View Full Version : To Buy a New Bass or Upgrade the old one?
Bass_ment
06-02-2006, 09:58 AM
So I currently play a Yamaha RBX 270. I'm not entirely certain if its still is in production but essentially its very similar to the 170 which I believe was the starter bass for many users on this forum.
Its a pretty standard begginer level bass...has a P/J pickup configuration, passive, 3 knobs (volume, pickup selector and tone), rosewood fretboard, 24 frets and all in all its been pretty good to me for the last 3 years or so with the only major problem being that occasionaly the input just stops completely which is remedied by hitting the pickup selector forcefully with my palm.
Today however I played a Fender Deluxe Active P-Bass Special w/ a Maple fretboard at a local guitar shop and I really liked it. Mostly because i found it offered a whole lot of tone control just from the knobs alone. I was able to mold great tones for both punk and reggae - the genres my band plays - with relative ease. It was affordable and played nice, and I've never been completely satisfied with the tone from my Yamaha when playing live. Usually I play on Warwick heads and amps that the venues provide. I have a small Laney 50 Watt that I practice with but I've given up trying to get perfect tone from that long ago.
But I'm beginning to think that maybe my tone can simply remedied by buying new pickups for my Yamaha or making other upgrades so I come to you with this question; Should I:
a) Get the P-bass special and use my Yamaha for something different...either as a back up or defret it.
b) Upgrade my Yamaha and use that as my main.
c) Get a different bass that is both affordable and versatile in tone and eq control.
d) Do Both
e) Keep embarassing myself by singing along to this Police album.
So if anyone cares....please answer... :chug:
Chris K
06-02-2006, 10:09 AM
just get the P bass, it'll inspire you to play more.
British Kid
06-02-2006, 10:25 AM
go for the deluxe p-bass special. that's what i'm getting soon. :thumb:
Chris K
06-02-2006, 10:34 AM
You guys are weird, liking P Basses...
Polyamarous
06-02-2006, 10:51 AM
Get the P bass. Or alternatively get a good amp.
British Kid
06-02-2006, 10:54 AM
You guys are weird, liking P Basses...
you're weird for not liking p-basses
Chris K
06-02-2006, 11:03 AM
you're weird for not liking p-basses
Ah I'm just jooking you, there is nothing essentially wrong with P bass, they're just a little too limited/bassy for me.
Akira
06-02-2006, 11:40 AM
I played a Cort P-bass knockoff the other day before my bass lesson. I hadn't played a pbass for a while before that. I usually play an OLP MM-2 'Ray knockoff. I forgot how huge P-bass necks are.
Bass_ment
06-02-2006, 11:50 AM
Ah I'm just jooking you, there is nothing essentially wrong with P bass, they're just a little too limited/bassy for me.
Thats what i liked about the P-bass special, it has the P/J pickups it wasn't just limited to the one tone knob on most p-basses. Much more options in tones and you could get some pretty good stuff more on the mid/trebly side if
ultra bassy ain't your thing.
E_man
06-02-2006, 01:30 PM
get a sctecter stiletto elite 4. I upgraded froma an rbx 170 to this, and its sex 24/7...except after a shower, were my fingers dont like it
skingle
06-02-2006, 01:40 PM
You know what they say 'you can't polish a turd'. Get a new one.
The only benifits of upgrading starters are that its potentially cheaper (though not always) and the instrument is more personal to you.
Machines
06-02-2006, 01:53 PM
The RBX270- isnt a turd, just not a pro instrument. I'd opt for getting the P Special and defret the Yamaha.
pitchfork
06-02-2006, 01:57 PM
Go for the fender p, or better yet get a jazz.
PainKiller8191
06-02-2006, 02:10 PM
i say p special + upgrade the yamaha if you can afford both, if not, just get the P and defret the yamaha
bass&cookies
06-02-2006, 02:56 PM
i would definately get the p.
yamahas make good fretlesses, if you feel like taking that route too.
edit: woo the big 900
ive been in the 800s forever
willibassist
06-02-2006, 03:03 PM
"e) Keep embarassing myself by singing along to this Police album."
e ftw
I havent played a Deluxe P. Any good?
Bass_ment
06-02-2006, 07:58 PM
I havent played a Deluxe P. Any good?
Well can't speak for the P itself but the P special was really nice. Versatile in the tone department, I particularly liked it because I was able to get a really deep thumpy reggae sound alla "Family Man" Barrett but thats probably better than me. Neck was comfortable as well and the one I played had a beautiful dark blue color to it.
Probably the only thing I didn't like was the really tacky-looking gold pickguard which one can see here:
http://www.guitarstop.com/Fender/Bass/ActivePBass506.jpg
It doesn't look so bad when its rosewood fretboard but looks very odd with the maple version. Also i found the first frets on the G string to produce very "twangy" highs, but thats something I've noticed in other fenders as well.
Not for everyone, but I quite enjoyed playing with it.
http://www.guitarstop.com/Fender/Bass/ActivePBass506.jpg
i played this one yesterday and it was strange, with the jazz neck and p body. I think i just dont like the feel and beefy tone of tha p.
Well can't speak for the P itself but the P special was really nice. Versatile in the tone department, I particularly liked it because I was able to get a really deep thumpy reggae sound alla "Family Man" Barrett but thats probably better than me. Neck was comfortable as well and the one I played had a beautiful dark blue color to it.
Probably the only thing I didn't like was the really tacky-looking gold pickguard which one can see here:
http://www.guitarstop.com/Fender/Bass/ActivePBass506.jpg
It doesn't look so bad when its rosewood fretboard but looks very odd with the maple version. Also i found the first frets on the G string to produce very "twangy" highs, but thats something I've noticed in other fenders as well.
Not for everyone, but I quite enjoyed playing with it.
Cool. I did a bit of background research on the Deluxe P bass Special and I think I just found my next bass. The pickguard is a minor flaw although, in time, I'm sure I would come to love it. (REMEMBER: SüP <3's tacky)
Worrpigs
06-02-2006, 08:15 PM
wait a bit and get the American P Bass Deluxe. its so much better than the MIM
Criss Frantic
06-03-2006, 04:27 AM
I hate the colours and scratchplates for the MIM P Bass Deluxes. Why can't they just make them look normal? That's one of the things that put me off buying one.
blizzard
06-03-2006, 05:25 AM
I would get the deluxe Pbass.
Bass_ment
06-03-2006, 06:59 AM
wait a bit and get the American P Bass Deluxe. its so much better than the MIM
Well i was quite suprised at the quality of the Mexican P-special.
Also I've got a feeling that the American Deluxe would be a bit different considering its Passive (i think), has a P-Neck instead of a J-Neck, and also has an MM style pickup at the bridge instead of the J.
I'll definitely give a few more basses a try before I make my final decision, including the American Deluxe.
The Forgotten Bassist
06-03-2006, 02:13 PM
you're weird for not liking p-basses
I hated P basses for ages, then all of a sudden started to really like them.
but yeah, they do have a very limited sound range.
British Kid
06-03-2006, 02:36 PM
Ah I'm just jooking you, there is nothing essentially wrong with P bass, they're just a little too limited/bassy for me.
lawl. :lol: sarcasm FTW!
yeah, go for precision deluxe.... or an american one, since they're pretty similar except for the bridge pickup, which is a humbucker, rather than a single coil, like the MIM one, with active electronics..... *drools*
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