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Gear - Basses

In this section you will find our advice and reviews on basses and bass amps.
You will also find more about gear at Metadude's Garage and from Electrik Dave.

Bass Amps.

Peavey MAX 158

Basses

Steinberger XT-25

Fender Jazz 24

The Rail

The Cheap Bass

G-Style 5-string fretless


Guitars

Strings

Guitar Picks

Tubes

Microphones

Keyboards

Peavey MAX 158
-Blaise Ashton

Bass Combo Amplifier

A Practice Amp That Rocks!

I have owned and used a Peavey MAX 158 Bass Combo Amp for about 10 years.

Let's face it kids; this is a practice amp that even works for a certain kind of coffee shop gig. I love this piece of gear and use it almost daily.

The eight inch speaker has its limitations as far as the potential low-end goes, but with the right amount of adjustments on instrument tone and volume controls with whatever pedal board a player might use, this is above average for even a professional musician in a smaller space. Sure, it will never "blow out" a room. It does its job well.

The CD line-in RCA style ports are great for playing along with tunes you might be trying to learn or tightening things up from a scratch track your garage band is trying to figure out. Even a pro can use this feature to practice for a tour. The 1/4" headphone out is great because you need not disturb your nearest and most sensitive neighbors.

This amp is designed for practice, rehearsal or a beginning student on a budget. It is sturdy and portable. I highly recommend it.

I bought mine for around $80 around 2010 or so. I see prices for it today around the same, up to $120. This is not a "run of the mill" beginner amp. It has qualities that even accomplished professionals can take advantage of. This is a five star value at its price point.

This amp seems like it is just for beginners and it is great for beginners. Professionals too, will get great value out of owning and using this piece of equipment.

  • 15W power
  • TransTube emulation circuitry.
  • 3-band EQ.
  • Modern/vintage voicing switch
  • 8" speaker
  • Tape/CD in
  • Headphone out

Steinberger XT-25
-

A 5-String Work Hhorse

The price point is amazing!

I love my Steinberger XT-25. This bass guitar is a workhorse for a day-to-day working and gigging musician. The main advantages are that it has exceptional intonation, consistent feel and great action. I fell in love with it because of the headless, double-ball string design which creates a smooth fret feel without the need for a sophisticated set-up.

The XT-25 is physically resilient. It withstands the physical demands of time, temperature, travel and even being dropped from waist height. It is a working person's bass guitar. I happen to prefer playing 5-String basses over traditional 4-string versions.

The XT-25's tapered neck is reminiscent of certain Fender Jazz basses or the Ibanez SG series. The neck is thinner and consistent. My left hand thumb position can be more consistent. The string action is consistent. There is little to no bowing of the neck; when well set-up, the "action" is Godly consistent. This is true of any "headless" offerings that use double-ball bass strings.

The price point is amazing. At around $450 new (the last time I checked). I have purchased three over the years: one used for $150, one new from ebay for $300 and one more new for $350.

Steinberger no longer offers anything but the XT series for basses. The "classic" version with active pickups and single construction carbon are not available at the Steinberger website. Steinberger was known for that in the 80's and 90's.

The drawback is that the pickups seem subpar. I can emulate almost any classic rock sound I want using a combination of right and left hand techniques. For a more modern sound I either need effects or have to upgrade to active pickups instead. That cost varies,but an additional $600 or so is a reasonable estimate.

The natural tone of this bass is not good. It takes some work, skill and finesse to get there. It loves midrange to the exclusion of both a great low end and punchy high end.

I've worked with this bass because I love how it feels under my fingers. That is why I am a fan.

The XT-25 is a great value for a beginner who can afford the $450 price-tag all the way to an intermediate or even professional player at certain levels. You won't go wrong with the XT-25. This bass will last you well into a career with a working band.

I remain enthralled because it is a quality bass for all the reasons I talked about.

I have tried many bass guitars. You will not find a better bass out-of-the box for the price than the Steinberger XT-25.

  • Low B-5th string.
  • 40:1 Ratio Direct-Pull tuning system.
  • Basswood body.
  • 3-piece Hard Maple neck.
  • 38.5"e; overall length.
  • 8.2lbs
  • 1960's style D profile neck.
  • 24 medium jumbo frets.
  • 34" scale length, and a 14" radius.
  • folding leg rest.
  • Zero Nut Fret with a width of 1.625".
  • 2.40" at the 12th fret with 0.64" string spacing at the bridge.
  • Steinberger HB-1 (bridge) and HB-2 (neck) humbucker pickups.
  • Neck Pickup and Bridge Pickup Volume, Master Tone.