Now NBD (Warwick Corvette $$): Modern bass recommendationfor £4-700

guitargeek62

I'm looking for suggestions & outliers that I might not have considered for mid-level bass to noodle on.

Going by the few basses I've owned (P-bass, and a MM Sub 'Ray - the USA one) and/or played, and the ones used by my favourite players, my preferences are:

• 34" scale
• Jazz nut width (38mm)
• Active EQ, preferably with mid-range sweeps/selectors
• 24-fret (preferred, not essential)
• HH/MM configuration (I think)
• Satin/oil/open-pore finish (again, preferred but not essential
• Modern/quirky designs - anything other than a P or J really!
• Four-string, unless someone can absolutely convince me that I need those extra four notes...

I've recently bought a Sire M2 and and M7 from Thomann to try out. I liked them both, particularly the latter, but I'm sending them back as I'm not entirely sold on the finish on the M7. They have a new all-swamp ash model coming out soon that I'll probably end up getting if nothing else takes my fancy, but I may as well use the time in between to daydream a little more. The M2 was fine, but a little dark-sounding for my tastes, and didn't feel as refined as the M7 - which is to be expected!

I'll mostly be playing with a pick, and focussing on rock/prog/metal genres - the tones and approach that Justin Chancellor gets out of his Wal is what I'm looking to get in the ball-park of, but I don't expect to nail that on a tenth of the budget! 

So far my shortlist is looking like:

• Used Warwick Corvette Standard / $$ if I can find one (~£5-700)
• Sire M5
• Cort B4
• Used Ibanez Soundgear (MIJ/Premium for the better hardware & electronics)
• Warwick Rockbass Infinity
• Sire P7
• Sire J9
• Spector Pro4

The latter three seem nice enough, but are lower on the priority for me due to the fewer frets and more traditional looks!

I'd love to justify something fancier, but at this point in time I'm still pretty new to bass-playing so it feels somewhat premature. I get that there's some overlap with this thread and the "what all-round bass" one, but I'm keen to see if there are anything else that gets suggested closer to my req's & preferences.


*edit* I'd also looked into a GSP build, but by the time I factor in pickups, EQ, and hardware it goes well over my budget!

guitarfishbay

The sound gear stuff is nice and easy to play coming from a guitar perspective. Though for tone I really like the L2000 as a HH Bass, but it has a wide neck and doesn’t come with the kind of finish you prefer

MattBanshee

Ibanez SR500 ticks all the boxes I think, and they play so well.

Musicwolf

MattBanshee said:

Ibanez SR500 ticks all the boxes I think, and they play so well.

+1

guitargeek62

There's a lovely looking SR3000 on ebay ending in a few days, I'm bidding on it but suspect it'll go for way over my budget!

Funkfingers

guitargeek62 said:

• Active EQ, preferably with mid-range sweeps/selectors

This could be achieved by purchasing a passive instrument and investing in a John East pre-amp.

guitargeek62 said:

• Modern/quirky designs - anything other than a P or J really!

Fender/Squier Dimension Bass, perhaps? You would be very lucky to find an American one within your budget. The Mexican ones came in various pickup configurations. The variant with the triple coil pickup model could prove interesting. The Squier Dimension Bass was only available in single pickup format but this would be easy to modify.

MattBanshee said:

Ibanez SR500 ticks all the boxes

Ibanez/Soundgear and Cort are very similar in many respects. Your decision could come down to your taste in onboard pre-amp systems or brand name pose value.

guitargeek62 said:

• Used Warwick Corvette 

Again, there are occasional bargains to be had. The German and Korean ones are nicer than the Rockbass derivatives.

IMO, the stock MEC Dynamic Response J-style pickups are an oxymoron. I replaced them with a pair of the ol' Seymour Duncan Active EQ series "switch" pickups and simple VVT control pots. This is the bass guitar that I keep on a stand near the computer for roughing out the bass parts in recording projects. It does most things, from clean/clear to rough/growly and entirely in response to playing technique rather than electronical shenanigans. 

guitargeek62 said:

my shortlist ...

