# A New Bass for a Guitarist



## AC.Lin (Jun 4, 2018)

Hello everyone,

I need advices in order to get my first ever bass, and what better place to seek help than here ?!

I got almost 10 years behind me as a guitar player but my knowledge concerning bass is not enough to be sure about my choice.

I am currently looking for a 5 string bass (not 4 - i do need the extra string for tuning purpose), and i'm now hesitating between 2 instruments:

- The Ibanez SR305
thomann --> https://www.thomann.de/fr/ibanez_sr305eb_wk.htm

- The Sire Marcus Miller M2 5 TBL
thomann --> https://www.thomann.de/be/marcus_miller_m2_5_tbl.htm?ref=search_prv_4

Most of the time i play some modern metal stuff (Meshuggah for example), but i also enjoy playing clean song. I go from an extreme to the other.
My goal in getting a bass is just to enjoy myself in my room when i record my stuff. I'm not bassist and never will be. I just want a bass i can keep for a long time and that allows me to play my stuff without too much compromise..
I'll play using VST and app such as Bias AMP, Bias FX, etc, so i do not plan on getting an amp (don't crucify me please).

So my question is: What should i choose ? And why ?

I do enjoy the Marcus Miller look a LOT. it feels like a quality instrument despite the price, and the wood choice and overall finition is fantastic for what i seek, but i'm afraid it's not "good enough" for the modern metal i'm into.
On the other hand, the Ibanez feels like a "safe" choice but the look is kinda boring i must say.

I'm saying that, but i'm not even sure, i might have wrong ideas.
That's why i need help from people with more knowledges than me, because i don't wanna make a mistake.
Please, note that i'm not interested in buying another model, my heart really goes to the 2 listed above. Also, i can only order on Thomann due to my location.

Anyway, feel free to share your opinion, it can only help me !
Thank you !


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## TedEH (Jun 4, 2018)

AC.Lin said:


> i'm afraid it's not "good enough" for the modern metal i'm into


I've said it before, and I'll say it again -> there is no such thing as a "bass for metal". There is just the bass that works well for you and your playing style. Between those two, it would be hard for me to pick. Aesthetically, I think the Ibanez looks better, but I've never gotten along super well with Ibanez bass necks. They're too guitar-like, which for some is a selling point, but I don't personally like them. The pickups might be different, but if you're going to put a bunch of dirt on them via amp sims, they probably won't be different enough to matter.

Normally I'd say "go try them" but if that's not an option, I'd be digging for reviews and basically going for the one that people have the least complaints about.


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## Mwoit (Jun 4, 2018)

Both are fine at what you want. Bass guitars tend to be pretty versatile and it's up to how you play and tweak the EQ to get the tone you want. For the finer details, yes, different basses will be important but if you just want some fun, don't worry about it.

I've not tried the Marcus Miller Sire basses, but they look solid. Ibanez SR series are fine, they are quite plain but they'll do the job. I've been tempted by a Sire bass but no need for one at the moment.


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## spudmunkey (Jun 4, 2018)

The cheaper you get, the less consistency you can expect. When shopping in that price range, some of the identical models will feel/play better that others. If you found one you're happy with, jump on it. The bass I bought was nicer than almost any other in the price range in that store. But when I tried the same bass model in two other stores, they weren't very good at all. I'm glad i got the one I did.


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## Siggevaio (Jun 4, 2018)

I don't know much about basses but I do know that you always get more bang for the buck if you buy used instruments instead of new ones.


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## TedEH (Jun 4, 2018)

Something something used prestige Ibby. /forum


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## TheKindred (Jun 4, 2018)

i have the ibby 305. It's a good option for a guitarist that wants a bass around to do demos or mess around on however ....

I recently picked up an ibby SRFF806 and it absolutely, unbelievably and completely smokes the 305. Admittedly there's a bit of a price difference, but the gap between the two is waaaaay more than what price would indicate. The 305 low B is borderline unusable for me and the electronics are pretty meh. 

tl;dr I was happy with the 305 until I tried something objectively better and now will probably never pick up the 305 again.


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## AC.Lin (Jun 5, 2018)

TedEH said:


> I've said it before, and I'll say it again -> there is no such thing as a "bass for metal".


