Buying a Bass

[barthowk]

Hey everyone. I’ve got an American-made Fender Precision Bass. I dig it’s tone, but the neck is just way too big and I’d like to get something that has a little more versatility for recording purposes.

I want a Fender-style-based bass with a small neck and combo Precision/Jazz pickups. And I’d like to get a quality instrument—something in the $1,000 used price range. I don’t want a mexican-made Fender.

I know I can go boutique (e.g., Suhr) and get this done, but that’s really expensive and I’m not a good enough bass player to justify that anyway.

Any suggestions?

 

[testing1two]

Fender Reggie Hamilton. Fender Aero (MIJ but very cool). Lakland Skyline Duck Dunn.

 

[tastylicks]

Pick up a used G&L L-2000 off of Ebay. One of the most versatile basses out there. Excellent quality. Can be passive or active, two pickups. Ask about which neck it has, so you can get the jazz size neck. Shouldn't run you more than about $800 or so. Top notch instrument. Look for the 3-bolters with the microtilt feature (from the 80's).

 

[barthowk]

Thanks guys, I didn't think about G&L. I think the SB-2 is pretty much exactly what I'm looking for.

I don't know much about G&L though. Are all G&Ls are made in the U.S., and supposed to be of the same quality (except the Tribute series)? Or is it like with Fender where there’s squire, made-in-mexico, American-made, custom series, and the masterbuilt series?

Thanks.

 

[Road Pop]

Nice plug. Nice gallery on the site, also.

The OP did ask for a used bass for a grand. You gonna set him up for a grand since you posted yours? just kidding. A little.



To the OP... As said above, the G&L's are good bang for the buck, as are Musicman Sterlings (2-pup) and the Lakland Skylines (import and not all of them). You can get a lot of great tones out of all three, even a single pup Sterling. There's a lot of great sounding used basses out there for way less than a grand.

 

[progrockbass]

I had a great bass built by certainbass.com a P-Bass body, with a Jazz Bass neck it's amazing... he can add a jazz bass pup at the bridge as well...

 

[JM_of_BOFP]

if you like the fender, you may not like the active sound of the G & L. I sure don't. You might do well to look at a Jazz-bass. Lakland necks are a little on the small side. If you can find an old 80's jazz bass, they shouldn't be too expensive, and you can really get that low thump out of them.

But there's tons of great old stuff out there. Jazz basses are pretty hard to screw with, though. An unstoppable instrument for certain.

 

[sears]

Consider the EB/MM Sterling. Not exactly what you're looking for but a proven winner with smaller ergonomics and super high quality. Personally, I prefer the P and the Ray..

 

[Kitsapbass]

I ended up buying parts off of talkbass, built my Fender P-bass copy for under $150 for everything. There's always necks/bodies/pickups for sale. Also, they have a pretty awesome used section. I got my Tobias 5 string and my Guild Pilot V off of there as well - each for under a G.

 

[musicofanatic5]

You dig the tone of the P, but the neck is way too big? It's my experience that the tone is in the (you thought i was gonna say hands...) neck. Reduce the mass of the neck and you reduce the "tone" (whatever that is). Just sayin'...

 

[barthowk]

if you like the fender, you may not like the active sound of the G & L. I sure don't. You might do well to look at a Jazz-bass. Lakland necks are a little on the small side. If you can find an old 80's jazz bass, they shouldn't be too expensive, and you can really get that low thump out of them.

But there's tons of great old stuff out there. Jazz basses are pretty hard to screw with, though. An unstoppable instrument for certain.

I think the G&L SB-2 is what I'm looking for. I don't believe that it has active pickups.