Beginner basses?

[ckjamm]

looking for my first ever bass guitar! been searching around on a very limited budget at the minute until i get paid at the end of this month. really eager to get playing though.

what are these copy basses like and are there any cheap ones you could recommend?

I think i'd prefer a jazz style bass but im obviously unsure, right now I think any bass would do me.

but i obviously dont want something that is going to fall apart after a few months, please help!

my local music stores aren't easy to get to and are very pricey, most of the guitars i've looked at online are about £30 more expensive in there.

 

[DeanT]

Depending on your budget, you can look at Squier (in the $250-$400 range) and Link Removed (in the $100-$200 range)

 

[lakefx]

Check your used market for a Squier, or Peavey. Just about any model from those two will meet your needs for about as cheap as you can get. I have never seen a Peavey that will fall apart (even when you want it to) and any Squier made in the past 20 years is actually a pretty good bass.

 

[dalkowski]

Used Squier
Used Yamaha
Used Ibanez
Used Peavey

 

[ics1974]

keep your eye on this thread and see if the people that buy one like it or not.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/new-affinity-squier-p-j-975291/
If they like them I would get the Squier P/J
I do however own a Squier 77 Jazz and it is a really good bass so I can recommend the Squier Vintage Modified Basses.

 

[ckjamm]

thanks for the help, finding some nice bargains now. "peavey milestone 3", what's this like?

 

[lustersilk]

Jump on Craig's List and grab someones failed attempt to learn bass guitar. For under $100.00, in my area, I regularly see, Yamaha's and Squires. Good way to start out on the cheap.

Then spend the rest of your money on some lessons!

 

[CnB77]

Whatever you get, take it to a good shop and have it set up with nice new strings. A bass is a bass. If it isn't broken, anything else is just personal preference.

 

[dalkowski]

If you know someone who plays, take him/her with you when you shop.

 

[reddog]

Besides the above, i'd be tempted by a new sterling sb4. Get it on sale at GC with 30 day trial. Read about setting up a bass. it is easy.. and essential. Wish i had known then what i know now.

 

[JGbassman]

Besides the above, i'd be tempted by a new sterling sb4. Get it on sale at GC with 30 day trial. Read about setting up a bass. it is easy.. and essential. Wish i had known then what i know now.

+1

 

[M. Owen Santy]

Personally - I would look at finding A used MTD or Spector (Imports). Both good instruments - great quality and versatile.

http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/index.cfm and search for MTD or Spector - Just checked and several instruments well under $300.

In my mind - buy the best you can used and you won't get killed with $$$ if you decide to upgrade later. Would also remember to buy the best instrument you can afford - some cheap instruments will just leave you frustrated with poor playability.

 

[Engine207]

I've had Squiers and Ibanezs and liked both. But dollar for dollar, I think the Yamaha BB424x is the better bass for the money. It's a PJ (Precision with a Jazz pickup in the bridge position), which is very versatile. It's built better than most instruments twice its price, and has a great neck.

Though I'm not a beginner, it gets lots of playing time among my Ric, Lakland, and MIA Fender Jazz. My bandmates ask for it specifically. Very highly recommended.

Invalid Link Removed

I snagged mine off the TB classifieds for about the price of a Squier.

 

[ajpaul59]

Used Squier
Used Yamaha
Used Ibanez
Used Peavey

^ this... I would only add that if you find a cheap used Squier, make sure it's indonesian made, not chinese...

 

[dalkowski]

Hey, team -- let's keep in mind that OP is in the UK and doesn't have GC.

 

[ckjamm]

great help guys. looking at a few nice looking bargains. what about amps? what sort of amp (if any?) should I be looking at to start with?

 

[KF2B]

Howdy,

I hope my short story below is of assist to any newbie such as myself. - I began playing bass a few months ago

I read the forums, spent way too much time googling on this and that make and model and then decided to follow some advice I´d seen written by the experts.

All good and I thank each and everyone that has written their views on the topic of bass and bass playing on the www. Not forgetting youtube.

And so I got my bass and began taking lessons. I felt frustrated because of the awkwardness of how the playing felt but kept going anyways. No guts, no glory, and all that... Bought another. Same thing. And then, with the third one, the inevitable happened: I felt an immediate sensation of "being home" with it. Could not had been happier and now that another bass (and the second as well) is collecting dust and I need to get rid of it as it simply is not going to be played because the neck feel like torture...

What I learnt? - A musical instrument should feel good when you handle it. -If it does not - regardless of the sound (yeah, I do mean it!), opinions of experts, make, model or whatever skip it and try until you find something that you feel at ease with....

 

[lakefx]

great help guys. looking at a few nice looking bargains. what about amps? what sort of amp (if any?) should I be looking at to start with?

That depends on what is commonly available in your area. This side of the pond, an older Peavey TNT combo will be loud, reliable, and very cheap on the used market. The amp is less important when starting than the bass as long as it is loud enough for your use. Are you planning to play with other people? Do they include a drummer? These are the important questions when deciding what amp to get.

 

[totallyfrozen]

thanks for the help, finding some nice bargains now. "peavey milestone 3", what's this like?

Not sure but I have a Peavey Milestone 2 (the predecessor to the 3) and its a VERY solid bass. I swapped the pickups out for a set of Seymour-Duncan "Quarter Pounder" and it's pretty much as good as any other Precision style bass (except for some of those boutique P-basses).

A set of D'Addario Chrome flat wound strings on it makes it sound great! I've gigged with it and even recorded with it.

 

[hrodbert696]

If you know someone who plays, take him/her with you when you shop.

Important advice if you're going to buy used! You get more bang for the buck but you don't want to be buying someone else's problem.

For new instruments, if money is at an absolute minimum, the best deal is SX instruments from www.rondomusic.com. Cheap chinese fender copies, but they have pretty decent quality, especially if you take it into a shop for decent strings and a setup. They start at about $100.

Around $150-200 (new), the Peavey millenium is pretty good, or a Yamaha RBX170. Around $300, go for the Vintage Modified or Classic Vibe Squiers. I wouldn't bother with the cheaper Squiers (like the Affinity), may as well get an SX.