Any suggestions for a guitarist who wants to learn some bass and looking for a cheaper bass? Checked out a few Yamaha (RBX174, 274 and 374) and Ibanez (GSR200FM, SRX300).

Ask me anything about guitar and I'll know but bass... I'm lost!!

I just tested the LTD B50 with a Randall 35W bass amp. The Randall didn't sound too bad considering it's pretty big and quite a large wattage. Only for home practice though cos no way it'll cut it along side a drummer. But the sound, IMHO, can beat the similarly priced Smarvo or Kustom amp...

Price was around RM500 after discount I think and I tried it at Guitar Collection...

Anyone know if Bentleys, Yamaha, etc are closed for the holidays? Probably so right?

Thanks bro. Somehow I knew Bentley made too much money to be opened over Raya...

Amp sound & quality depends on price and you pay for what you get.

I tried a budget Smarvo (around RM300) Bass Amp and the speaker was already distorting at low voume levels!

My suggestion is to spend a little more on something branded like Marshall, Fender, Vox, etc or try a decent 2nd-hand one. At least with these amps, you'll get something of a decent 2nd-hand value for when you get better and trade up to a better one (which will happen to ALL of us)!

Good luck!

So far, the ones that I've tried that sounded good within that price range were the Yamaha RBX170 or 270 or the Ibanez GSR200. The Yamaha was warmer sounding but the Ibanez was more powerful (with it's active EQ).

If you have the budget, go for the Ibanez.

Why not spend a little extra and get the Line 6 Spider III 15?

Actually, if you can get a right-handed Squire and string it the other way round for a lefty - you'll get a Hendrix style setup, which should be really cool!

Just make sure you get an Olympic White one like o'l Jimi's!

The Line 6 Spider III is quite versatile with it's different amp models (covers many varieties of sounds and styles).

But recently I tried the Vox Pathfinder 10... and for an amp below RM300, it's pretty decent for clean and some classic rock tones (you will need a pedal for heavier stuff). It's also light enough to carry around for jamming at a friend's house!

Overall, I'm quite impressed with this little beast and will be writing a review soon.

PM me for prices.

You've been PM'd...

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Added on November 23, 2008, 3:40 pmI know Ibanez is the IT Metal brand but have you guys tried Hamer? I just tried the Hamer Californian CX2 and for a sub RM650 guitar, I was blown away by the low action and pretty decent pickups.

Spend some money upgrading the pickups, get a decent amp and pedal and you've got a decent budget metal-setup.

As always, nothing beats your own ears so try it for yourself...


This post has been edited by satchman: Nov 23 2008, 03:40 PM

What's your budget my friend?

My suggestions (below RM450):

Vox Pathfinder 10
Vox Pathfinder 15R
Line 6 Spider III 15W

(PM me for details)

All these practice amps are good for home jam and starting out but you will be needing to upgrade to something a little more powerful when you get better or jam with a drummer.

What's your budget my friend?

I still thought the Ibanez GSR200 was more powerful sounding (with it's active electronics).

And the Yamaha RBX170 is also around the price of your Squire so check that out too...

This post has been edited by satchman: Dec 7 2008, 10:18 PM

Yes, the Vox VT15 is a fantastic upgrade... the Vox VT30 is even better if you have the cash to spare (but unfortunately, there's no stock as yet)... sigh...