halp.... guitarist in need of BASS ADVICE

[beyond dead]

hey dudes. I have been messing around with a cheap peavey 5 string bass for about a year now. mainly just playing bass lines on my recordings.

lately I have been having a hard time digesting the disgusting sound of the low B string. It warbles in and out of tune atrociously. also, the action is very high around the 7th fret, which makes it impossible to riff around on the low b, because of the lack of intonation. it just sounds like ass.

something is telling me this bass doesnt like being a 5 string. no possibility of adjusting the truss rod, cuz its tight as fuck. seems like it just cant handle the tension of the added low b.

so the question is, what bass do I buy that wont have this problem? could I possibly tune a 4 string bass as low as AEAD?

thanks dudes \m/

 

[drew_drummer]

I'd get the Peavey setup properly before looking into a new bass.

 

[beyond dead]

I took it in to a tech to have a look at it, but he basically told me that the tension was too much for the design. like most budget 7 string guitars (cough rg 7321 cough), they basically just take a 4 string bass, make the neck wider and throw an extra string on there to market the thing to a different crowd. the problem is, is that the instrument cant structurally handle the added stress of another string, or the tension of a larger string that is needed to hold a lower pitch.

a buddy of mine owned the same bass, and had the same problems. I remember we tried a heavier gauge with a 1.35 or something on the low b, and the bow on the neck was fucking huge. using the heavier gauge strings fucked the nut too.

the bass has served its purpose. it would be great for a 15 yr old kid who is just starting out.

 

[Arrowed Lung Studios]

If you have the cash, spector basses are great. I have an ibanez sr506 (6 string bass) Its a bit of a shorter scale, so the B string isnt super tight, but its defenently not bad. I would look for a longer scale bass if you want to utilize a low B.

 

[TomAwesome]

I took it in to a tech to have a look at it, but he basically told me that the tension was too much for the design. like most budget 7 string guitars (cough rg 7321 cough), they basically just take a 4 string bass, make the neck wider and throw an extra string on there to market the thing to a different crowd. the problem is, is that the instrument cant structurally handle the added stress of another string, or the tension of a larger string that is needed to hold a lower pitch.

a buddy of mine owned the same bass, and had the same problems. I remember we tried a heavier gauge with a 1.35 or something on the low b, and the bow on the neck was fucking huge. using the heavier gauge strings fucked the nut too.

the bass has served its purpose. it would be great for a 15 yr old kid who is just starting out.

I don't think Peavey would make an instrument that was designed that poorly. If you've had similar issues with a 7321, getting it set up properly might still be the issue after all. If you don't really like the overall sound/feel of the bass anyway, by all means, get something else, but these issues should be fixable unless you just got a dud.

 

[Full_Tilt]

There's plenty of cheap budget basses that will do the job but might not look as nice on the other hand an Ibanez btb thru neck design is still fairly cheap has a very strong neck and looks the muts nuts check the link .

http://www.thomann.de/gb/ibanez_btb675_ntf.htm

 

[beyond dead]

this bass is not capable of being set up properly. I am pretty comfortable setting up guitars and basses now, after having my guitar set up by idiots who call themselves guitar techs i kinda learned how to set up guitars out of necessity. I picked up a few pointers from a tech I respect that have helped me out alot.

it is by no means a complete p.o.s, its just not capable of delivering good enough intonation for recording anything serious. melodyne has worked so far, but I desire something with a clearer voicing.

The ibanez bass looks nice, but Im looking for something around 500 bucks can/us. most likely I will buy used. Ive seen some ibanez soundgear basses and a cheap version of a stingray 4 string bass on the local used market..

what are some other sub $1000 basses with extended scales?

 

[Bassment]

The only good way to know what you want is to put in some good old fashion leg work. What works for me may not even be close to the sound and feel that you are looking for. Spend a few day's checking out many. You will know when you find the right one for you. I have had many basses and a lot in the four to five hundred range. There are good ones and bad ones of the same model. Before I buy used I watch the prices on eBay so I am prepared for the market. I have set-up and modded my own basses for years now, but I still rely on my main man to check my purchase or his take on a certain brand before I comit. He can tell me in five minutes if it is a workable axe. Use your own judgement on the sound, feel and playability. Oh yeah like the old saying goes you get what you paid for.

 

[Full_Tilt]

The ibanez bass looks nice, but Im looking for something around 500 bucks can/us. most likely I will buy used. Ive seen some ibanez soundgear basses and a cheap version of a stingray 4 string bass on the local used market..

what are some other sub $1000 basses with extended scales?

Well im not sure what the exchange rate is but £580 GBP doesnt sound far off your sub $1000 budget obviously you may have to pay import tax if you buy from thomann as they're based in Germany but if you could pick one up from a North American dealer it might even be less who knows?

 

[plague_rider]

I've found Peavey models to be of great quality (I've still got my 4-string Milestone Bass which is worth about £40 according to ebay and its still one of my favourites)

But for a 5-string, i'd recommend looking into Ibanez BTB series, ESP's Ltd series (american ebay has some cheap ones), Spector as mentioned above, Warwick's Rockbass or OLP (musicman licensed copies that are amazing quality) just to note the OLPs are no longer made, but can still be found here and there...