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 geokills
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Registered: 05/08/01
Posts: 20,727
Loc: city of angels 
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 Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have any strings to sell? ) 
#5575101 - 04/30/06 09:40 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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So on the way home today from droppin' off my rent, I pass a garage sale and notice some shiny instruments hangin' out by the curb. Parking my car at home about a block and a half a way, it only takes me a few minutes to decide to walk down there and check 'em out. Upon closer inspection, I find a cheap-o squire style 6 string guitar, but what really caught mine eye was this vintage lookin' violin hollow body 4 string electric bass guitar they had. Dude was 39 and had since picked up more capable equipment, and was letting this fine (yet worn) piece of equipment go for $65.
Well having had some interest in the bass specifically, and being an aspiring collector for all types of string instruments in general.. I was sold on the spot. Only problem was I didn't have the cash on me and dude wouldn't take a check even though I offered to allow him to copy my ID so he could "hunt me down" if the check didn't clear. So I run home to do a quick search on the 'net for similar guitars just to satisfy my smart shopper curiosity, and low and behold I end up deciding that there is no way in hell I'mma find a cool bass like that for $65 elsewhere... Hop in the car, go to the nearest bank - first time I've withdrew money from an ATM that would charge me a service fee since I've been out of the country (in fact I don't think I've ever withdrew money from a domestic ATM in the past that would have charged me).. hightail it back to the garage sale and the damn thing was sold just minutes before I got there 
To add insult to injury, there was that nasty 6-string that I had no interest in staring me in the face hehe 
Anywho, I've now spent the last couple hours lookin' around, reading reviews and all that jazz. I'm not looking to buy the best of the best, just something to love and learn on. Hell I still have my $50 pawn shop "Carlos" Korean made 6-string acoustic from almost a decade ago, and play it almost every day!
OK, so here's the deal - I've found what looks to be a pretty solid beginner's guitar (particularly considering I'm not burning to spend more than $200 on this purchase).. and I'm wondering what you all might think of the Rogue LX405 Pro 5-String Bass Guitar. It'll end up $200 shipped, which is perfect for budget; I really dig the aesthetics of the Liquid Sunset Quilt option (pictured below).. and the reviews seem to deem it one of the best "bang for the buck" beginner and even intermediate bass guitars.
Of course, getting consumed in the whole experience of weighing the pros and cons of different potential purchases, I had to check my local classifieds as well for used equipment. In there, I've found a few interesting candidates - but the one that stands out is an Ibanez SR885. It is supposedly in mint condition, and the asking price is around $250. Given the admittedly sparse reviews I've read on this unit, it would seem this is even a better deal than the brand new Rogue, albeit that this is a used piece of equipment.
What say you? Are there other options that I should be considering?
Do you have a bass that you're willing to let go to a musical fiend?
On that note, if you have ANY nifty stringed instruments that you might wish to sell, I'd love to check out some images and read up on 'em - as I am moving into a new house this summer and plan to setup a jam room chock full of all sorts of instruments, so if the price is right, you just might have an easy buyer. 
Spill it 
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┼ ··∙ long live the shroomery ∙·· ┼
...╬π╥  ╥π╬...
Edited by geokills (05/01/06 12:01 AM)
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geokills
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Registered: 05/08/01
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 Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have one to sell? ) [Re: geokills]
#5575565 - 04/30/06 11:59 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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So about that Ibanez SR885 that I mentioned above.. the guy sellin' it got back to me with some nice shots of it ~
  
For $200 including gig bag 'n strap; I'm findin' myself pretty hungry for it!
So as it stands, it's lookin' to be between the Ibanez and the aforementioned Rogue.
Opinions?
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 Shroomism
Space Travellin
Registered: 02/13/00
Posts: 66,004
Loc: 9th Dimension
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 Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have one to sell? ) [Re: geokills]
#5575623 - 05/01/06 12:20 AM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Rogues are shit!! Get the Ibanez!!!! Please. Trust me.
The SR885 is a much more professional quality instrument than anything that comes from the Rogue line. For $200? GRAB IT.
