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$$$Bass w/ $Amp? or $$$Amp w/ $Bass?

#2
CharlesNGreggo said:
Right now, I have no Bass or Amp. But I DO have $1,500.00. So my question is: Do I spend the lion's share on a better Bass and then get a cheap amp? Do I go 50/50 on both? Or do I get a rockin' amp and a $100-$500 Bass? Thanks in advance!
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You are a novice to bass guitar and you want to spend the entire $1,500? Just spend $1,400 on a bass and $100 on a practice amp. When you get bored of the bass, I'll take it off your hands for $100.
 
#4
Hmm... thats a good question. I would say spend less on the bass than the amp+cab. My reason for this is: Some cheaper basses are really good quality and playability, but cheap amps and cabs dont seem to cut it. I have a Squier 5 string P-bass and absolutely love it. In my opinion a quality amp can make a cheap bass sound good. I would go for around $500-600 on the bass and the other grand on a professional rig.
 
#6
I'd buy a SX bass for a hundred and change, add some GHS strings for twenty something and get one of those Roland bass cube thingies for a couple more Benjamins and call it good. Not out of major buck-age if you have a change of heart AND you have some nice stuff to build on if you decide to stick with it.
 
#8
My first bass was off craigs list for 250 bucks..I did buy a rig for a grand only because it was a divorce sale..only used it maybe 4 times..I picked up a Fender Rumble 30 for 160 bucks and change new...its a killer little practice amp..After a few years I did buy a couple of American Fenders...even got those at a bargain//both brand new...IMO go easy...pounce on killer deals if you are all in.
 
#9
shop around........I'd say $600 on amp and $900 on bass......get the best you can get for your money.....if the bass eels good and plays good and you have an amp that produces good tone, you will still with it longer.......800-900 goes a long way on a quality used mass...........a long way, if you shop around........tell us what you want to play and what bass players have good tone to your ear and we can make suggestions. Who are the bassists that inpire you to play bass? Start there??????
 
#10
Spend a few hundred on a decent bass, a few hundred on a decent amp, and put the rest in the bank. When you're gigging and making some money, you'll be glad you've still got some money in the bank. THEN you can go out and upgrade your rig.
 
#11
it really depends on your situation and needs ....where you are in the grand scheme of bassdom ....do you gig, jam with buddies or are you just starting the journey of learning bass?

$1500 can get you lot's of stuff .....not necessarily a pro amp and bass brand new ....you can do well by splitting $750 for each ....you can look around at 2nd hand stuff ....the possibilities are vast. as others have mentioned you can really low ball on the bass with an SX and they can be quite something for $120.

One important thing to consider with an amp is application and wattage needs .....if it's bedroom tone than you don't need much .....jamming and gigging you want 250 - 400 watts depending on the styles you might be playing and the drummer's dynamic.

in my case ...when i started taking bass gigs i went with an
American Jazz and a Fender Rumble 350 ....a great standard bass with a prosumer level amp ....for $550 the amp is actually pretty good and got me where i needed to be wattage wise.
 
#13
When youre a begginer I think its actually more beneficial to have a crap bass. Makes you work harder... You practice and get good on a crappy bass with poor playability and a higher action, when you finally get your hands on a decent bass you'll absolutely kill it.
 
#14
I've found that my basses have sounded better as I have learned more about my instruments and the concepts of tone. However having professional quality amp equipment doesn't hurt in that search for a good tone.
 
#15
fenderhutz said:
If you like P basses. Guitar Center used site has USA Peavey Fury basses for 99 bucks.

I just picked up a 200 watt 15 inch Trace Elliot combo for under 200 used.

Both high quality gig worthy gear.

Keep the other 1200 for a rainy day.

Edit: Unless you want a show piece, then spend away.
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+1. Wait until you see and try something you know you want a lot and love. Best way to get there is to start with something good and playable.
 
#16
An expensive bass will sound like crap through a cheap amp. The inverse is also true- a cheap bass will sound great through a pro rig. If a bass has a good setup and the player has somewhat of an idea of what they are doing it will be fine through any amp. Get a good amp+cab and buy a Squier VM or CV for 350.
 
#18
CharlesNGreggo said:
Right now, I have no Bass or Amp. But I DO have $1,500.00. So my question is: Do I spend the lion's share on a better Bass and then get a cheap amp? Do I go 50/50 on both? Or do I get a rockin' amp and a $100-$500 Bass? Thanks in advance!
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IMO, you should first evaluate your goals..
A, “Just for fun” a.k.a. gonna be playing in my room a lot. -Or-
B,“Im in a band and we will be playing out….eventually” (slash) C,“I have gig aspirations..”

If you are Mr. “Just-for-fun-bedroom/couch-Rockstar” = you will probably want: cheap amp, cheap bass, comfortable strap, cheap pedal(s), a Tuner, metronome/drum sim…maybe some picks, Couple instructional books (CDs-or-DVDs) and maybe some good headphones..you are good to go.

If you have a band situation you are forming, or are already a part of: Then I agree with the above that you need a quality amp. If you are gigging you can save quid to upgrade your bass/pedals, if you want/when you can. I like the $900 amp rest for Bass formula if you fit this mold.

Regardless to which route you take, play A LOT of basses. First ask your buds, then go to the local music store, pawn shop, or Guitar Center etc… and try out as many Basses as they will let you. Get a feel for the type you want, and get an idea of how heavy it is. (like,you may wanna go 5str. right away and just learn on one of those…) ask about the woods that make up the body/neck.. stuff like that ..

Enjoy the experience.:D
AFRO:bassist:
 
#19
LayDownABoogie said:
When youre a begginer I think its actually more beneficial to have a crap bass. Makes you work harder... You practice and get good on a crappy bass with poor playability and a higher action, when you finally get your hands on a decent bass you'll absolutely kill it.
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Some of the worst advice I've ever heard!

I make a point of setting up my student's guitars and basses for 5 minutes or so in lessons if need be ....it's hard enough to learn an instrument let alone a poorly set up axe.
 

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