your limited with a precision.....and with a jazz compare to fodera.....but u can buy 6 bass for the price of a fodera.....so your not really limited lol
@@sebg2086I think "limited" is a strong term, lol. (Not to be beefy.) But, I do agree with you. Lol. You get to be a bass Iron Man; you got a suit for every situation. Lol.
My bass teacher is a tried and true musician and he exclusively uses Squiers. He replaces the pickups and sands down the necks, and that’s it. Sound amazing when he plays them. Everytime I bring my Fender I feel stupid
Play what makes you feel happy. A few of my students were too caught up on the price of their gear instead of playing better. It’s not a bad thing but it’s not the best area of focus to make yourself sound and play better.
Some people enjoy being able to take something cheap and make it play and sound good. Others like buying quality and being able to enjoy it and depend on it. At the end of the day 95% of us are hobbyists even if we do play gigs or make music.
I've never understood sanding down the neck. Why would you destroy a perfectly good protective layer because you never took the time to get used to the feel
@@MasterMeijer sometimes folks want it to be physically smaller and sometimes they don’t like the feeling of any finish. Idk about it. I’ve played all types of finishes and none of them bother me so I don’t understand the feeling to destroy the value for slight improvement
The great thing about cheap basses is you can learn to work on them and improve them slowly over time. I have an SX PJ that cost $150 and I've put another $300 or so replacing the pickups, tuning machines, bridge, even the pick guard screws. Spent some time sanding the neck to remove the tacky finish. It now plays and sounds fantastic and I gig it regularly. My most expensive bass (Fender MIA active Jazz), I bought when I totaled a car and got an insurance settlement. I bought a cheap car and and expensive bass
Sounds like my wife. She could afford to buy a new car or a piano when she started college. She bought a Yamaha Baby Grand. 🤣 Piano lasts longer than a car, so it was a sound choice. It is a beautiful instrument.
When i was in a garage band early in my teens i played a some $150-$250 Ibanez bass and it fuckin rocked. Though, eventually i went back to guitar because the person who owned the bass sold it. It really did teach me how cool and practical playing bass is, and i've taken those few years with me for playing bass and really appreciate it as guitar player. I get upset when i can't hear the bass on an album
Superb video AMP, like legitimately top shelf shit. I love seeing Denson on the channel as someone who doubles on electric and upright bass so it's always cool to see his perspective especially on these kinds of instruments!
QC and fretwork is where I see most of the $500-$1500 instruments fall, particularly with MIM Fenders. They are to a point where the components are good enough but they just don't spend any time on fit and finish it seems. I would definitely try before I buy in that range just like the budget basses because they will be hit or miss. The good thing about the middle tier though, is that you're probably at worst just going to just need a good setup and a fret job.
i've been working as a tech for guitar center for a little less than a year and a half and i will say that basses in the $300-$500 range are honestly great if you put a little bit of extra money into them to get the kinks in the fretboard worked out. if you get your fretboard leveled or even just have the guitar itself set up, it makes a world of a difference
Thank you very much for this video! As a new bassist, you've answered several questions that have been on mind. Price points, hardware, what you get and the whole tone wood thing... As someone coming to bass from drums, you've helped me not to feel like an uncouth knuckle-dragger. Much appreciated!!
@@rockoutmichigan - aren’t most channels these days?!? (At least the ones I watch) Basically he confirmed for me where the price breaks are… and more importantly to me, what the added money buys. Lots of other videos I’ve seen will also mention the price points, but not what they get you. The woods was another one. As a drummer you can spend tons of money on shell materials, but at the end of the day, it really doesn’t make enough difference to matter. Anyway, I appreciated the video. Thanks!
I watched Jim Lill's video on "Tested: Where Does The Tone Come From In An Electric Guitar?" which changed my entire perspective on bass/guitar gear. Based on the video, buying a cheap nice feeling bass/guitar and just change the pickups and get it setup by a professional.
I got my Squier refretted with stainless steel by a reputable luthier in my country. Now it's way better then my US-made bass lol. And it's still cheaper. People will always say that US models are the best but they also just use cheap labor. The difference between the neck of refretted Squier and stock US is insane, not even funny.
After working as a bass player for 20 years, my bass developed a noise that even the manufacturer couldn’t solve. Fenders and Music Man were close to $2000. I found a used Alembic for the same price, beautiful instrument! And when I had a problem, even though I was not the original owner (and was fully prepared to pay whatever the fee was), the builder fixed the problem, no charge, because “you shouldn’t have that problem with our basses”. That’s the value of a custom bass.
@@mr_bassman6685 it’s a Rogue 5 string, nice bass, but not a Series ll. A collector (hoarder) was moving and not everything could go with him, it was on eBay, and I was the only one interested right then, so score!
I own a Gould and I'm not a super great player! I'm a regular dude that works a regular warehouse job and I think it's 100% worth it to buy a high end bass. It took ages to save up for and while it might not be a huge one, I still count it as a genuine milestone. I set a goal, I worked towards it, and I achieved it!
@@ampthebassplayer I feel like it was a safer purchase than a $700 Sire honestly. There's always a market for high end, if I ever get tired of it or want to move it along for whatever reason, it's an excellent bargaining chip to use for trades. Funny enough, the higher the price tag, the safer it is to blindly buy.
@@NMbass906 I don't know about all that. When I played guitar I wanted a Les Paul. Have 2Gibsons and 1 Epi SG. I wanted something that sounded a little beefier so went to guitar center. Went through quite a few of thier Les Paul's and started going through thier Epis with the look I wanted and pickups. A 700 dollar Epi blew the Gibsons away. So...I was willing to spent up to 6000 dollars. So high end guitars have a lot better resale value and there is no way I would ever buy any guitar or bass blind on line.
@@daveweed2765 Depends on the brand. PRS guitars are pretty consistently good. You can buy one of them over the internet and you know what it's gonna play like and sound like. Gibsons are a whole other thing. Luv and Peace.
@@daveweed2765 You know your finances better than I do so lemme just say, all things being equal, if you get the opportunity to do so, take a chance! I'm 5/5 unpunished on high end basses now lol. Warwick, 2 Kiesels, a Gould, and even a lil MIJ Fender! I wheeled and dealed like CRAZY to get them and it's been like a ten year journey but they trade so quickly. Bought and sold em all sight unseen on Reverb and used sections (except the Kiesels, thanks for the inheritance Dad) and traded a few just as quickly! Guitars are a weird world cause you guitarists are worse than us bassists with that lol. Still though, I think you bought a Suhr, you'd have no trouble trading it for like a Nash or a Novo or any of those other high end guitars too. Not trying to say you're wrong and I'm right of course lol. You're 100% correct on a lot of those WMI made instruments kicking a TON of ass. Played any Sires? They're out of this world dude. If you took one back in time to 1995 they'd think it was more expensive than a Sadowsky!
I enjoyed this video. Dr. D. spoke about his journey, choices and opportunities, respect to that, no need for negative comments from anyone. Ultimately, we can take something from this video. Own, play, choose, something that inspires you, motivates you, and brings you satisfaction. Cost is your business, taste is your business, brands are your business. Let’s not go with ‘better than’ or ‘worth it, not worth it’ , instead, choose and big up what works for you, and respect other people’s choices and views respectfully. Peace folks, play with inspiration and share what inspires you whenever you can, someone may be blessed by it.
Started on a Ibanez Gio GSR180 for 220€. The bass was decent for the price tag. I think one of the most important lessons that I've learned is that always take a new cheap bass to a luthier for a professionel setup. I played for like half a year before a friend of mine gave me that tip and it changed my playing a lot. Setup on cheap basses are often crap and even if they are showcased in shops, the setup might not be perfect.
You can never go wrong a mid to pro level bass from a pawn shop for half off, never be turned off by basses that have "wear and tear" you just gotta find the right signs of wear, on the back of the body if see discoloration from "belly" rash or belt buckle scratches that means the previous owner/owners played it very often maybe was an active musician or a hired gun also cigarette burns on the headstock is a good sign they definitely were gigged and most of those basses will usually be properly set up or not far from being ready to go 👌
I just purchased a 30th anniversary Brubaker KXB. Any bass I play just isn't as satisfactory anymore. I love my Sires that I've owned, including my 6 string. I've played Sire since I was 15, now I'm 24. But no matter how many times I go get it setup, it still doesn't feel like the Brubaker. Yes I worked very hard for it, and it'll be my only high end bass for a while. But it was worth it to me. And yes I gig every gig with a one of a kind custom, but they were made to be played. I totally agree on the statements about more expensive instruments inspiring you. You don't necessarily need them, but I had a connection to that brubaker. Unlike any other bass I've ever played. I used to say "nah expensive basses aren't worth it." But now I see they ARE worth it.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the inconsistency issue you mention regarding the $250-500 range is somewhat manufacturer-dependent too, isn't it? Ibanez and Yamaha seem to be almost universally praised for their QC, and I haven't really seen/heard this "same model, different instrument" problem regarding their stuff, whereas Squier and Epiphone seem to be notorious for that.
As a MM Sterling owner, I can sympathize. I'm dreading the flood of hate messages about trying to get $2,000 for a $500 bass should I ever try to sell it.
I have an Ibanez SR305E i bought for a little less than $500 I did a custom set up myself and it sounds great, one thing that blows me away is This Thing keeps its tuning so so well I take it from my Basement studio to a friends house whose room is upstairs and even after playing for an hour or so I check the tuning and 90% of the time its still PERFECTLY in tune It blows me away.
