Shootout: Best Four String Bass Under $300, Part III: Contest and WINNER

Part III

Okay, so now to the nitty gritty:

Best Basses Under $300

I'm going to break this into -$300, -$200, -$100 classes, new and used.

Used Basses

I have been encountering many deals in this range. If you have $300 and are shopping used, you have a wide choice. Silhouette, woods, construction style, decently respectable names, often sporting keeper hardware and electronics.

Hardest is picking what you want. MIM Fender, some MIJ stuff, loads of good Peaveys, Schecters, LTDs that were quite a bit higher priced new. No reason for junk at this price in this segment. If you're not blown away, keep your money until you are.

Under $200...now we're talking.

Ibanez Roadstar/II - these are USA Fender beaters. High quality everything, modern rock tones mostly but nothing on these was cheap or ill thought out. Had an RB690 in creme last year, aesthetically in a gray area but "shoulda kept" player. John Paul Jones was photographed playing my exact color and model, & played a PJ config Roadstar at Live Aid.

USA Peaveys - more USA Fender killers in a "grey area" silhouette. Super Ferrite pickups are coveted. CNC made, very early adaptation of the technology. Play first before cheaper import fare.

SX Basses - I had a 74 style Jazz copy, ash, maple/maple with pearloid blocks, and it's true what the forums say: a good one is Fender good. Maybe not the greatest, tightest assembly, but neither are/were Fenders in places like neck pockets. REAMS of info online, known quantity. Old headstocks are nicer, new ones can be given a "faux Suhr" treatment but ugly stock. Mod platforms, J pickups are well regarded. Getting collectible, particularly LPB finishes.

Used Sterling SUBs in this range are great, see below in New.

Used Fernandes basses are killer. MIJ can be had and are some of the best used budget basses around.

I played a rather killer Atlas non-MIJ that would have passed for such. J-MM without the J, passive with a series- parallel switch. Still might go back and get it, despite already have a bolt on MM pickup'd bass. They'll grab your attention.


-$100

Used under a bill, Deans aren't bad but Ibanez has really killer but to my eye just ok looking basses in the -$200 range new, enough so that you could snag a decent playing, mahogany or agathis bodied bass in a variety of pickup configurations for a C note or less.

If you need something with a familiar silhouette, Affinity series Squiers can be had. Nothing special, but worse copies abound.

Canvas branded basses are actually way decent, I was all kinds of enthused for a Warmoth neck swap, though, and the extra fret mooted that. Worth trying, Belcat pickups, good modder/beater, mine was Mahogany.

NEW BASSES

-$300

For Music Man fans, the SUB series by Sterling is about as good as it gets - if you want a direct clone, proper silhouette, etc. For those more flexible, the Fernandes Atlas 4x is similarly priced, and trades active electronics for an alder body, over the basswood SUBs.

I had an SB4 with very good stock playability and tone, discounted for $180. New $249 all day long. Series pickup, big balls, smaller chassis. Slap machine. Would buy again, great looking basses.

Another $20 gets you a Ray version, more variety in finishes and the "expected" Ray parallel bucker tone. I myself dig the SB4 tone but this look. Wouldn't kick any Ray out of bed for eating crackers, & in this range, this *is* a Ray.

They both have Sterling style necks, which while comfy, share the USA Sterling neck's lack of stability. Loads of neck adjustments going between the beach and desert, but access is easy.

The preamps are HOT and not USA spec, believe they say Spector on the PCB. Rock folks won't care, & there are mods to tame the pre.

Squier Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified basses set the standard in this range, and offer the Fender thing with appropriate headstock shapes and details. These were entirely designed to compete with new SXs and Rondo upstarts, and does well, though bumped up a price bracket.

A *hybrid* option is finding a loaded body with a compatible neck pocket for $100, & getting a Warmoth neck to fit to it.

Frankly, if I'm going for a Squier over a used Roadstar or USA Peavey, it's likely because I want the classic look. Well, Warmoth necks have the Fender headstock. I am still considering this option myself, as it is hard to beat. Warmoth necks are up there with the best, accessible in price, and the playability is mostly in your neck. Good place to spend the money. In the USA, no less!

Various Ibanez Soundgear variants in this bracket, and Soundgears are excellent players. Not huge on the shapes myself, but many dig em. Good quality woods, hardware pickups are ok.

*Honorable Mention* - the new Slick SLPB is a shoo-in for winner in this segment. Having finally tasted the guitar line and seeing its potential fulfilled, I am scraping coins at the moment to acquire one for review.

Brass hardware, great fretwork, quality woods and a great "Dusty Hill Custom Shop" vibe untouchable in this range. Make mine black, it'll be my four string companion to the Melody Maker.

There's no beating a truly good P, and this has the potential for imported greatness. I can't just give this segment's prize away because it looks cool, though. If I was ordering any of the basses in this segment, this is what I'd pull the trigger on. Review to come.

Again, difficult to choose on merits alone here. Individual needs and tastes will dictate. 

Of those mentioned that I played, either SUB is a value in this segment: Js, Ps, Soundgears abound, but active Music Man copies that look the part are harder to come by. And unlike Fenderalikes, Music Man clones aren't automatically going to be assumed to be cheap. Try convincing some older cats about how killer your Squier is...we have many bad old memories and perhaps haven't been looking for more, & missed the Post Rondo Renaissance. (Someone really oughtta send Kurt at Rondo something nice!)

I only pick that over a loaded body/Warmoth neck combo because it's an in between choice, and outcome depending on a variety of factors. I think, done right, in terms of value and overall potential in a traditional package, it's a tough case to beat. If raising saddles sounds like a job for a pro to you, maybe a successful neck swap is a bit much to ask.