Although... this would be my Ibanez of choice
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geokills
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Registered: 05/08/01
Posts: 20,727
Loc: city of angels
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 Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have one to sell? ) [Re: Shroomism]
#5576626 - 05/01/06 11:02 AM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Thanks for the input Shroomism - that is one sexy piece of art you posted there! After spending some more time reading reviews on the Ibanez, it definitely looks to be the solid buy - given that the specific model has been discontinued and used to sell for $600 - $1000. $200 for one in this nice of condition is a no brainer. Nevertheless, I do still dig the look of the Rogue better, and am certain that it could fullfill my immediate needs, which are namely "to fuck around on bass." I'm not adverse to quality equipment by any means however, so I will run with the Ibanez and maybe break out a paint pen and make my own designs on it 
Dude lives about 45 miles away though so I probably won't snag it 'til later this week 
Anyone else have some used string or precussion instruments they're lookin' to unload?
My only conditions are that it's gotta have character, and not break the bank  .
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┼ ··∙ long live the shroomery ∙·· ┼
...╬π╥ ╥π╬...
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Microcosmatrix
Spiral staircasetechnician
Registered: 10/20/05
Posts: 11,293
Loc: Ythan's house
Last seen: 14 years, 2 months
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Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have one to sell? ) [Re: geokills]
#5576660 - 05/01/06 11:31 AM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Dude, the internet and electronic funds are great, but always carry some cash on you. You never know when you're gonna run into a good deal on drugs ya know?
...and Ibanez. Def the Ibanez. 
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PurpleKush
Rational Lunatic
Registered: 03/20/06
Posts: 3,421
Loc: Above The Law
Last seen: 11 months, 6 days
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Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have one to sell? ) [Re: geokills]
#5576668 - 05/01/06 11:38 AM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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i miss my bass... i sold it my senior year to buy my first quarter pound of weed. i was a fuckin idiot back then. i wish i had it, and now they dont even make that style anymore. it was a schecter 4 string that was bad ass and pretty, but its gone...
if your lookin for any new stuff, i used to work in a guitar shop and our best bang for the buck was always samick. theyre good quality insturments and definately affordable.
samick
edit: ibanez makes good shit, that is a good deal your getting there. my first bass was an ibanez and i never outgrew or outskilled it, i just wanted something more.
Edited by PurpleKush (05/01/06 11:39 AM)
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monamine
dork
Registered: 04/28/06
Posts: 1,089
Loc: Florida, US
Last seen: 14 years, 7 months
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Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have any strings to sell? ) [Re: geokills]
#5578424 - 05/01/06 08:52 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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God I'm so glad I play guitar and not bass. I break a string and I look under the couch cushions for change to buy another pack. Not gonna happen with a bass.
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013akilper
Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 1,758
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Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have one to sell? ) [Re: Shroomism]
#5581380 - 05/02/06 02:50 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Shroomism said:
Rogues are shit!! Get the Ibanez!!!! Please. Trust me.
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psyka
Praetorian
Registered: 06/09/03
Posts: 1,652
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Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have any strings to sell? ) [Re: geokills]
#5581942 - 05/02/06 06:07 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--IBASRX400 -- $260!!!!!!
^-- awesome price for an AWESOME instrument. I just got mine, and it has a nice sound. You can tune it to be really bassy and phat sounding or clunky for funk. I'm no bass player but I have to say I'm really happy with my purchase... and at that price its practically a steal.
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As the life of a candle,
my wick will burn out.
But, the fire of my mind
shall beam into infinite.
 
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snowflake
Stranger
Registered: 02/07/06
Posts: 56
Loc: The South
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Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have any strings to sell? ) [Re: psyka]
#5582233 - 05/02/06 07:36 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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You should look for gibson grabbers on ebay. I got mine for 200 and it will definitely blow any of those other basses out of the water...
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We have just enough religion to make us hate each other but not enough to make us love one another..
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usefulidiot
It's notfascist, it's...Neoconservative!
Registered: 11/21/02
Posts: 732
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Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have one to sell? ) [Re: geokills]
#5583007 - 05/02/06 10:32 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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I used to have an older SR800 which is probably pretty similar to the 4 string version of the one your looking at.. I loved that thing, it was light as hell and probably had the thinnest/fastest neck out of any other bass I've ever really played on. 200 bucks sounds like a steal, I think mine was around $450 used.
