upgrade all the components. This will get you a pretty top of the line bass right in your price range. I did this to a Mexican Telecaster, a Samick "Les Paul", and an Ibanez bass. I don't think there's more than $600 invested in any of them and I love them all (as does anyone lucky enough to get my permission to play them). Do that and you'll have enough money to buy a sansamp bass DI or whatever you choose to get.

Sent from my C771 using Gearslutz.com

Pretty good advice here. At a large music store that's an authorized fender dealer they're bound to have 1-2 good ones at least. Maybe even one great one (and then jump on that shit!!)

I put seymour duncan quarter pounders on my mexican for around 70 bucks. Big tone improvement.

[Silas]

I had Squier P-bass and that was so bad, really awful ..
...then i bought used 1993 Warwick Corvette and i love that bass.
And no, i'm not bass player...not even close

[scottstoked]

Warwick RockBass . . .
Warwick Basses Amps & Rock'n Roll

[dkelley]

Originally Posted by Flammable

If I decide to go Fender should I stay away from Mexican made Fenders?

I've owned one mexican precision and it was an excellent instrument, truly excellent. I've owned two squires that were absolutely terrible instruments based on quality of wood and body resonance, although they still recorded very well (it's more the player than the instrument when it comes to bad basses imho, and I worked hard to make them sound good because I had no other budget options back in those days).

these days I prefer the stingray sound and I play a cheap cort gb-54 indonesian knock off which is a bass I'm simply in love with and cost me pocket change to buy used. but I'm a very serious professional bassist and am used to looking for gems out of cheap racks of instruments.

if you jsut want to buy a bass that you know will be great, it's tougher than it used to be on a budget because you can't "trust" fender any more (they have great and bad instruments sitting on teh same rack from same year/country/price) and the same goes for many affordable lines.

I still suggest a fender precision bass for most common rock bass recording, yamaha, fender, ibanez, and some others make some really great ones at times for good prices. listen for the tone of the bass UNPLUGGED - if it's dead, don't buy it. if it's very resonant, it's probably pretty good unless i'ts like super bright sounding unplugged (which can translate into super bright when recorded).

[Jose]

For that style a Fender P-Bass and you are done!!

Stay alert in your local 2nd hand classifieds, I bought one like this for 1.100€(almost half price)

FENDER 62 VINTAGE PRECISION BASS 3TSB - Thomann Cyberstore Espa

Don't buy in a hurry and you'll save a lot of money!!!

[Jose]

Originally Posted by haryy

You are lucky my friend. It took me 20 years to find a good and cheap bass which can easily KILL most everything else out there. Here it is.

BB424X - BB Series - Basses - Guitars & Basses - Musical Instruments - Products - Yamaha United States

The Yamahas are actually the bang for the buck!!!I had a RBX 374 (300€) and it really does the job, it sounds more modern than a P-Bass in my opinion, very different animals but nice both.