There are folks who wanna look over at the bassist and see something "image appropriate". In this case, accommodation may work out for all parties involved. Warmoth has a quality product with real benefits to it.

-$200

Again, the meat of the competition. Where the beginner and budget conscious meet. And my personal choice for Overall Winner.

Ibanez has several strong offerings in this segment.

Various GIO Soundgear models with a variety of pickups and preamp options.

I personally like the Talman that sells for 199. Mahogany body, PJ Passive config with stacked volume/tone pots for each pickup. Plays great and has a lively drum head response to strikethrough and slap. Bit...meh on looks (shape alone), but if you don't mind or dig, VERY good.

Almost as good are the Squier Jaguar basses. Close enough, I'd likely pick it over a Talman based on looks alone. Best Squier in this range.

I'm positive SX and Brice basses from Rondo Music are still good values, haven't been on in awhile, but they had Deluxe Js in old spec for $189. If the nuclear orange neck and goofy headstock don't deter you, they're fairly vetted.

Better still are Xavier basses. SX=basswood now. GFS has a loaded P in alder, same pickups/hardware as in the catalog. A better looking SX already "upgraded". If the SLPB hadn't dropped, was looking at a burst rosewood P, Geezer style. Almost $100 cheaper than the upgraded Slick.

BUT...the best? Is also the biggest surprise.

WINNER OVERALL: Rogue LX400 Pro

"Um, dude? There's a typo. The winner says 'Rogue'."

"Correct."

"Unpossible!"

I was turning basses over constantly last year. SB4, SX SJB74, Ibanez RB690, Canvas PJ...the latter was supposed to be my foil to the SX, what I at first thought was my "keeper". J and PJ, why not?

I see this bass in the same GC I picked the Canvas up in. Was getting new strings for it...a quilt top with MM pickup catches my eye...what have we here?

$99? Dafuqouttahere!

I put it through a trial. The Canvas got instantly returned and I snapped this up instead.

Again, as a #2. The SX ruled the roost. At first.

After stripping off the SX finish and doing satin clear, a Model J swap, and loads of research on Warmoth necks...I realized it wasn't exactly what I wanted.

And...that the Rogue played better. Enough so, that Warmoths were being looked at.

Some will balk at the notion that a GC brand could unseat a...nobody brand selling clones from a shop in Joisey, but actually if SX basses have been "good enough" for you, then, drum roll: the Rogue is made in the same factory.

Instead of worrying about appeasing budget Vintage nerds, the Rogue team spec'd a bass that begged to be taken seriously, as a showcase of what the brand and factory are capable of.

Basswood body. Laugh, Bongos are Basswood.

Quilt veneer top. No PRS, but veneer tops of decent quality are no shame in this range. No more than a plain jane solid finish could be.

Very nice bridge design than can be strung traditionally or through body.

Six bolt neck of far wider spacing than your typical MM style.

A hard rock maple neck, excellent quality Rosewood board with real Abalone dots, what seem to me like crowned leveled and polished frets, a graphite nut, double expanding truss rod, tilt back headstock with matching veneer and the Rogue logo in pearl.

(Hint: try finding neck specs like that in this range!)

The J-MM pickup config sports a Series MM bridge pickup mated to a neck J with MM type slugs. 

These feed a volume pot: pulled up, only the volume and blend pots are in play. Down, the active preamp with bass and treble boost/cut controls come into play. Yes, $199 bass with an active/passive switch.

The preamp has no "budget" level bugs and save for severe treble boosts, noise free.

I've used this with my Behringer BDI21 w/ Franken P mod and a variety of GC and Rehearsal hall Ampegs. Solo or in a band mix, there's a lot to love here, the neck J has a bit more P vibe with the slugs, wouldn't be surprised if the MM pickup was an unlabeled GFS, as it's a quality sound. Not itching to replace it.

I was simply astounded by this bass at first, but honeymoon has long been over. This bass isn't just "good enough", it throws down a standard to be met.

After jettisoning the SX to Craigslist, & in a rare fit of hubris, I thought I was making a gear jump: pro level. A Warwick Streamer MM Pro was on the used rack for $650: after a long afternoon, and a few return visits, I was sure I was going to buy it and use it as band bait. Same way "I own an SVT, Marshall/Mesa stack, a PA" etc would work.

Then...I tried the Rogue again.

It's in a different league of nice. No doubt.

Some better features on a West German bass. Exotic neck, brass frets...

...but the Rogue was too damn close.  And believe me, I tried many a bass in the gulf in between.

To me: these are today what Aria  Pro IIs were before people wised up to their value. I'll bet Cliff Burton got some razzing for that "cheap" bass he played by some, but now? Anyone sell a Cliff Burton Rickenbacher? No? Cliff Burton Black and Gold is a coveted item.

For the price of the used Warwick, you could buy three Rogues, say D standard, Drop C and a fiver. Or a Rogue and a decent used amp, go start rocking blocks instead of fapping about more expensive gear.

By the by, these come in 4, 5, 6, & 8 string versions.

The Rogue holds up to basses waaay over it's price range, and could easily be sold for double wearing a different nameplate.

The feel...it doesn't feel like basswood anything. VERY solid. Confidence inspiring. I never even had to sand and oil the neck, nothing wrong with the stock satin.

Speaking of feel...went and had to do the rounds with a screwdriver on the SX and found lots of loose stuff. Bridge, neck, tuners.

