Should I buy this Fender bass?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by head_unit, Oct 25, 2014.

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  1. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    (I guess this is "audio equipment" eh?)

    Well, I don't have a picture to show you "this" bass. It's for sale at a local music store where I take my kid for lessons. Just saw it today, lightly used, $165 "and I can probably take another $20 off that" says the guy on duty. Him and the flute teacher were looking at it saying it was a great price for a Fender, which seems borne out by a search of eBay. Plus it includes a kind of soft case.

    I don't play, but have long dreamed that someday I would try to learn bass. Should I get this thing? What do I need to know, what should I check out about it?

    I gotta say, when I picked it up and doodled with it, it felt nice :)
     
  2. TLMusic

    TLMusic Musician & record collector

    I'm assuming at that pretty low price, it's not a US or Japan made Fender.

    Based on the information you have given so far, in my experience, the main things I would be concerned about are:

    ~Is the neck straight, and are the frets even enough so the bass can be set up without bum notes or excessive fret buzz?

    ~Do the electronics work perfectly?

    ~Does it come with a case? Cases alone can cost more than $165.
     
  3. GuildX700

    GuildX700 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    NO.

    Find someone who actually plays bass and can help you if you're serious about learning.

    Sounds like a cheap import POS.
     
    Rhett likes this.
  4. JBryan

    JBryan Forum Resident

    Location:
    St Louis
    That's not necessarily a good price for something marked 'Fender' (especially a Squire) but $150 (give or take) to see if you like playing bass?... seems like a cheap adventure and you may be able to get $100+ back if you decide its not your cup o' tea. If you like the way it feels that's great but as others mentioned, check out the neck and electronics carefully and ask about their return policy. You'll need an amp which will at least double your investment. Have fun!
     
  5. Hagstrom

    Hagstrom Please stop calling them vinyls.

    Just buy it and have fun.
     
  6. james

    james Summon The Queen

    Location:
    Annapolis
    I think even a Classic Vibe Squire for that price would be a decent deal
     
  7. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    More information is needed. There are many, many models of Fender bass, and as others have noted, you will need an amplifier as well, which will costs as much or more than the guitar itself. You can get away with a crappy guitar amp as a beginner, but bass requires more power and a bigger speaker and thus will cost more money.

    With that said, it is a good idea to buy a used instrument for the beginner; if you don't pay too much, you will get most or all of your money back if you need to sell it.
     
  8. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    $165 for any electric instrument with a Fender logo on the headstock is very low; it makes me suspicious. Water-slide logo decals are easy to obtain and slap onto a generic headstock cut to resemble a genuine Fender.

    The entry level, inexpensive instruments being made today can be shockingly good, thanks to CNC technology and third world labor wages. I would expect a Squier or similar to need a pro set-up from the get-go, so figure on adding an additional $50 to the cost.
     
  9. Upinsmoke

    Upinsmoke Well-Known Member

    Location:
    SE PA
    Given that you don't play please don't get taken into arguments by people saying you shouldn't buy something that is not an "American Made" guitar or that it's garbage without knowing the least bit of details of the guitar.

    Without knowing a model number it's difficult to say if it's a good deal to purchase. May just be a fair or fantastic deal. More than likely given that everyone has internet access and pawn shops are the Kings of knowing value of their products more than likely it's fair. Then again, it may be the 1967 big block Corvette find in a barn.

    If they will give you a 24 hour return period on the item, maybe then you could take it to a real guitar shop and have them check it out real quick. Should take all of about 5 minutes to know. You will probably need to get new strings and they could do a setup for you on the guitar. Also your going to need a small amp and cable.

    I would limit how much I actually put out at first on the expenditure as so many buy new guitars and never put them to use.

    Either way, if you have the dream of always learning to play and have the funds to afford it, my say is to do it. Give it a shot. The range your looking at is perfect for a beginner and if you progress with your dream there is ALWAYS bigger and better - both new and used.

    Just take your time and have fun.
     
  10. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    $165 is more in line with the used value of low-end Squiers. My spidey sense is telling me something is not right with this picture, based on the info provided.

    My suggestion to the OP is to have an experienced guitarist or bassist evaluate the instrument. The person doesn't need to be a "bass player;" most guitar players have some experience with electric basses, and know what to look for.
     
    Atmospheric likes this.
  11. Synthfreek

    Synthfreek I’m a ray of sunshine & bastion of positivity

    These are the kinds of questions posed by the ones in the "Am I The Only One In The World Without A Cellphone?" who see no reason to ever own a smart phone.
     
  12. davechen

    davechen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bethesda, MD, USA
    Just because it's an import, that doesn't mean it sucks.

    If doesn't say Squire then it'd probably be a Made In Mexico (MIM) Precision Bass or Jazz Bass. $165 would be pretty low for that. I searched my local Craig's list and saw some MIM P-basses for 250-350.

    If it does say Squire than 165 might be a reasonable price. I saw some Squire basses for 180-200.

    I think a Squire would be a pretty reasonable bass to learn on. And Fender's MIM stuff can be very good instruments. I, myself, have a MIM telecaster. Oh, and lots of folks love the Squire Classic Vibe line, which is priced between the Squire and MIM line.