Well, that's new to me, that's why i'm asking and i'll remember that haha.



TedEH said:


> Normally I'd say "go try them" but if that's not an option, I'd be digging for reviews and basically going for the one that people have the least complaints about.


Looks like it's the best option i got so far. Too bad it's hard to find reviews about the M2, while in comparison the SR305 is really popular.
So the comparison isn't really accurate.



Mwoit said:


> Both are fine at what you want. Bass guitars tend to be pretty versatile and it's up to how you play and tweak the EQ to get the tone you want. For the finer details, yes, different basses will be important but if you just want some fun, don't worry about it.


Good to know, i don't think i can make a bad choice then ! I was afraid one of instruments listed was good for a music genre but not the other. I had no idea that bass is versatile like you said.



TedEH said:


> Something something used prestige Ibby. /forum


Out of my price range unfortunately or not available nearby. Plus, i have to admit that i avoid used gear like the plague.


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## bostjan (Jun 5, 2018)

AC.Lin said:


> Out of my price range unfortunately or not available nearby. Plus, i have to admit that i avoid used gear like the plague.


I'm assuming @TedEH was being sarcastic. It's sort of a meme that people pop into nearly every thread here to recommend a used Ibanez Prestige...


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## TedEH (Jun 5, 2018)

bostjan said:


> I'm assuming @TedEH was being sarcastic.


 

Realistically, in a lot of places, used Prestiges end up being pretty highly priced anyway. In some markets it's maybe good advice, others not so much.


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## Beheroth (Jun 5, 2018)

Mamene avant d'acheter une basse, surtout une 5 cordes, ESSAYE la avant, surtout si t'es un gratteux qu'a jamais touché de basse avant. Y'a tout un monde entre un manche de gratte 6 cordes et un manche de basse 5 cordes.
Sinon, si tu veux vraiment une basse "metal" essaye de toper une spector ou une warwick (made in germany) d'occaz, ce sera 1000 fois mieux qu'une ibanez bas de gamme.
Si tu veux plus de conseils orientés basse je te conseille d'aller sur slappyto, c'est un forum français ou talkbass, ici à part dingwall et darkglass et autre ERB à 69 cordes c'est vite limités niveau conseils.
Allez les bleus ! 

Ok so for non baguette speaker, i just told him to absolutely try before buying, especially when buying a 5 string bass, those neck can be a bit difficult to handle especially coming from guitars. Also told him to try and get a used spector or MIG warwick if he want a "metal" bass (at least tonewise) it would better than that cheap ibanez.
Also told him to look elsewhere for advice regarding something other than dingwall, darkglass and 69 strings ERB


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## AC.Lin (Jun 5, 2018)

bostjan said:


> I'm assuming @TedEH was being sarcastic. It's sort of a meme that people pop into nearly every thread here to recommend a used Ibanez Prestige...


Honestly, i don't even know if they are doing that for the joke or for real, it's way too confusing sometimes !



Beheroth said:


> Sinon, si tu veux vraiment une basse "metal" essaye de toper une spector ou une warwick (made in germany) d'occaz, ce sera 1000 fois mieux qu'une ibanez bas de gamme.
> Si tu veux plus de conseils orientés basse je te conseille d'aller sur slappyto, c'est un forum français ou talkbass, ici à part dingwall et darkglass et autre ERB à 69 cordes c'est vite limités niveau conseils.



T'as vu que je cherchais ce genre de bass mamene. Malheureusement je ne peux pas vraiment tester le matos vu que je suis extrêmement occupé par le boulot. Et je ne suis pas si étranger que ça à la bass vu que mon meilleur pote est un bassiste, donc t'inquiètes je sais a quoi m'attendre ! Par contre je note les refs pour les autres forums !
Aussi j'ai pensé a une Warwick, d'autant que Thomann fait de bonnes promos dessus en ce moment ! Faut que je creuse.
En tout cas merci l'ami 



TedEH said:


> Realistically, in a lot of places, used Prestiges end up being pretty highly priced anyway. In some markets it's maybe good advice, others not so much.


