thinking about starting bass!

[newbie16]

wow, this looks like a great forum and i'm hoping someone in here will be able to help me out. dont worry, i already looked at the "sticky newb threads" list already, so i'll try not to ask anything thats already been andswered 1000 times!

well, here's my story..
in december i decided to get myself a guitar.. had to ask the parents first and all in all, they weren't too happy about my new-found interest in the intsrument. but, in the end they let me buy one (with my own money of course) online at music123.com. it was a pretty cheap package deal: a squier strat (MIM), a little 10 watt squier amp, a pick set, strap, cheap gig bag.. well, you get the idea. so, with no encouragement from my mother and father and no lessons, i began to try and teach myself some chords and notes (i play saxophone at school, so i already knew basic music theory and the treble clef). needless to say, i didnt make much progress and have been picking it up about once a month for a few minutes at a time to learn a few easy riffs from some songs i like.

turns out that a LOT of people i know are starting on guitar including one of my close friends who took lessons for a couple months and is going to start them again in the summer. i never told anyone about me getting a guitar of my own, though and i honestly dont really like playing the same thing as everyone else. but, i do LOVE music and i want it to be part of my life.. so, bass has come into the picture. now, please please please excuse me (i know someone's gonna kill me for saying this).. but it SEEMS like bass is easier to learn than guitar.. you know? less strings, no chords.. maybe im wrong.. but, i do really think that its an instrument that i could get into.

so, what im thinking of doing is selling the strat and equipment on ebay or to a pawn shop or something and hopefully getting about $100 from it and then finding some way to get some more cash this summer since ill have a lot of free time, and then i'll go about finding an instrument and amp PROPERLY (I.E. not online) at a music store somewhere around here. AND, of course, i'll definitely find a way to get my parents to buy me some lessons this time around. i'd just love to be able to jam with my guitar-playing friend once in a while, find a new hobby, and really get into music.. i figure i'm about the right age to start too (14) and if i really commit myself and get lessons maybe someday ill be good at it like a lot of you are!

now to ask about WHICH bass i should get:
i've been looking around for a couple days and i'm almost completely sure that i want a fender jazz bass like mark hoppus (BIG blink-182 fan!! ) but i know they're pretty expensive ($250-350?) and then i still have to get an amp, case, and cleaners and stuff.. i guess i'll go agead and sell my strat first and then look around the stores and all.

what i'm trying to ask here is: do you think that after this whole guitar "thing" i should give bass a shot? and if so, what kind would you recommend for a teenager without a lot of cash and stubborn parents? how could i convince them to pay for lessons? do you have any advice on selling my guitar?

i think thats all for now..

THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH!

-carrie

[Corwin81]

the only thing Jazz bass-ish on a Hoppus is the body. it's a P-bass. so a MIM P would work for you, or a Squier P-Special or Essex. I've got Squier and Essex basses and they're just as nice, but the Squier costs more.

www.rondomusic.bigstep.com for Essex.

[Melvin7822]

For bassists just starting out, both Squier and Crate make excellent starter packs. I would look into those.

[newbie16]

thanks to both of you. ill look into those! any other help would be greatly appreciated!!!

[newbie16]

youre right about the p vs. j thing, corwin.. thanks!

[Figjam]

About the bass is easier than guitar comment..

Bass is easier to get started than guitar. I think that is a safe statement. You will learn though that for guitarists , after playing for just a few months, chords become second nature and they too prove to be not diffucult at all, its just that they frighten a lot of newbie guitarists.
Bass gets more complicated. Once you get into tapping, slapping, and percussive bass in general, i dont think there is an equivalent on guitar.

[BassManPatsFan]

Originally Posted by newbie16

fender jazz bass like mark hoppus (BIG blink-182 fan!! )

I wont say anything....

Anyway, if the mark hoppus thing is what you want, then just get a standard Precision. That's basically the jist of his bass although his has the jazz body which doesn't really make the tone considerably different. I would suggest buying a MIM precision bass and then if you have the money, upgrade the pickup to a seymour duncan quarter pounder or something like that.

[newbie16]

haha alright, sounds good to me. thanks a lot!

[newbie16]

does anyone have any experience selling guitars or basses on ebay? how much do you think i could get for the guitar and equpment i described above?

thanks again

[newbie16]

i've been reading threads the whole morning and have noticed that a lot of people say that to play bass you have to stretch your fingers more and have bigger hands to play well... being a girl of 14, im wondering if this could be a problem if i decide to try bass. i'm my hands are neither big nor small for a person my age, but obviously not as large as a grown man's (which most of you probably are).. i know there are "jr." basses , but i'd really like to play a real one if possible.

thanks!

[paniak17]

eh, with some practice your fingers should be in tip top shape.
But my question to you is, do you really want to play bass or just want to to be different?

