First Bass for Adult ??

[offmyrocker]

I am 41 and looking to learn bass guitar. I like Rock / Metal (favorite artist is Geddy Lee - Rush) but would like to learn Bass in general. Not really considering a band and all that at this point. I don't want to spend a fortune either. What are some of the better beginner basses under $400 usd? And if anyone can suggest a practice amp? (25, 30, 60, 75 watt? what do you recommend?) Should I spend more on Bass or more on Amp? Out of 4 stores and MANY salesman, MANY MANY different opinions. In fact, a couple of them didn't remember me the first time I went in and had changed their opinions.... HELP!

[NoiseNinja]

A good advice is always to pick the bass that feels best, you can always mod it to sound better later. But as you don't have any experience it's hard to know what to look for.

I don't really have any suggestions on one particular bass, just remember to check out short scales too.

As for the amp I would pick a cheaper one and spend more on the bass, but that's just me. You'll need a bigger one any way if you should decide to join a band at some point.

[Immigrant]

New to bass + Geddy Lee fan = Squier Vintage Modified (VM) Jazz bass. Under $300 USD.

Regardless of what bass you buy, spend $25 and have it set up. Even new basses need a decent setup, and many new players struggle unnecessarily because of a bass that plays horribly.

WELCOME!

[smcd]

You can find used Peavey Foundation basses for $150. Hands down this is your best buy. US-made, high quality pro-level bass that, if you decide to move on, you can sell for what you paid for it.

[esa372]

It's impossible to make any definitive statements about gear when making suggestions for someone else. You need to get what you like within your own budget - and both of those things are quite personal.

Having said that, and knowing that you dig Geddy, I would say that a Squier Jazz might be a good starting point. There are many here on TB who swear by these things, and they fall within your price range (<$300):
http://www.amazon.com/Squier-Fender-.../dp/B001R2H2KQ

As for an amp, since you just need a small one (no band), I can recommend the Fender Bassman 25 - a 25W amp with a single 8" speaker. I've had one for many years, and love it. You'd have to find a used one, though, since Fender no longer makes them. If you prefer to buy a new amp, the Bassman 25 has been replaced by the Rumble 30 (<$200):
http://www.fender.com/products/searc...tno=2315400020

The only differences between the Rumble and the Bassman are that the Rumble has overdrive, and pushes 30W instead of 25W. They also make a 15W version, as well as a 75W version.

But, as I said, these recommendations are given just as a starting point. The best thing to do is try out as much as you can, and see what feels and sounds right for you... that's really the only way.

Good luck! ...and welcome to the world of BASS!

[offmyrocker]

Thank you guys for the quick replies. And you are correct NoiseNinja, not having experience doesn't help but it's cool to have sites like this with a non-salesman's opinion. I will definetely check out that Vintage Modified Squire Immigrant.

[Mitchinboxer]

Squier is great. I would always recommend that any newcomer checks out the more affordable Ibanez models. They are really great for the money.

[85vf500rr]

Also look for used practice amps. I'd recommend 100w with at least a 12" driver as the smaller practice amps don't really do well up against even a small guitar amp. I know you said you aren't really looking to be in a band, but as you start to play, you may find friends to jam with on occasion. My son's 25w guitar practice amp blew away my old 30w Ampeg practice amp. I now have a Line 6 LD150 and can shake the house if I want to.

I'll second the motion on getting a Jazz bass. The new Squier vintage modifieds are very good for the money. The Squier CVs are very nice as well, but are a little more $. A good set up goes a LONG way towards ending initial frustrations with learning to play. If you are able, see if you can schedule the set up to learn what goes into it.

Another important item is getting a few lessons under your belt. You might even want to talk to a few instructors before buying a bass and the rig for some pointers. You might even get to try out a few different styles if the shop is large enough.

[Waldo19]

I'd like to echo earlier sentiments.

Buy used gear.

Spend more on the Bass and less on the amp.

Make sure your practice amp has headphones and aux input (quite playing and playing along with songs/instruction).

If you have a friend who plays guitar or bass have them try out your potential first instrument before buying. They can help you spot problems that an untrained eye/hands wouldn't spot.

[Nick Dilley]

Originally Posted by NoiseNinja

A good advice is always to pick the bass that feels best, you can always mod it to sound better later.

Good advice.

If you are looking for specifics, I would suggest a Crate practice amp (since you like rock/metal and are probably shopping at a Guitar Center type place). They are relatively cheap and sound good.

My only advice about choosing an instrument is that cheap is good unless it is to the point of making it hard for you to learn on that instrument. As NoiseNinja said, pick what feels good. When I started bass, I bought a nice and fairly expensive one and it was great to learn on. When I began playing music I started with guitar and got the cheapest one and it was so bad that it was hard to learn. Only after picking my friends guitar did I know the instrument was giving me a hard time.

Most cheap guitars and basses nowadays aren't as bad as the one I started with though, so...you may not even run into that problem.

[lucas vigor]

1. Squire CV and VM

2. SX

+100000 on the set-up.

