What Bass? And Lessons?

JacobPratt · #1 11-23-2009, 08:30 AM

I am just starting to get into learning bass and i was not wanting to start with a bad cheap setup and i was wondering what bass would be best for me.

I was looking at either the Galveston Clear solid body 4-string, or the Dean Custom Zone 4-string.

I want to play mainly alternative rock like the killers and stuff.
What one would sound most like their bass because I really want that sound.

...any other suggestions around $200?

And are lessons worth the money for starting or should I learn the basics and then think about lessons?

Dean:

Galveston:

kesslari · #2 11-23-2009, 08:38 AM

The Dean will get you farther than the Galveston.
The other big part of your sound is going to be your amp.
You are limited by your budget, but that's OK. Get decent stuff for practice, and upgrade later.
You won't get "the sound" you want right away - more because it takes time to develop the skills (and some of the skills involve making "good" sounds instead of just hitting the notes). So get decent gear within your budget - the dean, or a Squier or SX bass, and maybe a Peavey amp, and play for a while. Then you can get better gear.
As far as lessons - lessons are only as good as the teacher. A good teacher can get you started, and get you started with good habits and technique, faster. A bad teacher can slow you down. "Some guy at the music store" is hit and miss, but if you know good bass players near you, you can find out if there's a good teacher for beginners.
Good luck and have fun!

MalcolmAmos · #3 11-23-2009, 08:55 AM

Ditto - for that amount of money you are entrance level which is OK to learn on. I'd say spend what you can on the guitar and scrimp on the amp as a gig amp alone will be more than you have mentioned. When you start gigging you can upgrade the amp.

Lessons from a good teacher are always worth the money. You will advance about twice as fast, with an instructor, than you will teaching yourself. $75 for four 30 minute session (a month's study) is about normal in my neck of the woods. If that can not happen www.studybass.com How do you find a good instructor -- word of mouth, ask bass players who they use. Expect to be put on a waiting/stand by list the good ones are always full.

Welcome to our World and have fun.

Greyvagabond · #4 11-23-2009, 09:06 AM

I love the look of the Dean, but you might also want to check out some used Squier Vintage Modified basses. They get great reviews around here; I've got the P-bass (white/black), and its a great player. But the Dean should be around the same quality.

Agreed with Malcolm, I'd spend the money on a good playing Bass first, and skimp a bit on the amp (used Peavey is always the way to go).

Lessons, while not essential, will get you going in the right direction much faster than going it alone. But, they certainly aren't a replacement for spending some time on your own, learning songs you like.

Welcome to the world of bass...and good luck!

DudeistMonk · #5 11-23-2009, 09:34 AM

Check out Ibanez basses, might have to spend like $400 to get a good one but not if you buy used (which is the trick to getting better equipment than you can afford)...Anyway I recommend them because I like the thin fast necks, the one I got on sale for $400 has great electronics too...best buy for under $600 IMHO.

You should choose your bass by feel more than anything IMO, especially at that price range...So you need to play a bunch of basses (plan to spend 2 hours at GC and another 2 at Sam Ash) Play some high and low end stuff so you know what you are looking for and can compare.

Also if you plan on playing with a band you need to spend decent money on an amp...The 10 watt practice amp the guy at GC will try to sell you will get drowned out by your stereo, hell it will get drowned out by an acoustic guitar...

I would say buy a used 150watt+ if you can. Speaker size will depend on what type of music you play and what you can afford. For rock a 4X10 will sound much better than a 1X15...IMO, but for say for instance reggae it would be the opposite.

If you can't afford enough power to play with a drummer find a way to plug into your stereo or computer and save your money until you can afford something with enough juice.

If you are a full TB member check the for sale listings here, if not look on CL and Ebay.

You also might have better luck on one of the gear sub forums.

Lessons = Yes! Although my advice would be go to studybass.com and read and practice everything there and build a degree of understanding, then go take 2 or 3 lessons to get your technique critiqued and ask any questions you need to ask. I take lessons every other week, and have been for a long while but I have a job and can afford it. Lessons are the kind of thing you can get your folks to pay for though....equipment is a little harder. Everything an instructor will give you is in some book or online somewhere, you just have to learn enough to know what to practice, have a place to ask questions (here) and have the dedication to stick with it through the dry stuff.

JacobPratt · #6 11-23-2009, 07:55 PM

OK. Thanks for the help everyone.
It sounds like all of you are leaning toward the dean, so i will probably get that one.

Does anyone know what bass the killers used for their live show at albert hall?
I like the sound of it in Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine.

MKoby · #7 11-23-2009, 08:08 PM

Get a teacher to help you sort out which bass might work for you. I wish I had kept my Peavey Foundation a few years ago (major short-cash induced gear selloff-painful but had to be done)
They seem to be a bit over $200 an unhearalded bargain.
What ever you buy now, you can sell later.

Welcome aboard.

INTP · #8 11-23-2009, 11:29 PM

You might want to look at the SX basses from Rondo. I have an SX tele, and it is an incredible bargain. This one is catching my eye at the moment, but they have others in different finishes:
http://www.rondomusic.com/sjb62qmdredsb.html

One of the modeling pedals might be another way to start (with some decent headphones) instead of a cheap starter amp. Something like the Zoom B2, which has many tones, plus a tuner and drum beats to act as a metronome. This will give you time to save for a decent amp, and you'll still be able to use the pedal with the new amp.

And a big Yes! to getting instruction. Learning the basics from a qualified teacher will be even more valuable from the beginning.

DudeistMonk · #9 11-24-2009, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by INTP

You might want to look at the SX basses from Rondo. I have an SX tele, and it is an incredible bargain. This one is catching my eye at the moment, but they have others in different finishes:
http://www.rondomusic.com/sjb62qmdredsb.html

One of the modeling pedals might be another way to start (with some decent headphones) instead of a cheap starter amp. Something like the Zoom B2, which has many tones, plus a tuner and drum beats to act as a metronome. This will give you time to save for a decent amp, and you'll still be able to use the pedal with the new amp.

And a big Yes! to getting instruction. Learning the basics from a qualified teacher will be even more valuable from the beginning.

If you get the right one multi-fx pedal will allow you to plug into your computer and record things flawlessly (very nice!)...I would look into line6 products The Bass Pod, and its little cousin make the zoom stuff I've used (and still own laying about somewhere) look like toys....just my .2 on that....of course you pay more too.