HELPPLEASEEE

[Notabunny]

Originally Posted by Krissfritz53

My birthday is in may so ill be gettimg it as part of my gift

Rather than a new bass, you may want to try a new amp. I'm really enjoying my Fender Bronco 40. It's loud enough to give me an idea of what my bass sounds like, and it comes with a bunch of presets and effects which are really fun.

Here's a promo video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBBQWT9Igms

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by Krissfritz53

My birthday is in may so ill be gettimg it as part of my gift

Go for a better amp. The instrument you have is fine.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Krissfritz53

My birthday is in may so ill be gettimg it as part of my gift

Budget?

[D.M.N.]

Without knowing really what genre you're interested in, I'll go ahead and suggest The Squier Classic Vibe line:

http://www.fender.com/basses/?brand=...e&brand=Squier

I'll admit I can be a bit of a gear snob, but I have to say, that the Classic Line has been really impressive. They're the standards of bass, a nice place to start from as a ground work and until you figure out what direction you're going in. Either the 60s Jazz or Precision would serve you very well for a good while. On the other hand, I'm not sure what type of neck and such you're comfortable on, maybe you'd prefer a Mustang or another short scale instrument. Definitely agree with folks that shopping around, as it were, is a fantastic idea. Try lots of basses.


I agree on the better amp as well. It can make a serious difference. The first amp I had was a Fender Frontman 15R, or something like that. Little dinky guitar amp, in no way made for bass, but that's what I had for the first 9 months of playing. I eventually upgraded because I ended up toasting the speaker in the poor Frontman, got lucky and a family friend was offloading a beat up Ampeg B2R. It was a world of difference, and I sounded markedly better. So, you might also want to look into amps before you're set on a new bass (though trust me, I know the feeling of wanting to get another instrument, it can become a serious problem (I shouldn't be allowed in music stores with my wallet, I have no self-control)).


And finally, in closing, here's something else to chew on: instead of buying a new starter/mid-level bass now, start saving, wait a while longer, and get an even nicer bass. That's what I did. I paid my dues on this horrendous Jazz knock off. The thing buzzed and had a neck bow and flatwound strings like bridge cables, but instead of buying a new bass at the first opportunity I got, I set my sights on a Fender American Vintage 62 Precision bass. I saved for probably a year, allowance, yard work money, birthday, christmas money, whatever, but I finally bought the AVRI Precision as my first "real" bass, and that bass has been pretty much my undisputed #1 for going on 6 years (now in a tie with my new 62 AVRI Jazz bass) and that I'll probably keep for another 60 years if I can manage. So think about that: save up, and buy something even nicer that will last you even longer.

If you have any other bass or amp related questions, feel free to PM me. Remember, the search function is a brilliant tool while researching basses to find others opinions.

Oh, and welcome!

[ScottTunes]

If you're a gear junky, like some of "us," finding the right bass (and amp) will likely be a life-long journey! And you may change your mind many times along the way...

However, if you aren't into the gear so much as the playing, you could just get the Fender American Standard Precision (in your favorite color), and a good amp, and call it "handled."

I find the amp more important than the bass... But that is my own journey.

Play every bass and amp you can, and enjoy the journey! You may find you like best what you already have.

[leegreenman]

I love the way most of us advising her to stick with the bass she already has. Like we would take that advice! Seriously though Kristen, it's really easy to fall into the trap of constantly wanting something new and more exciting. That's what we all do as good little
consumers right? If bass playing is something is something you love, and it sounds like it is, waning a nicer instrument isn't a crime. Either a Sterling by Music Man Sub Bass or a Squire Classic Vibe series might be a nice, moderately priced step up. Good luck!

[ibateur]

Visit music stores and play different basses, 4-, 5-, 6-bangers if you like. Try to feel for weight, balance, string spacing, scale length, tone, tone options (pickups, pre-amp, etc), "is this good for metal", "will <desired partner> find this sexy" and all the important criteria. That will help you compare those basses to what you have now. You can do a checklist with different criteria and you can rank different basses.

That should help you choose.

[hrodbert696]

Originally Posted by leegreenman

I love the way most of us advising her to stick with the bass she already has. Like we would take that advice! Seriously though Kristen, it's really easy to fall into the trap of constantly wanting something new and more exciting. That's what we all do as good little
consumers right? If bass playing is something is something you love, and it sounds like it is, waning a nicer instrument isn't a crime. Either a Sterling by Music Man Sub Bass or a Squire Classic Vibe series might be a nice, moderately priced step up. Good luck!