[Tyler Hole]

Originally Posted by newbie16

i've been reading threads the whole morning and have noticed that a lot of people say that to play bass you have to stretch your fingers more and have bigger hands to play well... being a girl of 14, im wondering if this could be a problem if i decide to try bass. i'm my hands are neither big nor small for a person my age, but obviously not as large as a grown man's (which most of you probably are).. i know there are "jr." basses , but i'd really like to play a real one if possible.

thanks!

I don't have big hands either (compared to other people around here) and I play a 35" scale bass (pretty big) and I can get around pretty easily on it, just takes some practice. I noticed you said you would go around to music stores to look for some basses, but I'd honestly go the Essex route ( http://www.rondomusic.bigstep.com ) and get a P bass (seems like the one you want) and then get a little 15watt practice amp or something to use.

Also if your worried about having trouble since your a "14 year old girl that doesn't have big nor small hands" you might want to try talking to another fellow TBer, bassgirlsara and see what she has to say about it.

[newbie16]

great! thanks guys.. if you say itll be fine, then im sure it will.

Originally Posted by paniak17

But my question to you is, do you really want to play bass or just want to to be different?

in response to that, i really do want to play! ive been reading what the experienced and not-so-experienced players have to say and its clear that this is something i could really enjoy. i'd love for bass to be as big a part of my life as it is to some of you guys.

thanks again

[Atef]

Mark Hoppus is an ok player I guess, but what he plays is REALLY simple and basic, as you've played sax you should have an easy time learning the blink 182 thing

I'd personally want to advice you to check some more bass focused music to get an idea about what kind of an instrument the bass is. You'll probably know and like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, their bassist is quite adept, also Rage against the machine has a nice bassist with nice lines, the bass is easy to hear on those records too, but real nice bass music is found on Motown records, you'll probably know songs like stand by me (and I mean the originals, not the punk covers) which have lovely lines to play, I'd also recommend trying the beatles(don't ask your parents, try it yourself, the beatles have a really diverse repetoire, and your parents will prolly listen to different kinds of songs, I'd recommend "twist and shout" "all my loving" "eight days a week" and "lady madonna" music with nice basslines)
you can also try some mostly bassfocused players, Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, though it might not appeal to you

it's mostly important to expand your musical taste because while the guitar is dominant in pop rock and punk music, the bass is more appreciated in styles like funk, motown, and fusion. It's also more fun to play a lot of different styles

but it the end it's your call, if you don't fancy trying motown or whatever, please don't, but the bass' got a LOT to offer outside of guitar dominated music

[josh_m]

Originally Posted by newbie16

i've been reading threads the whole morning and have noticed that a lot of people say that to play bass you have to stretch your fingers more and have bigger hands to play well... being a girl of 14, im wondering if this could be a problem if i decide to try bass. i'm my hands are neither big nor small for a person my age, but obviously not as large as a grown man's (which most of you probably are).. i know there are "jr." basses , but i'd really like to play a real one if possible.

thanks!

I have a student who also has small hands and that is one of the first things she asked me, my response to her was the same as it will be to you. Playing using proper fingering and position can really help your bass playing, for the most part it is easier and eventually through building muscle and muscle memory they just start to move how you need them to. If you try and stretch your fingers farther than they should go chances are your wrist will be angled weird and it will hurt to play, this is not a good thing, so if you cant make the stretch just change positions.

[Poseur]

Maybe using a set of lighter guage strings will make fretting easier on the fingers. Or maybe a short scale bass?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/...se_pid/511012/
The mustang's not cheap, but that's the general idea of what they look like ^_^.

[newbie16]

to atef: yes, ive noticed that mark's style is pretty basic and have been looking around at other bassists (like flea!) to understand more about other styles and stuff. thanks for replying, i'll definitely check out some motown and beatles as well as other rock. i'm thinking i'll start simple (hoppus-ish stuff) and branch out from there!

thanks to josh as well! i'm wondering, though, (and hope you dont mine me asking) how much to you charge per month/lesson? i'd like to be able to give my parents a price range

wow, its really great to know that there are people here that can help me out if a have a question! what a great community!

[paniak17]

Originally Posted by newbie16

thanks to josh as well! i'm wondering, though, (and hope you dont mine me asking) how much to you charge per month/lesson? i'd like to be able to give my parents a price range

wow, its really great to know that there are people here that can help me out if a have a question! what a great community!

my teacher charges me $54 a month, thats for 4 lessons. Its like 13.50 a lesson.

Yes it is a great community!

[newbie16]

wow! thats not a bad price!

[Suckbird]

my teacher takes about 98$ for 10 lessons.

He mainly plays guitar but can play bass and drums to.