• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Bass buying help?

rockthefaces

rockthefaces

Guest
Jun 19, 2015
4
3
51
#1
Looking for some input on the instrument, here, and I'm much obliged for any help. I'm primarily a performing singer and guitar player, but I picked up the bass last year and started fiddling around with it, and have started to get serious about practicing and playing this year. Up to now, I've been using a total p.o.s. that I inherited from a friend to practice at home, but I don't think I'd be able to take it into a room with other people, let alone on stage. So, I'm in the market for something new. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a gear guy, especially on the bass front. Thus, I'm here for advice.

What I'm looking for: something up to $1,000, although I could push past that a bit for the right instrument. I play mostly classic rock, indie rock, powerpop, that kind of thing. I'm fairly new, but I am serious about getting good on the instrument and want to eventually play in live settings, record (including home recording), whatever.

I keep looking at the Rickenbacker 4003, but it's out of my price range and, besides, I feel like it might be way too much instrument for someone at my level. Any expert help and/or advice in terms of where I could/should be looking, make-and-model-wise, would be much appreciated.
 
#2
Is the $1000 strictly for a bass, or does it need to cover an amp too? If it does include an amp, what does the amp need to be able to do - play live with a heavy rock drummer, or just at home for practice? If you need an amp to keep up with a band, I'd say you need at least 200 watts into a 1x15 or 2x10, and that's going to run you maybe $500 new or $300 used, meaning a bass in the $500-700 range. If you're only playing at home for now, you can do all right under $200 new, and have $800 for a bass. If you don't need an amp, then you've got $1000 for just the bass.

Why are you looking at the Rickenbacker? Have you tried one yet? There's no such thing as "too much" bass for a beginning player - you can learn just as easily on a $5000 boutique instrument as a $180 Squier. Maybe easier. It's just a matter of what you want and what you can afford. The thing about Ricks is that they're very particular - some people love them, some hate them. There was a whole thread here on "basses you wanted - until your played one" and Rickenbacker was the most common one named. Try before you buy - true of any bass.

Go to some stores and try stuff out. No one bass is the perfect bass, otherwise there wouldn't be so many of them. It's a matter of what suits YOU. But, some things to think about and look for:

1. Look. Don't buy a bass you think is ugly and uncool, you won't be motivated to practice.
2. Sound. Plug it into an amp and fiddle with knobs. Make sure it sounds like the bass tone in your head. Beginners needn't be too picky, but still. Some basses are a little warmer and have more "thump" in the tone; others are brighter and have more "zing" or "growl." Some have an active preamp built in, others have straight passive electronics.
3. Feel. MOST important. Some basses have thick round necks, others have skinny "fast" necks. Neither is better, just people have their preferences. There are narrower or wider string spacing, or different curvature of the fretboard, flat slab bodies or rounded body edges. Balance is important. Get the store to give you a strap. Does it hang without the neck diving for the floor? How is the weight? All this is just making sure you actually feel comfortable with your instrument.

In the $500-1000 price range, there are lots of choices. A Mexican Fender would be the standard choice - a Jazz (J) bass for a slim neck and growly tone, or a Precision (P) bass for a thicker neck and thumpier tone. You could also find a used American Fender toward the upper end of your budget ($1350 new, often used for $800-900). Among used basses, Carvins are often a great deal. They sell everything custom ($900+ new), but resale values tend to be low (because you're buying someone else's custom bass). If you stick to basic options you could order a new Carvin for under $1000. I'm also a big fan of the Yamaha BB series. High quality at a good price. They have hot passive electronics and a neck midway between Fender Js and Ps. Balance well, but a little bit heavy. A BB424x would be a great all-rounder for just about anything. Ibanez has lots of models in that price range for slim necks and active electronics.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gospel Bass Player, Lo-E, jamro217 and 2 others
#4
Thanks so much for this reply. The $1,000 is strictly for the bass. I know I'll have to pick up an amp at some point, but I think that's a little further down the line.

I looked at the Rick because a) I've always thought they look cool, which I realize isn't necessarily the best reason to buy an instrument, and b) musicians from some bands I've really dug have used them. I dunno - it just seemed like a really good high-end bass. It's interesting reading what you're saying, though - I knew Rickenbacker guitars had a very specific sound, but I wasn't aware that was the case with their basses, as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hrodbert696
#7
I agree with jmattbassplaya. You can't really go wrong with any of those options.
rockthefaces said:
I know I'll have to pick up an amp at some point, but I think that's a little further down the line.
Click to expand...
Since you said that you're primarily a guitar player, I'll just mention here that IMHO, learning good electric bass technique really requires some form of amplification...whether it's an actual amp or a headphone-equipped device like a Bass POD. Of course, one can always practice electric bass unplugged, but when doing so, many bassists -- including me -- tend to play more aggressively in an attempt to get "volume" from the unamplified instrument. Hence, I wouldn't push the amp purchase too far down the road.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rockthefaces
#8
garp said:
Hence, I wouldn't push the amp purchase too far down the road.
Click to expand...

This is all a good point, and thanks for offering it. My thought was that I would just plug into my guitar amp and practice through that. I can't crank the volume, anyway, thanks to living in cramped NYC apartment quarters, but it'll at least give me a feeling for how the instrument sounds and feels amplified. Is that an alright way to go at the start, or am I selling myself super-short by not having a bass-specific amp right from the jump?

Said amp is a Vox AC 15, BTW.
 
#9
Like guitar, it isn't just the bass that's your "instrument" but rather your bass + your amp + you.

