Bassguitar for my band..

[v-bro]

I made a lot of tracks with a friend that plays piano, guitar and bassguitar and sings along with it, quite a multitalented person..

I play drums...

We always borrowed bassguitars from different people but never seen them anymore after we returned the last bass, were "out of bass" for weeks now , can't get into contact....Since we know almost nothing about bassguitars ourselves (he only plays them from his guitar experience you see...), I want to know what I should look for when buying a used one.

We're looking for a specific sound like the first one we borrowed, it was a sort of Fender rock lookalike... The next we had was active (with 9V battery) this one didn't sound great, to "slappy" kind of sound..

We want that "round" sound....

What are good details to be aware of (number of pick-ups, knobs or detail on construction....) when searching for one on the net, judging only from pictures and description.

We don't have a high budget and I think the kind of bass that produces "our" sound doesn't have to be expensive.

Any suggestions on brands or recognizeable models much appreciated

[:xrow:]

The variations in setup are really a matter of personal preference than overall quality. Your best bet is to stay with the established brands. That's not to say there are not some hidden gems out there but overall you tend to get what you pay for.

My personal favorite is the Fender Precision. It's a simple, classic design and Fender builds quality products. My first bass was a Squier which is the lower end line made by Fender. Regretfully, I sold it to a friend many years ago. I wish I had it back as it was a great little player.

As far as features go, head out to the shops and try out as many models as you can. See what you like as far as neck styles and overall ergonimics and narrow your choices down from there.

[sreten]

Hi,

The only way you'll get a decent bass on a budget is to take a bass
player along with you that actually knows what he is talking about.

Yes its true there are "rounded" basses with an "old fashioned"
sound and newer basses designed to to do the modern "slap"
bright sound and plenty of basses that can do both.

Any new budget bass will probably need new strings and a thorough
set-up including a few tweaks, again the only way this is going to
happen is with an experienced and practical bass player.

On a budget its difficult to get past the eponymous Fender clones :
either a Precision clone or similar with the added Jazz bass pickup.

I've been playing bass for years, I can tell if a bass is not good due to
the way its built just by picking it up, if seems physically OK then there
are lots of other things to check on second-hand basses, I'll say it
again, get someone who knows basses.

/sreten.

[v-bro]

Thanks very much for responding,

I will take this friend along when I spotted something interesting. He knows what he wants in a way, but fears to overlook things because of his lack of knowledge about basses. I've had encouters with squire basses in the past, they are good indeed. I think the most preferred one we had was a hondo.

Maybe if I have doubts by the time I've spotted something interesting I will post a picture..

[davidlzimmer]

I have to agree with the Precision. But, if the player is not a Bass Player, he might prefer the neck of a Fender Jazz. It has a narrower neck that would be easier for a guitar player.

Both sound classic.

[v-bro]

Thanks, now that's info I need, if the sound is the same but the 'feel' is different this is something to keep in mind...

The purchase has shifted to a later date anyway because we ran out of cash for the moment, but we're not in any hurry... any info on what to choose will come in very handy if we can spend again....

[Brett]

I'm a bassist and from your description, I have no idea what sort of tonality you're looking for. Some sort of description of the type of music you play, or similar influences would help.
But what would be even better would be to post this question at TalkBass

[v-bro]

Thanks for the link..

We like to rock every now and than, but also love to play more sweet from time to time...
Our music is online at http://www.ongekendtalent.nl you would have to search on 'matt' and also choose the bandname 'matt'.

I'm Vincent and Mattijn is the one to play the bass, you can click on a song under our photo's, if you like you can also vote....

We're also located here:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...endID=24438396

These are simple home recordings with cheap mics and equipment, so don't expect anything fancy....

[sreten]

Originally posted by Brett
I'm a bassist and from your description, I have no idea what sort of tonality you're looking for.
Some sort of description of the type of music you play, or similar influences would help.

Hmmm....

seems obvious to me they are after the classic Fender Precision tone.

I play bass too .......

/sreten.

[v-bro]

Thanks again, we'll be spending in january....(or at least need one before february)...

Should we record through an amp and mic it, or should the bassguitar be connected straight to the mixer by the way?

tnx..