... is missing Yamaha. Excellent build quality and materials. Just check the nut width before trying one out.

guitargeek62

Thanks @funkfingers - that confirms a couple of things I was thinking. The Warwick's look very interesting, particularly the $$ models if I can find one. I've read a few criticisms now of those MEC pickups, but I suspect they'll do for my needs initially at least - it's not like I don't enjoy modding things anyway so I'm not too fussed about that! They do seem to be nicely versatile though, and definitely tick the rest of my preferences.

I'd left off Yamaha intentionally as something about them visually just doesn't appeal to me from what I've looked at online at least, though I have no doubts to their quality.

Schnozz

Cort A4/B4.

Funkfingers

guitargeek62 said:

I've read a few criticisms now of those MEC pickups, but I suspect they'll do for my needs initially at least

The criticism refers specifically to the Dynamic Response J-type pickups. 

If the Double Buck pickups have 4-conductor + shield output cable, they could be just what you need.

guitargeek62

Good to know, thanks. The Chinese Rockbass models are tempting, but I may as well hold out for a used german model instead. It's not like this is a life or death purchase anyway!

My wife's chipping in too as a first anniversary prezzie, so I do want it to be somewhat more special than an entry-level bass.

andy1839

I got my Bongo 4 HH for £700. 

John Myung does ok with them in Dream Theatre for that type of music, I just happened to hit on lucky with it though I suspect rather than it being the going rate.

I've also got a Sire V7 which feels as nice to play and is very well made. It's got a great preamp.

guitargeek62

That’s a great price @andy1989, I wouldn’t say no to one of those! 

I think the M7 and V7 (& M2) all share the same preamp, it’s very effective and I’d be more than happy to stick with another Sire if I don’t pick something else.

bigrob

Hi,
I have this for sale and it has leds, little more than you stated but not much. 

£875 Warwick FNA 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/warwick-fna-jazzman-bass-with-sims-led-s-german-made./1374901823

guitargeek62

bigrob said:

Hi,
I have this for sale and it has leds, little more than you stated but not much. 

£875 Warwick FNA 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/warwick-fna-jazzman-bass-with-sims-led-s-german-made./1374901823

Thanks - while it's pretty cool, I'd rather hold out for a $$ for now!

guitargeek62

So after much deliberating, and a pretty firm decision to wait and hold out for a Sire M5 I then put an offer in on an ebay listing and will be getting this tomorrow evening. More pics and first impressions to follow once it's here.

Creed_Clicks

That upper horn always reminds me of a wooden dildo. I just can't...

Funkfingers

I had never realised quite how much playing area real estate the Double Buck pickups occupy. Their inner coils obstruct the place where I do most of my finger style plucking on my Corvette Standard.

My suggestion for a pickup upgrade was going to be the Delano Hybrid 4. Unfortunately, Delano does not offer a reversed Hybrid 4 for the neck position. If they did, it would set the J coil in the correct position for believable Fender tones.

fretmeister

Nordstrand Big Blade Man pickups. Nordy will make any of their pickups to fit any string spacing if it needs it. 

Get some Wal type grown too. 

guitargeek62

fretmeister said:

Nordstrand Big Blade Man pickups. Nordy will make any of their pickups to fit any string spacing if it needs it. 

Get some Wal type grown too. 

Oh I’ve already got my eyes on a set, and the preamp!  It’ll be a way off though, this is perfectly adequate for my needs! 

Just collected the bass, haven’t had chance to plug it in yet but it’s pretty much mint - could quite easily have been sold as shop-soiled/b-stock at worst! 

@Funkfingers: I suspect I’ll continue playing with a pick for the most part, so their position won’t be a problem for me -  though I’d like to learn some more fingerstyle and slap one day.

guitargeek62

Creed_Clicks said:

That upper horn always reminds me of a wooden dildo. I just can't...

Yup, genuinely does - my wife said the same thing when I just got home with it, she asked if I could take the strap button off so she could “borrow” it 

fretmeister

guitargeek62 said:

Creed_Clicks said:

That upper horn always reminds me of a wooden dildo. I just can't...

Yup, genuinely does - my wife said the same thing when I just got home with it, she asked if I could take the strap button off so she could “borrow” it 

Sell it on a fetish site afterwards.
Make a profit!