Is there a reasonably priced 4 string 35" bass that is more traditional than the LTD F series?

guitarfishbay · October 2014

I'm not really happy with how my 4 string Ibanez SRX 500 is sounding with thick strings tuned down to drop B. I think our bassist's bass will sound better, I've not tracked it yet, sounds ok in the reherasal room. It is a 'Rally' bass which I've never heard of or seen before, has a Music Man style bridge humbucker and a Jazz style neck pickup.

I'd still like to own something myself that suits what I want to achieve.

I'm looking at options for longer scale basses so I could use thinner strings, as I'm wondering if that is part of the problem. I had a Peavey Cirrus BXP 5 string with 35 inch scale, and the 4th and 5th strings sounded great on it - tight and defined.

I'd prefer to use a 4 string bass but I can't find many options for 4 string basses that are 35 inch scale, and even less at a reasonable price. The only 'cheap' ones I can find in production are the ESP F series.

If they LTD F series are the only option at (preferably significantly less than) £500 then so be it, but they're not very 'me'. It seems there's an option with own brand pickups, and EMGs. I'm guessing I'm best off with the EMG version, but I've never tried either.

It is a bit nicer in this finish but I'm still not sold on spending a couple of hundred quid on it, even though it will almost certainly remain a recording instrument I do want to like it, and also I'm concerned that it doesn't look comfortable to play sat down.

Any ideas?

Or tips for used searches to set up?

ThePrettyDamned · October 2014

Firstly, these are NOT comfy sat down. However, they are sublime instruments for the money.

However, the Peavey Millenium was always 35" IIRC and one my mate has, which he picked up for about 40 quid, has now made him well over a grand in gigs, and is SOLID. Actually plays great.

Peavey Grind is 35" too. Not tried one of those.

Cirrus: http://www.gak.co.uk/en/peavey-cirrus-bxp-4-quilt-top-tiger-eye/63434

Cirrus USA here... http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Peavey_Cirrus_4.html

guitarfishbay · October 2014

So you've tried an F series bass? Which model and what did you think of it?

I didn't realise the 4 string Cirrus was also 35 inch scale. For some reason I thought they were 34, wonder where I got that from. If they're as good as my 5 string was then it'd be worth a punt for not a lot of money.

guitarfishbay · October 2014

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=14031812080632&gclid=CPyXhpGtmMECFenHtAodrmUAmQ ;

The millenium says 34 inch scale. The Cirrus BXP seems out of production

ThePrettyDamned · October 2014

guitarfishbay;371356" said:
So you've tried an F series bass? Which model and what did you think of it?

I didn't realise the 4 string Cirrus was also 35 inch scale. For some reason I thought they were 34, wonder where I got that from. If they're as good as my 5 string was then it'd be worth a punt for not a lot of money.

I did

It was well put together and played great, but the one I played had a really dead sounding tone. It was a low low model - 200 quid. A 200 quid peavey outperformed by miles in every way.

Ah sorry about the millennium, could have sworn that was 35! You can find Cirrus bxp basses used, but they're the kinda price they were retail. Nice things though.

fretmeister · October 2014

Thickness of strings has sod all to do with their tension - unless they are of identical construction.

I use a .125 low B on a 34 scale and it sounds brilliant.

guitarfishbay · October 2014

fretmeister said:

Thickness of strings has sod all to do with their tension - unless they are of identical construction.

I use a .125 low B on a 34 scale and it sounds brilliant.

It definitely has something to do with tension and tone on guitars, where I just use daddario and generally he thinnest I can get away with.

What strings are you using? I've tried a 120 and 125 and I don't like either, I think the bass itself might also sound dull. I'm using daddario XL nickelwound IIRC. I'd be willing to buy a set of different bass strings if there's an obvious choice that gives me a brighter sound (and will last a reasonable amount of time).

fretmeister · October 2014

Easy!!

D'Addario Pro Steels!

Funnily enough I can't stand the D'addario Nickels, especially on the low B.

But the Steels have a brilliant bright piano-like tone.

I actually make up my own set of 40-60-80-100-125. Mainly because the standard 40 set has .095 E string and I find that a little light.

guitarfishbay · October 2014

Is there a tension difference between the two - i.e. should I order the same gauges I'm using but in steel?

fretmeister · October 2014

They are close enough - if anything the steels are a little more bendy.

