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I'm looking to get a bass. passive pickup. What are still some best-kept-secret basses with which you'll share?

80's MIJ Ibanezes - Roadster etc. Great instruments on a budget

Squier basses dude. On the real. Get one that's set up right, cheap and awesome. I have a Jazz that sounds fucking amazing and could rival almost any other passive I've tried. Don't buy them sight unheard though, unless you are buying from someone trusted.

I also think Jackson basses are great. So cheap and sound perfect.

Second on some of those squiers! Especially Vintage Modifieds are super rad, or the Shortscale Jag... Some are pretty dumb (like the Tele bass), but most is fucking cool

G&L USA or Tribute.
Both are awesome just depends on what you're looking to spend.

DarkAxel wrote:80's MIJ Ibanezes - Roadster etc. Great instruments on a budget

Yeah, good call. I had a 80s Roadstar guitar and it was nice.

Faldoe wrote:

DarkAxel wrote:80's MIJ Ibanezes - Roadster etc. Great instruments on a budget

Yeah, good call. I had a 80s Roadstar guitar and it was nice.

If you can find one, I also recommend the TR Expressionist. String through, switchable active/passive pups. Made in Korea, but an excellent player and built well. Think they were only made for two years.

Jero wrote:

Faldoe wrote:

DarkAxel wrote:80's MIJ Ibanezes - Roadster etc. Great instruments on a budget

Yeah, good call. I had a 80s Roadstar guitar and it was nice.

If you can find one, I also recommend the TR Expressionist. String through, switchable active/passive pups. Made in Korea, but an excellent player and built well. Think they were only made for two years.

those were cool, you don't see them much… let's see.. Yamaha RBX models, real BC Rich NJ basses, 90's epi non- reverse thunderbirds.. fuck 90's epi's are mostly cool.. although a lot of the pickups suck on them.

MIM Squiers were ridiculoualy good for the price. For ease (and return policy if you don't like) I'd just buy one of their current models.

They'll do just fine off the rack.

Squiers and SX/Rondo basses seem to be the common consensus, but Squeirs you can find in stores, whereas you'll need to be ready to set up the SX.

The Squier will also have a semblance of resale value if you don't like it on the flip.

I know you all love them and stuff, but, I have never played one that really took me past the "meh, it's alright" mark.. I also would not call them a sleeper anything, they are in every fucking store, catalog and website.. they are like the bigmac of guitars..

I think my DeArmond Pilot 4 string is either the Deluxe or the Pro model. Korean made by Cort, Ash bodied bolt-on with EMG-40-shaped soap bar pickups and active preamp with three band eq. It's 35" scale, so that low E is nice and deep. Very good, strong, rich tones in there with great playability, but the stock pickups are meh. The Duncan passive soap bars for 5 string will fit the cavities pretty close, but they have slightly different mounting spacing and drilling it can be a hassle if that isn't your forte. The Duncans sound great in it, even with the stock preamp. A bunch of these got blown out cheap when Fender folded the brand, including some neck-thru 4 and 5 strings, so you might find them used for cheap. I haven't played the lower end Indonesian made Pilots with solid-color bodies and passive PJ or JJ configurations but people seem to like them.

Peavey t-40
Not so much sleeper but if you have patience you can still snag one sub $300
Pass if you have back problems though, they are not light.

I have an Ibanez rd707 passive road star. Fantastic bass. Nice neck. Nice hardware. Nice tone. Paid $140?