Great video, i love cheap basses and also i love, and really recommend basses that are unpopular on the internet. I have an epiphone eb3 bass, i heard only bad things about it, but i honestly love it, play it with my doom metal band with a shit load of fuzz and huge amp, and it honestly crushes
I got a Glarry off amazon just to try it out. What attracted me to it was the 6 lb weight for a 5 string which is really hard to find. I got it and was blown away how decent it was for the $100 I paid! The biggest issue was how weak the frets were. I ended up swapping out the electronics, nut, and frets, and now it's my main gigging bass! The pickups were actually way better than I could have expected. I tracked some tests in my daw before swapping them out with some seymour duncans, and I was blown away how they were almost the same tone! The weight makes it so nice to play long gigs with!
You know, saying that your bass is totally gratuitous is appreciate - it’s true. But you did a good job of highlighting the fact that _you just like it_. The value of that bass is the same as the value you place on your money in that trade, and if it didn’t make you happier than having the money, you wouldn’t have spent it. I have 5 basses. On the low end is my Squire Classic Vibe and on the top end is my Modulus and MM Stingray. Do I need 5 basses? Nope. Do I need an expensive bass? Nope. But you know, I just _love_ my basses. That’s it. I love their sound, their looks, their playability, their history, their rarity…. I just like ‘em 🤷♂️
I LOVE Inexpensive basses. People Don’t have to spend a lot of money My first bass I bought new in 1972. A Fender Precision. I knew the dealer and I paid under $200 for it new... I have been blessed to work RnD for some of the most notorious bass manufacturers on the planet. Boutique makers and the generic run of the mill brands. Different body woods, Bridge materials fingerboard materials etc. Tone woods DO make a difference in the sound and feel of an instrument. CONFIRMED! Even though the Talkbass ( aka ALL Talk NO Bass ) will argue all day against that notion.. Most have never had the opportunity to try the huge variety of tone woods, bridges , pickups ect. That said I have owned a few Foderas, 5 or 6 NYC Sadowsky basses -aka parts bass, Valenti, Alleva Coppolo as well as Ibanez, Fender American, Fender Mexican, Kramer, Charvel, Peavey. Spector , Yamaha, Modulus, Zon etc etc. I have even made my own basses from PARTS made by parts vendors such as chandler, Might Mite, Warmoth, USA guitar. My one parts bass had a Total $ in parts in 1989 money was about $300. That $300 bass was used on session in NYC and the TV it was used on won nation Awards and Nominated for Grammys. All that said, One does NOT need to spend a lot of money on a bass for it to be sound worthy of super spectacular, trophy winning tones. Cheap bass can be just as great as the NYC Sadowsky parts bass if it's player ( you) are able to make it sound appropriate for the gig , session , wadding, club no matter how small the gig is or how big it is.
Your reply is one of the reasons why I worked with a luthier for 2 years. It allowed me to experiment with all the bass-related items you mentioned in your comment! Different tone woods, neck woods, pickups, parts, etc. What an eye-opener that job was. I even built a bass when I worked there...that was a fantastic learning experience!
No mention of *Harley Benton* for a budget bass? If *Guitar Center* didn't have one _I would have never believed it_ for 199 bucks *GC* had a used five-string *Harley Benton* that was blowing away all the high-end bass guitars at *GC* (possibly due to poor QC?) or the fact that *GC* _doesn't know how to set up bass guitars in their stores_ but this used Harley Benton was done right, and the hardware and pickups were spot on and sounded amazing too.
Every American Fender, Premium Ibanez and quality schecter that GC had in stock didn't play as nice. I have been playing Bass for over 30 years and worked as a guitar tech for over 10 years and I am certain the quality of the stock GC basses was poor in comparison to the Harley Benton. I don't want to believe it either, we can blame it on poor quality control for in-store set up's at Guitar Center I suppose... @@AlexandarShmex
There are some Harley Bentons that I can't believe are sold at such low prices for that quality and sound?! Some of my favorite basses to play in my stable are Harley Bentons!
My issue with Harley Benton is that the shipping situation was a nightmare. I live in America. It was my first and only time ever ordering overseas. I ordered 2 basses because I thought it would be a better deal, cost wise. But they got held up in customs. I had to fill out some form (something about importing wood?) and pay for that AND I got charged daily for each day that it was held over (in Kentucky I think?) sooo… figuring out what was going on, figuring out who to call, then they needed to email me a form and then figuring out how to fill it out correctly and actually sign it (from my phone - digitally, it was my first time with that too) then for them to approve it AND they held it on a Saturday so it was stuck over the weekend… I got screwed. I’ve never heard anyone talk about any issues with customs. I commented on another TH-camr’s video (which was a positive review of a Harley Benton bass) and I asked about how to do the shipping part efficiently and safely, but no one ever responded. So anyway, if I lived in Germany, I’d probably have a closet full of Harley Bentons but in America, I’ll stick with Squier or Sterling for budget gear. 😂 I laugh now but at the time I was LIVID.
Well, it blows away most of the crap that GC has, almost none of which I would call "high end" but also depends on the GC, some get up to $2k USA Musicmans and Fenders and others (like mine) max out at $700 Ibanez with muddy bartolinis and Mexican fender garbage
I think the SIRE basses are probably the best bang for your buck, i have about 8 basses 2 musicmans ( USA ) 5 string - YAHMAHA John Patitucci , IBANEZ 5005 Boutique 5 string , MAYO JABBA-5 String , ALEMBIC 5 STRING-- But I recently bought a SIRE V 7 & V 9 and i am absolutely blown away by the tonal qualities from both. I did change the tuners on both & i put Aggie’s HC-5 -JAZZ PU’s on the V7 LEFT THE V9 alone and i use PHIL JONES AMPS & I got them so I didn’t have to take my other basses to local gigs in fear of damage , but i have now started taking them too studio sessions and they fit right in. Don’t sleep on these basses they are less expensive but definitely not cheap & very easy to make to your likings if need be.
This was a great video! When I first started I went the cheap route then I noticed I was losing money if I wanted to sell the bass and try something new. So now I look at them as investments and actually lucked up in finding basses that inspire me to get better.
Great video! I would like to add the image effect for professional musicians. Sometimes you may deal with people that don't really understand much about music but know some brands, for example someone that wants to book your band or even a possible student. Having some name in your gear may help to impress those people and get you some gigs.
I am depressed with my recent acquisition. Its a Jackson JS3Q and I was pretty excited to unbox it. Ive only ever had a hand me down so I was looking forward to being able to play something that cost more than what I have and there is so much fret buzz. its everywhere. Im taking it to a GC, since it was ordered direct, to see if it falls under warranty or what. Do you feel instruments should come playable out of the box and not require you to spend extra for a set up? sads =(
Loved this video! 1 because it was awesome, and 2 because after seeing homies collection it convinced me to not feel bad about purchasing the instruments I’ve been looking at 😂
I bought a MIM PBass and after a setup and a few hours playing the skunk stipe came loose on the neck and you could limbo under the strings, Fender said it would take 8 to 10 weeks to repair so I opted for a replacement exactly the same model and colour and it has been OK.
Also i think we are all right here and i think we agree on one thing - buying a high end bass does not make you a better player - period. It may make you sound a certain way but it does not make you a better player. One of the best guitar performances i have ever heard was by a guy playing a 1998 Squier telecaster.
Great video, thanks for sharing! I used the earnings for a couple gigs to buy a used Squier fretless for $250 🤣🤣 I have basses ranging from $100 up to a couple grand, beyond that, I got in to loothing 😁 specifically so I could make myself some custom instruments. My first was a parts caster Jazz based on an old single piece slab old growth Honduran Mahogany (signed by the builder in 1978). I put custom shop pickups in it, licensed neck with nitpicky attention to detail on the frets, setup, and a custom oil finish. Period correct bridge, Kluson top of the line tuners, and a really cool tortie pickguard that really goes well with the aged mahogany. I even special ordered the mid 60s style 7 point knobs. I have maybe a grand into it, would have cost several grand to have one custom made. Still probably my favorite bass. Gotta say, best bang for my buck lately has been Ibanez, I have a couple Soundgears and a BTB that were priced $250 to over a grand, all are quite good instruments. I've actually gigged with the $250 Soundgear and was totally happy with it. I enjoy playing the more expensive ones, like my Warwick, but I have zero qualms with the cheap ones. I wish they had cheap basses this quality when I started...
My experience has been that it does not matter how much a bass cost or where it was made as to whether it is a great instrument, or not. I could cite a few examples, but I'll use Spector. I had everything from a Korean Legend to a Woodstock, NY model. In between those were a Pulse, a couple of Korean NS2A's, and a limited edition Euro. I'm down to the Legend and an NS2A. It's not that I did not like the basses I sold off. I just sold the ones I didn't play as much. I finally picked up a used Fodera for $4,000. It was an Emperor Standard that retails for around $6,000 now. Was it a nice bass? Sure. But was it 20x better than my $200 Ibanez Talman (which I love)? Absolutely not. Fortunately, it sold very quickly.
I briefly had an Alembic bass back in the day that was worth a decent used car back then. When my playing went from gigs to being more of a hobby, I downgraded quickly to several basses from Glarry and Rogue ranging from $100 to $120. I don't know if I've been just lucky, but I haven't had any problems with those basses and I kind of wish I had bought them from the start. The Alembic had an unbeatable sound, but for the kind of music I play, the cheap basses work fine.
But the Alembic had a cool factor! Back in the day all the pros switched to them. Then a few years later, they went back to their Fenders and Music Mans.
