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About.com "top 5 beginner bass guitars"

#21
Flintc said:
And now, straight from left field, I might point out that the Link Removed are excellent beginner basses. For about $200 new, you'd be hard pressed to do worse.
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ESP has more to offer than just the B50, and their neck profile is a slim one...fits my hand as nice as a Jazz bass, it even feels narrower at the heel....I think I was messing around with this ones little brother..the F103 a few months back
Link Removed

I think the biggest reason I don't own a Peavey right now it the nut width is not as comfy as a Jazz neck...
 
#22
any opinions on G&L? i went to the pawnshop today, and found a used one, i think it was a b-100 or something... normally, i wouldn't have even considered it because of the $500 price tag on it (with case)... but i remember seeing the G&L ad on here, and thought it might be a good thing to look into... i know the price is twice what i'm really wanting to spend, but if its worth it, then i'll take it! its a lot lighter than the alvarez i've been learning on, and even though it wasn't hooked up to an amp, it sounded better... the alvarez has a rattle of some sort when i tap the top string...sounds like its coming from the head... but i don't know... that G&L.. i don't know if its just the placebo effect or what, but i fell in love with it!
 
#23
hmm... it may be the "G&L L-1000"... i did a google search for b-100, and it kept giving me mens clothing stuff... an on the G&L website, most of their stuff starts with an L and has 4 digits... i don't know what made me think it was b-100
 
#25
what truly constitutes a 'beginner's base"? is it the price, quality, overall "takes a lickin and keeps on tickin"? someone once told me that if your planning on playing anything on an level higher than amatuer, then don't go cheap... not necessarily like that, but like, if you buy something for cheap, then its gonna sound cheap, and you won't enjoy playing it enough to be persistent in practice, etc.. now that i think about it, i read this about buying a pair of inline skates... they were talking about spending 2 or 300 for a pair that was comfortable, durable, smooth rolling, compared to some that cost 50... go cheap and it becomes a simple fad or phase... but invest a lot of money, and it will be a lifetime thing...

my idea of "beginner's bass" is something that sounds clear (no rattles or buzzes), something that stays in tune fairly well, and something that i wouldn't be afraid to drop.. i'm not talking about "look at how high my bass can bounce on concrete!".. but you know.. if i do accidentally drop it, i don't want to be completely devastated... of course, it has to have a reasonable price as well...

i think most people label cheap guitars as "beginners" guitars because they don't know their own personal level of commitment... i guess that's why you can get a complete "bass guitar pack" on zzounds, everyone of them is under 300... but the guitars are ones that a lot of people wouldn't be caught dead even looking at...
 
#26
Twan013 said:
what truly constitutes a 'beginner's base"? is it the price, quality, overall "takes a lickin and keeps on tickin"? someone once told me that if your planning on playing anything on an level higher than amatuer, then don't go cheap... not necessarily like that, but like, if you buy something for cheap, then its gonna sound cheap, and you won't enjoy playing it enough to be persistent in practice, etc.. now that i think about it, i read this about buying a pair of inline skates... they were talking about spending 2 or 300 for a pair that was comfortable, durable, smooth rolling, compared to some that cost 50... go cheap and it becomes a simple fad or phase... but invest a lot of money, and it will be a lifetime thing...

my idea of "beginner's bass" is something that sounds clear (no rattles or buzzes), something that stays in tune fairly well, and something that i wouldn't be afraid to drop.. i'm not talking about "look at how high my bass can bounce on concrete!".. but you know.. if i do accidentally drop it, i don't want to be completely devastated... of course, it has to have a reasonable price as well...

i think most people label cheap guitars as "beginners" guitars because they don't know their own personal level of commitment... i guess that's why you can get a complete "bass guitar pack" on zzounds, everyone of them is under 300... but the guitars are ones that a lot of people wouldn't be caught dead even looking at...
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I was already playing bass for almost 15 years when I bought the Yamaha RBX...with my nice P-bass copy in the states, I needed a bass to give me some vintage tones and my Carvin AC40, while a very sweet bass, was not there...

so I picked it up at a good price $150 on ebay...and it's been absolutely fantastic...a "beginner's bass"? yes... a good bass? oh yes...

I've played many basses that cost 5-10 times as much as the RBX170 that can't get that kind of playability...and with a decent set of strings and a little bit of EQ, it sounds very good...

I stay clear of the "starter pack" things...not because of the bass, but because they force you to buy a gawdawful amp in the process for more $$$...a bad amp can make anything sound like garbage...and a good amp can make even a so-so bass sound pretty good.
 
