I am getting ready to buy my first bass. Could anyone care to share their opinion and advice as to how to find a great bass ?
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Beginner Bass
- Thread starter Charles Eliason
- Start date
The best way is to first of all determine your budget then go to a music store to try some out. A good bass for one person may not necessarily be the best option for another. It's a little like trying shoes, you find one that fits you best from a physical standpoint and also from the sound. After trying some out and finding the one that you like best, you can consider looking for that particular bass used on CL, classified or the stores. Buying used basses makes sense if you're careful about it and perhaps go with someone who can identify issues with the bass. Is the neck straight, truss rod maxed out, do the pickups work as they should etc. When you buy a used bass, you will save money on the purchase and also should you want to resell it and move on to another bass, you can sell it for basically the same price you paid for it as it was already used. It provides the least risk involved imo.
Looking at particular styles and brands also depend on the kind of music you play, do you want a Fender-style bass, an active bass or a passive one, the kind of pickups it should have etc. There are a lot of inexpensive basses out there that are great to start off with-
Squier - P bass, Jazz bass, Jaguar bass (Fender style basses)
Sterling - Sub Ray4 (Musicman style bass)
Ibanez - SR300 (slim neck, active bass, solid all-round bass)
and many more.
Looking at particular styles and brands also depend on the kind of music you play, do you want a Fender-style bass, an active bass or a passive one, the kind of pickups it should have etc. There are a lot of inexpensive basses out there that are great to start off with-
Squier - P bass, Jazz bass, Jaguar bass (Fender style basses)
Sterling - Sub Ray4 (Musicman style bass)
Ibanez - SR300 (slim neck, active bass, solid all-round bass)
and many more.
SX, Xavaire, Squier...
All are decent basses, SX an Xaviar can be had new for less than $200 dollars, both sound good and play well. WHen it comes to to buy a better bass, you can sell either for $150.00 so as to recoop most of your money. I've even seen used SX basses sell for their "new" pricing.
Squire can be had new for less than $300 dollars, and you might not have to replace it.
You can also look at Fender MIM basses, and Epiphone basses if you like Gibson styles. both are excellent pieces. prices are in the $400.00 range.
All are decent basses, SX an Xaviar can be had new for less than $200 dollars, both sound good and play well. WHen it comes to to buy a better bass, you can sell either for $150.00 so as to recoop most of your money. I've even seen used SX basses sell for their "new" pricing.
Squire can be had new for less than $300 dollars, and you might not have to replace it.
You can also look at Fender MIM basses, and Epiphone basses if you like Gibson styles. both are excellent pieces. prices are in the $400.00 range.
Welcome to the low end. There are many many many threads on this topic, though the search function is imperfect.
Pro setup is key. It's hard for a beginner to understand, but the strings, neck relief, action height and intonation make a world of difference. The best bass with a bad setup will suck. The worst bass with a good setup won't...as much. Then learn to do your own.
Buy used. GC has a variable selection and a nice return policy. CL is not for the faint of heart. TB Classifieds have been great for me.
Get a qualified instructor. The Interwebz is great, but it won't stop you from developing bad technique.
Get a copy of the Hal Leonard Bass Method Complete Edition from Amazon. While you're there, get a Snark clip-on tuner for $12.
Break a leg!
Pro setup is key. It's hard for a beginner to understand, but the strings, neck relief, action height and intonation make a world of difference. The best bass with a bad setup will suck. The worst bass with a good setup won't...as much. Then learn to do your own.
Buy used. GC has a variable selection and a nice return policy. CL is not for the faint of heart. TB Classifieds have been great for me.
Get a qualified instructor. The Interwebz is great, but it won't stop you from developing bad technique.
Get a copy of the Hal Leonard Bass Method Complete Edition from Amazon. While you're there, get a Snark clip-on tuner for $12.
Break a leg!
