Whats a decent easily available bass

PolarityMan

I currently have an ancient D'Armond bass and an "Eastun" 5 string. If Im going to be locked in Im kinda tempted to see if I can get a new bass in before deliveries are stopped.

Whats a decent, affordable bass, good for metal, Ideally want to be able to get some top end clank along with enough beef/body.

Fairly ambivalent on 4 or 5 strings but given the clocks likely ticking on deliveries prob needs to ebs ometheing easily available from new.


thoughts?

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Ibanez SR series. You haven't stated an intended budget, but they are great basses, super versatile and playable, and have something to fit every price range from super budget through to the super fancy Japanese-made top of the line models. Can do 4/5/6 strings, fretted or fret less, normal scale or fanned-fret multi scale, solid or semi-acoustic....

Full range here... https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/model/sr/

PolarityMan

So dont have a super fixed budget but id say 3-400 is ballpark.

PolarityMan

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Ibanez SR series. You haven't stated an intended budget, but they are great basses, super versatile and playable, and have something to fit every price range from super budget through to the super fancy Japanese-made top of the line models. Can do 4/5/6 strings, fretted or fret less, normal scale or fanned-fret multi scale, solid or semi-acoustic....

Full range here... https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/model/sr/

mm looks tasty, where in the range would you say the sweet spot is? I guess id be choosing between the various version of the SR300, 370 or maybe at a stretch the 400

ICBM

If you want a 5-string - Ibanez SR765JM like mine, which is still for sale... I’m not massively keen on shipping but it might be difficult to sell it any other way soon, if no-one is going to the shop .



Japanese-made, rare model from 2003 in Jade Metallic (that's the JM bit), posh knobs fitted, nice condition apart from a bit of wear to the plating on the bridge and the lettering on the pickups.

£350 shipped if I can bring myself to. (No case though.)

PolarityMan

ICBM said:

If you want a 5-string - Ibanez SR765JM like mine, which is still for sale... I’m not massively keen on shipping but it might be difficult to sell it any other way soon, if no-one is going to the shop .



Japanese-made, rare model from 2003 in Jade Metallic (that's the JM bit), posh knobs fitted, nice condition apart from a bit of wear to the plating on the bridge and the lettering on the pickups.

£350 shipped if I can bring myself to. (No case though.)

thats pretty tempting, is it active or passive? the SRs seem to be mostly passive (or even all passive) from what I can tell. Can you still get a decent amount of clank from them? This is alsmot entirely going to be used DI'ed into a VST if it makes a difference. 

ICBM

PolarityMan said:

thats pretty tempting, is it active or passive? the SRs seem to be mostly passive (or even all passive) from what I can tell. Can you still get a decent amount of clank from them? This is alsmot entirely going to be used DI'ed into a VST if it makes a difference. 

Active - volume, pickup blend, bass and treble controls. Plenty of clank if you want it .

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

PolarityMan said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Ibanez SR series. You haven't stated an intended budget, but they are great basses, super versatile and playable, and have something to fit every price range from super budget through to the super fancy Japanese-made top of the line models. Can do 4/5/6 strings, fretted or fret less, normal scale or fanned-fret multi scale, solid or semi-acoustic....

Full range here... https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/model/sr/

mm looks tasty, where in the range would you say the sweet spot is? I guess id be choosing between the various version of the SR300, 370 or maybe at a stretch the 400

If I were you I'd try and find a used SR500/505. The Bartolini pickups and active EQ are a big step up from the real budget models.

There are usually plenty of them around on the used market, and should be well in your budget. I should know - I started out playing a SR500 that I picked up for £250 and now play an SR505 that I got as an ex-demo deal for £350! 

PolarityMan

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

PolarityMan said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Ibanez SR series. You haven't stated an intended budget, but they are great basses, super versatile and playable, and have something to fit every price range from super budget through to the super fancy Japanese-made top of the line models. Can do 4/5/6 strings, fretted or fret less, normal scale or fanned-fret multi scale, solid or semi-acoustic....

