Need Help Deciding Between These Basses

Which Would You Choose (All Prices New)

  • Squier CV 60s Precision - $365

    Votes: 65 50.4%

  • Ibanez SR300e - $349

    Votes: 11 8.5%

  • Ibanez SR370e - $399

    Votes: 18 14.0%

  • Yamaha TRBX304 - $349

    Votes: 25 19.4%

  • Other

    Votes: 14 10.9%

  • I have just what you need PM me.

    Votes: 2 1.6%

  • Change the pickups and \ or preamp in the GSR

    Votes: 7 5.4%
  • Total voters
    129
  • Poll closed .
A

AEDW

Sep 9, 2019
47
49
4,541
Barbados
#1
Hi All,

Long time lurker, first time poster. I currently have a GSR200 with Chromes and a Rumble 40 combo. I like the feel of the GSR, (light weight, fast neck; not too fat) but not a big fan of the tone. A touch too much growl, not enough "heft" is the best way I can put it; Phat II EQ a non starter. I mostly play reggae, calypso, some R&B, bit of funk,not much into slapping right now but plan to learn. Looking for a smoother sounding bass, that will "sit well in the mix".

I have about $400 US to spend, really don't want to go above that. Factoring in shipping and duties, a $400 bass becomes a $1000+ bass by the time it reaches my door. I am not looking for my forever bass, if there is such a thing. Just want a decent one to get me through the next couple of years, resale value not a factor. I play (or used to until "the happening") weekly jams with a guitar and drummer, but coming up near the end of the year I have one very much unpaid gig with a larger band (2 sax players, trumpet, trombone, 2 guitars, drums, congas , 3 vocalists). I always have access to a PA when not at home.

I have done a lot of looking around on the internet and I have narrowed it down to the basses in the poll. I am buying online sight unseen. I wont have the chance to try any in person. I live on a small island there is no used market here and returns would be a major PITA so I am leaning towards new to minimise my risk. Feel free to correct me if i am wrong.

You can only learn so much from reviews on the internet so I am hoping that those of you who have tried the basses can weigh in and also maybe suggest something better if it comes to mind.

TLDR; Need a new bass, the above are my initial options.

Thanks in advance.
 
#2
I chose the SR370 because you like the GSR feel and playability and because I really like Ibanez basses. The SR370 has a much more rounded and modern tone and looks fantastic. However the Yamaha TRBX 304 is an amazing bass. The 5 way switch totally changes the tone of the bass just by moving that switch and it also has the bass and treble knobs to adjust accordingly. I will probably pick up one of these yamahas myself as the tone palate is amazing.

Edit: Yamaha basses are easily the best bang for buck and the QC is second to none. It’s very rare to get a bad one. I just prefer the look if Ibanez.
 
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#5
eccles77 said:
I would have said the P bass but the fact that you need decent qc as you don`t want to be returning it, leads me to the Yamaha. Never owned a bad one. Some Squiers can be a bit dodgy qc wise.

What about one of the cheaper BB`s from Yamaha? The 234 will be nice and you have a P and J pickup?
Click to expand...
Thanks will check that out as well.
 
#7
jonnybass1 said:
I chose the SR370 because you like the GSR feel and playability and because I really like Ibanez basses. The SR370 has a much more rounded and modern tone and looks fantastic. However the Yamaha TRBX 304 is an amazing bass. The 5 way switch totally changes the tone of the bass just by moving that switch and it also has the bass and treble knobs to adjust accordingly. I will probably pick up one of these yamahas myself as the tone palate is amazing.

Edit: Yamaha basses are easily the best bang for buck and the QC is second to none. It’s very rare to get a bad one. I just prefer the look if Ibanez.
Click to expand...
Yes quality is very important, I'm not too fussy over looks bar fugly so the Yamaha is a strong possibility.
 
#10
AEDW said:
Hi All,

Long time lurker, first time poster. I currently have a GSR200 with Chromes and a Rumble 40 combo. I like the feel of the GSR, (light weight, fast neck; not too fat) but not a big fan of the tone. A touch too much growl, not enough "heft" is the best way I can put it; Phat II EQ a non starter. I mostly play reggae, calypso, some R&B, bit of funk,not much into slapping right now but plan to learn. Looking for a smoother sounding bass, that will "sit well in the mix".

I have about $400 US to spend, really don't want to go above that. Factoring in shipping and duties, a $400 bass becomes a $1000+ bass by the time it reaches my door. I am not looking for my forever bass, if there is such a thing. Just want a decent one to get me through the next couple of years, resale value not a factor. I play (or used to until "the happening") weekly jams with a guitar and drummer, but coming up near the end of the year I have one very much unpaid gig with a larger band (2 sax players, trumpet, trombone, 2 guitars, drums, congas , 3 vocalists). I always have access to a PA when not at home.

