I’m “playing” ( ) bass since last week thanks to a colleague who lent me a Gear4Music bass.
My kid started playing drums two months ago and I would like to be able to jam with him in the future as well as trip along my favorites tunes.
After having watched all the free BassBuzz youtube videos (Josh you are an awesome teacher!) I finally took the plunge and subscribed for the badass course. I’m now looking to buy my first instrument & amp, and I found pack for 400€ which is in my price range but I have no idea if it’s a good deal or not… The seller seems genuine.
The pack consists of a:
Peavy Grind 4 strings, 24 frets
Marshall MB30W
As well as a stand, jack cable, etc
From the description it seems it has a warm & round tone which may be quite versatile (useful as I like different style of music) but as it’s older hardware it’s hard to find any reviews/feedback on those. The price seems right if I check the transaction history on reverb.com, and I like the look of it so that’s a plus!
Is it a good deal or not? Anyone has one of those? If yes, I’m interested in your feedback!
Thanks.
Don’t know the price of the gear you’re considering, but the gear itself is a fine rig for a player. What’s the asking price? That info will help evaluate the deal.
The ad states that it’s “fully functional without defects” but there are few scratches on the back on the bass (due to a belt buckle) and that it needs a good tuning (nothing surprising I guess). No info on age and/or usage but I will definitely ask when I have an answer from the seller.
The seller has not time left to play it so that’s why he is selling everything and states that he would gladly like to sell the whole pack to a beginner bassist in need of it, so that sounds like an ad written specifically for me.
That’s a ‘no go’ for me, but you’ll have to decide for yourself. i wash my hands and put on a clean t-shirt before I grab my bass.
I’m a big believer in watts and speaker size. Josh does a practice amp video, and I’m in the same school that he is. I did get a screaming deal on a Backline 110, so it’s a 10" speaker and 70 watts. GK seems to have good quality stuff; but, back on topic. My J sounds best through a 15" and my SB-2 (basically a PJ with MFD pickups) sounds best through my Rumble 75, which has 75 watts and a 12" speaker.
Don’t skimp on the amp/speaker, it’s the ‘voice’ of your instrument.
Valid points, but each depends on what a given player needs.
A beginner might want to stay on a budget to find out if he/she actually wants to pursue playing, or not.
In fact, players don’t know exactly what they like/need until they dip their toes in the water first.
Virtually everyone here has graduated/gravitated to the gear that best suits their particular bass journeys once they accrue more experience. No one size fits all.
Maybe just pick up a used acoustic and leave the amp/cab out of the equation for now.
I also feel there is a danger in not having enough quality to actually enjoy the experience.
Again, the individual has to decide what their level of commitment is going to be.
For me, if my son was dedicated to his drums, it would only help reinforce my commitment to the bass. YMMV
For me, it would have been a lot easier to put the books and the Hoffner Club in the closet and leave them there, but the the commitment I had to my J bass and my Fender amp had a ‘leverage’ effect, meaning I purchased the B2B Series and the Avatar 15 cab (unbelievable deal on the A15!).
So, I guess before you even spend a penny, you have to determine your level of commitment. Spending money on equipment that you later could have put towards better equipment is a waste, IMO. Buy once, cry once.
First off, welcome @Subgenius ! And thank you for the Bob dobbs reference.
That looks like a pretty good used rig at that price. If it plays well and isn’t beat to heck, it’s probably a good deal-and just like with everything, if you think you got a good deal-you did.
Chances are good that like the rest of us, you’ll not be here long before you get gas. Buying a solid used setup to start with isn’t a bad thing. That being said, do you know anyone who is experienced that could look at it with you to confirm it’s good? Hate to see a fellow get home and realize he’s got a skinxed up truss rod…
Best of luck, and enjoy that ride!
I’m also a beginner with actually playing. But, I’ve bought a Peavey Grind 5 string from the pawn shop around me. I paid $350 for her… I truly appreciated and loved that bass. I had a Fender Rumble 100. I played her through. She sounded as good as she looked.
Unfortunately the ad disappeared and the seller never replied to me so I guess that settles it.
BUT this topic made me reconsider my options and I think I’ll maybe go with a cheaper bass (something like the Yamaha TRBX174 which seems a good bang for the buck ratio) and go with a beefier amp instead -thanks @K_Miller for bringing this in the discussion-.
I could more easily justify the purchase of a new bass as/if I progress in my playing, while the amp, if correctly chosen at the start, could remain useful longer.
Will a Fender Rumble 40 be enough to play with a drummer or must I go straight for the Rumble 100 instead? For now the kid still beats his kit like a madman but I hope his teacher will bring “nuance” on the table soon enough (!).
I’m not too afraid of buying second hand as my brother-in-law has worked in a luthier shop and has built his own bass & guitar from scratch, so he could help me if necessary and teach me how to do a setup. But he unfortunately lives just far away enough to not be able to verify the gear before I buy it…
Anyway, thanks all for your insight & for the warm welcome!
Not yet actually! But he’s the kind of guy who build his own instruments and Frankenstein’d thrift amps instead of buying them so I’m not sure he could help on this point.
Also he’s mainly a sax & piano player and made those two corded instruments “just for fun” (even if they sounds and looks really good) so that’s why I was asking a community of bass players!
The rumble 40 is a class act of a little bass practice amp. stepping up to the 100 isn’t a bad idea, if you can swing it on money. The Yamaha is a nice rig for the money-you could also look at the ibanez soundgear line. The es 200 or es 300 are really good for the money, and you may find a great deal on one used.
Good luck and make sure to tell us what you get. I think all of us here get excited when we hear about someone getting new gear.
There is no guarantee this will ever happen. I’ve been told their are drummers that can play at a non-deafening level but I haven’t witnessed this in person.
The Rumble 100 will work if the drummer is willing to work with you. If not, then a 500 will let you teach him how painful loud can be.
If you add a guitarist to the mix and they start competing, as will happen, you’ll need a 500.
Good luck @Subgenius and let us know what you decide on.
) bass since last week thanks to a colleague who lent me a Gear4Music bass.