I have the original series of corvette rockbasses, passive. I looked them up recently to see how much they cost and they are a good bit more for what I paid for mine when it first came out on the market but they are all active now. Have 2 standard Germans as well, the tone and playability/audio response is superior with my German standards. The issue is with these good old basses, they are considerably heavier. I love playing them but my main gig bass is the rock bass because it’s so light and most importantly still offers amazing Warwick tone that I love especially combined with a great pre amp/di. You can still buy these old passive rockbasses for about 500 to 600 online used. I would recommend buying either old used or the new active because all of the demos sound amazing. They are affordable, give you the classic Warwick tone, lightweight, even though aren’t made as well as the standard versions they still feel and are constructed a lot better vs an American fender for reference. It’s an amazingly versatile bass, that’s why it’s my main bass for standard tuning gigs. Mine holds up perfectly after 10 years. And if you want a fender style bass that’s half the price and overall better while still maintaining that unique fender tone that sits in the mix, get sadowsky for sure (they are made at the same factory as the rockbasses). I think the perfect 2 basses to cover just about any style gig for half the price while still maintaining 2k bass tone/quality: j/p sadowsky and Warwick rock bass corvette. You can’t go wrong and now you have a lifetime of tone for 2k
My first (of two) basses is a Sterling Music Man GS4 Stringray. I can confirm that it's super reliable for just about any style, and the biggest issue is keeping it in tune after travelling. The G string especially tends to drift out of tune if I've taken it anywhere outside my room! With that said, this is a minor complain that doesn't detract from my playing much. Granted, I've only been playing for four years, but I do think the £200-£500 range will serve you plenty for starter/all rounder basses.
Great video! My most expensive bass is my Fender Tony Franklin fretless Pbass. I really think it depends on what you like and really need in a bass. Personally myself would love to have a fretless Wal(the company stopped taking orders). It’s so much better today than it was when I started playing bass many decades ago from a handful of manufacturers to companies that just make basses.
Thanks for sharing, learned a lot in this video. I went to Dr Denson's website and listened to his music. I was blown away by his bass sound, so clear, so deep, so articulate. Superb...
I've got a used Fender Partscaster with a J bass neck on a PJ bass body with aftermarket pups, and I've got a Sterling Stingray with a humbucker and active preamp. They were both under $500 each. They both feel great and have exactly the sound I want. I'm really not clear on what a more expensive bass would do for me or why I would want one.
I bought a USA Charvel single hum with a Kahler right off the shop wall in 1985 for $999. I had no business owning that but it was what made me play more, honestly the Kahler used to eat hi E strings and being an idiot I had no idea that it was probably a bur in the saddle and the stupid locking nut behind the regular nut probably was worse for me then the Roadstar II I was playing before that. I financed the Charvel, 24 months, my first loan threw beneficial credit, i look at it as a life lesson :-)
I bought a Squier 40th anniversary P-bass on sale for $290. I put a pair of DiMarzio pickups on it ($100) and a BadA$$ II bridge ($80) and it sounds killer. Got it for a backup bass for gigs and I tell you what - it rocks. I have a couple other basses, including a Music Man Stingray and a Spector Ethos, but gee whiz if you're on a budget - Squiers can be really impressive.
Well... I'm particularly fond of F-Bass at about $5K each. I always kid that the VF5PJ is a $5000 copy of a $2500 bass but I have both Fender J and the VF5 and, to me, it is well worth the difference. Agree you can start on a Squire and they will definitely do the job I would say, in a budget constrained, look for a Mexican Fender J bass. Bottom line is any great player can make any bass from squire up sound good (especially when paired with a Tech21 Sans Amp) but a great player will likely prefer the feel and response of a finer instrument, Great video bro. Good information for the new player. To me, start your investment in the instrument before you start purchasing processing (Line 6 Helix, etc.)
For new bass players, buy a squier vintage vibe and do the following: change the tuners, buy duct tape (the shiny kind) at a hardware store and shield the cavities, change the strings and use some graphite from a pencil on the nut. It will play like a fender. In total you’ll spend about 400 bucks. I’ve had mine for 13 years and still love it.
I think what really makes "expensive basses worth it" is if that specific instrument doesn't limit your ability to get what you want musically. And this usually changes over time as you improve as a player.
They are amazing, but I never bring them with me because of the price, my Ibanez and Yamaha basses are my go to or one of the Precision basses depending on the style.
I have two basses - one is Warwick Corvette SS 5, I bought it for around 1,5k euro, and another is 5 strings Cort bass, I don't remember the name, but this is kind of music man style bass. Its price was around 400 euros. They both sound great, the key difference I noticed - Warwick is much lighter, the neck is thinner, the electronic is more musical, I would say. Apart from that, especially in the busy metal mix, with a lot of distortion, both basses sound great. Plus, Cort has 35" scale, and low B is actually quite good!
Imo expensive basses can be worth it, but that's not always the case. It's not a linear relationship between price and quality/tone/playability. Having a bigger budget buys you more options, there's more variation and customization in the high end bass market vs. the import factory builds, and sometimes you might find the ideal combination of neck shape, fingerboard radius, string spacing, finish etc. Is only made by a custom builder somewhere that has higher manufacturing costs. Or you might find one of the budget builds is perfect for you, and you're not missing out not owning something super expensive. For me, I own several USA Laklands each costing a few grand, but that's only because I've played every other bass and Laklands just jive with me like nothing else does. I love them more than the Foderas and Sadowskys I've played. If Lakland didn't exist, I probably would play something a lot cheaper like a mid level Yamaha because the other expensive basses didn't fit me as well and wouldn't be worth it. So my advice is go travel to a high end music store and get your hands on as many different basses as possible to find what works for you and try not to judge a bass either positively or negatively based on cost.
I saw the Sterling Sterling. It's hilarious and illustrates your gripe wonderfully. Not gonna lie, I want passive stingray tone in a slimmer build, so I'm getting one at some point
When you look at your guitar and see that it's a huge budget bass you are quite underwhelmed. I have a Schecter Stiletto Extreme 5 and love it. I guess it's a mid bass. What's the difference in a begginer, mid, and pro bass?
My 40th anniversary squire jazzbass has survived so much and still plays really great. I returned a very expensive fender p-bass because I couldn't justify spending 2g's more on a slightly better bass.
I think there's also something to be said for how many basses you have. If you only have one it can be nicer, I feel like a lot of people end up with large collections of meh basses. I have a Ray34HH I've upgraded and added some more sound options to and I really can't justify ever needing another bass now
I owe a Fender Blacktop Bass made in Mexico Its a beautiful playing bass I paid 499.00 and changed the pick guard to red tortas shell. It came with a black pick guard it had two Humbucking Pickups. I can find another one so Im glad I bought this one. I own other basses Jack Casady 20 Adversity Red Wine. I love this Bass. Thank you for your video.Sign Rick.
The biggest mistake I’ve ever made was playing an $11,000 Fodera. It was a 6 string and every thing about it was superior to anything I’ve ever played. I’m sure F bass etc are nice as well but it blew my mind. I was able to play things I simply couldn’t play on my Fenders. Amazing basses.
Biggest gratitude I have is finding a used 1980s Warwick after 2 years of searching, for less than $1000 at the time, 15 years ago. I spent years changing it and modding it, until it truly became mine. As a comparison, I had a chance to try an Alembic Series 1 in London a few years ago, and it had nothing on my Warwick. Growing with an instrument has more value than a very high price tag in my humble opinion.
Of course, a skilled bassist will make any instrument sound great. But as I played my basses over the past 30 years I have gradually kept 'trading up' and now own a couple of 2nd hand market gems like my 2007 Fodera NYC Empire, a 1994 Zon Sonus and some other rather special instruments. I have always wondered if it is worth, if I haven't been "spoiling myself" with it since the tone of a mid market segment Mexican Fender Jazz "does the job" these days and is by no means a bad choice... But then somewhere last year I was out in a local pub at the jam session and had brought down my (woodwork done in Japan, construction and setup done in Brooklyn NY) Fodera. I was doing some slap stuff, lots of fingerstyle playing and even some picking when this other bassist walks up to me and goes "Hey what kinda bass is that? because your tone is REALLY awesome!". So there you have it. The quality does get noticed by those who recognize good bass tone. Playing comfort on it is really great and the active electronics on them are really out there quality wise. Where many active basses sorta lose part of their character the Fodera really doesn't. I am still very glad with my purchase. I spent around 2800 euro on this bass which isn't too bad is it? There are ways of obtaining quality instruments like this without spending tens of thousands and imo, it really has been worth it so far. Like many things this is a journey and the journey itself is as important as the end goal. Change is the spice of life so do whatever it takes to keep yourself inspired to keep playing and progressing. Cheers, Tanx.
I've never ever played a squire base that was as good as As a Fender or squire stratecaster that sound as good as Good As A Fender. Though I don't believe you should have to spend $1000 on an American to have a decentfender type bass or guitar. . I tried one of those classic vibe Precision base and I thought there WA straight garbage and it sucks cause they look Great but they don't feel in play so great especially the white with the black guard I really wanted that 12 work out I wanted that bass to work out so bad.
Video essay on expensive basses LFG I'M HERE FOR IT. Also the Sterling situation pisses me off too, I actually prefer the USA Sterling over the Stingray, pickup just sounds brtter
Diminishing returns after 1.2k USD either new or used. At least that what I feel. My used -05 Warwick corvette I bought for $1299 and my Fender Aerodyne Jazz brand new was $1099.
Just curious regarding the Yamaha ( Indonesia ) bass you purchased via the internet; Can you please let me knnow the model. Also, are both pickups noiseless ? i"m looking for a bass in this price range. No worries if for privacy reasons you do not want to disclose. Thx. BTW: Really enjoyed this video, particularly the Federa portion.
