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Best Bass for beginers
- Thread starter DHarmon71
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- bass beginer hobby worship bass
Sorry for your lost, I lost my sister and I got into drawing and photography since she loved that.
I would say personally for me is to find the bass shape or model that calls you.
Personally I love my Jazz CV 70s, and I love the Mustang CV but the Mustang is a short scale. I know as a beginner its gonna be odd to do this but just go to a GC or any place that let yous try basses and just give them a try if you can, and find what you like best in your price range. I love Marcus Miller Jazz series as well, amazing quality control, Yamaha as well makes beast basses, if you do order online tried Sweetwater, they are great and take care of ya.
Anyway all the best, playing in church will be a great spot and you can learn along the way, I wish my Catholic church had youth band or something...
Have a great day!
I would say personally for me is to find the bass shape or model that calls you.
Personally I love my Jazz CV 70s, and I love the Mustang CV but the Mustang is a short scale. I know as a beginner its gonna be odd to do this but just go to a GC or any place that let yous try basses and just give them a try if you can, and find what you like best in your price range. I love Marcus Miller Jazz series as well, amazing quality control, Yamaha as well makes beast basses, if you do order online tried Sweetwater, they are great and take care of ya.
Anyway all the best, playing in church will be a great spot and you can learn along the way, I wish my Catholic church had youth band or something...
Have a great day!
There's quite a bit of good information in here. INHO a bass has to look nice, sound nice and be comfortable to play or a beginner will loose interest quickly. If you can, go to a music store and check out some basses from:
Schecter
ESP/LTD
Ibanez
SBMM
Sire
Yamaha
some Squiers
among others
Once you pick out a bass ask the store if they can set it for you before you purchase it. A good set up will make it much easier to play.
Good luck.
PS: Since you are a newbie, when I say check some out I mean put one on a strap and see if it sits comfortably without holding it, no neck dive. Also see if the neck is comfortable and not too big and chunky for your hand. See if you push down on the strings easily with your fingers.
Schecter
ESP/LTD
Ibanez
SBMM
Sire
Yamaha
some Squiers
among others
Once you pick out a bass ask the store if they can set it for you before you purchase it. A good set up will make it much easier to play.
Good luck.
PS: Since you are a newbie, when I say check some out I mean put one on a strap and see if it sits comfortably without holding it, no neck dive. Also see if the neck is comfortable and not too big and chunky for your hand. See if you push down on the strings easily with your fingers.
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Without knowing things like your age, your physical capabilities, etc. I'll make some assumptions that you won't be looking to do this professionally and are looking to learn and enjoy only. In which case I'd put a medium scale J bass high on the list. Less than $1k... used is fine. Not too big, frets aren't too far apart, doesn't weigh a lot, yet you can make it sound very good. They're great for a beginner or an old pro.
I am 24 years old and dont have any physical limitations
USED
This journey goes bad more often than not for beginners. Buy used, sell used, no harm, no foul. Or donate to the church.
USED.
This journey goes bad more often than not for beginners. Buy used, sell used, no harm, no foul. Or donate to the church.
I join everyone else who has offered sincere condolences. I lost my brother at a fairly young age and he was someone that I had made music with over the course of many years as teens/young adults.
I think mambo4 hits the nail squarely with his advice. I started on a Squier Affinity Jazz. I learned a TON on that instrument, including what I liked or didn't like about the instrument itself. That experience then gave me the knowledge to know what to look for when I was ready for something a little better. Squiers are a good safe starting place and Classic Vibes are the pick of that litter. They are a high quality choice for the money and certainly won't hinder your progress. Welcome to a wonderful and supportive musician's community!
First off sorry for your loss. Everyone has given you some great suggestions. I was going to say is there any chance you can bet the bass your brother played. Not only with it give you some extra motivation but also another way to feel connected to your brother.
Welcome to the forum.
Welcome to the forum.
Its all about comfort, standing up comfort., don't make the mistake of judging a bass sitting down.
What becomes obvious wen being exposed to beginners, is that they are awkward when holding the instrument so that is item 1. Make it easy to hold, orient in front of the body and the be critical of the feel of the neck.
