Show Us Your Basses (Part 1)

@Dani,
There are a lot more knowledgeable people than I that can help you with your new bass decision and I’m sure they will reply soon, but in the mean time let me welcome you to the community.

5 Likes

First of all welcome @Dani
If you’re a fan of Iron Maiden look no further than the Steve Harris signature Fender P bass.
I’m currently doing most of my noodling on an Ibanez SR and I have a P copy as well a newly acquired 5 string ,however, the draw of a genuine P bass is becoming harder and harder to resist.

4 Likes

It sounds like the price tag might be something of an issue for you (and it is with a lot of people, we can’t all buy ferraris). I, like many others, have found with the big brand basses that their isn’t a lot of difference between the big brand and their authorized step down brands (i.e. Squire, sterling ball, epiphone, etc.). Of course snobs will look down at it. And of course, like me, you will probably still want the real thing. But a Squire could absolutely be your lifelong bass. Hell, doesn’t Marcus Miller choose squire for his sig bass?

2 Likes

Agree fully with both of those statements.
I have recently acquired a Sterling Stingray 34.
While it is not a Ernie Ball Music MAn Stingray, it is the top line from Sterling (Ball, Ernie’s son) and with a few upgrades to electronics, it is basically the same thing. This is a BASS FOR LIFE for me.
I differ from you slightly, as I am not really a Fender guy, I am just not really attracted to P basses or J basses, or Jaguar’s. I don’t dislike them, I just don’e get excited about them.
I do however LOVE Leo Fenders other bass invention, the Stingray. After playing one for a while, along side Ibanez SR400, and ESP LTD B-4E, and Yamaha RBX170 and Squier Jaguar, Spector, and Schecter (I own or have owned all of those), I just feel more “RIGHT” with a stingray around my neck.
I have many VERY CLOSE 2nd’s, but my number one, go to is a Stingray.
That said, and the fact that a Music Man copy stingray by Sterling is my GO TO and BASSES for life (I have 2, with a 3rd on order). Like @itsratso said in the beginning of that quite, I still want a Music Man Stingray, and one day I will, and if my dreams come true, It will be this one

Another thing I wanted to bring up, @Dani, you specify you only want passive.
We had another member here, who was adamant about getting his first purchased bass, and set out to get ONLY a passive bass.
However, after many responses here, and helping him understand what active bass is and how it can benefit, along with how some basses can turn the active off to still get passive bass, plus the sales guy telling him he may want to reconsider, especially in the price range he was looking at spending, he eventually got a bass with active EQ.

He took home a Cort, like your loaner and an ESP LTD B series to test both for a few days (nice sales guy to let him do that) and ultimately ended up with the ESP LTD B series, like the one I have which is my 2nd go to bass.

Unless you are set on getting an American Pbass, or even a Mexican P bass for the pride of ownership, like I would have with that stingray shown above, then by all means, go for it, have at your dream.

If you are not looking to spend that kind of money, you might start playing many different basses and see what you really like. If I were to have spent a couple thousand US dollars on a bass when it was my first bass, I would probably be playing a bass that I like less then something else, but if I spent that kind of money, I would never know, I would be limited to that one bass, and either love it, learn to love it, or give up on it.

I took the route of buying used, and I took advantage of the COVID Lockdown, as the used market got flooded, and became a buyers market, so deals were very easy to come by. I have bought and sold basses left and right over the past 6 months.
But I have certainly tested the waters, and as my playing got better, my hands got stronger, and technique better, I started liking bigger, fuller neck with wider sting spacing as opposed to the super thin necks with tighter string spacing which I started out loving (and still like just fine), but ended up feeling more comfortable with a fuller neck (nothing like a P bass) and the stingray, nice round, little wider, little thicker neck just fits my hands and style better then anything else I have played. But I learned this from playing a lot of basses.

Maybe talk to @juli0r about this, he did a lot of the footwork about picking our a first bass, and he initially was ONLY BUYING A PASSIVE BASS, and in the end, did not. :wink:

5 Likes

Congratulations, Very nice, love the color.
IDK how I feel about that vintage look?
To me, it just means less Orange, and that is never a good thing.
But, its your bass, and if you love that look, then it is just fine to go vintage.