It’s like a ROLEX and a CASIO, they both tell time, it’s about Name and Prestige is all. I know a bass player that owns a Ken Smith and he sucks, it’s the musicians skill not the price of the instrument.
I played the same Ibanez RG570 I bought at University with my 1st Student loan of £715 for 30 years. I caught a break and was made redundant from the oil services company I worked for. I was a software developer with them for 20 years. I got a sizable enhanced redundancy payout and was able to buy myself the guitar I'd always dreamed of owning. I couldn't bring myself to buy a new one but I bought a 2001 Emerald green PRS Custom 24 ten top. The exact colour I'd always wanted and a really amazing well figured flame maple top. It also has a colour matched neck and headstock. It plays and sounds amazing and is everything I hoped it would be. It has some dings and there's a bit of cloudiness in the finish at the lower bout but I can live with that given the price I paid for it. Bottom Line: It's not selfish to buy your dream guitar if you can afford to get it. Look at the used market though. There are bargains to be had and the prices are a lot more negotiable on higher end guitars. I offered a price a good bit lower and we met in the middle and I saved a few hundred GBP. I play a bit of bass but I couldn't ever justify an expensive bass. Those Federa Customs look amazing though. Luv and Peace.
I got a custom bass like that, waaaay above my capabilities, talents, ect... I got a cash bonus at work, I was young and stupid, and just went for it. It wasn't that expensive to be fair. (Not even) £2K for a fully custom 5-strings monster. Beautifully crafted, exotic woods, custom hand made pickups and custom parametric 18V preamp, gorgeous bookmatched walnut, front and back, limba core, wenge neck, maccassar ebony fingerboard, walnut pots, why not, dual passive humbuckers with three positions, beautiful case too. The sound is unreal, extremely modern, with the neck pickup well forward and a big humbucker at the bridge like a Stingray, the amount of bass in some configuration is insane. Way too many possibilities with the three-way parametric EQ, difficult to pin down the settings, but man, a work of art. Pic in my avatar of course. Repaired my amp, I'm trying to get back to playing bass again. Maybe I'm not worthy, but it will be one hell of a heirloom, and I've got musicians in the familly. I think the maker is gone (ACG). Such a shame, he made beautiful instruments, with a very special parametric preamp. Such is the way with small luthiers, it's a very difficult business, especially these days.
@@WayneGreen-b4y I play them all but some never leave the house as they are too valuable and are collectors instruments. Make no mistake, there are many bass players with much more in their collection than mine. It has zero to do with ego but your comment points towards the need to work on yours.
I've walked into a studio with a £4k bass and ended up recording with a Squier P bass that was sat in the corner of the studio. Sometimes a simple 'cheap' bass is the best tool for the job.
It's good to start on a cheap bass to figure out what you really need/want in a bass I picked up a Cort Curbow and I swear everyone loves it when they pick it up Fake ebony fretboard....plastic body....it's a beast
Great video. Dont sleep on Warmoth if you wanna keep the price down and get pretty close to what you want. I got a jazz bass that is like freekin butter for under $1k from them - ebony fingerboard, gold frets, bartolini pickups omega bridge !❤
35 years playing, started on something that weighed like 80 pounds, someone made it and threw it out so I picked it out of garbage lol. I somehow rigged it to play through my car amplifier and speaker bass tube with my friends help lol. I still cant remember how we actually did that. Now I am playing a Modulus Quantum 5 Buckeye which is insane action. Fodera is awesome but to expensive now with the Vic Wooten hypeboys. I will eventually get a Ken Smith and or a New York Bass Works 6 string.
I started playing bass in early 2020 at age 10 I started off with a 75 dollar glarry from eBay(I used that for about 1 year)now I have a Ibanez gsr200 and am looking to upgrade to a 5 string bass in the $300 to $500 price range and I primarily play metal,do you guys know of any recommendations, if so thank you so much, btw I love your videos amp you’re the best bass TH-camr out there
The SR305 is in your future. I just sold my SR305EDX. It was an incredible bass. I traded up to an SR1306. I really think Ibanez is one of the best all around instrument manufacturers out there.
my brother bought a glarry a while back, that would then become my first bass. The neck thickness makes no sense at all. My brother sanded it down A TON and it had no issues and did not feel anymore flimsy, so I don't know why they make them so thick.
I used to gig with a 40usd bass. . i replaced all the parts that broke and now i use it more than my fender bass. . playing it feels like wearing worn shoes. feels nice😊
I know what he is saying. I have many artists basses like Rudy Sarzo prototype Fender, Warren Waters from the Chantays, Stuart Hamm's bass, Bud Cockrell from Pablo Cruise who was good friends with Jaco Pastorius who, story has it, played this Fender and the bass whisperer Ed Friedland's Lakland bass.. You think about the great artists that hand their hands on these basses and played them! It's very powerful. I have 2 Fodera Yin Yang Deluxe basses and Fodera told me that one of them came from the same aged wood as Victor Wooten's Deluxe. Fender stacked knob, Gibson, '64 P bass etc.
High end basses can be beautiful. My playing style is very simple. Fingers, four string, single passive pickup, 34" scale w/ labella flats. No slapin or poppin. Im happy with my 73 telecaster bass. My thoughts sometimes do go to a Nik Huber Rietbergen bass.
My advice is go with the glarry package. Then chunk the cord. Theres no fixing that. Use whatever money you saved and put that in your cabs and amp fund. Hold off your buying power and just start studying amps and cabs in the used market. Study it then send the lowest low ball offer. Hold your horsies and jump on an amp and cab when you see a good deal and you lurked enough to know what youre talking about. No rush tho. Bonus points if you got a broken amp and know enough to know why you got it. That way not only are you solid on guitar setup, but youre familiar with the amp cab side hopefully enough to be the amp repairman. Ive seen big fish smole pond rockstars go roadie for their favorite bands, because they grew up in music bars surrounded by musicians. Also you got the smole practice amp to keep quiet and work on form and structure while looking for something a little bigger to get familiar with jamming with drummers and stuff.
The difference between Gibson/Epiphone and Fender/Squier on one hand and Ernie Ball Music Man/Sterling by Music Man is that Epiphone and Squier are wholly owned subsidiaries of Gibson and Fender while Sterling by Music Man is a licensed product not owned by EBMM at all. Sure, you can call a SBMM a budget Stingray because EBMM licensed the name and design to Praxis Musical Instruments, but it’s not owned by EBMM. Calling SBMM the budget line of EBMM is incorrect.
Yamaha BB series are super underrated. Played everything from cheap ass squiers to Ibanez workshop basses. Do yourself a favor & try one of the Yamaha BB series
I knew within 5 seconds of playing my Lākland 55-02 that I had to have it. They make the wood parts in Indonesia, and plek the neck and assemble it in Chicago with the same electronics and metal parts as their high end boutique basses. My bass cost $1800. And I think it’s worth twice as much.
So they may or may not be depending on your budget😅
your limited with a precision.....and with a jazz compare to fodera.....but u can buy 6 bass for the price of a fodera.....so your not really limited lol
@@sebg2086 6? Go Aria, Fernandes or Bacchus and get a whole collection. Probably could get 20.
@@sebg2086I think "limited" is a strong term, lol. (Not to be beefy.) But, I do agree with you. Lol.
You get to be a bass Iron Man; you got a suit for every situation. Lol.
My bass teacher is a tried and true musician and he exclusively uses Squiers. He replaces the pickups and sands down the necks, and that’s it. Sound amazing when he plays them. Everytime I bring my Fender I feel stupid
Play what makes you feel happy. A few of my students were too caught up on the price of their gear instead of playing better. It’s not a bad thing but it’s not the best area of focus to make yourself sound and play better.
Some people enjoy being able to take something cheap and make it play and sound good. Others like buying quality and being able to enjoy it and depend on it. At the end of the day 95% of us are hobbyists even if we do play gigs or make music.
I've never understood sanding down the neck. Why would you destroy a perfectly good protective layer because you never took the time to get used to the feel
@@MasterMeijer sometimes folks want it to be physically smaller and sometimes they don’t like the feeling of any finish. Idk about it. I’ve played all types of finishes and none of them bother me so I don’t understand the feeling to destroy the value for slight improvement
The Japanese are infatuated with vintage Fenders. Their basses are so good they are not for sale on this continent. Thats a fact.
The great thing about cheap basses is you can learn to work on them and improve them slowly over time. I have an SX PJ that cost $150 and I've put another $300 or so replacing the pickups, tuning machines, bridge, even the pick guard screws. Spent some time sanding the neck to remove the tacky finish. It now plays and sounds fantastic and I gig it regularly. My most expensive bass (Fender MIA active Jazz), I bought when I totaled a car and got an insurance settlement. I bought a cheap car and and expensive bass
Sounds like my wife. She could afford to buy a new car or a piano when she started college. She bought a Yamaha Baby Grand. 🤣
Piano lasts longer than a car, so it was a sound choice. It is a beautiful instrument.
@@Vykk_Draygo sounds like she has her priorities straight!
Sound choice 😂😂@@Vykk_Draygo
When i was in a garage band early in my teens i played a some $150-$250 Ibanez bass and it fuckin rocked. Though, eventually i went back to guitar because the person who owned the bass sold it. It really did teach me how cool and practical playing bass is, and i've taken those few years with me for playing bass and really appreciate it as guitar player. I get upset when i can't hear the bass on an album
Haven't watched this all yet but expecting Sire to be part of the curve optimization discussion. Best bang for buck.
