What is a good bass? Jazz or precision?

[glasstop]

I am a beginner, ill buy my equipement online via a german website. What should i buy? A jazz or a precision? A 4 string or 5 string? What will i need to practice on my own except for the bass guitar? What kind of tuner, amp etc..... should i buy? What kind of music do i like? Well, billie jean and smooth criminal (michael jackson) made me love the bass, i like the bass sound in the song "You got me" (The roots feat Eryhkah badu)

[Llusk]

Well. It's all really a matter of what you feel like. Pick what you like.
I personally prefer a J. bass for all around stuff, but when using a pick I like the sound of a P. bass. But the best thing would be to go to a local musicstore and try a few of both. See what fits you. It would be best if you could try the excact same basses you have in mind. As for Amp, you could go out and by a sick stack fit for gigging, but if you're not planning on playing big gigs yet, I would just buy a cheap one small 12W amp or something. ´they're cheap and you can always sell it if you want a bigger better one.
The music. I think you should listen- and play whatever you feel like, but if you're into stuff like MJ, I would recommend some Earth, Wind and Fire. Stevie Wonder. Tower of Power. It's funky and got nice grooves to em.. But some of it is fairly hard, so wouldn't recommend jumping head first into the basslines.. Start out with something easy but fun.

[homsar]

+1. Play everything you can get your hands on - at stores, friends' houses, jam sessions, anywhere you can. It's definitely best if you can play the exact bass you're going to buy...but if you can't, playing lots of instruments can at least help you identify some general trends (such as if you have preferences for active vs. passive, single coil vs. double coil, rosewood vs. maple, scale length, string spacing, etc.) and that will take some of the guesswork out of buying mail order.

[FodderJohn]

I've owned both a Jazz and Precision and enjoyed both. My current bass is a Precision and I have found it to be a very serviceable instrument. My Jazz was exceptional as well so the nice thing about your choice is that you won't lose.

There was a long standing debate on another thread about whether people should start out with a four string or a five and my preference, and its only a preference, is for four strings if only for the fact that there's a ton of learning tools out there centered on the four string. I've owned six string basses and I have an Ergo on order that will be a five, but of my four basses three are just plain old four strings.

The truth is this is a lot like dating. As you begin to play you get to know various instruments and you find a number of them, over time, that you can mesh with. They look, they feel, they play the way you'd like them to and they become an extension of you. Because of this you'll probably not immediately find that "one" bass to last a lifetime right away but you can surely enjoy exploring the bass "buffet" if you will.

[fender p man]

I FIND THE P BASS TO BE THE BEST SOUNDING BASSES ANYWHERE !

[timmbass]

I have noticed that when I watch television I tend to see Fender Jazz 4 string basses all the time. I think I remember seeing four different bass players during the Grammys this past year all playing Fender Jazz 4 string basses. I see jazz basses a lot. And if not Fenders, then I see jazz bass copies by other manufacturers all the time.

I don't know what your situation is other there, but I often recommend that beginners get a used "made in usa" fender jazz bass for 600 to 800 American dollars, because if they get a fairly good deal on a used Fender in the price range, they can always sell it for about that next year if they want to.

Let me be honest with you...you do not know what you want or what you like or what you will want or what you will like. Go out and get the best bass you can afford and get a little practice amp like the Roland Cube 30, and then get software like Transcribe! or The Amazing Slowdowner, and start getting mp3s of all the songs you like, drag and drop them into one of those software packages and slow the songs down, set them up to repeat a short section of the songs, and start learning.

As you play and listen, the music that you want to play and the type of bass that you want to play will change. So there is no need to wait around thinking about the perfect bass, jump in, start, go for it. It usually takes lots of years and lots of dollars for most of us to find the type and brand of bass that we like most.

Two more things, take any bass you buy, new or used, to a good bass tech and have it set up and put new strings on it, and even if you can't afford the money or time for regular lessons, during the first months take a lesson every month or so just to make sure you are holding the bass correctly and fingering the fretboard correctly so that you make sure that you will eventually be able to play fast and pain free.

[timmbass]

I FIND THE P BASS TO BE THE BEST SOUNDING BASSES ANYWHERE

You know, it really does not matter what this guy thinks is the best sounding, because maybe he loves old school rock and roll or motown, and that type of bass is great for that type of music. The thing is, most people are attracted to a bass due to the combination of the basses sound and looks, and then how that bass fits into the music that they play, or the band that they play in.

Not to start a war...hey no...I feel like it today...war on...read me now and think about it later...while you can not get a jazz bass to sound exactly like a p bass, you can get a jazz bass to sound close to a p bass, but you can't get a p bass to sound close to a jazz bass...there I said it.

And another thing, p basses typically have thicker and wider necks than jazz basses. So much so that some people who like the p bass sound, but do not like the thicker necks, put jazz necks on p basses, or buy a bass that has a jazz neck with p pickups.

[Munjibunga]

They're both "good basses," but the Jazz is a lot better.

[Badenough]

I have ordered a US Lakland Bob Glaub with p/j pups and jazz neck. I had a fender with the same configuration for years ,but it got stolen. My solution, but it may not work for others.

[timmbass]

I had a Bob Glaub with the wider string spacing up at the nut and while I did not like the string spacing, it sounded amazing. Tone for days.

[bassluvr]

This website has a lot of resources about tons of instruments including bass guitars.
they just reviewed these two books that talk about the history of the greatest guitar companies ever...gibson and fender. perhaps reading about the history of the instrument would help you with your choices. here's the link http://www.makingmusicmag.com/covered/strings.html

[Terp619]

Jazz and precision are not the only types of basses. Look around and see what you like. I suggest starting with a four string and working your way up to a five string if you feel you need the extra string

My personal favorite would be the Warwick Corvette.

[bassdude7907]

I have an ibanez gio that I bought on ebay for $150.00 and it's in really good shape but I got lucky because I should've gone to a guitar/music store and got one from there because when you're buying a bass you can't just give it up just because it wasn't what you expected. so to prevent that from happening you should go to the music store (one that will let you hold and play on an amp for a few seconds is best) and ask for their reccomendation on what kind of bass is best for your level of skill on a bass. when you get the answer you should go to the room with bass guitars hanging on the wall and pick out the best one the employee suggested. After that you should take that bass and play it on the store's amp for a few minutes. Be sure to make sure that it sounds and feels good. if it sounds great but feels like crap don't buy it. if it feels wonderful but sounds like a chainsaw don't buy it. You have to pick out the one that's right for YOU. Besides you're the one who's going to own the bass. After you picked out the bass you like put it back on the rack. Try to prevent the urge to buy immediatly because there are other fish in the sea which means in the way i'm using it there's more bass guitars out there and maybe the one you picked out can be replaced by a better one from another store. It's your bass and you want it to last you a long time. 6 years tops. Good luck!

[lefthandbassguy]

i have a jazz bass and it is awesome because you can get a clean bass sound when you use your fingers, or a rougher sound when you use a pick,its awesome

[gjones]

Have a look at this and make up your own mind http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Cd9...layer_embedded I've tried the vintage vibe jazz bass and it's excellent