Full range here... https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/model/sr/

mm looks tasty, where in the range would you say the sweet spot is? I guess id be choosing between the various version of the SR300, 370 or maybe at a stretch the 400

If I were you I'd try and find a used SR500/505. The Bartolini pickups and active EQ are a big step up from the real budget models.

There are usually plenty of them around on the used market, and should be well in your budget. I should know - I started out playing a SR500 that I picked up for £250 and now play an SR505 that I got as an ex-demo deal for £350! 

There's a couple of SR500's on ebay but I'm seriously considering @ICBM 's bass (if he will ship it) 

Funkfingers

Pre-owned Yamaha RBX270 is a mainstay of Internet selling sites. Good woodwork, finishing and frets. Disappointing pickups. Hence, good host for pickup and control electronic upgrades.

prowla

I wouldn't buy new and I've never found any interest in Ibanez or Yamaha.

It may be possible to get a used (non-RB) Warwick in the £400 price range; they do pop up from time-to-time..

PolarityMan

Went for b-stock in the end and it arrived this morning....will take a break at some point today "just to check it over and make sure its all present and correct"

ICBM

Good decision! I wasn't really convinced I wanted to ship mine without a case or insurance.

Who knows, if I'm forced to keep it I might decide to persevere with five strings .

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

PolarityMan said:

Went for b-stock in the end and it arrived this morning....will take a break at some point today "just to check it over and make sure its all present and correct"

What bass did you get in the end? 

PolarityMan

Well it was advertised as an SR700 but I reckon its actually an SR480, it sounds pretty nice acoustically but havent plugged it in yet. Just wondering if I should push for a few quid back for misadvertisign. 

sgosden

I've got a ibanez SR505 that I'm considerign selling to fund a P bass.
I'm just up the A34 from you too so could meet up somewhere? 
Drop my a PM if interested an I'll get some more details.

ICBM

PolarityMan said:

Well it was advertised as an SR700 but I reckon its actually an SR480, it sounds pretty nice acoustically but havent plugged it in yet. Just wondering if I should push for a few quid back for misadvertisign. 

Ouch - that's a pretty big downgrade in terms of the price range, even if it's a nice bass.

It is a bit of a problem that they don't put the model number on the bass itself - it took me quite a while to find out mine was a 765.

Musicwolf

ICBM said:

PolarityMan said:

Well it was advertised as an SR700 but I reckon its actually an SR480, it sounds pretty nice acoustically but havent plugged it in yet. Just wondering if I should push for a few quid back for misadvertisign. 

Ouch - that's a pretty big downgrade in terms of the price range, even if it's a nice bass.

It is a bit of a problem that they don't put the model number on the bass itself - it took me quite a while to find out mine was a 765.

I just had a look at my SR500 and the model number, along with the serial number and country of origin, is printed on the back of the headstock, right at the top.  I didn't spot it first time I looked, even though the lettering is quite large, so worth a second look.

I agree, SR480 is a significant step down but I think that it's also quite an old model?

PolarityMan

ICBM said:

PolarityMan said:

Well it was advertised as an SR700 but I reckon its actually an SR480, it sounds pretty nice acoustically but havent plugged it in yet. Just wondering if I should push for a few quid back for misadvertisign. 

Ouch - that's a pretty big downgrade in terms of the price range, even if it's a nice bass.

It is a bit of a problem that they don't put the model number on the bass itself - it took me quite a while to find out mine was a 765.

Its hard to know exactly how much better a 700 would be as they dont seem to make SR480s in the current range. IT does have active pickups unlike the standard SR700 but it doesnt have the exotic wood fretboard or the bertollini pickups.

PolarityMan

But then apparently the DXP and DXJ are pretty well regarded in metal too. Thinking I might sitll want to keep it but might push my luck and see if they would sling some cash my way

Musicwolf

Pretty sure that the SR700 had active Bartolini pickups