LeftyBassist.com

I need some help picking out a bass for my bassist. She was decided on a SR500L, but my engineer suggested that it might be a better idea to get passive pickups because its easier to get good tone out of them and she doesn't know anything about eqing or gear in general. Being that neither of us are exactly experts on the subject, we need some help getting her a really nice decently priced bass that fits her needs.
I guess I'll start from the top. She's been playing through a Squire P-bass and a fender rumbler for years. The speaker in her rumbler blew and her birthday was coming up, so I picked her out a new rig, and her mom surprised her with it for her birthday. It was a Ampeg SVT Pro 3 head with a Ampeg PR-410 cab. Quite a nice rig.
Now its time for a new bass. And its been a bit more difficult. Her being a lefty slims down the choices, but its annoying trying to find out what comes in a lefty version and what doesn't. Whats gonna fit out sound etc. Luckily this forum exists.
Her Price range in around $600-$700. We play Hardcore/Grindcore/metal. She uses a pick. If hearing the music helps here's a link. --- http://www.warfear.net/media.php --- . My engineer said she should get something with the split P-bass pickups and the other single pickup on the bottom. because it would fit our sound. As far as the active V.S. passive pickups I thought active pickups would suit her better because they're hotter, But I don't want her to be struggling to get good tone. Assuming you have no idea how to use any of your EQ settings, how hard is it to get good tone out of active pickups? Would passive pickups really be the way to go? Some of the basses we're looking at are the SR500L which has the active pickups. A Schecter Diamond P custom. A Sterling R34 (which is pretty ugly and I don't want her to get it.) I'm thinking it's probably a better idea for her to buy used so she can get a better instrument for her price range. There seems to be a lot of nice basses right here on the forum. I want her to have nice clean punchy tone. Definitely trying to stay away from anything muddy. Any information, input, opinions, or guidance is very much appreciated. She has been playing her Squire P for a VERY long time and never had anything else so getting a new bass is a pretty big deal to her. I want to make sure she gets something nice.

That's my recommendation: Start by getting a $70 replacement pickup (Fender Precision Original 62') for her Squier and it'll sound like a million bucks with her great amp. You'd be surprised. Now you got to trust your engineer and me on that. IF it is still not good enough, and you really want to get her a new bass, for the type of music played you have quite a lot of options: Fender Precision or...Fender Precision or...Fender Precision or...let me think, oh yes a... Fender Precision. (Preferably White as our PRB boardmember & friend, great admirer of the Ramones, would tell you)
Anything else (i.e a SR500) would possibly be exiting for a month or two until she realizes that what she really wants to rock with is a...Fender Precision.

Fenchy but he's right a Fender Precision bass is the way to go i just think its like the best bass ever made thats why it has the word Precision in the name but yeah the Fender Precision they are the best can really handle anything you throw at them thats why so many different people use them from all kinds of different music

Her squire is old, very beat up, and the neck is warped. Definitely not putting new pickups in that. The problem with P-basses is they're expensive. We would have to get pretty lucky to score one for $700. I was looking at this. http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Hot-Rod-Prec ... 230f496552 But its probably gonna end up going for a lot.

well this guy on TB is selling his hot rod p bass hes asking $750 thats not too far away from your budget heres the link http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f126/fs-f ... ty-753041/

Oh! The perfect bass! Exactly as described by the sound engineer with a good Rock-n-roll look! Keep in mind that PRB just scored a cool white japanese P bass for less than $700 (see the pictures and thread in Southpaw spotted) and that I recently bought a great Fender Precision Am Std from another board member for $700. Which means, if you take your time and open your eyes, there are some good opportunities out there.
I learned that you never regret sacrifying a little to get a great instrument that fits you. I was kindda jocking with the P Bass stuff but here is what over 25 years of playing taught me: some basses sound great in the store; now mixed with other instruments, played through a PA it is whole different story. The split coil is perfectly positioned to bring punch while remaining heavy, a passive bass has less low-end and high-end but more mid-range punch. For other styles of music there are plenty of great other basses you can get. Now, go to any a rock concert and listen to the bass, the P Bass will always cut through and support the band in a perfect way. A Jazz played with the neck pick-up can do it too but you get the annoying 50hz hum.
Agree, the Squier desrved to be retired and hung on the wall of fame...

I forgot, what do you mean by "The Stingray is ugly"?

Well by "ugly" I meant "a very nice looking bass that looks great slung over a mans shoulder like a rifle"


What are the main differences between just the split pickups and the ones that have that bridge pickup?

Thanks for this link. I'm gonna suggest she buys this.

I'd suggest an Sx P or PJ from Rondo Music, they're dead cheap and plays great. Throw a good P.U. in it and she's done, IMO.
Otherwise, with a little patience you'll find a nice 7ender for 6-700 $. Check the mexicans too, they can sound surprisingly good.

The SX are certainly an option - Not necessarly much different from the Squier -




There are actually no Lefty Fender Precisions made in Mexico (although my wife who is Mexican sings surprisingly good, so it is somewhat correct ). There is a recent thread about Lefty P Bass offering. It really goes from the Squier directly to the $1249 Fender Am Std P Bass (Black or Sunburst only) with nothing in the middle. There are no real good clones either in this price range.

Lefty007 is selling an awesome one (the AM STD P Bass post 2007 have been hugely improved) in new condition. But it might be out of your price range.

Split coils are humbuckers (the two coils are wired in serial) resulting in a fat and punchy sound.

Single coils have a lot of character but can be noisy (50 hz buzz) unless you use two of them in parallele like the 2 pickups used together on a Jazz Bass. Single coils and have less output. For exemple, a Jazz Bass has a more textured, snappier and mid-scooped sound if it means anything to you.

If you play Rock music the bridge pickup on PJ bass (this acronym means that you have a Jazz Bass bridge pickup and a Precision Neck split coil) like the one for sale, won't be used much. By itself the bridge pickup will sound like Jaco Pastorius, nasal and thin, appropriate for solos and fast chops.

I'd have her try out the Diamond P, they're incredibly well built for the price. The pickups are extremely hot, and the coil-tap soapbar pickup at the bridge adds a lot of tone options.
One major drawback with it, VERY HEAVY.

But it's black with a black pickguard, so you can't go wrong there.


You may also want to keep an eye out for a used US Standard P-bass, they do pop up from time to time.

PJmuck did of a review of this bass on this forum

http://www.leftybassist.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1646&start=0

that's the model-T, very different bass from the diamond P.

She bought this. Thanks for all the help guys I'll let everyone know how she likes it when it arrives.

cool glad i could help

Cool looking bass... it's got character (chips and dings), and attitude (Black, tort guard). Congrats, and hope she enjoys playing it!

i think it would look badass with a mirror pickguard, But I'm nit really sure where i would find one of those.