Hi all,
I'm
thinking of upgrading from my Ibanez SR500, which is my first and only
bass for the past 10 years. It's been great and I love it, but fancy a
change. I play a lot of fingerstyle funk rock and aggressive slap
(RHCP/RATM style)
I've currently got 2 basses in mind:
Ibanez SRMS800
or
Musicman Sub/Stingray 34
I'm
leaning more towards the Ibanez because I'm used to it, like the slim
neck and 24 frets, but it's a fanned fret so I'd need to try it out
first. All the reviews I've read say that they get used to it really
quickly, and it actually feels more natural...
Which do you think would be the better buy?
Thanks
Comments
Reading the published specification, I believe that your bass guitar has Bartolini MK1 narrow “soapbar” hum-cancelling passive pickups and Ibanez-designed active EQ.
The Music Man you mentioned is obviously a quite different kind of bass than the Ibanez, but I wouldn't say it was appreciably better.
What's your upgrade budget? If you're looking for a used bass I'd have a trawl for something like a German-made Warwick Thumb/Corvette if you can stretch up to the £6-700 ballpark. If you're after something more 'classic' then a MiJ Fender Jazz/Precision may be a good shout. Always had a soft-spot for the MiJ Aerodyne models, but you don't see many of those around.
The SUB Ray is, inevitably, cheaper but, in some respects, more cheerful.
Yamaha makes all sorts of seriously good bass guitars that can be landed for not more than £500 pre-owned. Stretch your budget a bit further and seriously nice instruments can be yours.
My suggestion would have been Aguilar DCB or Super Double models. Just check the Bart and Aguilar published dimensions to ensure a good fit.
Other forumites may have better (or more affordable) suggestions.
•
For a REAL change, consider fretless.
When present, @Bridgehouse speaks highly of John East bass guitar pre-amp electronics.
To my way of thinking, a couple of hundred Pounds for electronical gubbins upgrades makes more sense than five hundred (or more) for fanned frets and prettier body facings.
I’d keep it and find something completely different for £500 so you have two very different basses to swap between to keep things interesting.
They're not easy to come by - because they're such ridiculous value for money - but they are excellent.