So I met up with some old band mates for a jam tonight and now it looks like I’m playing bass in a stoner meets post-rock sort of instrumental band, despite not actually owning a bass guitar at present.
Looking for something as cheap as possible (as in under £200, preferably lower) that’ll be solid enough in tone and tuning stability for rehearsals and recording. I like slim necks with narrow nut/string spacing. I had a Squier P-Bass and the chunky wide neck gave me hand cramps. Switched to a Jaguar bass which felt great but I didn’t like the short scale tone - all my recordings just sounded a bit limp with it. Would I be better off with a Squier Affinity Jazz?
I also like the look of Sterling Sub Ray 4, however the one I borrowed for tonight’s practice was a Sub Ray 5 and it seemed a bit dull and characterless in tone compared to a P.
Are the Harley Benton jazz basses worth a look or in this price range might as well stick to Squier?
Comments
Sounds to me like you’d enjoy playing a Jazz neck. A used Vintage Modified Jazz might be in budget.
If you really want a P you could get one and change the neck for a J neck. I’m not aware of a cheap P with J neck but they do exist in the Mexican range, possibly the PJ special?
I do like the P Bass tone but hated the feel of the neck. P body with a J neck might work.
But P-Bass necks vary enormously - everything from half a tree down to not much bigger than a Jazz, even among Fender and Squier models, and even more so among copies.
You can get a perfectly decent P-Bass copy for under £100 second hand if you shop around, they’re so simple there’s almost nothing to really worry about, even the electrics are usually tolerable. I nearly bought a Westfield one for £75 a few years ago, it just felt and sounded great... I probably should have bought it, but it was a very unattractive shade of pink . You do have to try a lot to find a really great one though.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=150&v=jGkb3y-lSdM
Sorry about the whaffly video, its easier than posting a picture!
I have.
They are usually playable straight out of the box. The string spacing is Jazz narrow. The weak points are the cheap bridge and electronics. On the five string, ensure that the tension on the B string is firm rather than floppy.
The Powersound pickup and no-name budget active EQ are not as good as the Sterling-By-Musicman series, let alone the American stuff.
In the nicest possible way, I hope not. (I have one listed in Basses £.) Where you might land a bargain is with the full scale Squier Jaguar Bass (PJ and H versions exist) or the unfashionable Dimension Bass.
On the latter, the "humbucker" is actually two Jazz Bass single coils under a big, ugly plastic cover. The Jag H pickup is more like a Stingray design in a soapbar format. Consequently, the pickup cavity of both these designs will accommodate an EMG-35 series pickup. (Other brands are available.)
https://www.andertons.co.uk/brands/ibanez/sr-series-basses/ibanez-srmd200-spn-4-string-bass-guitar-in-sea-foam-pearl-green
https://speakerimpedance.co.uk/?act=two_parallel&page=calculator
Side note, this was the first time I’ve properly played bass in a live band and I loved it. I think it suits my personality more, sitting in the back holding down the fort rather than leading on guitar got to use my DbA Fuzz War clone as well which sounds huge and filthy on bass!
I've also got a Vintage (brand) P style on a layaway in cash converters for under £200 total. It's a pro instrument, and I own American, Japanese, German and vintage gear. Better than the SX in that it actually has very good fretwork and high quality hardware.
If you might go lower then I'd go 34" over 32" personally. I feel like 34" is the ideal choice from E down to C. Unless you specifically want 32” I think most guitarists can adapt to play 34”. I feel like B and lower is where you’d think about longer scale.
Traditional Jazz Bass pickup pairs only approach full hum-cancellation when their volume settings are equal.
Ibanez Talman basses are around £170 new. Excellent value and well put together.
Yamaha BB basses are excellent, and used you'll definitely get one under £200. I think the new BB234s are around £260 new. The previous versions are the 424 and 414, and are anywhere from £150 to £200 used, so if looked after properly they hold on to their value well.
I suspect I’ll still end up wanting something with a J style neck though. That BB234 looks really cool actually.
The Yamaha RBX series string spacing will be wider than the Squier Affinity. The lower budget end of the Yamaha Attitude Bass range is slightly wider again AND significantly deeper. Try before you buy.
The neck on my 2014 Squier VM Precision Special is a compromise width and profile. The Chris Aiken signature model is the correct width but "early Sixties shallow".
Back on topic, the Squier Affinity P Bass is a fine place from which to start. In the longer term, a few upgrades could turn it into a keeper.