Ok, heres the deal... I need to purchase a Christmas gift for a fellow, & being somewhat short on funds, I need a *cheap* bass. I see these are selling for around $90.00. (Rogue SX100B Series II)
He will just be playing it in his apt., never gigging or with a band. Will this instrument be suitable? Stay in tune? Action good? If you have experience with one of these, or could recommend a comparable one, I would like to hear about it. I know, you get what you pay for, but I am just looking for some feedback on an inexpensive instrument that will hopefully also be a decent one to play.
Thanks, katmetal
The low-end P-style import pickups as that one has are universally bad. Not just "in my opinion;" it's fact. (Anyone who wants can try to prove me wrong. :twisted: )
For a little bit more, you can get a J-style SX bass from Rondo. I really like the look of the '57 with the maple neck; it's as close as you'll get to a Geddy Lee without paying twice as much for a Squier, and that won't be any better.
Regardless of brand, it will need to be set up properly and possibly some other minor work, like filing the fret ends down. But there's a lot of love for the SX basses; good boom for the buck. :wink:
Do you also need to think about an amp for him?
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
Yeah, that's cool; I forgot about looking at the Rondo line. I will give them some serious thought.
By the way, I should have answered your actual question ... kid down the street just bought his first bass, and he looked at a Rogue ... he bought an Ibanez instead.
Now, I have to say I was kinda miffed because there was used Peavey on Craigslist and I even talked the seller down in price for him ... but the kid had to have "red." Yes, red was the deciding factor. So he paid the brand new price for a red Iby when could have gotten a better not-red Peavey for the same price ... but kids will be kids.
Anyway, the point is that a 13-year old novice could tell that the red Rogue wasn't as good as the red Ibanez. Looks, feel, sound, etc. I don't recall which models he looked at, but under $200 for certain.
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
Now, I have to say I was kinda miffed because there was used Peavey on Craigslist and I even talked the seller down in price for him ... but the kid had to have "red." Yes, red was the deciding factor. So he paid the brand new price for a red Iby when could have gotten a better not-red Peavey for the same price ... but kids will be kids.
Anyway, the point is that a 13-year old novice could tell that the red Rogue wasn't as good as the red Ibanez. Looks, feel, sound, etc. I don't recall which models he looked at, but under $200 for certain.
HaHaHaHa!!! Yeah, I know the thing about color, body style, etc. with kids; it has to look "cool" first, function second! :mrgreen:
In the original post, I should have told the whole story; I am looking to purchase a bass for a Christmas present for a blind gentleman. I need something reliable, decent, inexpensive. Prefer a "brand" name/quality instrument. If it has a few dings in the finish, that is probably okay. I need to purchase it as cheap as possible, because it will be shipped out of state, & I know that will be costly as well.
That's about the size of it...oh yeah, I forgot to mention that he is a Piano Tuner with Absolute/Perfect pitch, & he can tell when stuff isn't right. Guess I better make sure it is intonnated before I send it out to him, huh? :D
Those Rondos look nice!
I have a Squire Affinity J bass which I bought in the spring and I think it's a great bass for the money (179 US).
They crop up like mushrooms on Craigslist et al, so you should be able to find a good deal between now and the holidays.
Out of the box, they certainly need adjustment, but add a 1.5 mm hex wrench and a philips screwdriver and I'm sure your recipient could easily set the action and intonation himself. Gotta be easier than tuning a piano.
Happy looking!
:)
Don
way back when i bought my Strat i was going through the stock at MF and ended up sitting next to the Bass section of the store (it was closest to the warehouse doors and had a place to sit)
anyhoo, there was a guy who was trying out some Rogue Basses a few feet away and he was having a really bad time of it. it seemed that the kid he was trying them with/for was set on a certain color and or style.
the problem was every single one they brought out was turned down by the older kid because of one reason or another.
then i noticed that he asked for another model off the scratch and dent wall that was nearly the same price as the Rogues they had been sending back.
i finally got to hear this kid play for more than a few tortured notes and i was really impressed, i mean he was really good imo.
the younger kid refused the slightly damaged one because it had a chip on the headstock and bought the POS instead, the older kid was a bit miffed at his younger friend because i suppose they had been going through the stock all afternoon trying to find one that he approved of and when he found one that was actually better for about the same money the kid no longer valued his opinion.
My 2¢ stay away from the Rogue stuff.
#4491....
I have been looking at some used MEMPHIS basses. They are heavy bodied buggers, but seem to be well made. I don't know the history of them; are they a good buy?
