As recently alluded to on TB, I decided to re-begin the bass after my first try in my early 20's, in the mid 80's. As many do, I looked at local music stores, online music stores, eBay, craigslist, local pawn shops....After the initial overwhelming number of choices, and decisions, it came down to this.
1. As a family man with a young teenager, and a preteen (who both show inclination to play instruments), what was the most "Labrador" of basses (acceptable level of quality/$, easy to get parts, "tough enough", etc.) that would still be a good keeper if it lives?
2. What Amp?
Bought this.
A 1992 Fender Squier MIK P Bass w/ maple neck and fret board, black w/ white p/p and the original p/u's. Bought it through Reverb and just plugged it in after getting the amp in the mail today. It looks really nice from up close, but the body has a large scratch and a chip on back. It's on the back, so SO WHAT. The neck is really nice looking after I taped the fretboard and polished every fret w/ 0000 steel wool, no crackling when you jack with the volume, tone, or the output jack. I am really happy with the sound, decided to go with Ernie Ball Super Slinky flat wounds the first time around, I like bass for BASS. Began my own set up after a lot of reading and a working life as a Tool and Die maker. It may not be perfect the first go around, but I will get better each time I do it. And it's a perfect candidate for a body upgrade in the future. Or just play the shine offa it.
The Amp. A factory blemished Ampeg BA112v2. Solid State dependable. 12" speaker, 75w RMS, with the overdrive mode and basic tone controls, inputs for headphones, foot pedals/effects, and your iPhone or MP3 to play along with. Enough wattage for a home practice and garage jam/beer brewing amp, but at 40 lbs still pretty easily lugged somewhere if I ever get to that point. The tear in the back of it saved me a 1/3 off the original price, but is still shiny for all practical purposes, so happy wife can stay that way since it looks as nice as possible in the living room. Till we start playin', that is...
We all had fun with it today. My fingertips hurt. The kids are happy. I am happy.
1. As a family man with a young teenager, and a preteen (who both show inclination to play instruments), what was the most "Labrador" of basses (acceptable level of quality/$, easy to get parts, "tough enough", etc.) that would still be a good keeper if it lives?
2. What Amp?
Bought this.
A 1992 Fender Squier MIK P Bass w/ maple neck and fret board, black w/ white p/p and the original p/u's. Bought it through Reverb and just plugged it in after getting the amp in the mail today. It looks really nice from up close, but the body has a large scratch and a chip on back. It's on the back, so SO WHAT. The neck is really nice looking after I taped the fretboard and polished every fret w/ 0000 steel wool, no crackling when you jack with the volume, tone, or the output jack. I am really happy with the sound, decided to go with Ernie Ball Super Slinky flat wounds the first time around, I like bass for BASS. Began my own set up after a lot of reading and a working life as a Tool and Die maker. It may not be perfect the first go around, but I will get better each time I do it. And it's a perfect candidate for a body upgrade in the future. Or just play the shine offa it.
The Amp. A factory blemished Ampeg BA112v2. Solid State dependable. 12" speaker, 75w RMS, with the overdrive mode and basic tone controls, inputs for headphones, foot pedals/effects, and your iPhone or MP3 to play along with. Enough wattage for a home practice and garage jam/beer brewing amp, but at 40 lbs still pretty easily lugged somewhere if I ever get to that point. The tear in the back of it saved me a 1/3 off the original price, but is still shiny for all practical purposes, so happy wife can stay that way since it looks as nice as possible in the living room. Till we start playin', that is...
We all had fun with it today. My fingertips hurt. The kids are happy. I am happy.
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