new member from down under needs advice

089

089

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Nov 5, 2016
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#1
Hi fellas
first a bit about myself
I started playing electric and classical guitar 16 years ago when my wife and i came to
Brisbane. Having all the time in the world now i decided to jump the fence and get a bass
(i am such a genius on the guitar I can already play the smoke on the water riff with 2 fingers;)).

My knowledge of bass guitars is very limited, plus i have a little handicap. I'm a lefty.
From the research i did so far i am leaning towards a short scale Warwick corvette.

so, what do you think
short scale- long scale
4 string- 5 string
active- passive
any recommendations are welcome, budget is up to 1000 Australian Dollars but
please keep in mind it has to be a lefty.

Thanks a lot 089:bassist:
 
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#2
Everyone is different. Everyone has their own style and needs. You'll find yours. :) Experiment as much as you like.

30 years ago I played nothing but metal. Huge amps, pointed headed basses, active pickups, stainless steel round wounds, 5 stringers, and every decibel of volume I could get.

Now I play a 4 string, passive P bass, with flats. And a little combo amp.

It's all good. :)
 
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#3
My opinion:

Some lefties learn to play righty and that's not necessarily a bad idea. There's a whole thread on this recently.

Short vs, long scale is a matter of body size and what's comfortable to you I think.
I'm rather big and I would look a bit silly with a SS. A guitar looks like a ukelele on me.

4 vs. 5 is a matter of player preference. If you think you need to go to low B then you might as well start with it.
DO pay attention if there's any discomfort with the wide necks. There are options for 4 stringers. BEAD tuning and hipshot D-tuners.

Active vs. passive is just another player preference. Personally I avoid batteries at all costs. They could leak, it's another small expense.
And worst of all, if one starts to fail at showtime, I don't want to be trying to troubleshoot on stage. Passives sound fine to me.

Personally I recommend Fenders and Squiers because they are easy to modify and work on with thousands of aftermarket parts
out there. So as my tastes change and I learn more about what suits me my bass can just evolve rather than be replaced.
 
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#5
@Amano
i tried a squier vm 70 last weekend
sounded nice no crackling pots but very neck heavy (i am not used to this from my strat)
are all fender basses like this ?
 
#6
I agree with Nev375 on all counts. Play everything you can get your hands on before buying. Get what you purchase professionally set up. - can't advise on the 4 vs 5. Maybe the type of music you play can help. I play lots of Christian Music and can't imagine life without a low b string.

Hope that helps!!
 
#7
089 said:
@Amano
i tried a squier vm 70 last weekend
sounded nice no crackling pots but very neck heavy (i am not used to this from my strat)
are all fender basses like this ?
Click to expand...

No they aren't all neck heavy, but many of the Squiers use lightweight wood for the body.
Balance is a wise thing to look for. You are on the right track.
 
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#9
That's like 750 usd, right?
Anyway for that budget there's a lot of room for a good solid bass. I'm 6'4", 15 years in to playing and only recently got into 35" scale. All 34" before that. I don't know what excise fees squirrels get hit with in Australia but over here they go for around 200 to 400 ish new. You can probably find a much nicer bass for the money in your budget, but if the squier works for you go for it.
 
#11
089 said:
please keep in mind it has to be a lefty.
Click to expand...
Welcome Fellow Lefty! Right now Fender offers three leftys: two different Squier Jazz basses ($350 USD), and one Fender Standard Jazz ($600 USD) made in Ensenada, Mexico. American Standards have been discontinued, but they would be out of your price range anyway. There are some low dollar lefty Ibanez basses out there that don't impress me much. Lefty Music Man Stingrays and G&L's are all like $1600+ USD.
The Fender Jazz is the most versatile and also the most copied bass in the world. I'd recommend the Fender Standard Jazz Bass.
 
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#12
fender mexican j bass costs about 1100 AUS$
finding one second hand left handed is impossible
ibanez sr500 is about the same
esp b 204 is a little less
please keep replies and advice coming
i don't want to rely on you tube reviews
got a free day tomorrow, hope to find something
in my range
just want decent, upgrading follows anyway

Thanks so far good people of Bassland
 
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#13
089 said:
@Amano
i tried a squier vm 70 last weekend
sounded nice no crackling pots but very neck heavy (i am not used to this from my strat)
are all fender basses like this ?
Click to expand...

Nev375 said:
No they aren't all neck heavy, but many of the Squiers use lightweight wood for the body.
Balance is a wise thing to look for. You are on the right track.
Click to expand...