Went over the Rogue...not one loose fastener. In a blind test, you'd think it was a good MIJ.

The SX was constantly being futzed with. Strings, pickups, series switch, refinish. It was always good, enough to encourage another mod....but it never quite hit the nail for me.

The Rogue is so complete, I can't justify messing with it. I've given more consideration to re-modding my #1 guitar, owned ten plus years, than I have modding this Rogue since I've owned it.

Conclusion:

Much like a Camaro has to be less than full potential to not threaten Corvette sales, or a Cayman is to a 911, brands owned by bigger more illustrious companies like Squier, GIO, Eqiphone, et al are likely hamstrung by a required necessity: don't step on the toes of the higher brands. Keep em moving up, GM style - Chevy, Buick, Cadillac.

Rogue had no higher ups to be held in check by, and it shows. No doubt more established brands can deliver in a similar fashion, but what of the upmarket? So maybe around $800 they'll offer up something like this.

Don't laugh, non SUB Indonesian Sterlings command that price.

Viva la "Lawsuit". Even better when it struts out on it's own thing, and succeeds. An SX J mod platform, or a finished ready to rooooock modern style bass that needs nothing - from the same esteemed factory? 

SUBS have neck and preamp issues. Squiers and Ibanez are often lacking in pickup and preamp quality. Better names, costing more.

This is why I look, this is why my blog exists. For $100 I fulfilled a need that, traditionally, according to the various Forumites, one would expect to have paid 4x over. Perhaps 10x, if you're a real cork sniffer.

A Rockbass may well be the next best thing to a used Warwick, but many went for more than this particular 90's Streamer West German example did, & cheapest was $375. This is the real "poor man's Warwick".

If "random guy" told me these were killer, sight unseen, I'd balk. Rogue? No way!

Can't be.

Turns out when you're not focusing on the "new under $100" bracket, a name doesn't mean a thing. If everyone were hip...they'll go up. But hey, I got mine!

Shootout: Best Four String Bass Under $300, Part II: Picking One

Part II

I went on a Bass Odyssey over the last two years. I felt like I should get my chops and rig up to par. I started studying what makes a good rock or metal tone, pick vs fingers vs slap.

"What bass for metal?" is a big huge cliché. Because they'll all work. And yet a valid question, because they'll all titillate some and infuriate others.

What do I mean by "they"?

While many will argue, your "Jaguar" is PJ. (Or series J depending on version). If a Stingray Pickup and preamp are installed on a P bass, what is it?

Aside from body shape and tonal differences of wood choice, the "sound" you hear is the pickup or combination thereof AND that "chassis tonality" combined. Swap Slash's Alinico HB for a Tele bridge single, or Steve Harris' P pickup for a Music Man style, and although they're still playing a Les Paul or P bass, you'd hear a Tele or a MM, respectively.

So, pick your pickup, then pick the body style you like that carries it. 

Pickup Styles

P Type - the Original and still Essential. Much like strat copies, though, they can vary from sublime to kindling. This tone is about perfect for many styles, & to have a P pickup in your arsenal should be considered essential. If not on your main, on your backup. 

Some people hate them and think they sound "dumb", but Geezer, Harris & many others say nay! Plus EVERY 60's and earlier bass tone that mattered in Rock.

J type - this bass is a bit sexier than a P, surprisingly a bit bigger body size since it looks slimmer in photos. There are three basic tones on this type of layout:

J neck solo - P like but Growls instead of Grinds, and has a smaller tighter bottom. A Model J gets you very close to P territory here.

J bridge solo - Geddy, Jaco. Some love this sound. Be prepared, if you have a rig that's maxed with a P sound, you'll need a louder rig to push this pickup to fill the lows like a bigger sounding pickup would. IMHO useful perhaps for getting a smaller sound out of the same amp setting for a quieter song, but for big bottom...meh. Model J here is an antidote to many of the above problems.

J Both Full - this is a scooped sound due to the parallel pickups cancelling the mids. It sounds great in many contexts, but can get lost if you need pushed mids to deal with scooped guitars.

Bonus J setting - Series Mod, big like a P but different. Cheap easy and switchable.

Music Man Style - these are more modern sounding basses. Think Rex from Pantera, Sean Iseult from White Zombie, a billion punk bands, Queen and...AC/DC? You'd swear it was a P thump, but thanks to the MM's Active Preamp, gets in the ballpark. Of course, it's also one of the great funk sounds, & IME slap and strikethrough, what's good for one is good for the other.

Typical MM sound is the Sting Ray sound, which like the Jazz Both setup, scoops the mids via parallel wiring. Funky, grindy, hi fi.

The alternative MM is the Sterling, which subs ceramic mags for the Ray's A5 and series wiring. Take the MM Ray tone and add balls, mids, and output. Only a P makes one sound thin.

If you check say EMG's catalog, you'll notice all bass pickups they offer are one of the above, even in Soapbar or Thunderbird size. While there are otherer types of pickups out there, in general some combo of the above will get any tone you'd need...except perhaps "Roundabout".

Speaking of 'birds, Gibson, Rickenbacher, and others have unique takes on bass pickups, but no clones are in this price range except the bolt neck Epi Thunderbirds or used Epi SG basses, & IMHO the former is just ok at the price, & the latter your third or fourth bass for variety, not a main axe for most.

If you like looking like a hipster girl and sounding like Abbey Road, & only Abbey Road, a viola type bass *can* be had for -$300, but short scale basses aren't friendly as I'd like to non picking styles, & downtuning would be adventurous. Great instrument but very niche.