Sire announced the F10 at Namm and from the looks, damn I'm impressed.
@@theprezenz my rule is take a Sire, multiply the price by 3 and those are the basses that will compare feature and build quality 🙂
@@SixteenVoice x7 when you live in Brazil 🤣
I was super blown away when I played an M2 at guitar center, felt like $1000, had electronics like a $1500, costed $400. It’s now my main bass
I've never played one but ngl their Headstock always put me off despite them sounding great.
Superb video AMP, like legitimately top shelf shit. I love seeing Denson on the channel as someone who doubles on electric and upright bass so it's always cool to see his perspective especially on these kinds of instruments!
Thank you so much! Denson and I always have a good time filming! He’ll be back again soon!
Den seems to be a great dude... nice vid! Regards from Brazil
QC and fretwork is where I see most of the $500-$1500 instruments fall, particularly with MIM Fenders. They are to a point where the components are good enough but they just don't spend any time on fit and finish it seems. I would definitely try before I buy in that range just like the budget basses because they will be hit or miss. The good thing about the middle tier though, is that you're probably at worst just going to just need a good setup and a fret job.
i've been working as a tech for guitar center for a little less than a year and a half and i will say that basses in the $300-$500 range are honestly great if you put a little bit of extra money into them to get the kinks in the fretboard worked out. if you get your fretboard leveled or even just have the guitar itself set up, it makes a world of a difference
A "plek" job, costs about $200-250, but it's worth every penny.
Great video! I particularly enjoyed the mini-documentary with Dr Fodera. :)
lol I didn’t set out to make a 40 minute video with so much on Foderas but there was just so much to talk about!
Nice 'warm-up' to a Fodera ad! ;-)
Thank you very much for this video! As a new bassist, you've answered several questions that have been on mind. Price points, hardware, what you get and the whole tone wood thing... As someone coming to bass from drums, you've helped me not to feel like an uncouth knuckle-dragger. Much appreciated!!
I wouldn't take him THAT seriously... He gets money from guitar companies to sell them. He's a glorified salesperson, bro.
@@rockoutmichigan - aren’t most channels these days?!? (At least the ones I watch) Basically he confirmed for me where the price breaks are… and more importantly to me, what the added money buys. Lots of other videos I’ve seen will also mention the price points, but not what they get you. The woods was another one. As a drummer you can spend tons of money on shell materials, but at the end of the day, it really doesn’t make enough difference to matter. Anyway, I appreciated the video. Thanks!
best bass youtube channel on the site keep uploading we need you bro
🥹🥹🥹
I watched Jim Lill's video on "Tested: Where Does The Tone Come From In An Electric Guitar?" which changed my entire perspective on bass/guitar gear. Based on the video, buying a cheap nice feeling bass/guitar and just change the pickups and get it setup by a professional.
But ppl dont want to put 500 into a 100$ bass.
New Seymour Duncans cost 160$ @@gto1607
@@gto1607 Why not if it makes it play like a $1000 bass?
I got my Squier refretted with stainless steel by a reputable luthier in my country. Now it's way better then my US-made bass lol. And it's still cheaper. People will always say that US models are the best but they also just use cheap labor. The difference between the neck of refretted Squier and stock US is insane, not even funny.
@@gto1607 Who said anything about $100 bass?
After working as a bass player for 20 years, my bass developed a noise that even the manufacturer couldn’t solve. Fenders and Music Man were close to $2000. I found a used Alembic for the same price, beautiful instrument! And when I had a problem, even though I was not the original owner (and was fully prepared to pay whatever the fee was), the builder fixed the problem, no charge, because “you shouldn’t have that problem with our basses”. That’s the value of a custom bass.
I've played Alembic basses since 1985. They're the best in my opinion.
How the heck did you find an Alembic for $2000? 😮
@@mr_bassman6685 I bought my first Alembic brand new for $1,000.00 in 1985. Still have it.
@@mr_bassman6685 it’s a Rogue 5 string, nice bass, but not a Series ll. A collector (hoarder) was moving and not everything could go with him, it was on eBay, and I was the only one interested right then, so score!
And this was 20+ years ago!
I love the Sterling low end models because they have the jazz bass thin neck at the nut.
I won't buy a bass with a nut wider than 1 1/2". I have small hands and I'm getting old (67) Ha! I still look and feel young though.
I own a Gould and I'm not a super great player! I'm a regular dude that works a regular warehouse job and I think it's 100% worth it to buy a high end bass. It took ages to save up for and while it might not be a huge one, I still count it as a genuine milestone. I set a goal, I worked towards it, and I achieved it!
Right on! Feels good to have something you worked for and really love, doesn’t it?
@@ampthebassplayer I feel like it was a safer purchase than a $700 Sire honestly. There's always a market for high end, if I ever get tired of it or want to move it along for whatever reason, it's an excellent bargaining chip to use for trades. Funny enough, the higher the price tag, the safer it is to blindly buy.
@@NMbass906 I don't know about all that. When I played guitar I wanted a Les Paul. Have 2Gibsons and 1 Epi SG. I wanted something that sounded a little beefier so went to guitar center. Went through quite a few of thier Les Paul's and started going through thier Epis with the look I wanted and pickups. A 700 dollar Epi blew the Gibsons away. So...I was willing to spent up to 6000 dollars.
So high end guitars have a lot better resale value and there is no way I would ever buy any guitar or bass blind on line.
@@daveweed2765 Depends on the brand. PRS guitars are pretty consistently good. You can buy one of them over the internet and you know what it's gonna play like and sound like.
Gibsons are a whole other thing.
Luv and Peace.
@@daveweed2765 You know your finances better than I do so lemme just say, all things being equal, if you get the opportunity to do so, take a chance! I'm 5/5 unpunished on high end basses now lol. Warwick, 2 Kiesels, a Gould, and even a lil MIJ Fender! I wheeled and dealed like CRAZY to get them and it's been like a ten year journey but they trade so quickly. Bought and sold em all sight unseen on Reverb and used sections (except the Kiesels, thanks for the inheritance Dad) and traded a few just as quickly!
Guitars are a weird world cause you guitarists are worse than us bassists with that lol. Still though, I think you bought a Suhr, you'd have no trouble trading it for like a Nash or a Novo or any of those other high end guitars too.
Not trying to say you're wrong and I'm right of course lol. You're 100% correct on a lot of those WMI made instruments kicking a TON of ass. Played any Sires? They're out of this world dude. If you took one back in time to 1995 they'd think it was more expensive than a Sadowsky!
I enjoyed this video. Dr. D. spoke about his journey, choices and opportunities, respect to that, no need for negative comments from anyone. Ultimately, we can take something from this video. Own, play, choose, something that inspires you, motivates you, and brings you satisfaction. Cost is your business, taste is your business, brands are your business. Let’s not go with ‘better than’ or ‘worth it, not worth it’ , instead, choose and big up what works for you, and respect other people’s choices and views respectfully. Peace folks, play with inspiration and share what inspires you whenever you can, someone may be blessed by it.
Well said.
Started on a Ibanez Gio GSR180 for 220€. The bass was decent for the price tag. I think one of the most important lessons that I've learned is that always take a new cheap bass to a luthier for a professionel setup. I played for like half a year before a friend of mine gave me that tip and it changed my playing a lot. Setup on cheap basses are often crap and even if they are showcased in shops, the setup might not be perfect.
You can never go wrong a mid to pro level bass from a pawn shop for half off, never be turned off by basses that have "wear and tear" you just gotta find the right signs of wear, on the back of the body if see discoloration from "belly" rash or belt buckle scratches that means the previous owner/owners played it very often maybe was an active musician or a hired gun also cigarette burns on the headstock is a good sign they definitely were gigged and most of those basses will usually be properly set up or not far from being ready to go 👌
Just like scratch and dent appliances. Some good deals to be had.
Great video! Have you ever tried a Mayones bass out of Poland? I have 3 and I love them! They have the quality of Fodera without the NYC overhead!
I just purchased a 30th anniversary Brubaker KXB.
Any bass I play just isn't as satisfactory anymore. I love my Sires that I've owned, including my 6 string. I've played Sire since I was 15, now I'm 24.
But no matter how many times I go get it setup, it still doesn't feel like the Brubaker. Yes I worked very hard for it, and it'll be my only high end bass for a while. But it was worth it to me. And yes I gig every gig with a one of a kind custom, but they were made to be played.
I totally agree on the statements about more expensive instruments inspiring you. You don't necessarily need them, but I had a connection to that brubaker. Unlike any other bass I've ever played. I used to say "nah expensive basses aren't worth it." But now I see they ARE worth it.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the inconsistency issue you mention regarding the $250-500 range is somewhat manufacturer-dependent too, isn't it? Ibanez and Yamaha seem to be almost universally praised for their QC, and I haven't really seen/heard this "same model, different instrument" problem regarding their stuff, whereas Squier and Epiphone seem to be notorious for that.
I had to hit "like" as soon as you got to the "Sterling Sterling" rant. 😆
I’m frankly more upset than I should be.
As a MM Sterling owner, I can sympathize. I'm dreading the flood of hate messages about trying to get $2,000 for a $500 bass should I ever try to sell it.
I have an Ibanez SR305E i bought for a little less than $500 I did a custom set up myself and it sounds great, one thing that blows me away is This Thing keeps its tuning so so well I take it from my Basement studio to a friends house whose room is upstairs and even after playing for an hour or so I check the tuning and 90% of the time its still PERFECTLY in tune It blows me away.
