Looking for a bass for a home recording project. Clarify me some issues

[Rizzo]

Hi there everyone,
I'm a guitarist and I've been daydreaming of buying a cheap bass for pushing the game up a little bit in my beginner home recording project. Programming midi is quite obnoxious and not much satisfying, plus playing a real bass would be fun in any case and I like learning new things.

So what am I looking for?
The bass should be:
- LEFTY
- cheap, entry level is ok as long as it has a minimum re-sell value for future safety (i'd say a budget of around 200 euros for a 4-stringer and 300 for a 5-stringer, the less money the better as long as the bass is decent)
- both used and new is ok, I'll probably look at used stuff
- I will only RECORD at home with it at hobby level, and not likely play live (not yet, at least)
- no amp, just the bass since I'll be playing it through my Pod and powered monitor
- now on to the big question: 4 strings or 5 strings?

I only own 6 string guitars for the moment and I usually have my guitars in standard tuning, but I like to experiment from time to time and I always have some heavy gauges lying around: standard detuning, open tunings, drop tunings, etc.

That being said, I know a bassist usually plays single notes (I mean, chords on a bass are a quite advanced thing and I don't see myself playing them in any case, in addition to the fact I don't "want to become a bassist" at the moment. I just could see myself needing a bass to lay stuff down) so I was striving for a 5-stringer to immediately solve the down-tuning issue.

In standard 5-string tuning, I'd have notes down to B (which I don't usually tune below on guitar) so I'd just have to probably shift some positions but I'd have all the notes handy already.

With a 4-stringer, the detuning issue would be more real and I honestly don't want to spend around on non-standard bass strings just for the (occasional?) probability of detuning. Not to mention that any tuning change would be a problem per se.
On the other hand, it won't be so easy to find a decent cheap lefty 5er nor to hypothetically resell it.

So this is a bit confusing.
What do you recommend based on your experience? It is smarter to magage a 4 or a 5er for those issues?

At present time, I've been looking at some Ibanez (GSR line) and Cort models among the entry range.
Harley Benton basses (the Thomann.de private label) are also said to be of good price\quality ratio as for example this one among the 5ers (non to mention it's the only super cheap LH 5-string bass available on there): Harley Benton B-550LH BK Progressive Series - Thomann Italia

Let me know!

 

[A-Branger]

well sadly for you as a lefty you dont have many options. So your options for cheap basses would be narrowed down to what your store actually has or what you can buy online. So being lefty and having a price range, put those on a search function on a online store and just flip a coin to choose between the two available LOL.


for 4 vs 5, it depends on you and what you planing to play. a 5 string bass doesnt mean you "have" to use it with a 7 string. For me the 5th string is handy string to play things eassier up and down instead of accross the neck, plus I have 5 extra notes.... and I use them a lot lol. Mind you I have play jazz and latin music, so not being link to a "riff" I can navigate and do whatever, and I like the feeling and atmosphere the Low notes gives to certain sections.

you can always play a double octave of what the guitar does. If in a chorus the guitar strung B chord, or D chord, you can do those notes on the low 5th string "B" (double octave) instead of doing them on the 3rd string "A" as you would on a guitar for example

other thing you can do on the guitar if the bass is doing the low C on the 5th string, is to instead of playing the classical powerchord of C with the root and the fifth (maybe the eight)...{c-g-c}.... is to add the low octave of the fifth (or low fourth) on the lower string, so your power chord would sound "lower"....{g-c-g}.... ad the double octave of C on the bass, and presto, you dont need a 7 string

 

[Baelzebeard]

Have you tried playing 4 and 5 string basses?

I prefer 5 string mostly for comfort reasons. For me unless a 4 string has a fairly wide neck I find my hand feeling cramped on 4 string necks.

I know it might be hard to track down a lefty bass to play in person, but comfort should be a top priority or you will be put off of playing.

