Bass Guitars

[I'm Still Bison]

   I've got the itch to pick it up again after nearly 25 years.Back then I had a Rickenbacker 4001,but sold it,being young and starting out in family  life.....you know how that goes   Rics being as expensive ever,I may never have another one,but I've been looking at the Ibanez line.Ibanez' are affordable,and from what I've experienced have a great sound. Any bass players here that play Ibanez,or know any basses that can compare to a Ric's sound and affordable?

[Grant Lamontagne]

There is now, and only ever will be one real name in stringed instruments for me...



Of course, there are a few options with a bass if you don't want to go with Gibson.  Personally I don't agree, but for the sake of argument...

Guild makes some fine basses and usually aren't too expensive.  It's hard to go wrong with Ibanez- Joe Satriana and Steve Vai certainly can't be wrong!  Carvin also makes some nice "built to order" basses but they get a little on the pricey side.  Washburn has some nice stuff too, and it's always a bit of a crime to forget about Fenders.

Def

[I'm Still Bison]

Nothing is carved in stone about my final choice,I've only test driven a couple Ibanez' so far,but I like them,especially one 5-string model I tried.Washburn is a likely candidate too,based on picking up and strumming on one their Oscar Schmidt 6-string electrics...nice,very nice. There's some music stores in the area,and better pawn shops around I'll likely be cruising this weekend.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Pawn Shops are the best places to get them.  Man, I wish I still had my old collection of guitars, basses, keyboards and amps!  Like too many of us, I needed money for other stuff and they all went away for much less than they were worth. 

Def

[I'm Still Bison]

 A store that also did pawn business was where my Ric came from,and even back in 82 a used Ric cost me $500.If I could find another one for that kind of money,I'd be on it in a heartbeat.

[Splat]

Yeah, good ol' 4001 Rick! Geddy and Chris Squire, two of my most fav bassists' weapons of choice.  Ibanez has been making good guitars for a long time. There's so many manufacturers out today it's really hard to pin one as being an all-around fav. Go to your local muso shop in the morning, take a tall cup of coffee, sit and play on as many as you can. Whatever you do, get a vintage Ampeg VST and you'll be fine. 
--
Splat

[I'm Still Bison]

Chris Squire was the one that inspired me to pick up the bass in the first place,and a Rickenbacker specifically.

[Tom Munch]

I have a nice Ibanez that I like.  My favorite bass in all the world is an old Fender P Bass that was converted to fretless.  It lives on loan in a friend's studio.

[665ae]

I've got a couple of Dean Bass guitars.  One's an acoustic.  I really dig em   Dean makes a pretty good Bass that's not to rough on the pocketbook...

[Biru]

There are lots of good-playing basses out there and the Ibanez instruments and their customer service people are some really nice ones, but the problem comes when somebody says they have to get the Ric sound. I've never played any other bass that sounds like a good Ric. Squire still gives me chills when I hear those Yes albums. At the store/service center where I worked, we'd get calls for a cheaper Ric-sounding bass and I could never find a truly satisfactory substitute. The 4003 (I believe that was the number-the blonde model with 4001 electronics) was as close as we could get.

[Roadie]

My sister and one of my friends have basses made by SGC Nanyo Bass Collection (or something like that) and they are very good basses for the money, neither of them cost more than £250. Very light bodies which is nice, but still have a very full sound. Its a shame both of them are right handed, makes it very difficult for me to play them!

[I'm Still Bison]

Aside from some tricks using only the front pick-up,and a somewhat unusual amping set-up for a bass,a lighter body I believe is part of what makes Chris Squire's sound unique.His website states,that either pre-Yes,or very early on,he took his Ric to a luthier to be re-finished.Apparently,the Ric was loaded down with wallpaper flowers and such,and the luthier shaved off almost a third of the body's weight.
 So far Ibanez,is clearly ahead solely because there's a dealer 6 miles from me,and I do like the sound,this weekend there's some prowling the shops in the area for me.
  Tom,my hat is off to anybody that can play a fretless bass with any proficiency.

[Tom Munch]

The first band I was in out of high school the bass player played a Ric.  Had a funky tone & some sort of weird knob that may have said "stereo something" on it?  I can't remember.  I haven't seen one like his since.  I'm sure you guys know what it was.

[Tom Munch]

Regarding playing a fretless: I've never had any luck before that refit Fender.  I thought about it for the first few notes & then the right notes just fell under my fingers.  I can't explain it.  & none of that "wowwie" fretless sound either, just sweet mellow tone.

[hawkchucker]

I am so Jelous of you guys that can play a guitar or Bass. I just have to small of fingers to play any instrument.

[I'm Still Bison]

I am so Jelous of you guys that can play a guitar or Bass. I just have to small of fingers to play any instrument.

                   There's always the ukelele. But seriously if you'd like to pick up the guitar,there are some models made for smaller hands.

[Roadie]

I am so Jelous of you guys that can play a guitar or Bass. I just have to small of fingers to play any instrument.

                   There's always the ukelele. But seriously if you'd like to pick up the guitar,there are some models made for smaller hands.

I don't have big hands, somewhere between a small and a medium glove size, and the only guitars i struggle with are classical ones. Having small fingers can be an advantage as well, means you're less likely to press two strings at once. But yeah if you really want to learn to play go to a shop and try a few out, there's bound to be one that will fit you.

[hawkchucker]

OK maybe I should be a little clearer, i have short fingers but they are also shaped like Vienna Sausages.

[Tom Munch]

hawkchucker,

You could always get a short-scale bass like a Fender Mustang.  It takes special strings, but it's no more difficult to play than a standard steel-string guitar.

Tom