So.. I'm 45 and don't play an instrument. Little help...

[AcridSaint]

Originally Posted by ElwoodPDowd

Better to play poorly on a nice instrument than to play poorly on a not so great instrument.

By the way, I don't feel that this is quite accurate. While I do believe in owning nice gear that you enjoy playing on, my limited experience has been that nicer basses can often be unforgiving. This is particularly true of bright basses.

When I bought my first bass, I knew it was a budget instrument. I took it to my bass playing friend the first week and asked him to play it for me so that I could see the "potential" of the bass. He sounded better on that SX than I do on any of my nicer instruments today.

Anyways, no point in rushing into a "nice" bass if you don't know what you'll like yet. My "nicest" bass had my least favorite tone for quite some time.

[JoeWPgh]

I'm coming at this from the other end. I used to play bass for a living. Now I have a job I truly love and pays me enough to buy the gear that I could never afford when I did it for a living. SO, here's my best advise:

Do not go nuts and drop all of your disposable income into the bass itself. Hold a hundred or two back to have your bass setup by a pro, who will take the time to explain proper maintenance. You want to have the nut of 'mid-level' bass cut a as low as possible, and the frets filed and dressed with a "falloff". This will make the action of the bass - the resistance of the strings to your fingers much easier to deal with. 90% of the difference between a boutique bass, or a high end Fender, with the MIM Fenders or the cheapo basses hanging on the walls of your local Guitar Center is the hands on attention paid to a proper setup.

[jazzyitalian]

I don't think you should buy a bass for at least 6 months. Maybe even a year. Just learn with your bro's P-bass and get a feel for the instrument in your hands and on your lap. and After you begin to develop your habits then you'll be in a better position to narrow things down and find a bass that feels right for you.

[THORRR]

Originally Posted by ElwoodPDowd

THORRR
Just named my new puppy Thor.

Coool

[hgiles]

You sound a lot like me when I started in November. I dont like cheap stuff either.

My barometer eliminates anything not made in Japan, USA, Canada, or Western Europe. You can be 'proud' of any instrument made in these countries. For me, Japan made instruments offer the best bang for the buck, as their quality control and measurable attributes are more consistent than the others. The best of Yamaha and Ibanez competes with the most boutique guitars you can find in the world as far as playability, reliability, and craftsmanship goes. However they may lack the exotic woods and flamboyance of a 'boutique'. -- My opinion, of course.

I ended up with an Ibanez Prestige 3006E.

[1958Bassman]

Originally Posted by ElwoodPDowd

I'm not complaining. I am borrowing his guitar for a few months.
I am researching now so I can make a wise purchase later.

Don't take it personally, I was just busting your chops, a little.

I would go to music stores when you feel like checking out something different, just to play for a little while. I have found that some instruments will let you know pretty quickly that it's right for you and sometimes, what you enbd up liking will surprise you. It will probably be unexpected but don't expect all basses to be set up to your liking every time and don't be disappointed when something you want to like doesn't impress you. If something is close, ask if some setup changes can be made to make it what you want (not wild mods, just tweaks).

I would also think about buying something cheap but decent, to learn about setting up a bass to your liking. Learning to set the intonation, bridge saddle height and pickup height makes it possible to not only make adjustments on the fly- it also makes it possible for you to try an instrument, make adjustments and see if it will do what you want and need it to. I'm not trying to take business from instrument repair people but it's sometimes easier to make the changes than to tell someone what is wanted.

[ChessTiger]

I started playing bass at the same age (45) as the starter of this thread. I'll be 46 this month. Once I strated I haven't looked back. My 11 year old son urged me to take up bass playing with him. I purchased both of us a guitar and we have been having fun.

Both us are taking lessons.

ROCK ON!!!!!!!

[1958Bassman]

Originally Posted by ElwoodPDowd

One of my biggest questions is the playability. My left hand is having trouble moving the way it needs to. Aside from exercises and the obvious learning curve, I am wondering what makes a neck/ guitar easier to play?

Neck size, shape... ???
Is there a universally recognized design that is easier for beginners? That kind of thing...