Great video, i love cheap basses and also i love, and really recommend basses that are unpopular on the internet. I have an epiphone eb3 bass, i heard only bad things about it, but i honestly love it, play it with my doom metal band with a shit load of fuzz and huge amp, and it honestly crushes
I got a Glarry off amazon just to try it out. What attracted me to it was the 6 lb weight for a 5 string which is really hard to find. I got it and was blown away how decent it was for the $100 I paid! The biggest issue was how weak the frets were. I ended up swapping out the electronics, nut, and frets, and now it's my main gigging bass!
The pickups were actually way better than I could have expected. I tracked some tests in my daw before swapping them out with some seymour duncans, and I was blown away how they were almost the same tone! The weight makes it so nice to play long gigs with!
You know, saying that your bass is totally gratuitous is appreciate - it’s true. But you did a good job of highlighting the fact that _you just like it_. The value of that bass is the same as the value you place on your money in that trade, and if it didn’t make you happier than having the money, you wouldn’t have spent it.
I have 5 basses. On the low end is my Squire Classic Vibe and on the top end is my Modulus and MM Stingray. Do I need 5 basses? Nope. Do I need an expensive bass? Nope. But you know, I just _love_ my basses. That’s it. I love their sound, their looks, their playability, their history, their rarity…. I just like ‘em 🤷♂️
I LOVE Inexpensive basses. People Don’t have to spend a lot of money
My first bass I bought new in 1972. A Fender Precision. I knew the dealer and I paid under $200 for it new... I have been blessed to work RnD for some of the most notorious bass manufacturers on the planet. Boutique makers and the generic run of the mill brands.
Different body woods, Bridge materials fingerboard materials etc.
Tone woods DO make a difference in the sound and feel of an instrument. CONFIRMED!
Even though the Talkbass ( aka ALL Talk NO Bass ) will argue all day against that notion.. Most have never had the opportunity to try the huge variety of tone woods, bridges , pickups ect. That said I have owned a few Foderas, 5 or 6 NYC Sadowsky basses -aka parts bass, Valenti, Alleva Coppolo as well as Ibanez, Fender American, Fender Mexican, Kramer, Charvel, Peavey. Spector , Yamaha, Modulus, Zon etc etc.
I have even made my own basses from PARTS made by parts vendors such as chandler, Might Mite, Warmoth, USA guitar. My one parts bass had a Total $ in parts in 1989 money was about $300. That $300 bass was used on session in NYC and the TV it was used on won nation Awards and Nominated for Grammys. All that said, One does NOT need to spend a lot of money on a bass for it to be sound worthy of super spectacular, trophy winning tones. Cheap bass can be just as great as the NYC Sadowsky parts bass if it's player ( you) are able to make it sound appropriate for the gig , session , wadding, club no matter how small the gig is or how big it is.
Your reply is one of the reasons why I worked with a luthier for 2 years. It allowed me to experiment with all the bass-related items you mentioned in your comment! Different tone woods, neck woods, pickups, parts, etc. What an eye-opener that job was. I even built a bass when I worked there...that was a fantastic learning experience!
I agree about Thunderbirds, looks rock'n'roll but diving a hell. Impossible to play almost.
No mention of *Harley Benton* for a budget bass? If *Guitar Center* didn't have one _I would have never believed it_ for 199 bucks *GC* had a used five-string *Harley Benton* that was blowing away all the high-end bass guitars at *GC* (possibly due to poor QC?) or the fact that *GC* _doesn't know how to set up bass guitars in their stores_ but this used Harley Benton was done right, and the hardware and pickups were spot on and sounded amazing too.
It's not blowing away any high-end basses, but they are great for the money.
Every American Fender, Premium Ibanez and quality schecter that GC had in stock didn't play as nice. I have been playing Bass for over 30 years and worked as a guitar tech for over 10 years and I am certain the quality of the stock GC basses was poor in comparison to the Harley Benton. I don't want to believe it either, we can blame it on poor quality control for in-store set up's at Guitar Center I suppose...
@@AlexandarShmex
There are some Harley Bentons that I can't believe are sold at such low prices for that quality and sound?! Some of my favorite basses to play in my stable are Harley Bentons!
My issue with Harley Benton is that the shipping situation was a nightmare. I live in America. It was my first and only time ever ordering overseas. I ordered 2 basses because I thought it would be a better deal, cost wise. But they got held up in customs. I had to fill out some form (something about importing wood?) and pay for that AND I got charged daily for each day that it was held over (in Kentucky I think?) sooo… figuring out what was going on, figuring out who to call, then they needed to email me a form and then figuring out how to fill it out correctly and actually sign it (from my phone - digitally, it was my first time with that too) then for them to approve it AND they held it on a Saturday so it was stuck over the weekend… I got screwed.
I’ve never heard anyone talk about any issues with customs.
I commented on another TH-camr’s video (which was a positive review of a Harley Benton bass) and I asked about how to do the shipping part efficiently and safely, but no one ever responded.
So anyway, if I lived in Germany, I’d probably have a closet full of Harley Bentons but in America, I’ll stick with Squier or Sterling for budget gear.
😂 I laugh now but at the time I was LIVID.
Well, it blows away most of the crap that GC has, almost none of which I would call "high end" but also depends on the GC, some get up to $2k USA Musicmans and Fenders and others (like mine) max out at $700 Ibanez with muddy bartolinis and Mexican fender garbage
This is a proper bass player's video, bravo. Perfect accompaniment to my GAS 😄
I think the SIRE basses are probably the best bang for your buck, i have about 8 basses 2 musicmans ( USA ) 5 string - YAHMAHA John Patitucci , IBANEZ 5005 Boutique 5 string , MAYO JABBA-5 String , ALEMBIC 5 STRING-- But I recently bought a SIRE V 7 & V 9 and i am absolutely blown away by the tonal qualities from both. I did change the tuners on both & i put Aggie’s HC-5 -JAZZ PU’s on the V7 LEFT THE V9 alone and i use PHIL JONES AMPS & I got them so I didn’t have to take my other basses to local gigs in fear of damage , but i have now started taking them too studio sessions and they fit right in. Don’t sleep on these basses they are less expensive but definitely not cheap & very easy to make to your likings if need be.
This was a great video! When I first started I went the cheap route then I noticed I was losing money if I wanted to sell the bass and try something new. So now I look at them as investments and actually lucked up in finding basses that inspire me to get better.
Great video!
I would like to add the image effect for professional musicians. Sometimes you may deal with people that don't really understand much about music but know some brands, for example someone that wants to book your band or even a possible student. Having some name in your gear may help to impress those people and get you some gigs.
I am depressed with my recent acquisition. Its a Jackson JS3Q and I was pretty excited to unbox it. Ive only ever had a hand me down so I was looking forward to being able to play something that cost more than what I have and there is so much fret buzz. its everywhere. Im taking it to a GC, since it was ordered direct, to see if it falls under warranty or what. Do you feel instruments should come playable out of the box and not require you to spend extra for a set up? sads =(
Loved this video! 1 because it was awesome, and 2 because after seeing homies collection it convinced me to not feel bad about purchasing the instruments I’ve been looking at 😂
I bought a MIM PBass and after a setup and a few hours playing the skunk stipe came loose on the neck and you could limbo under the strings, Fender said it would take 8 to 10 weeks to repair so I opted for a replacement exactly the same model and colour and it has been OK.
Also i think we are all right here and i think we agree on one thing - buying a high end bass does not make you a better player - period. It may make you sound a certain way but it does not make you a better player. One of the best guitar performances i have ever heard was by a guy playing a 1998 Squier telecaster.
Great video, thanks for sharing! I used the earnings for a couple gigs to buy a used Squier fretless for $250 🤣🤣 I have basses ranging from $100 up to a couple grand, beyond that, I got in to loothing 😁 specifically so I could make myself some custom instruments. My first was a parts caster Jazz based on an old single piece slab old growth Honduran Mahogany (signed by the builder in 1978). I put custom shop pickups in it, licensed neck with nitpicky attention to detail on the frets, setup, and a custom oil finish. Period correct bridge, Kluson top of the line tuners, and a really cool tortie pickguard that really goes well with the aged mahogany. I even special ordered the mid 60s style 7 point knobs. I have maybe a grand into it, would have cost several grand to have one custom made. Still probably my favorite bass.
Gotta say, best bang for my buck lately has been Ibanez, I have a couple Soundgears and a BTB that were priced $250 to over a grand, all are quite good instruments. I've actually gigged with the $250 Soundgear and was totally happy with it. I enjoy playing the more expensive ones, like my Warwick, but I have zero qualms with the cheap ones. I wish they had cheap basses this quality when I started...
Oh, and yes, those comfort straps are a lifesaver. I have one on my 6 string BTB and really need to get a couple more.
My experience has been that it does not matter how much a bass cost or where it was made as to whether it is a great instrument, or not. I could cite a few examples, but I'll use Spector. I had everything from a Korean Legend to a Woodstock, NY model. In between those were a Pulse, a couple of Korean NS2A's, and a limited edition Euro. I'm down to the Legend and an NS2A. It's not that I did not like the basses I sold off. I just sold the ones I didn't play as much. I finally picked up a used Fodera for $4,000. It was an Emperor Standard that retails for around $6,000 now. Was it a nice bass? Sure. But was it 20x better than my $200 Ibanez Talman (which I love)? Absolutely not. Fortunately, it sold very quickly.
I briefly had an Alembic bass back in the day that was worth a decent used car back then. When my playing went from gigs to being more of a hobby, I downgraded quickly to several basses from Glarry and Rogue ranging from $100 to $120. I don't know if I've been just lucky, but I haven't had any problems with those basses and I kind of wish I had bought them from the start. The Alembic had an unbeatable sound, but for the kind of music I play, the cheap basses work fine.