    For guitars and basses made in America (MIA) you're looking at a grand or more new, maybe 600 used. The saying about Fender goes that you can get a guitar made in Mexico by Mexicans or made in America by Mexicans.
     
    Licorice pizza and dcgl22 like this.
  13. captwillard

    captwillard Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nashville
    I'd go check it out again. If it is MIM, that is a great deal. If it is a Squire, probably a good deal, but not as much. Since it is coming in a gig bag, it is probably one of the two. Check the strings, if they look tarnished, have them put new ones on. Pick up a tuner, cable, and amp and you'll be good to go. You may be able to pick up a bass amp with some built in effects.
     
  14. GuildX700

    GuildX700 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
  15. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    No offense, but this is like asking...should buy this Ford automobile for $15,000 -- without any detail or photos.
     
    PhilBiker and Rhett like this.
  16. Rodney Toady

    Rodney Toady Waste of cyberspace

    Location:
    Finland
    One should not buy a bass guitar on flimsy grounds; a bass is for a life.
     
  17. rebellovw

    rebellovw Forum Resident

    Location:
    hell
    It is great that the Bass inspired you to want to fulfill that life long dream - now that you are inspired - simply go to Musicians Friend - and pick out the one you want - or Sweewater - or simply buy it if you really liked it and it felt nice - you can always upgrade later if you still find yourself playing.
     
  18. Synthfreek

    Synthfreek I’m a ray of sunshine & bastion of positivity

    I purchased a brand-new used Squier P Bass for $90 from Guitar Center. It still had the plastic covering over the pickguard...$165 is WAY too much for one of those.
     
  19. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    Yes, I agree. But everyone's input was actually very helpful. It's more like if someone who knows nothing about cars asked the question-they get told what questions to ask and what things to consider. Heck, it happens all the time in the Hardware forum!

    I bought it!! $144 plus a soft case…more like a thick sack, but something.

    It says "Fender" and doesn't *appear* fake…I'll see if I can post a picture at some point, gotta figure out how to host that I guess (too bad we can't post directly any more). I didn't know there was such a thing as a Squire bass…that $139 seems quite the price! But this one was here and now it's DONE and to order one…I probably wouldn't have ever gotten around to it. Plus, did I mention it felt very nice to me? (Well, another one might too I suppose).

    The fellow at the music lesson place described how he had put on new strings and adjusted the action (?) and tuned the pickups to have matching tones and so on. He also said the bass teacher had been eyeing it and said he thought he'd buy it. I believe this guy, talked to him for a few years, and besides he has no axe to grind.

    So now I guess I need to find some time for lessons!
     
    Simon A and PhilBiker like this.
  20. rebellovw

    rebellovw Forum Resident

    Location:
    hell
    Congrats! - Photobucket is great for pictures - free - just drag and drop your picture - once is is loaded - just copy the picture URL and paste it into the address of the picture icon in this site's post editor.
     
  21. Deryl Johnson

    Deryl Johnson Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Western New York
    I bought my Gibson Bass for $150. Of course that was in 1971' but still, You can get a lot of bass for $165 as long as it's a Fender. Either Mexican or Chinese, but the price is right, and You'll have fun with it. If You bought a Roland Micro Cube Bass Amp($279) You can play CD's through it to jam along with, Plus it has drums, and You can power it with 6 AA batteries, so You can jam at a picnic. It even has about five different effects. Plus, it's called Micro, but it isn't tiny. I'd say it's about 18" by18" and ten inches deep. I have a huge 250 watt Sunn amp, but I bought one of the Roland Micro's.
    Our whole band bought Roland battery powered amps, ( even our Keyboard player!) and we play at company picnics, and stuff like that. They are really a cool amp, at a great price, it has decent power, and it takes our band about five minutes to set up. If You get the Cheap Fender, and the Roland Micro Cube bass amp, You'll have all You need to see if You want to be a bassist, and if You find that You don't like playing bass, sell the bass, and keep the amp to play CD's at Your next picnic. If You have a little headphone radio, run that through the amp, and You will have one heck of a shop radio. I can't say enough about the vesatility of the Roland Micro Cube Bass Amp. It does have an AC power cord too. It even plays Your CD's in stereo through four 4" speakers that were custom designed for the amp. Trust me, You will love it. I will never part with mine. It is just too cool.
     
  22. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    Really?!?! As an electrical engineer, I gotta ask, how long does THAT last? (Depends on the volume, I guess). Cool to have battery powered stuff, I bet you guys can go a lot of places that way, far from electrical outlets.

    I see it gets 4.5 stars, so I'll keep that in mind. Actually I'd like to build a Bill Fitzmaurice folded horn, but in reality would probably never get around to it. Plus it would need some kind of amp. Battery powered is sure interesting. Actually there are a bunch of little "Class T" amps that will do about 12 watts, which is OK for modest volumes with efficient speakers.

    However, first I shall see about lessons, and use my kid's guitar amp as a crude temporary measure. After that, they offered me this amp
    [​IMG]
    at a good price, so maybe that's what I'll do.
     
  23. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    Hmm, now I'm wondering, since I'm sure I'll be a VERY slow player at first, is there some app to play your music back slowly? Like a variable pitch MP3 player?

    Any recommended apps to tune the bass? I presume it's in tune already, for now.
     
  24. JBryan

    JBryan Forum Resident

    Location:
    St Louis
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