Welcome to my life


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## Beheroth (Jun 6, 2018)

warwick d'occaz putain pas une neuve, celles en promo chez thomann c'est les rockbass, c'est l'entrée gamme made in china fait avec des bois standards, sans électronique MEC ... en gros ça a rien à voir avec une vraie warwick allemande en bois exotiques avec électronique MEC active (le son warwick vient de cette combinaison la), frettes en bronze ... je me répete essaye de toper une warwick fabriquée en allemagne, en occaz tu peux choper celles des années 2000-2009 à pas trop cher, à cause de leur manche "batte de baseball", celles la sont pas trop recherchés ! sinon spector euro d'occaz
Mais en neuf oublie une 5 cordes à ce prix la, t'aura un B grave de merde (je le sais je suis passé par la)


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## bostjan (Jun 6, 2018)

A "real" Warwick, IMO, would be 1000x better than the entry level Ibanez. Personally, I don't gel with Ibanez basses anyway, which is why I would double down on the suggestion to try it before you buy it; it might be a great bass on paper, but different people have very strong and very different preferences especially on how the neck feels.

If the used market in France allows you to pick up a used Warwick or Spector for a reasonable price, I really do believe you'd be happier in the long run than if you bought a low-tier Ibanez brand new.


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## 7 Dying Trees (Jun 6, 2018)

Not to rck the boat or anything, but i picked up an esp ltd dk5 which is a neckthrough with nice EMGs for about the price range you are looking at second hand. Fair enough if only new will do, but you could vastly expand your options going second hand.

Spector seem to be basses I've had recommend a lot, as well as fender basses. Either way, if it's just going to be a toy to have fun on, i'd go second hand and for that money it really seems like there's a lot of stuff out there that will give you a lot of bang for your buck cash wise.


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## TedEH (Jun 6, 2018)

^ Any Ltd bass I've picked up has been pretty good in terms of playability, but the sound was not for me. I'm not a fan of the EMGs then tend to come with these, but if you're more into that sound, something from Ltd could be a solid choice.


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## A-Branger (Jun 6, 2018)

TedEH said:


> Realistically, in a lot of places, used Prestiges end up being pretty highly priced anyway. In some markets it's maybe good advice, others not so much.


but thats only on the guitar part of Ibanez.

Basses is a whole different world. "PRestige" theres only been one model since like 10 years, the wenge with wenge and extra wenge SR, before was one like a natural mahogany if I remember right.

Top of the line for Ibanez basses is the premium line, which all of them that I have tried have been amazing. Yes, they do Prestiges, but like I said, its only that ONE model that you dont really see or find anywhere, plus the price of it makes it impossible to buy. Just get a Padalka amde bass or something by that price lol


And for the entry level basses hes looking I wont recomend buy second hand. Unless you are looking into a couple of year old basses, and like top of the SR standard range


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## TedEH (Jun 6, 2018)

A-Branger said:


> entry level basses hes looking I wont recomend buy second hand


Yeah, I supposed there's a point to be made that second-hand stuff can be a bit more risky if you're looking at more entry level gear. I always worry that not-as-expensive gear gets abused pretty badly by people who wanted to learn but gave up, or didn't take the instrument seriously, etc.


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## Mwoit (Jun 12, 2018)

7 Dying Trees said:


> Not to rck the boat or anything, but i picked up an esp ltd dk5 which is a neckthrough with nice EMGs for about the price range you are looking at second hand. Fair enough if only new will do, but you could vastly expand your options going second hand.
> 
> Spector seem to be basses I've had recommend a lot, as well as fender basses. Either way, if it's just going to be a toy to have fun on, i'd go second hand and for that money it really seems like there's a lot of stuff out there that will give you a lot of bang for your buck cash wise.



I've said this before, but if you're in Europe, Basschat.co.uk is a trove for great second hand basses for decent money. Although most of them are high end, you might be able to find something in your budget.

https://www.basschat.co.uk/forum/19-basses-for-sale/


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## AC.Lin (Jun 12, 2018)

Mwoit said:


> I've said this before, but if you're in Europe, Basschat.co.uk is a trove for great second hand basses for decent money. Although most of them are high end, you might be able to find something in your budget.
> 
> https://www.basschat.co.uk/forum/19-basses-for-sale/


Wow, that website is impressive ! 
Thank you for the link !


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