But the Alembic had a cool factor! Back in the day all the pros switched to them. Then a few years later, they went back to their Fenders and Music Mans.
I have the original series of corvette rockbasses, passive. I looked them up recently to see how much they cost and they are a good bit more for what I paid for mine when it first came out on the market but they are all active now. Have 2 standard Germans as well, the tone and playability/audio response is superior with my German standards. The issue is with these good old basses, they are considerably heavier. I love playing them but my main gig bass is the rock bass because it’s so light and most importantly still offers amazing Warwick tone that I love especially combined with a great pre amp/di. You can still buy these old passive rockbasses for about 500 to 600 online used. I would recommend buying either old used or the new active because all of the demos sound amazing. They are affordable, give you the classic Warwick tone, lightweight, even though aren’t made as well as the standard versions they still feel and are constructed a lot better vs an American fender for reference. It’s an amazingly versatile bass, that’s why it’s my main bass for standard tuning gigs. Mine holds up perfectly after 10 years. And if you want a fender style bass that’s half the price and overall better while still maintaining that unique fender tone that sits in the mix, get sadowsky for sure (they are made at the same factory as the rockbasses). I think the perfect 2 basses to cover just about any style gig for half the price while still maintaining 2k bass tone/quality: j/p sadowsky and Warwick rock bass corvette. You can’t go wrong and now you have a lifetime of tone for 2k
My first (of two) basses is a Sterling Music Man GS4 Stringray. I can confirm that it's super reliable for just about any style, and the biggest issue is keeping it in tune after travelling. The G string especially tends to drift out of tune if I've taken it anywhere outside my room!
With that said, this is a minor complain that doesn't detract from my playing much. Granted, I've only been playing for four years, but I do think the £200-£500 range will serve you plenty for starter/all rounder basses.
Great video! My most expensive bass is my Fender Tony Franklin fretless Pbass. I really think it depends on what you like and really need in a bass. Personally myself would love to have a fretless Wal(the company stopped taking orders). It’s so much better today than it was when I started playing bass many decades ago from a handful of manufacturers to companies that just make basses.
Thanks for sharing, learned a lot in this video. I went to Dr Denson's website and listened to his music. I was blown away by his bass sound, so clear, so deep, so articulate. Superb...
Thank you so much!
I've got a used Fender Partscaster with a J bass neck on a PJ bass body with aftermarket pups, and I've got a Sterling Stingray with a humbucker and active preamp. They were both under $500 each. They both feel great and have exactly the sound I want. I'm really not clear on what a more expensive bass would do for me or why I would want one.
I love your longer videos
I bought a USA Charvel single hum with a Kahler right off the shop wall in 1985 for $999. I had no business owning that but it was what made me play more, honestly the Kahler used to eat hi E strings and being an idiot I had no idea that it was probably a bur in the saddle and the stupid locking nut behind the regular nut probably was worse for me then the Roadstar II I was playing before that. I financed the Charvel, 24 months, my first loan threw beneficial credit, i look at it as a life lesson :-)
I bought a Squier 40th anniversary P-bass on sale for $290. I put a pair of DiMarzio pickups on it ($100) and a BadA$$ II bridge ($80) and it sounds killer. Got it for a backup bass for gigs and I tell you what - it rocks. I have a couple other basses, including a Music Man Stingray and a Spector Ethos, but gee whiz if you're on a budget - Squiers can be really impressive.
Well... I'm particularly fond of F-Bass at about $5K each. I always kid that the VF5PJ is a $5000 copy of a $2500 bass but I have both Fender J and the VF5 and, to me, it is well worth the difference. Agree you can start on a Squire and they will definitely do the job I would say, in a budget constrained, look for a Mexican Fender J bass. Bottom line is any great player can make any bass from squire up sound good (especially when paired with a Tech21 Sans Amp) but a great player will likely prefer the feel and response of a finer instrument, Great video bro. Good information for the new player. To me, start your investment in the instrument before you start purchasing processing (Line 6 Helix, etc.)
For new bass players, buy a squier vintage vibe and do the following: change the tuners, buy duct tape (the shiny kind) at a hardware store and shield the cavities, change the strings and use some graphite from a pencil on the nut. It will play like a fender. In total you’ll spend about 400 bucks. I’ve had mine for 13 years and still love it.
I think what really makes "expensive basses worth it" is if that specific instrument doesn't limit your ability to get what you want musically. And this usually changes over time as you improve as a player.
Modding a standard bass can do something very similar for a fraction of the cost, you just need to push the instrument you've got!
those Foderas are amazing. Would love to have one someday.
And that quick adjustable ramp.... incredible !
It's bonkers! I love it.
They are amazing, but I never bring them with me because of the price, my Ibanez and Yamaha basses are my go to or one of the Precision basses depending on the style.
I have two basses - one is Warwick Corvette SS 5, I bought it for around 1,5k euro, and another is 5 strings Cort bass, I don't remember the name, but this is kind of music man style bass. Its price was around 400 euros. They both sound great, the key difference I noticed - Warwick is much lighter, the neck is thinner, the electronic is more musical, I would say. Apart from that, especially in the busy metal mix, with a lot of distortion, both basses sound great. Plus, Cort has 35" scale, and low B is actually quite good!
I bought my Musicman Sterling (4 knob, 3-way pickup switch) used for $300...STILL have it, and love it!
Imo expensive basses can be worth it, but that's not always the case. It's not a linear relationship between price and quality/tone/playability. Having a bigger budget buys you more options, there's more variation and customization in the high end bass market vs. the import factory builds, and sometimes you might find the ideal combination of neck shape, fingerboard radius, string spacing, finish etc. Is only made by a custom builder somewhere that has higher manufacturing costs. Or you might find one of the budget builds is perfect for you, and you're not missing out not owning something super expensive. For me, I own several USA Laklands each costing a few grand, but that's only because I've played every other bass and Laklands just jive with me like nothing else does. I love them more than the Foderas and Sadowskys I've played. If Lakland didn't exist, I probably would play something a lot cheaper like a mid level Yamaha because the other expensive basses didn't fit me as well and wouldn't be worth it. So my advice is go travel to a high end music store and get your hands on as many different basses as possible to find what works for you and try not to judge a bass either positively or negatively based on cost.
I saw the Sterling Sterling. It's hilarious and illustrates your gripe wonderfully. Not gonna lie, I want passive stingray tone in a slimmer build, so I'm getting one at some point
When you look at your guitar and see that it's a huge budget bass you are quite underwhelmed. I have a Schecter Stiletto Extreme 5 and love it. I guess it's a mid bass. What's the difference in a begginer, mid, and pro bass?
My 40th anniversary squire jazzbass has survived so much and still plays really great. I returned a very expensive fender p-bass because I couldn't justify spending 2g's more on a slightly better bass.
I think there's also something to be said for how many basses you have. If you only have one it can be nicer, I feel like a lot of people end up with large collections of meh basses. I have a Ray34HH I've upgraded and added some more sound options to and I really can't justify ever needing another bass now
I owe a Fender Blacktop Bass made in Mexico Its a beautiful playing bass I paid 499.00 and changed the pick guard to red tortas shell. It came with a black pick guard it had two Humbucking Pickups. I can find another one so Im glad I bought this one. I own other basses Jack Casady 20 Adversity Red Wine. I love this Bass. Thank you for your video.Sign Rick.
The biggest mistake I’ve ever made was playing an $11,000 Fodera. It was a 6 string and every thing about it was superior to anything I’ve ever played. I’m sure F bass etc are nice as well but it blew my mind. I was able to play things I simply couldn’t play on my Fenders. Amazing basses.
Biggest gratitude I have is finding a used 1980s Warwick after 2 years of searching, for less than $1000 at the time, 15 years ago. I spent years changing it and modding it, until it truly became mine. As a comparison, I had a chance to try an Alembic Series 1 in London a few years ago, and it had nothing on my Warwick. Growing with an instrument has more value than a very high price tag in my humble opinion.
Thank you for the Sterling rant. That is in my head all the time. Wtf.
Of course, a skilled bassist will make any instrument sound great. But as I played my basses over the past 30 years I have gradually kept 'trading up' and now own a couple of 2nd hand market gems like my 2007 Fodera NYC Empire, a 1994 Zon Sonus and some other rather special instruments. I have always wondered if it is worth, if I haven't been "spoiling myself" with it since the tone of a mid market segment Mexican Fender Jazz "does the job" these days and is by no means a bad choice...
But then somewhere last year I was out in a local pub at the jam session and had brought down my (woodwork done in Japan, construction and setup done in Brooklyn NY) Fodera. I was doing some slap stuff, lots of fingerstyle playing and even some picking when this other bassist walks up to me and goes "Hey what kinda bass is that? because your tone is REALLY awesome!". So there you have it. The quality does get noticed by those who recognize good bass tone. Playing comfort on it is really great and the active electronics on them are really out there quality wise. Where many active basses sorta lose part of their character the Fodera really doesn't. I am still very glad with my purchase. I spent around 2800 euro on this bass which isn't too bad is it?
There are ways of obtaining quality instruments like this without spending tens of thousands and imo, it really has been worth it so far. Like many things this is a journey and the journey itself is as important as the end goal. Change is the spice of life so do whatever it takes to keep yourself inspired to keep playing and progressing.
Cheers, Tanx.