There are many hybrid choices. The P-J setup is the original and very hard to beat. Versatile as it gets.

The J-MM setup is gaining traction. While the MM isn't in the traditional "sweet spot" Leo Fender intended it to be, it only gets more aggressive closer to the bridge. Lakland and Warwick made this famous, & a MM Bongo HH has it's bridge pickup in the same position.

Combined with a J Neck, you get a similar flavor to a PJ, but different. A two-bass stable of a PJ & J-MM would cover any need. What 2 bass gig bags were made for.

Personally? I liked a Jazz more in theory than in practice. Even on guitars I like the "just play" simplicity of a single good pickup, so tweakability aside, I wasn't entirely sold, though I thought Js were the shit and had an ash/maple, block neck with 70s spacing.

What ruined my mental ideal? A P. Every damn time.

I'd be smiling, trying out Ampeg flavors with a really good sounding/playing J I owned and set up, would contrast with a random P...and the lesser girth was palpable. Even though it compared well with other Js.

The neck J tone has a good application, as a less thick alternative to the P sound if that's simply too big for a particular mix. If the P is just right, though...the J is just less.

The bridge J...could care less. Seen guys who want to boost the stuffing out of these for rock tones, and someone beat me to it: "sounds like you want a Music Man". 

The MM pickup is also somewhat less than a P. Unboosted, that is. Just a hair more than neutral though...and very different than a P, grindy but in it's own fashion. Sterling Style is the bass realm's most overlooked tone and my pick for a non-P tonality.

My personal bass and thee winner for best sub $200 bass is a J-MM config though, and I can't recommend this enough if you're anti P bass. My two other fave sounds are Neck J solo and MM Sterling, and I have both, can blend...if you dig EMGs, a J and MMTW nets you a JJ and J-MM config.

What's best for rock or metal? I personally am augmenting my JMM with a P soon. I rarely do more than solo a P pickup on a PJ, so for my purposes all basses are covered with 2 axes.

Final thought: I don't see why you'd ever be sent away from a gig for showing up with a P bass or equivalent,  but there are gigs that you'll need one for.

Leo kinda nailed it off the bat.

Looks? Why so much about looks?

If you're a joining member of a band and not a founder, a supporter not a writer (or a main one), showing up at a blues gig with a Warlock, or a black metal gig with a Roadworn P, don't be shocked to see people wrinkle their nose. 

Your style, your genre, your band...make it fit. And with so many to choose from, why invest in something you hate the aesthetic of? (Money, possibly, but short of that...)

The exception is the recording instrument or the home noodler. In that case, whatever plays and sounds killer to you in your price range. Many bassists have a stable of Fenders and will point out their old Roadstar or Peavey Fury as "The One". The Fenders are there to satisfy lets say more visual concerns. 

And yes, when you're Les Claypool, you too can play whatever you damn well please ;-)

Shootout: Best Four String Bass Under $300, Part I

There is a lot of differing opinion out there on just about any piece of gear in any price bracket. We all have a slightly different idea of what a simple boost or P pickup ought to be.

A classic discussion on Talkbass was an extensive comparison of J bass pickups. Very wide variations on a seemingly simple theme. "Don't they all...jazz?"

Add budgetary constraints (read: being broke) and you'll inevitably hear from folks who tell you to just "man up and spend the money", "are you serious about tone?" and "you get what you pay for." What that doesn't account for is that many designs are simple and cheap to replicate (on purpose, it's what put Fender on the map.) So why does one $XXX instrument kick ass, and some other seemingly identical spec instrument for a similar, or even greater, price, fail to impress?

"Looks good on paper."

Then there are those who lucked out, and happened upon something that works perfectly for them, or those who really can't tell the differences. Unless you're paying attention to a particular forum's members, in a google search it's often hard to tell who has a useful opinion.

Even pros can simply be jaded. I just picked up a free 4x12 with an EV12L in it at an LA pro rehearsal hall. My tech buddy was like "no one cares, they all have gear". So they likely aren't going to be of help in the Squier/SX/GIO trenches. Who cares about clones if you're tripping over genuine articles?

Those who aren't in a comparable position, that's who. If you can't afford the real thing, you can't afford a dud.

Come to the Cheap Side

I never wanted to believe cheap instruments or off brands or "non standard" designs could be just as good or better for an individual's personal style and needs.

Mostly because a bunch of guys who have $10k or more worth of gear and/or the folks who sell Tubescreamer clones to folks desperate for their own identity, and think it can be bought, are constantly screaming down people and tryi g to tell them they can't play or are deaf.

"SRV was such a plebian...I must be better through a Tom Anderson, Green Rhino and a Victoria", not realizing other lawyers and dentists also have "blues" bands. "Can't BELIEVE he showed up at the same gig with the same Suhr. How embarassing."

Even more embarassing is when the "noob" is a touring pro, session player, or really experienced gigger who happens to also have "real gear".

Leave the booteek stuff for the cork sniffers, & descend into the value trenches with me. The only thing you'll risk are your assumptions.

And believe me, making some guy with a Les Paul and a 5150 Stack sound puny with a Melody Maker, Tech 21 box & a Peavey 212 SS "MOJOFREE" combo is waaaay more satisfying than buying your way there. "How does he sound so good with that CRAP?!"

So in my nearly decade long quest for the Cream of the Crap© in basses, I'll share my experience with you.

Beginnings

I started getting bass technique down in high school, on a really basic Washburn Bantam. Slap, no pop, picking, fingering. Typical dabbling guitarist.

