Re: Advice on buying a bass guitar?
2016/07/27 17:27:14
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Another vote for a Precision/Jazz style bass.
Don't get too hung up on the Fender MIA/MIM thing. Both can be good, both can be not so good. Squier generally are not so good.
My current go-to bass is an MIM Fender Cabronita Precision, and it came from the factory with a very good basic setup indeed. I swapped the factory roundwound strings for flats so needed to set it up and re-intonate it accordingly but the setup it came with was fine for the strings it came with. Sounds good, deep and solid and plays very well. Though it is heavy. MIM Jazzes and "ordinary" Precisions have OK and usable pickups, but are easy enough to change for others. The hardware on MIM Fenders is generally pretty good as well.
One thing to watch with basses is the playing stability of the neck. I've a 2000s Washburn that cost quite a bit more than the MIM Fender when I bought it. Active electronics, through-neck and it sounds pretty good. Only problem being that the neck is so thin it tends to flap around on lower notes with consequent tuning and intonation issues. A pity, because other than that it's a decent instrument, especially for slap styles.
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