I'm not against her getting a new bass - I'm just saying not to buy for the sake of buying.

[Malak the Mad]

Originally Posted by ibateur

Visit music stores and play different basses, 4-, 5-, 6-bangers if you like. Try to feel for weight, balance, string spacing, scale length, tone, tone options (pickups, pre-amp, etc), "is this good for metal", "will <desired partner> find this sexy" and all the important criteria. That will help you compare those basses to what you have now. You can do a checklist with different criteria and you can rank different basses.

That should help you choose.

What he said!

I would love to ramble on (and on and on, if you've seen some of my posts) about what has worked best for me. Maybe I could back up my recommendations with some serious and thoughtful technical mumbo-jumbo. But it's all just opinion and speculation and it's not necessarily what will work best for or satisfy you.
(must…not…rant…about…AERODYNE!!)

At this stage, there are too many factors we, and more importantly, you, do not know. So try out as many models you can get yer mits on. If you have an esthetic preference, don't sweat it. Sometimes ones instincts help out in unintended ways like me and my Aerodyne. Plus, you can always ask people around here, "I like the looks of 'X' and the sound/feel/weight of 'Y'. Anyone know a 'Z' that can fit this bill?"

Keep trying out basses and keep asking questions. Sooner or later, you'll get a clearer picture of what works best for you.

Welcome to the Deep End!
Best of luck!
-Malak the Mad

[LowNotes1]

If your current bass is decent, and you expect to be playing gigs soon, I'd first save money for the best amp I could afford. Having a great bass that no one in the audience can hear is a bummer. :-)

[khutch]

Originally Posted by Krissfritz53

My birthday is in may so ill be gettimg it as part of my gift

That was my guess! So, if you want a specific recommendation I would suggest that one bass to consider is the Fender Reggie Hamilton Standard Jazz. There is a custom shop model too that is even nicer but it will bust most birthday present budgets!! Reggie Hamilton is a working musician and his signature bass was designed by him to meet the needs that a working musician has. Granted, it is only one particular working musician's vision of what the perfect bass configuration is but it is an excellent one. It has a three band 18V preamp with plenty of headroom, it runs both active and passive, it has a P/J pickup configuration that gives you Precision and Jazz Bass sounds, it has a drop tuner on the E string, and it has a bit nicer neck than standard Fender MIM basses with vintage style frets that Reggie says were chosen for their tone (I'm not going there personally!). All that and you can join the Reggie Hamilton club here on TB and talk with the man himself!

The thing is that since you are just beginning and are possibly fairly young you don't really know yet what kind of music you might play in the long run. So if you were going to choose a bass today that would serve you for a lifetime it would have to be one with a lot of flexibility to cover any type of music. In fact many of us do not play just one musical style but instead play all kinds of music and you may too. I'm not saying it is the only one but the Reggie Hamilton Standard Jazz is definitely a flexible bass because Reggie plays a wide variety of music and he designed it to handle just about anything he needs to do.

It's a ways off but I hope you have a very happy birthday,

Ken

PS: I suppose that a good amp is also an excellent choice but you say the bass is only part of your birthday present so perhaps you already have that covered. The other thing is that some of us really don't need an amp. The only place I play in public is at church and I just jack into the church's most excellent sound system. I have a 75W Peavey keyboard amp my dad gave me for a practice amp and that is all I will ever need, although GAS is GAS and that Bronco 40 seems like a fun little toy to have. But church music is all over the map: rock, gospel, traditional hymns, Baroque, you name it. That is why I appreciate the Reggie Hamilton bass so much.

[Aznslappadabass]

As others have mentioned a good set up and amp will go a long way in developing the sound you want from your bass playing. That being said if you really want a new bass a precision style typically fits with almost any style of music. Precision basses have been used by countless artists over time and just sound like how most people expect a bass to sound. Not saying others aren't bad but that will ultimately come down to what you prefer. Try them all if you can. Start with the amp then try as many basses as possible until you find the one you want then save up for that.
PS: huray for May birthdays

[Bassist4Eris]

Welcome Kristen! I think we need a little more info to answer your question:

1. What, if anything, do you find inadequate about your current bass?

2. What amp are you currently using, if any?

3. What is your (or presumably, your parents') budget for this puchase?

Also, I'd like to add that if your current bass still has the strings on it that came with it, you should definitely try changing the strings. Even higher-end basses often come with crappy strings.