By "having trouble moving the way it needs to"- do you mean along the neck, across the neck, is your hand getting sore, having problems with buzzing when you fret the notes?

I would suggest stretching your hand before starting- don't force anything but use your right hand to spread the fingers on your left hand and generally loosen it up. if you have to strain to reach notes, you can end up with tendonitis and that's not something you want, especially when you're in the learning process. Also, make sure that you're left wrist is fairly straight, not bent. This removes the strain from the tendons in your wrist and makes it easier to press the string with more force when fretting. Don't wear the bass at your knees.

If you form your fretting hand into a 'c' shape with your thumb and finger tips separated by the thickness of a neck, rotate your hand at the wrist and watch the tips of your fingers- if you notice the curve of the tips as they move, it's pretty close to the curve of a fretboard. Smaller hands move closer to the same as a smaller radius fretboard and larger hands do better with a flatter board. A five or six string bass can make this difficult to achieve and personal preferences will sometimes make this a moot point- I know bass players who have large and average-size hands who play only 4 string and one who plays a 5 string with really small hands.

If your hand gets really tired, let it rest- don't force it.

[Wallace320]

Originally Posted by hgiles

You sound a lot like me when I started in November. I dont like cheap stuff either.

My barometer eliminates anything not made in Japan, USA, Canada, or Western Europe. You can be 'proud' of any instrument made in these countries. For me, Japan made instruments offer the best bang for the buck, as their quality control and measurable attributes are more consistent than the others. The best of Yamaha and Ibanez competes with the most boutique guitars you can find in the world as far as playability, reliability, and craftsmanship goes. However they may lack the exotic woods and flamboyance of a 'boutique'. -- My opinion, of course.

I ended up with an Ibanez Prestige 3006E.

+1

Elwood
You can look for somethin' used like, said, Ibanez SR3000 Prestige (Giles is talkin' about a 6er, just you keep the core of its statement) or Yamaha TRB and you'll find some premium quality instrument available for a brand new Fender Precision Classic steet price

Only thing I tend to advice in these cases is, pay attention to overall bass condition

These basses (MIJ Yamahas and Ibanezes) are really sportscar
so they tend to be exhaustingly exploited, if not held in capable hands in the past.

If everything's ok and in close-to-mint operating order, you'll get a bass for your life

Cheers,
Wallace

[phillybass101]

I will soon be 57 and congrats for wanting to play bass. I'd say try as many different basses as you can and at this stage try before you buy. If you want a custom bass at this stage of the game for your money you won't go wrong getting a Carvin Bass made for yourself. If you like the sound of a Jazz Bass their SKB4000 or SKB5000 are great basses. On the flip side, if you later want to sell that Carvin, you may take a hit/loss as resale value is not equal to what you pay upfront. There are many great new inexpensive basses to choose from. Listen to others for sure, but decide yourself for yourself what kind and brand of bass YOU want. Remember these words....Try before you buy.

[overbybr]

Originally Posted by ElwoodPDowd

What I want is a bass that is easy to play. Though I don't know the difference right now.

I don't want a budget guitar that I will not feel proud of. Not to be a snob. There are probably cheaper guitars that are a pleasure to own and play. But I don't know enough to navigate those waters.

You can find great basses in the TB classified section from entry level to exotic: I purchased all of my basses through TB.

Originally Posted by ElwoodPDowd

I have no ambitions. I just want to play for enjoyment. I love the sound of a bass.

However, I will play for awhile before purchasing...I think

That's the best reason to play. Use that P-bass as long as your brother will let you until you start to hear the music instead of trying remember your next note. What I mean is, I spent a long time starting just trying to reproduce the bass lines for songs and never really listened to the different sounds produced by each bassist or in each song. Once I started actually listening, I found a sound I liked and it made picking a bass that much easier. Ultimately, get your chops up and then go shopping for your first bass. Good luck!