[Nick Dilley]

Originally Posted by Waldo19

If you have a friend who plays guitar or bass have them try out your potential first instrument before buying. They can help you spot problems that an untrained eye/hands wouldn't spot.

+1

[Reku]

find a bass that feels right in your price range and then worry about tone.

[Orangeclawhamme]

Do you know how to play anything on a bass? If not, get a friend who plays either bass or guitar to show you some things you can play to find out what bass is most comfortable to you. There may even be differences between basses that are the same model. If you can play some bits, you can tell what feels good to you.

[lomo]

10 years ago, at 39, I took up bass as a hobby with no previous musical experience other than a yr of jr high band (sax). I asked for advice, received good suggestions from my old buds who play guitar, and ingnored it, thereby wasting a lot of cash. I have wasted a lot of cash on gear since then as well, but that's another story.

My 02: you don't even know what you like yet, so buy the industry standard, a Fender or Squier jazz or P-bass. You will always have a use for this, possibly eventually as a backup, although if it's properly set up it'll be fine for anything. If you don't like it, it will sell easily, and there are always used ones available.

The bass is more important than the amp initially, but the better the amp the better you'll sound (even as a beginner) and that will help motivate you to practice. Buy used (TB is a good source, and check eBay listings to get an idea of market value) and get as big and powerful a combo amp as you can afford. About 150 or 200 will be required for something half decent.

I never thought I'd play anywhere but my living room and laughed at my teacher (get one if you can) when he suggested I learn to play standing for "when you're gonna play out"......but a few years later I began playing in a local bar band and love it........it beats the crap outta golf :-))))

[Relayer71]

As mentioned, as a Geddy fan you should definitely check out a Squier Jazz bass, they're very good basses for the $300 you'll spend. And spend another $100 on a low wattage Fender or Peavey (15w to 25w is perfect) - these are durable, sound decent, won't break the bank or annoy your neighbors/roommate/significant other If you decide to play with others at some point, you can always get a bigger amp and keep the smaller one to port around the house easily or play with someone playing acoustic guitar.

I will also recommend the Ibanez SR300. These are also around the same price as the Squier and they're very different from the Jazz bass in that they're smaller bodied, more contoured, have thinner necks and active electronics as opposed to passive on the Jazz.

As far as electronics, what that means is the sound is more tweakable on the Ibanez. This does not equate to BETTER, just different.

As far as everything else, the SR300 will arguably be more comfortable to hold and play since it's lighter, smaller, thinner. But the Jazz is a time tested design so it's not like you'll likely have issues with it. I'm just recommending the SR300 because like the Squier Jazz, it's an excellent buy. So with a $300 budget, these are the two you should be checking out.

Now if you're buying used, you should be able to find these two for around $200 and for up to $300 you can also find a bunch of other good buys such as a Yamaha BB400, USA made Peaveys that have been mentioned, and real Fender Jazz Basses (Squier is still Fender but it's a more affordable sub-brand, the lower priced Fenders are made in Mexico, the higher priced version made in the USA).

Good luck! You'll have a blast with your new hobby!

[johndough247]

Slightly over-budget this one, but just an example of a really good deal you could get right here on TB:

Squier Affinity 5 string jazz-completely overhauled and upgraded $500

If it's as well setup as Narud says I'd jump on this NOW.

It is essential that a bass plays easy for a beginning student, so as to not get discouraged. I was fortunate to learn on a well setup Ibanez 5 String back in high school, whereas I find some of my students get discouraged at first when trying to play the crappy $200 oddball budget bass with rediculously high strings, too high nut making 1st position playing hell on earth, dead rusty feeling strings, etc.

Practice amp: I highly recommend the Ampeg BA108. It's amazing how much bottom you get from that little amp, great tone and it's only $100. Use it at the school I teach and it takes a beating very well.

Again, whatever bass you get, +Infinity on taking it to a tech to get it setup. Even better if you tell us what state/area you're in, someone might know a great tech in the area if you don't.

[JesusMetalFunk]

If you like effects with your amp, being a rock and metal kinda fan, you might want to check out the roland cube amps.

Next for basses, a warning on used is that they may have have exceeding wear that you might need to watch out for

Type of bass hmm... I started out on a cheaper Ibanez, and if it was set up correctly it played well. A used midlevel ibanez might work really well.

Next I recommend a warwick rockbass if it is in your pricerange
( used if not?)

Find a friend who knows bass after you narrow down some choices to help you choose.

[kenfxj]

Originally Posted by Immigrant

New to bass + Geddy Lee fan = Squier Vintage Modified (VM) Jazz bass. Under $300 USD.

Regardless of what bass you buy, spend $25 and have it set up. Even new basses need a decent setup, and many new players struggle unnecessarily because of a bass that plays horribly.

WELCOME!

This. All of this.

[offmyrocker]

Thank you all for the information. This is much better than talking with salesman who seem to push the expensive equipment even for beginners. And I went to barnes and noble today and found this website as a recommendation from the Bass Guitar for Dummies book for further info. Cool Find! Thanks again.