Later in anticipation of bands or recording, I had experience with a couple of borrowed MIM P basses, a MIM J I quickly flipped. Late 90s era.

I bought a SR500? MIJ Soundgear, 90's, EMG P/J. Really didn't know what I had or why I should keep it, sold to make moving easier. I can't go back in time, but I was too experienced to realize what a keeper it was.

And...nothing for a few years.

Big Gig, Cheap Bass

Then, I rehearsed and played in a festival band with a cheap, weird looking lowball Yamaha that was borrowed for the occasion. It got the job done, but the overly bright pickups and really "meh" playability ignited this quest back in 2008. Despite rocking a 1500 person microfest crowd with it, I wasn't a happy camper along the way.

There wasn't any solid engineer's reason for the Yamaha to suck. Their Pacifica instruments are value leaders in many segments, or were at the time. I played other guitars with similar construction that didn't seem to fight me, & I'm a tech who set it up first day. Even unplugged...meh. Never picked up another of the same type and felt impressed either. Couldn't recommend, unless your biggest worry was "will it spontaneously collapse or combust?"

 After the festival gigs,I briefly bought an Ibanez GIO single hum mahogany SGR style bass, and wrote it up oh so long ago. Google "Ibanez bass Cream of the Crap" for it.

At the time, I was smitten, but before long I was ousted out of band and bed and had to resell it to the shop at a loss for a bus ticket home. I haven't found a right hand version in this spec to re-try, almost ordered another. Great instrument, okay looks, pickup was kinda thick and dull but meaty.

The latter memory made me pause, & it's a kinda weird, skinny bass bucker, so replacement might necessitate routing. I would end up looking farther afield.

Next year I got a Dean Edge. These are mostly similar through the range, different bridges and pickup configs on a maple/rosewood/basswood frame, some may be agathis, mine was 2 soapbars and active volume, blend, bass and treble.

I've played worse basses than these low end Deans, so don't refuse low cost or free ones. Better than that dreadful Yamaha. BUT...after sampling better fare, nothing special. DURABLE, yes, it fell out of our tour pickup onto concrete several times, never had a case, & lived a rough life. Electronics aside, still probably playable.

But...these were the worst pickups ever. Mud. Replaced the neck pickup with a GFS P pickup and transformed it. The bridge pickup occasionally was useful for an upright imitation with the treble cut, but otherwise couldn't be used to tune to low D with fresh Boomers.

Dragged this around for awhile. Had sanded and oiled the neck, added racing stripes Yenko style. Was ok. Gave it to a homeless friend of mine who didn't have an instrument at the time.

But...any of the recommendations in Part III will be better than mucking about with what I had done up until now. Save perhaps that EMG MIJ Soundgear.

Having something that *feels* good and *seems a bit special to you* goes a long way towards wanting to practice and play more, and oftentimes a gem and junk can be had for identical money.

Who wants to learn the hard way that you'd want Brand Zag when when you finally Google that Brand Zig you impulse bought off of Craigslist?

Not me.

After years of trial and error, research and experimentation, I will give to you: The Cream of the Crap of Sub-$300 basses.

To be continued in Parts II & III.

Raw Power: Slick SL59 Review & Slick Brands

I started this blog because of guitars and other gear like this.

Either the market doesn't percieve the value or function of an item, potential customers are encouraged to stick with the tried and true, lines are discontinued...only to be discovered in a pawn shop window by an up-and-comer, made famous, and prices skyrocket.

See: MIJ Squiers and Fenders, Ibanez Universe seven strings, anything with an offset after Kurt, even humbler fare such as Airlines and DOD Gonkulator pedals after "name" people made their worth known. Even 80's shredsticks came around again, "San Dimas Charvel" being whispered in reverent tones after their ignoble stand in the 90's bargain rack.

Silverburst Pauls after everyone popped a boner over Tool.

Best place to be is ahead of the curve.

The "Cream of the Crap".

I've sniffed high and low for "the new Lawsuit Guitar", clones so damn good...and of course, post suit...collectible.

Old headstock SX basses. ESP EXPs.

The Slick brand of GFS made guitars doesn't push any legal boundaries, but they do seem to be too damn good for them to be had at the prices they sell for, new in the $200-$250 range.

In my case, used lightly, strung with NYXLs in 'my' gauge, & to boot - ugraded with a Dimarzio Super Distortion in soapbar size, though I'd have been happy with the stock P90 as likely as not.

Reverend Billy G formula for a C note guitar: solid body with the best wood you can find, hot rear position pickup, grocery sack for a case.

Check, check, check.

Earl himself would approve of the mod, he put the DSD humbucker on the map.

I have said it before, in general the "hype" is real on the Guitar Fetish site. Aside from early era stumbles, I don't see any duds in my experience, & "the new Rondo" is being said more and more of GFS.

"Earl has endorsed everything but Tampons."

So what? He owes Jesus a quarter, was around when Super Distortions and SRV was New Hotness, & if legends be true, even commissioned the first single hum Super Strat.

Valuable experience to take advantage of.

The appeal to me was...a "Rondo" equivalent with no real need to upgrade save for personal preference.

I utlized a set of Wilkinson locking tuners, cast aluminum roller saddles, a Bigmouth bridge and Dream 90 neck for my OLP McSwain Tin Top, & it's in my "wish I'd kept, but..." file.

As promised, good quality. Transformed my Chinese guitar from Good to Smoking. For less than one new Duncan and Grovers on sale.

I have a similar amount of dough in my new-to-me Slick SL59 as I did the upgrades for the OLP, which in 2009, used, cost me more than a new top of the line SLPB or SL57 would today.