#28
i have the ibanez gsr200...actually the gsr200fm (i'm not sure what the differance is) and it works quite well...i got it for a 150 at musicains friends...it was on sale...and yeah...it was a great beginners bass...still use it....but yeah, defiantly stick with new...not used
 
#29
Baird6869 said:
Ibanez? A cheap LTD? Maybe for your bedroom, but I wouldn't want to practice with a band or do a gig with one of them (I own a SX and an Ibanez - they NEVER get played at full volume).
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Maybe it's a matter of personal taste...but you're wrong, those basses can stand up to the challenge. I had an ESP B50 and I took it to more than one shows (and I'm not talking about some obscure club gigs) - I had NO PROBLEM whatsoever. Sure, it didn't sound like the Thumb the other guy was playing on, but it didn't sound bad at all either. It's a very reliable bass, well built, with a decent tone. It's one of the best choices for the buck - unlike other manufacturers, ESP is not making basses that would embarass the hell out of you when playing in front of an audience - every single model is worth the money.
Now, about the GSR200 - many ppl dislike them, but they sound good, decent playability, without major flaws in design or wood work. And IMO they sound better than a let's say BTB200 which costs more. And that says it all. Ibanez has some good instruments on sale nowadays. I can't think of one which sounds so bad I wouldn't recommend.
As for the others...Yamaha is not my cup of tea, but I've tried several low end models and they sounded pretty decent. Unlike Peavey's, which sound pretty weak (especially those Milestone, they're the worst sounding basses I've ever tried apart from Stagg).
 
#30
Twan013 said:
what truly constitutes a 'beginner's base"?
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I would not "blow the bank", as since you're just starting out you may not know exactly what you are looking for. Plus it's very possible that in a year you may decide that bass isn't for you. I would say the perfect bass is one that is

a) easy to play: weight, balance, neck shape/width, string spacing

b) sounds *good* to you now. Remember as you play the bass, your tastes in bass tones will change or evolve. It's very easy on this board to listen to the guys/gals that have been playing for years and are playing $2000 custom basses. This is b/c either, they know exactly what they are looking for or b) have unlimitted budgets. I like to believe the first one.


Also, $$$ does not mean better sounding. There are plenty of people on this board that think their $200 bass is the greatest sounding bass.
 
#31
well, the good news is, that i fixed the bass i've been playing.. i messed with the tuning one day, screwed it all up, so hooked it to an actual tuner, and now that rattle's gone... maybe it was just in my head.. bad news is, i don't think i'm really WANTED in the band... they don't bother to help me out or anything like that, and i can't practice as much as i should... actually, its just my cousin, the lead singer, who acts like that... everyone else is like "yeah, you should play"....

another thing i've realized... really more of a question... why aren't there any alvarez bass guitars around? i've searched on here, google, even the alvarez website... all i can find are acoustic/electric basses... did they quit making electrics, and if so, when? i'm just looking to get a price range on this one, to see if i should try to buy it from the owner.. it fits me nicely, its comfortable, no neckdive (i mean absolutely zero), and since the rattle has quit, it sounds nice...
 
#33
Twan013 said:
another thing i've realized... really more of a question... why aren't there any alvarez bass guitars around? i've searched on here, google, even the alvarez website... all i can find are acoustic/electric basses... did they quit making electrics, and if so, when? i'm just looking to get a price range on this one, to see if i should try to buy it from the owner.. it fits me nicely, its comfortable, no neckdive (i mean absolutely zero), and since the rattle has quit, it sounds nice...
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Doesn't look they still make straight electrics any more. My first five string was an Alvarez, and it wasn't too bad of a bass. The low B was a little floppy, but it sounded pretty good.
 
#34
Twan013 said:
hmm... it may be the "G&L L-1000"... i did a google search for b-100, and it kept giving me mens clothing stuff... an on the G&L website, most of their stuff starts with an L and has 4 digits... i don't know what made me think it was b-100
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It could have been an LB-100 bass:

LB-1001d.jpg
 
#35
danomite, methinks you are correct... but this one is the typical sunburst with a white pickguard, which is cracked where the power cord plugs in... also, i don't think this one has a point on the head, like in the pic.... i didn't really pay attention when i first looked at it..
 
#37
You don't need to wait around for a used MIM P. Just need to find one. Early on, the P was the beginner bass for kids. I wish I had the '64 my neighbor friend did in '64. Even a Standard can be purchased for under $400.00. I'd rather spend a little more now than want/need another bass soon.
 
#38
Twan013 said:
danomite, methinks you are correct... but this one is the typical sunburst with a white pickguard, which is cracked where the power cord plugs in... also, i don't think this one has a point on the head, like in the pic.... i didn't really pay attention when i first looked at it..
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The fact that it has a pickguard proves it's not an L-1000. In any case, if you can afford it, it's a much better investment than anything else being discussed in this thread.
 
#40
Twan013 said:
oh...my...lanta!!! just looked at the 4 BXP, transparent blue... of course, i don't know anything about the specs of the thing, or how it sounds, or "ease of learning", but its a beautiful looking guitar! and its in my price range! i'll add it to my list of "test subjects" for when i get ready to buy one...
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s'what I have... very nice ... loads of tones in there... fat reggae Bass right through to funky slap & pop.

the flamed maple in blue is gorgeous... lots of people who've seen it love it. and it's nice and light to compared to my box standard Encore P-Bass clone... the BXP clocks in at 7.8 lb
 

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