I have done a lot of looking around on the internet and I have narrowed it down to the basses in the poll. I am buying online sight unseen. I wont have the chance to try any in person. I live on a small island there is no used market here and returns would be a major PITA so I am leaning towards new to minimise my risk. Feel free to correct me if i am wrong.

You can only learn so much from reviews on the internet so I am hoping that those of you who have tried the basses can weigh in and also maybe suggest something better if it comes to mind.

TLDR; Need a new bass, the above are my initial options.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
I have a Squier CV 70s P and it's a fantastic bass! I'm sure the CV 60s is incredible also.
 
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#13
Given the choices above, my vote goes to the Yamaha based on having recently picked up one of their BB235's and being thoroughly impressed given its price ($299 US for the BB234 4-string). It does the P-Bass thing well and it does a Jazz-ish thing well, the way PJ's do; only with a more mid-forward character as opposed to the mid scooped sound of the JJ pickup configuration. Simple, easy and solid.

I generally prefer a PJ setup to a JJ setup though.
 
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#14
I would think for that fat tone that reggae requires, a straight-up Precision Bass would seem to be the ticket, with several reservations from what you posted:

Of course, it would be a 'size bigger' than your current Ibanez, or the choices you listed. Bigger all over, fatter neck, probably somewhat heavier. This may or may not be a concern to you. The Soundgear Ibanez range (they make a LOT of basses with the same overall dimensions of your GSR) are remarkably compact for a full-size 34" bass, and a Precision would 'feel' larger.

With your bass, the growl you're hearing is in part from having that added J pickup onboard, which your other choices also feature. Better pickups and amps could mitigate this, but it's part of that combination regardless, though it will certainly vary from brand to brand and different feature sets. Flatwounds or pressurewound strings would help mitigate this. Of course, a single pickup would cure that fast, but would you feel limited later . . . . .

I can empathize with how your relative remote location makes shopping impossible, and returns very difficult. Best of luck with whatever you choose. It's a very personal choice, and hope maybe these ideas might give you a little insight. Precision Basses have been the right answer for over 50 years for a lot of people, but there are now a lot more choices, and I hope you hit the one that's right for you.
 
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#15
I just bought a white w/Tort Classic Vibe P Bass about a month ago, in no small part because of the amount of love they get around here. It’s a pretty good sounding and playing Bass, especially for the money. Hard to go wrong with a P Bass. (I’ll probably upgrade the pickup at some point, though.)
 
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#16
I voted "Other". I've played a couple of different four and five string models of the latest Sterling By Music Man Sub Ray, and they are all not only great basses for the money, they are flat-out great basses! I took home a 2020 SubRay 4. After changing the strings and making a minor tweak to the truss rod, it plays nearly as easily as my Pedulla. It sounds really good as well! I've gigged it a few times, and received compliments from the other members of my band and people in the audience. The neck is fast, the frets are smooth, the instrument balances well either standing or sitting, string spacing is pretty standard, the latest model's preamp sounds clean and punchy played fingerstyle with a nice snarl when either digging in hard or slapping even with the stock ceramic pickup. It's nice and lightweight too. Sure, a Pedulla or other high-end bass does have a few nice features above the Sub, but $300 USD for a new 4-string or $330 for a fiver of this quality is hard to beat unless for some reason you don't like StingRays. Don't let the one pickup thing fool you either. It's quite versatile.
 
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#17
The Squier is (as I've said in other places here on TB) a Precision - it's the AK-47 of basses - a simple design that can be built anywhere and made to work. Also very easy to maintain - You could be in Timbuktu and still find parts for that thing. Want a pickup for it 40 years from now? Sure thing. May or may not be part of your criteria, but it is in some places a consideration.
 
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#18
Artman said:
I voted "Other". I've played a couple of different four and five string models of the latest Sterling By Music Man Sub Ray, and they are all not only great basses for the money, they are flat-out great basses! I took home a 2020 SubRay 4. After changing the strings and making a minor tweak to the truss rod, it plays nearly as easily as my Pedulla. It sounds really good as well! I've gigged it a few times, and received compliments from the other members of my band and people in the audience. The neck is fast, the frets are smooth, the instrument balances well either standing or sitting, string spacing is pretty standard, the latest model's preamp sounds clean and punchy played fingerstyle with a nice snarl when either digging in hard or slapping even with the stock ceramic pickup. It's nice and lightweight too. Sure, a Pedulla or other high-end bass does have a few nice features above the Sub, but $300 USD for a new 4-string or $330 for a fiver of this quality is hard to beat unless for some reason you don't like StingRays. Don't let the one pickup thing fool you either. It's quite versatile.
Click to expand...
Hadn't considered a Sterling, good points.
 
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