4 Likes

So overall I agree but like last time you mentioned this - you make my decision from the start sound more resolved than it was. Especially with the usage of the word “adamant”. I know you do it to get a point across but I always get a bit irritated and twitchy when someone misinterprets what I said and especially if it was on purpose. So would you please stop?
After you guys chimed in I said that I would at least try an active and not completely rule it out.
I was just looking for ways to reduce the amount of possible options. After all the amount of possible options was low enough due to Corona and chaos in the shop.

I did a lot of footwork and it was worth it.
I went to the shop 2 times to play the models and played for quite a while and after that they offered that I could take both basses home, pay one and bring the other one back.

I’m still not sure if they wanted to close a sales deal, got annoyed at me playing for so long or the store just rocks or a combination of all of the above.

Regarding active/passive after I had mine for a while now: I rarely use the active EQ. It’s sometimes convenient to change the sound on the bass but it’s not the same as at the amp. I still have to adjust there sometimes.
I would have been perfectly happy if the bass feels the same and passively would produce the same sound as the EQ set to all noon. So overall if the same model would have been available without active EQ, just as passive Bass I would have been just as happy. So I’m still glad I nagged you guys with question where the actual appeal is, because I agree that one should not rule out active basses - at the same time the actual points for an active bass are still “meh” to me.

It sounds cliché but after I finished my journey of buying a bass I have to agree: The bass chooses you, not the other way around. Once I had it at home and setup it already felt like my bass, although I still had to choose between the two I had taken home.

4 Likes

i don’t agree either with either active or passive. . there are quality actives and passives, and crappy ones too.

5 Likes

nobody, and i mean NOBODY does necks like those. just gorgeous.

4 Likes

Here’s mine. Just a regular ol’ Squier P bass my parents got me for my birthday many years ago. Looking to upgrade at some point, but for now it does the trick!

Also I’ll give you three guesses for my favorite band :rofl:

10 Likes

I’m gonna take a longshot on this… The Beatles?

That’s a beautiful bass! :heart_decoration:

6 Likes

It’s good to see another Beatles fan here.

12 Likes

How’d you know?! :smile:

Thanks! I’m definitely planning on holding on to it when I get a new one, just gotta save up!

6 Likes

@JerryP Awesome!! That’s on my “bass wishlist” for sure!

6 Likes

Hi Jerry,
Watched a Beatles show from Melbourne 1964 that was aired the other night here.
Was really good, they played for 20 minutes. Cheers Brian

5 Likes

I have one of those in my line up as well…it’s fun to drop down to the short scale sometimes.

4 Likes

Its not so much about the vintage look, more the vintage feel, you must yourself try one day, it does not only look 25 years old but it feels and sounds like playing a bass that has been played on for 25 years. If you should ever have the chance you should go and try an aged Sandberg in a shop, its mind blowing :wink: And yes its less Orange, thats why i ordered it with macthing headstock to get more Orange pr. cm for the money :wink: :joy: :joy:

7 Likes

Thanks all of you for the warm welcome and the advice.
As @juli0r says about itself, my feeling about going for a passive bass is note a resolution, it’s just a feeling. In the next month I’ll spend time test some bass in shops. The active bases are not dead to me at all :slight_smile: I’ve a for now 1 guitar per 100€ in mind starting at 400€ with the squier - 500€ cort B4- 600€ epiphone tb vintage pro and the fender MIM around 700€. But it might change regarding my feeling after trying those basses and other ones… and taking a look on the 2hands markets. I’ll keep all your advises in mind, I regret that no shop around me sells LTD/schecter basses.

@dmp Haha that’s a hard guess! Btw your bass look really nice! I’m divided with the colored basses… I really like to see the wood directly or through the painting (that’s a thing holding me back with fender MIM) but this warm red of yours is clearly nice!

6 Likes

You’ll most certainly get more bang for your buck with a nice used bass @Dani

3 Likes

@Mac I hope so, my only problem for now is that all the nice used basses I find are for sales for only 50 or max 100€ below the price in shop… where the sellers have promise me to check the set ip of basse for free. But maybe the golden opportunity will come in augustus

4 Likes

Fingers crossed for you @Dani

4 Likes