 

[Grand Moff Tim]

I play a six string bass in a rock band that exclusively plays six string guitars in E standard. Using 6 string guitars definitely doesn't tie you down to using four string basses.

 

[A-Branger]

also worth to mention that if your plans are to sell the bass latter on and not loose too much value, and you are looking for bit more options.... maybe the answer is to buy a right hand bass?.... you just need to flip the nut/strings/intonation, would be bit akward at first to play, but you have more options to buy and easy to sell later if thats what you want

 

[elkinz]

5 string basses are absolutely fine all round. the cool thing about bass is you don't have to follow the guitarist So it doesn't matter what amount of strings or tuning the guitarist is in, you can follow it fairly easy. Plenty of bands using 8 string guitars with 4 string basses just as an example. I used to play traditional jazz stuff with my 5 string in a 15 piece jazz band and it was awesome!

Its really nice having a contrast of pitch between notes in a bassline. I reckon 5!

 

[hairychris]

FYI I play a 5 in drop-C having an extra high string (CGCFA) as opposed to an extra low one.

Playing standard tuning I'd probably go for a low B.

 

[theFraz]

I got a Harley Benton guitar and for the price is fantastic, so if you'll use it only in studio I say buy the 5 and change the pickup

 

[ziwegoegb]

Its really nice having a contrast of pitch between notes in a bassline.

 

[Preacher]

literally today (not done a NBD yet) I got a second, possibly even third, hand LTD B-55. Its great, just do a bit of scouring on ebay/facebook groups/craigs list etc and you will find something decent. I was looking at a Shine bass as my cheapest best option until this popped up for an extra £30, which I know I would have spent more on the shine fixing the problems like naff pup's and a notoriously dodgy truss rod.

 

[cubix]

I find that in the really cheap 5 string basses the B string really is the weakest point. It's hard to capture right without good pickups and overall quality construction plus it's the string that "degrades" the fastest. So if you really want to use it you will be replacing the strings quite often. I would definately look for a 4 string. Ibanez seem very nice and I would also look at Cort.

 

[HollowmanPL]

squier vm jazz bass

 

[punisher911]

Squier P-Bass.....

 

[Systolic]

I'd probably go the 4 string route as well. Not only for reasons listed above, but also because for people new to bass, the B string can get drone-y. Plus there are fewer cheap options for a fiver. Get a 4 banger and drop tune necessary.

 

[Thor2]

Agree with the advice to go with a 4-banger. A lot more options for decent inexpesive fours, and as mentioned above, the low B tends to be a weak spot on lesser 5-string basses.

If you are looking to record, I would also recommend going with a P-style bass. Simple and record very easily. For your second bass - you can pick up a nicer 5-string (once you start enjoying the bass, you will likely not be able to stop at just one

 

[TedEH]

I find that in the really cheap 5 string basses the B string really is the weakest point.

for people new to bass, the B string can get drone-y

I'd recommend a 4, for the already-mentioned reasons. BUT- Sometimes you can find a bass where the low B just works as soon as you pick it up. If the Ltd b-55 mentioned already is anything like my old B-5, the low B on that is very usable even for a beginner, IMO, as long as it's set up reasonably well.

 

[Rizzo]

Thanks everyone dudes, I forgot about the thread.
So basing on the majority of advice, I'll probably go for a 4 stringer.

 

[punisher911]

Thanks everyone dudes, I forgot about the thread.
So basing on the majority of advice, I'll probably go for a 4 stringer.

and I will reiterate.. you can never go wrong with a P bass with flatwound strings. Unless you slap. then go the stingray or jazz route.. but for everyone else, specially with the modern era of adding effects and tones after the fact, P bass with flats will give you a great clean tone to record with. nice and thumpy without being "boomy". then you can mod/amp model/stomp pedal to your desired sound with any add on/vst as needed to full fill your desire.... flatwounds might not be your chosen sound, but they will eliminate string noise and help keep the recordings clean...