[mjac28]

Originally Posted by JoeWPgh

I'm coming at this from the other end. I used to play bass for a living. Now I have a job I truly love and pays me enough to buy the gear that I could never afford when I did it for a living. SO, here's my best advise:

Do not go nuts and drop all of your disposable income into the bass itself. Hold a hundred or two back to have your bass setup by a pro, who will take the time to explain proper maintenance. You want to have the nut of 'mid-level' bass cut a as low as possible, and the frets filed and dressed with a "falloff". This will make the action of the bass - the resistance of the strings to your fingers much easier to deal with. 90% of the difference between a boutique bass, or a high end Fender, with the MIM Fenders or the cheapo basses hanging on the walls of your local Guitar Center is the hands on attention paid to a proper setup.

+1 very good advice and I would go to a music store play something you like then do a price search to find that same instrument used or get a price match from the music store you saw it in.

[dhagler]

Welcome to bass! I started playing when I was 40 (8 years ago). I didn't have a bass at all, so my teacher went with me to a shop that specialized in used gear and he helped me pick out a suitable starter bass (a Silvertone with P pickups). I kept it nearly a year then upgraded to a 5-string.

The P-bass is a great bass in many respects. IMHO you should continue to play that one but keep visiting other stores and playing other basses so that you can start to distinguish between weight, necks, tones, etc. Also, over the course of your playing days you will buy and sell many basses (I have owned 5, still playing the 3rd one, got my eye on number 6 right now) as your tastes and playing needs change. Best of luck!

[ElwoodPDowd]

I have noticed with other types of products that the top end stuff is not as useful to a beginner. They design it assuming a certain level of proficiency. In that regard I agree with Acridsaint. What I am wanting to do is get the best I can afford (quality wise) at whatever level i buy into. Whether a beginner or intermediate level guitar, I want the best balance of features. Not the priciest because that can be misleading.

I really appreciate Joewpgh's comments about a pro set up. Never realized that they could change that much of the character. This is a great thread for me. Thank you to everyone so far.

A couple of basses on my radar other than the SUB are ( i will be adding Ibanez as I research further):

Yamaha BB1600 - seems to be a very smooth sound. Almost like a "Blue Nile" sound.
Schecter Raiden Elite Bass Guitar Quilt Top- This is $399 locally. used.

[bh2]

I have to recommend to you the Squier Classic Vibe 60s Jazz Bass...

Lovely thin neck, authentic 60s sound from the stock pups, a superb instrument.

Not too pricey either.

[Plantbrain]

Originally Posted by VinKreepo

Ahhh! You need to look into Warwick, Fender Jazz, or any Ibanez with a parametric mid knob. These basses will help you dial in that bridge pickup burp.

Heck, pickup a cheap ibanez or squier jazz and throw some expensive electronics in it.

An Aguilar OBP-3 with variable mid pot mod and some Bartolini or Nordstrand pickups will bring you close to that tone. Very close.

+1 on this.

+2 on a good set up.

+3 on a using the amp to increase volume, not your poor fingers/hands. Many start off playing too hard etc, they trash their hands. Practice, you tube(learn the songs there, look around, lots of good/great stuff).
Plenty of interviews with Jaco and others. Brain Sponge their advice. More stuff here than you could ever read and practice also.

[Plantbrain]

Originally Posted by ElwoodPDowd

Yamaha BB1600 - seems to be a very smooth sound. Almost like a "Blue Nile" sound.
Schecter Raiden Elite Bass Guitar Quilt Top- This is $399 locally. used.

Yamaha make decent stuff. I sanded the neck down for a natural finish and this made the bass so much nicer on an older low end bass I had. It looked pretty decent for 200$. You might also try light gauge strings vs medium, or medium light.

[ElwoodPDowd]

I assumed Squire was a last option. I see it in Wal-Mart along side First Act sometimes.

[bh2]

Squier... try one... pretty much any of the Classic Vibes are super.

FWIW I a/b/c'd a RoadWorn Jazz (£960.0), Custom Shop (£1,200) and Classic Vibe Jazzers (£260) a while ago and the CV came a very close second to the RW which came top.

[Mike in Chicago]

Use the Precision until he asks for it back, he may forget you have it. I recently discovered my old Acoustic 150b that I haven't seen in about 15 years at my cousin's son's house. Guys and family members have stuff of mine all over the place.

What am I gonna do, take it back from the kid?

That's the way musicians are.