Starter Bass + Amp, $1,000.00 Budget

hawtin47

Greetings-

After being thoroughly thumped Smile

for asking about using my Fender Cyber Twin as a practice amp, I've re-tooled the parameters and am looking to buy a 4-string bass and amp (the amp mainly for practice with an electronic drum set and low-powered guitar amp) and have about a grand to spend total.

Looking for advice on an appropriate ratio for the gear expenditure (70-30 bass?) and brand recommendations.

I like a wider neck like a a P-style over a J-style, but have no brand preferences for anything.

Primary music styles will be contemporary worship music along with some classic rock and cowboy country/bluegrass. I don't like the looks of the more metal-oriented basses.

I have no experience playing the bass, but have played acoustic and electric guitar and mandolin for a couple of years.

Also - should I consider a 5-string bass out of the chute, or stick to the 4-string for now?

Thanks -

Marc

PorkChops · Kitten Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Posts: 137

I'm going to suggest you build yourself a hybrid system, half bass amp and half PA. I may sound kinda nutty, but hear me out cause I run something similar and it friggin works great.

Start with a Behringer 6 channel mixer, about $60 from Musician's Friend. Run that through a QSC RMX850 power amp, $399 from Musician's Friend.

For speakers, go with the Avatar 4x10 bass cab, $340 from Avatar.

OK, now you've got yourself a *Poop* of amp that will kick *Horse's Patoot* for your electronic drums and bass and you're only in it about $800 (+shipping). Oh yeah, the bass. Check out the Essex at Rondo (http://www.rondomusic.bigstep.com/). About $120 and they're great for hot rodding. The pickups are crap, but the basics are sound...the bodies are alder, the necks and fretboards are maple. All they need are some decent hardware and pups.

The bass is going to sound pretty dry patched straight into the mixer, but later on (as finances permit) you can get a SansAmp Bass DI to run between the bass and the mixer...and the SansAmp BDI sounds killer.

The idea is to get you started with a system that won't go obsolete on you as your needs grow. You can upgrade any component in the system or add to it without having to scrap the whole thing.

As I said, I run something similar. I play both bass and guitar, so I run a Bass Pod and a Guitar Pod thru a Behringer mixer, into a TC Electronic compressor, into a Crest V1100 power amp and bi-amp through an Eden 2x10 cab and an EV 2x15, and believe me, it sounds HUGE.

2slick4u · Big Hamster Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Posts: 97

wow, you lost me a LONG tim ago...

hawtin47 · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2003 9:26 am Post subject: Bought the bass...

Found a used Peavey Cirrus 5 in excellent condition (supposedly) for $600 plus shipping...I'll have my local guy check it out when it gets here.

Probably going to go with the Bassman 25, as I'll have about $350 left over.

Thanks for your help -

Marc

leninsbeard · Newbie Alert Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 3

i dont know the exchange rate, but i got an encore pk40 which is a nice p-style begginers bass and a cheap kustom amp for £200......
The amps not good enough to practice with an electric drum, but its good to learn on.....
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NUTT · Tadpole Joined: 10 Nov 2003 Posts: 23 Location: Normal

Find yourself a used Peavey Fury, but look carefully and get one that is Made in the US. I've seen them in my area (central Illinois) for under $200. My first bass was one and I still play it. It's basically a P-bass, and actually I can find no real difference between the two. You can also throw in a different pickup for cheap if you want a hotter sound.

OR... find yourself an older Ibanez bass, check it over really good and hope that you can find one that was made in Japan. Don't spend over $200.

Definitely go with the SansAmp bass driver DI, best $169 I've ever spent. www.bassnw.com

That will leave you $600 for an amp setup..... Get either a 2*10 or 1*15 and an amp that is pushing 300 watts at 4 ohms and you will blow out the guys you are playing with and still be able to keep up as they graduate to new equipment.

Or get a combo amp, you should be able to find a 150 watt (4 ohm) and either 1*15 or 2*10 for under $500.

Happy hunting.....
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NUTT
www.bunkmusic.com