I cut my teeth on an Ampeg B-15N when I was just starting out. The response and tonal characteristics of that little amp shaped a lot of the way I play till this very day. When I first moved off of it onto something bigger and more powerful when I joined a rock group, it (an Acoustic 360) caused some major work for me to adapt to its totally different set of characteristics. (Note: the Acoustic 360 is about as far away from an Ampeg B-15 as you can get. Everything from its core sound to the way it responds to your touch is totally different.)

So the sooner you get the amp you think you'll be using the better off you'll be I think.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rockthefaces
#10
rockthefaces said:
This is all a good point, and thanks for offering it. My thought was that I would just plug into my guitar amp and practice through that. I can't crank the volume, anyway, thanks to living in cramped NYC apartment quarters, but it'll at least give me a feeling for how the instrument sounds and feels amplified. Is that an alright way to go at the start, or am I selling myself super-short by not having a bass-specific amp right from the jump?

Said amp is a Vox AC 15, BTW.
Click to expand...

Guitar amps aren't made to handle low bass frequencies. You can use it as a stopgap, but it's unlikely to sound very good and you can blow up your speaker if you push it. May be fine with a headphone out. Or, if you have a mixer or preamp or something along those lines, you may be able to set up silent practice using headphones. That's how I practice, bass -> pedalboard-> mixer -> headphones. My amps are for band practice and gigs. I'm not in a city, but I have kids and get up to practice before they're up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rockthefaces
#11
hrodbert696 said:
Or, if you have a mixer or preamp or something along those lines, you may be able to set up silent practice using headphones.
Click to expand...

Ah, that's probably a good idea. I can run it through my DAI and into headphones from there. That'll get me started until I can swing for an amp, which I'm thinking will be a step I'll take when I'm actually feeling confident enough in my ability to get out and play with other human beings. That could be a while. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lo-E and hrodbert696
#13
What is this POS you refer to? If it's a halfway decent instrument it could benefit greatly from a pro set up.

There are few things cooler than someone playing the crap out of s POS and making it sound and feel good!
 
#15
#16
For 1k you can get a great used Fender American Standard Jazz or Precision (whichever you like more). They have different sounds and necks, but both are classic basses that have dominated music for decades. If you buy used, you should be able to get back most what you pay if you eventually resell it. My first recommendation would be a J or a P.

As for Ricks, they look cool and sound great, but the 4003 series does have a distinct sound and feel that some people just don't like, even though others love it. I think the 4004 series is a bit overlooked. I recently got one after wanting one for some time, and it's great. Sleeker design than a 4003, great rock tones. Either way you'll be over 1k even with a good used deal.

With regard to amps, I've heard great things about the Fender Rumble line, a smaller used one would probably be pretty cheap. If you're looking for something with tube tone and are willing to spend a bit more, I suggest seeing if you can find a deal on an Ashdown CTM-15, CTM-30 or Little Bastard.
 
#17
rockthefaces said:
Looking for some input on the instrument, here, and I'm much obliged for any help. I'm primarily a performing singer and guitar player, but I picked up the bass last year and started fiddling around with it, and have started to get serious about practicing and playing this year. Up to now, I've been using a total p.o.s. that I inherited from a friend to practice at home, but I don't think I'd be able to take it into a room with other people, let alone on stage. So, I'm in the market for something new. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a gear guy, especially on the bass front. Thus, I'm here for advice.

What I'm looking for: something up to $1,000, although I could push past that a bit for the right instrument. I play mostly classic rock, indie rock, powerpop, that kind of thing. I'm fairly new, but I am serious about getting good on the instrument and want to eventually play in live settings, record (including home recording), whatever.

I keep looking at the Rickenbacker 4003, but it's out of my price range and, besides, I feel like it might be way too much instrument for someone at my level. Any expert help and/or advice in terms of where I could/should be looking, make-and-model-wise, would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Welcome to TalkBass, Guy!

I have an ergonomics-themed question; Have you ever played a Stratocaster and did it feel comfortable to your fretting hand? If so, a Precision bass might work for you. If I read the specs right, most of them have identical nut-widths and fretboard radii. Something to consider, yes? And to that effect…

cannedveggiessuck said:
Here are several quality basses that would serve you well. All are within or under your price point.

For Sale/Trade - Fender American Hot Rodded Precision-Fralins | TalkBass.com

For Sale - Spector NS2a (White) | TalkBass.com

For Sale - Fender Select Precision-Beautiful... | TalkBass.com

For Sale - G&L LB100 | TalkBass.com

For Sale - EB MusicMan Sterling - 4 string - made in california | TalkBass.com
Click to expand...

…if those ergonomics suit you, then I'd recommend looking at that American Hot-Rodded Precision. It may be a matter of personal taste in sound, but I'm a big fan of Precision/Jazz configured basses. I find they are capable of a wide-ranging sonic palette…from mellow to aggressive, depending on how you adjust the pickup's respective volumes.

Oh, and for the record…only the coolest kids on the block rock an Aerodyne Jazz! :cool: Not that I'm biased at all. :rolleyes: :p

FAJB.jpg

AJB%2003_zpsjdmuxl93.jpg
 
#18
A good used MIM Fender or Squire. Plenty $$$ left over for a decent amp. You can pickup something off the TB classifieds or check the local stuff. Ric's are cool but expensive. Just getting started... Spread your coins around. You'll be glad you did.
 
#20
garp said:
I agree with jmattbassplaya. You can't really go wrong with any of those options.Since you said that you're primarily a guitar player, I'll just mention here that IMHO, learning good electric bass technique really requires some form of amplification...whether it's an actual amp or a headphone-equipped device like a Bass POD. Of course, one can always practice electric bass unplugged, but when doing so, many bassists -- including me -- tend to play more aggressively in an attempt to get "volume" from the unamplified instrument. Hence, I wouldn't push the amp purchase too far down the road.
Click to expand...
Yes, don't do that. Horrible habit to get into
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back