Budget or not top of range P bass recommendation?

ICBM

Creed_Clicks said:

[Ibanez AVNB1FE - Compact Acoustic Electric Bass]

I liked it until I saw the crappy plastic combination jack/XLR plate in the side - always the sign of a cheap and nasty electronics package. The control panel is not inspiring of quality either. A shame, since the instrument itself looks quite nice and I'd be interested in one with just a pickup and at most a decent built-in buffer.

Probably even more so than with a guitar, there is no onboard preamp that's going to sound as good as a decent outboard one, and it will never be as good as a proper DI box either.

Creed_Clicks

@ICBM I held back from it so far. I think I might go for something more conventional.

Funkfingers

Creed_Clicks said:

I might go for something more conventional.

This pretty much brings the Discussion back to where it began. Fender-derived solidbody electric bass guitar, flatwound strings, Jamerson-inspired mute.

Creed_Clicks

Funkfingers said:

Creed_Clicks said:

I might go for something more conventional.

This pretty much brings the Discussion back to where it began. Fender-derived solidbody electric bass guitar, flatwound strings, Jamerson-inspired mute.

I think so yes, but how cheap to go is another thing, or what my ceiling is (depending on what I consider cheap). It would only be for home use. I did see a Vintage brand Jaco/Fender copy online, so could go for something like that, There's also a cheap Revelation fretless on Reverb too. Flatwounds for sure too. 

ICBM

You really should use flatwounds or at the very least rolled/groundwounds on a fretless. I know, Jaco and all that, but roundwounds just tear up the fingerboard - even ebony - and your fingertips too much, and in my opinion just sound bad on one (I know, Jaco and all that...).

And I say that as a confirmed roundwound user (rolled/ground at a push) on a fretted bass.

EricTheWeary

IIRC Jaco coated his fingerboards with marine epoxy ( had to google that, presumably its for waterproofing boats) so it wasn't strings on rosewood.  
Apart from the knackering it has been given my son's ( fretted) Vintage Jazz is certainly on a par with similar basses in the price range and above. I'm not especially keen on the relic job on the fretless one although otherwise I like the look.   

Creed_Clicks

EricTheWeary said:

IIRC Jaco coated his fingerboards with marine epoxy ( had to google that, presumably its for waterproofing boats) so it wasn't strings on rosewood.  
Apart from the knackering it has been given my son's ( fretted) Vintage Jazz is certainly on a par with similar basses in the price range and above. I'm not especially keen on the relic job on the fretless one although otherwise I like the look.   

Wouldn't be too bothered about looks for now, as it would be for home use. I would like to try and play bass live again at some point, but will go for a regular fretted bass if that happens.

Creed_Clicks

Ordered a Vintage V4 p bass. New prices seem to vary a lot online so I got it for cheap enough.