And a Slick needs nothing, if you can turn a fastener and know how you like your setup. Strings du jour, a few tweaks. No trip to a tech for leveling, crowning and polishing, a cost itself more than I paid for the Slick.

The formula works. I simply rubbed it headstock to strap peg with some coconut oil, wiped dry. Neck is slick and sealed, fretboard conditioned, relicing is weather proofed, & unlike say, Tung Oil, this is fool proof and doesn't require steel wooling the congealed sticky excess oil off.

My main axe is a 2001 Gibson Melody Maker reissue. Unfilled body, single pickup, high quality woods and hardware, "student" price.

I knew about this formula before this line was a gleam in Earl's eye, in other words, no hipster intended.

The Slick exhibits a very similar "acoustic" quality unplugged as my set neck mahogany slab. I test guitars now by first taking them to the acoustic room and seeing what we have. Pickups come and go, so a real winner, in my opinion, is found unplugged.

We have a winner.

Sustain, punch, excellent playability worthy of a four figure guitar. Gets the hell outta your way.

Another reviewer noted that the specs are very similar throughout the line. Pick your scale length but pickups aside, the "original four" are very interchangeable, just like Leo would have wanted. So, if you don't dig single pickup Juniors, don't fret...there's one for everyone.

For the price of a Kurt Cobain signature Jaguar, you could equip a studio with every tone you'd really need, bass included.

By the by, Fender is selling $1400 Made In China guitars, so let us cut the crap on who is ripping off customers here. Kurt wouldn't approve...

...but he would approve of these Slicks. His whole aesthetic was "you don't need $5000 worth of gear to rock." These aren't dissimilar to his various Hot Rodded Fenders - hot bridge pickup and Gibby bridge on a Fender style backbone. A SL54T would stand in well for a "Vandalism Strat."

Billy Gibbons plays very similar instruments quite often, as does Dusty Hill..but they cost multiples of my car.

Most of the criticism of the Slick line has been by people who don't get it.

"I don't like relic finishes". Fine. Doesn't detract from its value as an instrument.

If you don't know what a Rat Rod is, or anything about Hot Rods in four wheeled or six string form, then I'm sure Squier will sell you the same plastic dipped shiny ok Fender copy everyone else has. For similar or more money.

For those that get that vibe, no explanation needed.

Anyone buying Squier pickups or hardware to upgrade Xavier instruments with? No? The opposite is a decent chunk of GFS business, one would imagine.

But 'a Squire is a safe bet'.

So is a Toyota Corrola, but mojo it has not.

Hyundai guys are trying to teach Earl Slick about fashion. Kinda funny. I'd rather take a cruise in one of his vintage Caddies, myself.

Average Forum Dingus strikes again.

Performance:

I've put this guitar through it's paces. Dead strings, new NYXLs, acoustic or plugged into a variety of amps: 6.5" Vox DA5 to Laney AOR with ported 2x12, JCM800 half stack pushed by a Satchurator, OCD, and other boosts, & for shits and giggles a Dual Recto/Sunn 412. SYL drop C riffery, Sabbath, Gilmourish schtuff, clean, semi grit, the Slick does it all, & the Super Distortion has been a real nice surprise in and of itself.

Played better than half the guitars at Guitard Center with dead strings on it. Stops every guitarist on the Boardwalk. Crunched, shredded, sang and moaned. Ain't changing Jack.

Speaking of which, here's merely one use: busking guitar for Venice Beach. The sun, salt, and sand test any instrument, & good luck keeping it shiny & purty.

A Slick just gets right to work. In a year, it ain't gonna be "fake relic'd" anymore.

Hardware? The brass on this shames guitars in price brackets far higher, & I honestly want the equivalent pieces for my Melody Maker. Kick the Gibby stuff down to my G400. Brass on old dirty black Nitro...yum. If they were merely equivalent in functionality, it's worth it for the look alone.

Summation:

If you aren't rich, can't navigate the "buy used and upgrade" waters, want Fender Custom Shop vibe for pennies on the dollar, need a good Beater or Backup or even a Keeper, Earl Slick worked overtime to give a present to you. Fender or Gibson, Vintage to Shred, even a P bass that's about to make me violate my "no new or new to market guitars/being a guinea pig" policy, big time.

Blues to Doom, vibe to spare, built like tanks These were designed for maximum tone, playabilty, solidity, and value, and succeeded everywhere.

Guitars don't grain fill, sand, primer, sand. inspect, reprime, color coat, clear coat, wetsand and buff themselves to shiny glossiness. People perform that labor at a cost.

Delivering a guitar at a given price, do you want shiny paint and meh woods, untended but servicible fretting, and ok pickups to fill in until you upgrade later? Or a fat chunk of swamp ash, tidy frets, and hardware worthy of touring with? I can't comment yet on Slick pickups, but reviews abound online. Again, if you don't expect Suhr quality at the price, it does what it says on the tin.

Show or Go? Hint: never race for pinks with the guy with the primered car. Where do you think he spent his money?

The stuff that counts, that's where.

TL;DR

"At that price? It's a gift."

OMFG...Vox Satchurator Is Waaay Better Than It Looks On Paper

I had a coincidence happen recently, mayhaps even...a synchronicity.

A friend is trying to fight some legal hassles with his licence, I need something to replace my Bad Monkey, and..."just got paid today, got me a pocket full o' change"...

...so for fitty bones I took a chance on a Snatchurator.

I very nearly kicked it outta bed without even eating crackers. "Oh great...dammit...fucking DS1 clone?" and up on Craigsfist it went.