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geokills
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Registered: 05/08/01
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Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have any strings to sell? ) [Re: monamine]
#5585967 - 05/03/06 04:09 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
monamine said:
God I'm so glad I play guitar and not bass. I break a string and I look under the couch cushions for change to buy another pack. Not gonna happen with a bass.
Hehe.. no doubt about that - fortunately I already have three standard 6 string guitars to play with at the moment 
I see the strings on the bass ranging from $19 upwards of $50 a pack for my new 5 string Ibanez SR885 .. No biggie though, these strings are so damn fat that I'm sure I'll seldom if ever break 'em. One thing I did like about that Rogue I was considering was that it had a passive pickup feature so that if the battery ran out, you could still play continuously with amplification just by flipping a switch. Ah well, I don't know what "phat" means, but the mental imagery it brings to mind is certainly consistent with the earthquake that this Ibanez creates in my home! Hell even without amplification, when I pluck an open string my whole body starts to vibrate - very cool, and different, from the guitars I'm used to playing
My ultimate goal is to collect as many stringed instruments as I can.. I think next up on the list will be a mandolin. Soon after (or perhaps before), I'd like to pick up a drum set as well. A fretless bass, stand-up acoustic bass, and/or violin/fiddle are also on my wish list. As it stands, my current arsenal of instruments includes:- Two Acoustic Guitars (one Yamaha on loan, one pawn shop Carlos)
- One Electric Guitar (home made with pre-fab'd fender style neck and head, seymour duncan pickups + beautifully hand finished body - the user Kremlin on the BB made this guitar in high school and I've had it on loan for about 3 years now
 )
- My new Ibanez SR885 5 string electric bass - yum!
- Peruvian hand drum (given to me from my sister upon her return from vacation in Peru one summer)
- Banjo (on loan for the last 6 months from a friend who's family owns a tow truck company, a car they towed was never claimed and inside it was this banjo
 )
- Taka (sp?) hand drum (variable tension on the hide by increasing pressure on strings that run the vertical length of the drum.. also on loan and retrieved alongside the aforementioned banjo)
- Yamaha s90 electric weighted fullsize keyboard - I've fallen off on this, but should really start playin' it again.. took about 9 years of lessons (largely against my will) as a child
snowflake, I cruised hundreds of instrument listings on eBay for two days before making my decision to pick up this Ibanez. Didn't find anything that really got me goin' given my budget and overall lack of knowledge when it comes to basses.. though I'm sure if I'd waited out I would have. Even so, the guy who was selling the SR885 I bought had another interested buyer so I wasn't going to let another object of my desire fall through my fingertips by delaying any longer than necessary  (it also helped that this guy was local so I wouldn't have to pay shipping).
usefulidiot, you don't seem to be in the minority by any means - the vast majority of the reviews I read on the Ibanez SR8x's were overwhelmingly positive. Indeed, this bass is quite light and the neck is relatively easy to play on (though something I certainly need to get used to, being so familiar with the standard 6 string guitar). This should be fun =]
I'm very happy!
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Shroomism
Space Travellin
Registered: 02/13/00
Posts: 66,004
Loc: 9th Dimension
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Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have any strings to sell? ) [Re: geokills]
#5586055 - 05/03/06 04:37 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Bass strings break FAR less often than guitar strings.
The guitarists in my band broke on average.. a string every 2 weeks.
I broke a bass string maybe once every 6-8 months.. and I usually change them more often than that.
And I abused the fuck out of my strings.. I played with a pick and I played hard..
and we played speed/thrash/death metal.. so those strings got plenty of abuse.
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geokills
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Registered: 05/08/01
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 Re: Sleuthin' out a BASS GUITAR ( have any strings to sell? ) [Re: Shroomism]
#5587019 - 05/03/06 08:13 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Were those pictures you posted above of your own bass? If so, I'm jealous
If not, let's see some (if ya have 'em)! 
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┼ ··∙ long live the shroomery ∙·· ┼
...╬π╥ ╥π╬...
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