Playing electric bass guitar, without amp

[Burialist]

Hey
I really want to learn how to play bass guitar. I just love funky bass lines..yyeeahh!
Well, here comes the old problem. At moment i dont have money
for both, bass guitar and good amplifier.
So i am willing to play on electric bass guitar, without amplifier for month or two if that is possible.
I know there is solution for that... acoustic bass. But i really want to play electric bass. So whats your opinion.
Would electric bass without amplifier do me any good, or is it
necesery for me to wait month or two, to get both, guitar and amp.

Thank you for your opinion

[msb]

You can get by without an amp for practice , but you will need one to develop your touch .

[northernmonkey]

do you know anyone with an old guitar amp. They will work turned down really low. just sound a little crappy

[khutch]

Get one of these, you will want one in the long run anyway. I am sure there are other brands and models and Guitar Center is not the only place to get them. You can probably find one in the TB classifieds too.

Ken

[Burialist]

nicee..those headphone amp saved my day
thanks ken

[Russell L]

Or get a cheap stethoscope and tape it to the bass' body. Heh, heh, it works. No electricity needed.

[AudioDwebe]

Here's the answer. $27 for the Fiio on Amazon and $7 for the 1/2 inch mono to 1/8 inch stereo from Radio Shack. Make sure the mono is male and stereo a female.

[mellowgerman]

For $150 you can get a decent starter kit shipped to your doorstep... is that too much?
http://www.rondomusic.com/ursa1rnpk3ts.html
or you could probably get a bass and an amp for $100 used on craigslist

[meatwad]

Originally Posted by Russell L

Or get a cheap stethoscope and tape it to the bass' body. Heh, heh, it works. No electricity needed.

[Duckwater]

I practiced without an amp for 5 years, I don't recommend it. Headphone amps are the way to go.

[satellite4]

Originally Posted by Duckwater

Headphone amps are the way to go.

+1

I also recommend checking out pawn/thrift shot for a way cheap beat up guitar amp, or bass amp if possible. Something like around $50....That's what I used when I was learning and kinda dug the dirty sound.

[pocketgroove]

Originally Posted by Burialist

Hey
I really want to learn how to play bass guitar. I just love funky bass lines..yyeeahh!
Well, here comes the old problem. At moment i dont have money
for both, bass guitar and good amplifier.
So i am willing to play on electric bass guitar, without amplifier for month or two if that is possible.
I know there is solution for that... acoustic bass. But i really want to play electric bass. So whats your opinion.
Would electric bass without amplifier do me any good, or is it
necesery for me to wait month or two, to get both, guitar and amp.

Thank you for your opinion

Where are you located? What sort of budget are you working with? What are you planning on buying for a bass?

[MakoMan]

Pretty much any pawn shop will have one or two super cheap guitar amps in the $20-25 range. They'll do for low volume practice until you can afford a real bass amp.
You might also be able to find a used Ibanez 10 watt bass amp for 25 bucks. I did. Not the best bass amp, but certainly fine as a practice amp... headphone output, line in and extremely portable.

[agent77]

I practice without an amp all the time. If it takes a few weeks until you can afford a cheap practice amp then its no big deal.

When you say "amp" I have the feeling that you mean a big, giggable rig. If so, great. But get a little 15 watt or headphone amp first, then save for the big rig. Shop around, buy used, and figure out the tone you want first.

[xUptheIronsx]

Originally Posted by Duckwater

I practiced without an amp for 5 years, I don't recommend it. Headphone amps are the way to go.

I probably play more unplugged than I do plugged, mostly b/c a bass is in my hands pretty much anytime I have down time. I am in the same boat as well...money constrictions, so I have never felt the need to get a practice amp.

[3234718]

I think acoustic is your answer. You can learn while actually hearing yourself. By the time you've saved enough for a decent setup, you'll already have a solid foundation.

[fmachia]

I had the same problem when I was starting up. I started practicing with a borrowed fernandes bass. Four months later I bought a Washburn xb100 (which I still own) and the 6.5"/15watt SX amp in the combo that mellowgerman listed. The xb100 was the cheapest decent bass I could get, and I dont regret buying it, I still have it with me. Plays nice and sound good too. I went cheap first so I could experiment with it. I messed with the bridge and trussrod just to find out how it all worked. I learned a lot, but had to have a tech set it up twice because of my "experiments"!
The combo does not sound good, but volume is ok ffor practice, and for 15 watts. Aslo, it is not too deep in size, kinda like a slim suitcase, so I used to tilt it back against a wall in order to get the speaker point in a 45º angle at my face. It used to pick up radio stations though, funny at first but incredibly frustrating very shortly after.
This is my first post and I realise it is too loong and wordy already.
In short, get a decent bass and go with the headphone amp thing, I will be money well spent until you can afford a decent combo to plug into. Cheers from Argentina!

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by agent77

I practice without an amp all the time.

Me too. Often times with multiple amps sitting right next to me.

If you have to wait a little while to get an amp, no big deal.

[AltGrendel]

If you want to try something really different, try resting your chin on the upper horn of the bass. The bone in your jaw will transmit the vibrations to your ear.

Yes, I've used this.

[ics1974]

I have the VOX headphone amp and it works well.