"To Assume makes an ASS of U and ME."

So after accepting that I have much to learn on drums and still don't even know what I like yet...figured what the hell, I'm here, may as well try the fucker out.

Grabbed my new favorite beater, a GFS/Slick SL59 with Dimarzio Super Distortion Soapbar, and SnatchMo, and proceded to give some corporate slaves some migraines.

First to a Line 6 jobber for tuning. And even older uglier fuck than yours truly was about to check out an EVH guitar.

"Just tuning real quick..."

"Go right ahead, you look like a shitty player anyway. Just kidding!"

"Oh, am I that transparent?"

He was a halfass Eddie wannabe but oftentimes that's enough. Nothing great but well played.

Took the two pieces over to the pedal station, Fender Princeton. Nice. Santa Monica, they sell lotsa booteek stuff at that store.

So cranking bass and treble and zeroing all else, some volume...ok...click.

The Satchurator will be instantly familiar to the billion or so people that have tried or used a DS1. I set it midway and instantly jerked the volume up. It does boost past 2 o'clock, it's no "HOLY schnikes" experience like a Way Huge or Catalinbread, but boost there is and in my opinion, all you need.

Having loads of gain on tap is ok I suppose, but doubt I'd ever dime a Swollen Pickle. I could see *not* wanting to dime it it - stage volume, errant foot, and a blown set of speakers later, for instance.

Instead, what we have here is a pedal for those who actually know how to use them. Much like a Tech 21 box, it's so straightforward I suppose it confounds the dummies.

Getting a kinda Suhr Riot "Marshall in a box" thing going on was not hard, but to be honest I have a Laney AOR, a TRI-A.C. & a good Whiteface Rat clone (Eno Myomorpha) so I thought meh nice but all set on this.

This is where I stopped letting Average Forum Dork think for me.

Why does one listen to Average Forum Dingus? Well oftentimes it's better to tap into someone else's OCD (the disorder, not the overdrive) and wallet, not having infinite time or money.

However, as a longtime HCFX trench warrior can attest like few others can...the forums are full of idiots and assholes. Some you recognize like helpful folks over time in the same forum - "JimmyP" on Talkbass is a known quantity to me, as is Vegas. Both great, with it guys by the way.

But if you don't recognize the archetypal asshole pattern in a particular poster or group you can easily talk yourself out of a "perfect for you" piece of gear.

Archetypes such as The Cork Sniffer.

This ass poo-poos production pedals and essentially anything under $300. Generally compensating for a variety of existential ailments. Talks up, say, a Red Witch Empress, and goes on about the build quality and blah blah blah, John Mayer uses one. John can afford a few backups for when the hand soldering takes a (completely reasonable!) dump, and has to be shipped to NEW FUCKING ZEALAND to be fixed.

Oh no a completely comparable production alternative half the price and available in every GC or CL in the land? Who wants THAT, amirite?

So anyway, Mythbusters Time, Snatchurator Edition.

Myth 1: Not Enough Output.

BUSTED

On both guitar and bass you are reaching Unity at about 2-3 O'clock and boosting thereafter. Not a silly amount but comparable to say...a Bad Monkey. Which boosts fine, tankyewveramuch.

Myth 2: "More" Switch = Diming The Gain

BUSTED

The More switch boosts voltage and does so quite audibly past the limits of the gain knob at '10'. Try yourself - turn on, low gain setging, engage More. Sounds dimed? Ramp it up while sustaining a note or chord. Way gainier and beefier. Dime the knob, More off. Now hit More. More sustain, lows...similar to engaging a Micro Amp, there's a gain boost with light compression going on.

Myth 3: A Pedal Designed For A Lead Guitarist Will Suck On Bass Guitar

BUSTED

The Satchurator has more lows than a DS1, and at 9 o'clock and lower on the tone knob will actually boost bass slightly.

The stock MIT DS1 is actually surprisingly great on bass. Same scoop as a Big Muff. But Distortion, even less of a fuzz than a Muff is. Burly and can be used similarly to a Rat.

The More switch is great on a bass application regardless of where the gain knob is set. Full up and More engaged, tone down volume up...in the same league as a Swollen Pickle, & likely easier to tame. The Pickle is DAMN hard to dial in a great sound that doesn't disappear in a mix, but sounds boss solo.

Keeping my fingers crossed for the Vox on bass in a mix, because I spent more time on the B112 with a Gio Soundgear than I did at the Princeton with one of my favorite personal guitars.

JCM 800 Time...The Real Test

All well and good, but I was auditioning a Bad Monkey replacement, remember?

Which, in addition to traditional Tubescreamer use, is also a great bass overdrive and a boost. Gain down, level up and bass and treble well into boost...BURLY.

I lower the gain all the way in front of the JCM 800...1982B, Greenbacks...level up, tone to taste...and the JCM goes from mildly overdriven to monstrously chunky and...uh...Satchurated.

Gain can be piled right on, and maxed with More engaged is perfectly usable, infinite liquid Soldano-like sustain that makes Joe, Vai or Eddie style licks just pour, instead of being some redonkuluous feedbacky mess.

Must work well, EVH Wannabe wasn't strutting much anymore on his way past me.

Conclusion:

I wasn't expecting a "fancy DS1" to be the solution to a few of my overdrive and distortion needs. Wasn't expecting a serious contender in the Bass Fuzz Free For All, either.