I've never ever played a squire base that was as good as As a Fender or squire stratecaster that sound as good as Good As A Fender. Though I don't believe you should have to spend $1000 on an American to have a decentfender type bass or guitar. . I tried one of those classic vibe Precision base and I thought there WA straight garbage and it sucks cause they look Great but they don't feel in play so great especially the white with the black guard I really wanted that 12 work out I wanted that bass to work out so bad.
Awesome! Really great video.
Thank you!
Just spent 2800 earlier this month on a new StingRay Special 5HH myself. Totally worth it!
Nice! Stingrays are so sick.
Video essay on expensive basses LFG I'M HERE FOR IT. Also the Sterling situation pisses me off too, I actually prefer the USA Sterling over the Stingray, pickup just sounds brtter
Diminishing returns after 1.2k USD either new or used. At least that what I feel. My used -05 Warwick corvette I bought for $1299 and my Fender Aerodyne Jazz brand new was $1099.
Just curious regarding the Yamaha ( Indonesia ) bass you purchased via the internet; Can you please let me knnow the model. Also, are both pickups noiseless ? i"m looking for a bass in this price range. No worries if for privacy reasons you do not want to disclose. Thx. BTW: Really enjoyed this video, particularly the Federa portion.
It’s a BB735a. The J pickup is not noiseless though. Thanks for watching!
4:30 and don't forget the USA SUB vs the Indonesian SUB (which has 2 different versions)
It’s like a ROLEX and a CASIO, they both tell time, it’s about Name and Prestige is all. I know a bass player that owns a Ken Smith and he sucks, it’s the musicians skill not the price of the instrument.
I played the same Ibanez RG570 I bought at University with my 1st Student loan of £715 for 30 years. I caught a break and was made redundant from the oil services company I worked for. I was a software developer with them for 20 years. I got a sizable enhanced redundancy payout and was able to buy myself the guitar I'd always dreamed of owning. I couldn't bring myself to buy a new one but I bought a 2001 Emerald green PRS Custom 24 ten top. The exact colour I'd always wanted and a really amazing well figured flame maple top.
It also has a colour matched neck and headstock.
It plays and sounds amazing and is everything I hoped it would be.
It has some dings and there's a bit of cloudiness in the finish at the lower bout but I can live with that given the price I paid for it.
Bottom Line: It's not selfish to buy your dream guitar if you can afford to get it.
Look at the used market though. There are bargains to be had and the prices are a lot more negotiable on higher end guitars.
I offered a price a good bit lower and we met in the middle and I saved a few hundred GBP.
I play a bit of bass but I couldn't ever justify an expensive bass. Those Federa Customs look amazing though.
Luv and Peace.
I spent $450 on a classic vibe squire. Sounds great for my bedroom rig.
I have a precision squier and an Ibanez atk-500 . Very happy with them so far.
I got a Harley Benton pj 74 in September. It's stupid good. The neck has no business being that nice.
I got a custom bass like that, waaaay above my capabilities, talents, ect...
I got a cash bonus at work, I was young and stupid, and just went for it. It wasn't that expensive to be fair. (Not even) £2K for a fully custom 5-strings monster.
Beautifully crafted, exotic woods, custom hand made pickups and custom parametric 18V preamp, gorgeous bookmatched walnut, front and back, limba core, wenge neck, maccassar ebony fingerboard, walnut pots, why not, dual passive humbuckers with three positions, beautiful case too. The sound is unreal, extremely modern, with the neck pickup well forward and a big humbucker at the bridge like a Stingray, the amount of bass in some configuration is insane. Way too many possibilities with the three-way parametric EQ, difficult to pin down the settings, but man, a work of art.
Pic in my avatar of course. Repaired my amp, I'm trying to get back to playing bass again. Maybe I'm not worthy, but it will be one hell of a heirloom, and I've got musicians in the familly.
I think the maker is gone (ACG). Such a shame, he made beautiful instruments, with a very special parametric preamp. Such is the way with small luthiers, it's a very difficult business, especially these days.
The guy is still in business, thank god 😊
My first bass (5 yrs ago) was the cheapest Yamaha tbx for $200. It’s a PJ. Great little bass for beginners but so many more options now too
The Yamaha BB's are fantastic. My collection counts 42 basses at the moment and 12 are Yamaha's from 1974 up to the 2000's.
Damn - 42 in the herd. Award !
Why 42? Can you play them all at the same time? Is that number good for your ego? Good grief.
@@WayneGreen-b4y I play them all but some never leave the house as they are too valuable and are collectors instruments. Make no mistake, there are many bass players with much more in their collection than mine. It has zero to do with ego but your comment points towards the need to work on yours.
@@WayneGreen-b4y What's the matter, people can't have instrument collections without an ego?
I've walked into a studio with a £4k bass and ended up recording with a Squier P bass that was sat in the corner of the studio. Sometimes a simple 'cheap' bass is the best tool for the job.
It's good to start on a cheap bass to figure out what you really need/want in a bass
I picked up a Cort Curbow and I swear everyone loves it when they pick it up
Fake ebony fretboard....plastic body....it's a beast
Can you di a review the legator wrf5 not much out their on them and would love to hear your thoughts on that bass.
Can’t say I’ve ever heard of that one.
Great video. Dont sleep on Warmoth if you wanna keep the price down and get pretty close to what you want. I got a jazz bass that is like freekin butter for under $1k from them - ebony fingerboard, gold frets, bartolini pickups omega bridge !❤
35 years playing, started on something that weighed like 80 pounds, someone made it and threw it out so I picked it out of garbage lol. I somehow rigged it to play through my car amplifier and speaker bass tube with my friends help lol. I still cant remember how we actually did that. Now I am playing a Modulus Quantum 5 Buckeye which is insane action. Fodera is awesome but to expensive now with the Vic Wooten hypeboys. I will eventually get a Ken Smith and or a New York Bass Works 6 string.
I'm an intermediate player with a Warwick CustomShop Thumb6 as my main player. Best thing I've ever purchased.
I started playing bass in early 2020 at age 10 I started off with a 75 dollar glarry from eBay(I used that for about 1 year)now I have a Ibanez gsr200 and am looking to upgrade to a 5 string bass in the $300 to $500 price range and I primarily play metal,do you guys know of any recommendations, if so thank you so much, btw I love your videos amp you’re the best bass TH-camr out there
The SR305 is in your future. I just sold my SR305EDX. It was an incredible bass. I traded up to an SR1306. I really think Ibanez is one of the best all around instrument manufacturers out there.
my brother bought a glarry a while back, that would then become my first bass. The neck thickness makes no sense at all. My brother sanded it down A TON and it had no issues and did not feel anymore flimsy, so I don't know why they make them so thick.
I used to gig with a 40usd bass. . i replaced all the parts that broke and now i use it more than my fender bass. . playing it feels like wearing worn shoes. feels nice😊
I know what he is saying. I have many artists basses like Rudy Sarzo prototype Fender, Warren Waters from the Chantays, Stuart Hamm's bass, Bud Cockrell from Pablo Cruise who was good friends with Jaco Pastorius who, story has it, played this Fender and the bass whisperer Ed Friedland's Lakland bass.. You think about the great artists that hand their hands on these basses and played them! It's very powerful. I have 2 Fodera Yin Yang Deluxe basses and Fodera told me that one of them came from the same aged wood as Victor Wooten's Deluxe. Fender stacked knob, Gibson, '64 P bass etc.
im blown away by this collection. ive owned a high end bass, as in ONE, but ohh. myy.gawd
Hey My Man! @ 5:15 If I pick up an evil twin could take off that bridge block and turn that into a BTB with the individuals?!
High end basses can be beautiful. My playing style is very simple. Fingers, four string, single passive pickup, 34" scale w/ labella flats. No slapin or poppin. Im happy with my 73 telecaster bass. My thoughts sometimes do go to a Nik Huber Rietbergen bass.
Nice video man!
Great interview and grear questions asked. Thanks.
My advice is go with the glarry package. Then chunk the cord. Theres no fixing that. Use whatever money you saved and put that in your cabs and amp fund. Hold off your buying power and just start studying amps and cabs in the used market. Study it then send the lowest low ball offer. Hold your horsies and jump on an amp and cab when you see a good deal and you lurked enough to know what youre talking about. No rush tho. Bonus points if you got a broken amp and know enough to know why you got it. That way not only are you solid on guitar setup, but youre familiar with the amp cab side hopefully enough to be the amp repairman. Ive seen big fish smole pond rockstars go roadie for their favorite bands, because they grew up in music bars surrounded by musicians. Also you got the smole practice amp to keep quiet and work on form and structure while looking for something a little bigger to get familiar with jamming with drummers and stuff.
I have both a Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jazz Bass Sunburst And a Squier Classic Vibe 70s P Bass Walnut Color in my Bass Guitar Collection
@34:45 for the real bass
The difference between Gibson/Epiphone and Fender/Squier on one hand and Ernie Ball Music Man/Sterling by Music Man is that Epiphone and Squier are wholly owned subsidiaries of Gibson and Fender while Sterling by Music Man is a licensed product not owned by EBMM at all. Sure, you can call a SBMM a budget Stingray because EBMM licensed the name and design to Praxis Musical Instruments, but it’s not owned by EBMM. Calling SBMM the budget line of EBMM is incorrect.
Yamaha BB series are super underrated. Played everything from cheap ass squiers to Ibanez workshop basses. Do yourself a favor & try one of the Yamaha BB series
I knew within 5 seconds of playing my Lākland 55-02 that I had to have it. They make the wood parts in Indonesia, and plek the neck and assemble it in Chicago with the same electronics and metal parts as their high end boutique basses. My bass cost $1800. And I think it’s worth twice as much.
I always hear such good things about Lakland basses but never have had the chance to try one out.