Although tension is not the same as bendyness either!

(You can tell that I've sat through pages of maths and shit on basschat about this!!

)

guitarfishbay · October 2014

Lol. I'm just another guitarist who happens to own a bass, everyone knows we don't actually know anything useful.

UnclePsychosis · October 2014

Yamaha TRB1004 is 35". Great basses.

Think some of the other TRB range are 35" too.

guitarfishbay · October 2014

Ok,

I have ordered a set of prosteels,

50 - 70 - 95 - 130

Hopefully that will do the trick! Worth a shot for £25 (I was expecting worse tbh!).

fretmeister · October 2014

50???

Fuck! Are you tuning low?

guitarfishbay · October 2014

B F# B E. Did I pick wrong?

fretmeister · October 2014

Drop B tuning?

But with the low B just being a usual low B?

Why not just use BEAD instead?

guitarfishbay · October 2014

I tune my guitars to drop B which is B F# B E G# C# so it makes sense to me.

Would it be common for a bassist to just use normal intervals from B instead of the same as the guitarist?

guitarfishbay · October 2014

It is all the singer's fault anyway, we don't tune low for heaviness we do it for his vocal range.

fretmeister · October 2014

guitarfishbay said:

I tune my guitars to drop B which is B F# B E G# C# so it makes sense to me.

Would it be common for a bassist to just use normal intervals from B instead of the same as the guitarist?

Yup. The instrument has the needed range already, so why get your noodle twisted!

Nomad · October 2014

UnclePsychosis said:

Yamaha TRB1004 is 35". Great basses.

Think some of the other TRB range are 35" too.

Yup, my TRB5 IIF is 35".

UnclePsychosis · October 2014

guitarfishbay said:

I tune my guitars to drop B which is B F# B E G# C# so it makes sense to me.

Would it be common for a bassist to just use normal intervals from B instead of the same as the guitarist?

Yes. A five string bass is (normally) strung with a bottom B so its just B-E-A-D-G anyway. If you don't need the top string, unless you've got a really good reason not to I'd tune BEAD. If you do lots of complex unison riffing with a guitar thats in a funny tuning you may need to consider something different but I'd try to avoid that as much as possible.

guitarfishbay · October 2014

Ok. Well I have the pro steel strings now but will save the restring until a tracking day to get the most out of them (unless people think they need played in first?). The gauge I ordered might feel a little thin for BEAD but I'll give it a go.

ThePrettyDamned · October 2014

guitarfishbay;375228" said:
Ok. Well I have the pro steel strings now but will save the restring until a tracking day to get the most out of them (unless people think they need played in first?). The gauge I ordered might feel a little thin for BEAD but I'll give it a go.

Not used those strings specifically, but I find most bass strings benefit from a bit of playing in first, to reduce the brightness a wee bit.

I used to use a bass in drop d to match the guitar when I would jam trivium songs with friends. I have no idea how you'd do it in standard, so it really depends what your riffs are like. Unless you're happy riffing in the same octave as the guitar - which still sounds very different to two guitars (some downtuned guitar bands do this, using a 5 string bass tuned down to A with the guitar in drop A).

fretmeister · October 2014

Play them in a little. They are a bit bright out of the packet!

guitarfishbay · October 2014

Ok will do, cheers for your help guys.

RowlandwithaW · March 2015

I have a 4-string Peavey Cirrus for sale, if you are still interested.

http://www.laidbackguitar.co.uk

guitarfishbay · March 2015

Thanks for the offer @RowlandwithaW but I'm sorted on this front now.

strtdv · March 2015

I use 135-45 for my Warwick 5 string, I found I didn't like the low B with a 130.

For bright tone and non-flubby string tension when using a 130 low B Rotosound Swing Bass 66 could be a good call. They're excellent on rickenbackers because they give a bright but very punchy tone, and they feel a little tighter for their gauge than other strings I've tried.

RowlandwithaW · March 2015

Ah well...... Thanks for the reply! Have fun!

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Is there a reasonably priced 4 string 35" bass that is more traditional than the LTD F series?

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