Joe, Vai, Cobain and others haven't exactly been living under a rock. (Ok, 2/3rds of that statement still holds up!)There are plenty of flavors out there, but when three of the most copied guitarists of an era all used the same box despite all the "cooler" options, perhaps it's worth noting. Particularly when you contrast the styles of Joe and Steve with Kurt, gives you and idea of what can be done with one "average" box. See also TS9s and SRV, Devin Townsend.

Joe's version of this perennial standard has many things going for it.

MORE IS MORE...this alone makes it twice the pedal others are. Not a gimmick. Not just diming the gain knob, & if you wanna cover this ground, prepare to add a SD1 or TS9 to your DS1.

Better bass response. Alone all many would need to hear. A low end junkie myself, nothing to fear here.

Better gain than a stock MIT DS1.

Overall much more refined than the cheap modern day standby.

It's made in Japan with full sized components and is exceptionally low noise. GC is loaded with fluorescent bulbs bad power and other noise sources, the dimed JCM 800 preamp adding to the challenge. Studio quality.

The Keeley DS1 is a more apt bogey, or a MIJ Boss. Either will fetch more than the Vox will. And both are superior to the not bad MIT DS1.

For the 50-90 this will fetch, worth every penny. If you ever wanted shredworthy overdrive via clean Fender or semi dirty Marshall, grungy chunky rhythms or a nasty, beefy bass distortion, don't fall for the antihype. More than the sum of it's parts, & at least the equal of a MIJ or Keeley, all told.

I would "Cream Of The Crap" this, but it's actually the opposite, a misunderstood and overlooked piece of pro level modern gear. $50 all day long on GC Used or Reverb or elsewhere, 75-90 for a museum piece.

Everything old is new again...fine by me.

Introduction - Or, Why You Should Care About This Blog

Hi!

My name is Dan Muench. 

I'm a 34 year old amateur musician, tech, engineer and producer. I've had some great adventures I hope to share, some great tips about Squeezing Music From A Stone - navigating the maze of half truths, misinformation, disinformation, and advertising jargon that separates the fools from their money. 

When I was in high school and just learning to play guitar, I often read Guitar World cover to cover - whether from one I actually managed to scrape up the money for or just on the local rack. 

There was a great series of articles that were written for GW by J. Yuenger of White Zombie fame. J was one of my favorite guitarist of the time, and still is - the 'First White Zombie Album' to non-completists is a Stoner Rock Closet Classic - like Ministry by way of Kyuss and Fu Manchu. Later J would be more contemporary, but that first record was more timeless in it's synthesis of Sabbath, Hendrix, and Public Enemy style sampling. Thunderkiss '65 was a touchstone riff in my early years. 

J was even more influential in his articles however - at least to me. In the '90s he was talking about how the good fat years are behind us, how the industry is headed for a dive, and if you want to survive and actually exist as an artist, better take a page from the punk manual and learn to DIY. Things about the logistics of touring and the realities of being in even a signed band...paraphrasing from memory, "Here I am, guitar player in a signed rock and roll band, trying not to get mugged on my way home from work washing dishes."

Well, in the two decades almost since, I've gleaned some information on maximizing your value, making things work, what tears collaborative bodies (bands, crews, etc) apart, and the psychology of the business today - after all, you'll mostly be dealing with other human beings, not Platonic Ideals or Immutable Laws of Physics. 

I've worked for major 'big box' music retailers, was a veteran of the Harmony Central Effects Forum (aka the worst forum for flame wars on the net north of 4Chan), have been a guitar tech, tour manager, and other functions for touring bands, ended up playing guitar for Sky Saxon in The Seeds in 2007 after being their roadie earlier in the tour. I've gone from no gigs under my belt to playing 1500 people at Michigan Peace Fest with nothing but some intense rehearsal in between. And I have tone for days, always have, and I'll share some of my knowledge with you, because I've seen plenty of dudes out there who could play circles around me in my old days - but couldn't come within a thousand miles of my sound or craft one of the oddball riffs and hooks I've come up with. 

I'll help decipher and deconstruct the tricks that are played on us by retailers and luthiers - "you're not really playing unless you have this booteek XYZ Guitbox and Amp Du Jour, prices start at one kidney." The tricks we also end up playing on ourselves - convincing ourselves that X piece of gear is going to be the grand keystone in our rig where we finally just shut up and play what we have instead of the eternal chase to the Next Big GASsy Thing. In the end, the Mind Funkers only manipulate what, as Radiohead says, You Do It To Yourself, You Do, You and No One Else. 

We'll discuss recording hardware and techniques, building a rig, dialing in an instrument, modifying guitars, basses, and pedals, and how to take advantage of the Golden Age Of DIY and get out there making music - in a world that wants you to either chase a fame Will O' The Wisp endlessly (bleeding cash as you go) or just to give up and rot on the sidelines. 

There's no more Million Dollar Signing Bonuses for musicians (not for smart ones, as J pointed out nearly 20 years ago), and competition is tougher than ever - remember, Big Record Deal Band uses YouTube and Reverbnation and other 'indie' outlets too and competes with us small fish right in 'our' pond. If all that still doesn't deter you, great! You're an artist, and not just a Fame/Money Ho with an instrument or mic in your hand. The world doesn't need more of that, but it does need more heartfelt, soulful, real art - from you! And I'm gonna help you do it. Even if you gotta do it all yourself - I can take you from choosing your first guitar, bass, or microphone, to mastering your own recordings you made of your now badass (and cheap!) rig and be able to have a finished product worth promoting and sharing with the world. You'll be surprised at the difference between your early efforts and the more 'pro' sounding later work, and realize why so many artists hate leaked early versions (they're not done yet!). 

Happy Tone Hunting.