I agree with Nev375 on this. Some Squiers and some light swamp ash Fenders also can be neck heavy. Too me this is a personal thing. My ash 75 Fender P is neck heavy but i am used to it. When playing my bass standing its complete horizontal. And prefer this instead for a more heavy bass.
 
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#15
sterling-ray34-lefty3.jpg sterling-ray34-lefty2.jpg sterling-ray34-lefty1.jpg sterling-ray34-lefty.jpg
@lug @Amano @Linnin @RickyT @Jrussblues @Nev375 @Wfrance3
what do you think ?
second hand obviously
no idea what year
just inside my budget limit
 
#16
Get out to some shops and try a few different basses out. I wouldn't spend too much on your first bass, as it might not be the right one. For a first bass, I'd say, go simple, passive, 4 string, Jazz or Precision. You can't go far wrong with either. AFAIK, MIJ gear is relatively widely available in Australia, so a generic MIJ version of either would be a good choice. Don't forget to look at the second hand market too.

A lot depends on what you want to get out of your playing. Is it for home use / a bit of fun / home recording, or were you thinking of joining a band?
 
#17
Skybone said:
Get out to some shops and try a few different basses out. I wouldn't spend too much on your first bass, as it might not be the right one. For a first bass, I'd say, go simple, passive, 4 string, Jazz or Precision. You can't go far wrong with either. AFAIK, MIJ gear is relatively widely available in Australia, so a generic MIJ version of either would be a good choice. Don't forget to look at the second hand market too.

A lot depends on what you want to get out of your playing. Is it for home use / a bit of fun / home recording, or were you thinking of joining a band?
Click to expand...

Thank you for your input
I value really any advice
unfortunately bass shopping for a lefty in Oz goes like this

I walk into a shop, stop for a brief moment until 2 or 3 bored wannabe rockstars approach me with an enthusiastic
smile and ask how they could help.
I am looking for a bass guitar, left handed I say. (trying hard to look friendly)
After "bass guitar" the first one, after "left handed" the second one disappears as fast as their stick insect legs
carry them.
So here i am, again, with the village idiot who didn't manage to escape and getting scared as hell because my
gentle smile slowly changes.
After a while (he tried to faint), he leads me to a dark corner, usually next to the throne, and here she is, the same
old dirty Steinberger with rusty strings they have in every single shop.
Oh sorry, I am not fair. Some shops also have a Harley Benton on sale for 79$.

I call one of the bigger shops in Melbourne.
Ask if they could order a specific model i found on their website.
Short version "I'll find out for you and call you back." You know the rest.

So please Skybone, i beg you, where are all the fine instruments you are talking about ?

Sorry i had to vent
 
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#18
You have an active bass picked out there. Looks like a beut from the photos. Not as familiar with bass guitars in the mm family as other types but feel that they are solidly built and sound great. Most of the US sterlings ive seen have one pickup. Is the neck pickup on this bass factory? Probably is. Speaking of which,
they've swapped out the original pickups, which could be a good thing, that's up to individual taste. I personally like Barts. They come in two different flavors typically; classic bass and original bass. You can read more on bartilini web page if you like.
Fretboard is 12 deg radius, so that means it's pretty flat. 34 inch neck.
When buying used look for things like fret wear, neck condition, no cracks or rough spots. are the controls quiet or scratchy as you fiddle with the knobs and switches? Tuning machines work smoothly?
I'm probably forgetting something, but those are some good things to watch out for. And if something's not right it may not be a deal breaker but rather a bargaining point that can save you a few bucks.
An instrument needs to be comfortable 3 ways: sound (tone) playability (literal comfort) budget (not a bank book breaker).
 
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#19
089 said:
View attachment 984736 View attachment 984737 View attachment 984738 View attachment 984739
@lug @Amano @Linnin @RickyT @Jrussblues @Nev375 @Wfrance3
what do you think ?
second hand obviously
no idea what year
just inside my budget limit
Click to expand...

I'v seen this bass on reverb. It looks as a good deal to me. It is modded but with good quality pickups from Bartolini. It looks solid to me. I never played a Sterling Ray myself. Did play a Musicman. But there is a huge fanbase for them. Sterling is the budget serie from Musicman. Don't mistake them for very cheap low quality instruments. Musicman also has a lower priced bass serie named Sub. And also the Subs are of descent quality. And Bartolini is top notch.
Ray34 Basses Welcome to the Sterling by Music Man Website
 
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