Wouldn't worry about anything else until you reach that moment. All else will fall into place after proficiency grows. The good news is that relatively cheap basses feel great today and mimic the expensive versions very well.
Welcome to TalkBass. Sorry it’s under such circumstances. I was also wondering, and someone else asked: what became of your brother’s bass?
If I were currently in the market for a beginner bass I would be looking at something like a Yamaha BB234, Yamaha RBX170 or [This invalid link has been removed].
Sorry for your loss.
Everyone who's become a bass player started with one bass or another; 4 string, 5-string, long scale (34" from bridge to nut), short scale (30" from bridge to nut), etc. There is no "official best" bass guitar recommended in some book, or by some bass teacher, or some bass pro.
My best advice is, as many have already stated, go to a music store and try a bunch out. Obviosly, your budget will be a factor, and of great importance will be the store's return policy.
And do sign up for bass lessons ASAP. If nothing else your bass teacher will assess the quality of your purchased bass and if bad, allow you to return the bass.
Everyone who's become a bass player started with one bass or another; 4 string, 5-string, long scale (34" from bridge to nut), short scale (30" from bridge to nut), etc. There is no "official best" bass guitar recommended in some book, or by some bass teacher, or some bass pro.
My best advice is, as many have already stated, go to a music store and try a bunch out. Obviosly, your budget will be a factor, and of great importance will be the store's return policy.
And do sign up for bass lessons ASAP. If nothing else your bass teacher will assess the quality of your purchased bass and if bad, allow you to return the bass.
This is solid advice. Having played for 25+ years in a church worship setting I would say a P bass or Jazz bass style bass will fit in any worship environment.
Make sure it's set up right.
Go for nickel rounds with new strings, not steel. Too much string noise for a beginner.
Get a good strap.
If the bass seems too heavy, it probably is. Most worship sets are less than 6-7 songs but basses can get heavy.
Sometimes the lower end basses are bowling balls so buyer beware.
It's awesome to be honoring your brother this way!
Also the Talkbass community is a great one so rely on these folks. They can be an excellent resource!
Welcome to TB!
Ask someone knowledgeable at your church if you need a five-string. Some churches use the very low notes. Some leaders have a preference for certain instruments so it’s good to find out ahead of time. It could be “the same as everyone else” but fitting in may be preferable in the early stages.
There is a praise and worship thread. You could post your question there as well.
There is a praise and worship thread. You could post your question there as well.
Just to add, as a new bass player myself, I'm taking lessons and for enrolled students instrument rental is available from my school and is (IMO) pretty darned reasonable. I've got a like-new Squier PJ for $33/mo. for the duration of my 8 week class. Of course it's bound to be different for everyone depending upon where they are and what's available there but if it's an option it can help somebody figure out their likes/dislikes with no capital outlay. Just a data point.
D
Keep it simple. Get a passive Precision Bass. P-basses are ideal for beginners. It's almost impossible to ruin the tone with a passive P-bass. P-basses are also classics that have been used by famous artists on lots of famous songs/albums. P-basses can be found in ANY price range, from cheap clones to Squiers to Fenders and beyond.
Whatever bass you end up getting, factor in the cost of a professional setup. This should be done by a skilled luthier or an experienced guitar tech, NOT just some guy in a guitar store. Most low to mid priced basses (as well as many expensive ones) come with a HORRIBLE setup from the factory. This will make the instrument much harder to play. A professional setup can make an entry level instrument feel almost as nice as an expensive, top quality instrument. The money you spend on a setup for your first bass will be the best money you EVER spend as a bass player.
A pro setup should include:
-Adjusting the neck relief (truss rod)
-Adjusting the action.
-Filing the nut slots.
-Adjusting the intonation.
If needed, a professional setup should also include levelling, crowing and polishing of the frets. Most cheap basses will need the frets to be levelled to handle low action without fret buzz. Fret levelling is a lot more time consuming than the rest of the setup so this will add significantly to the cost but it will most likely be worth it. A skilled luthier should be able to tell you if fret levelling is needed or not.
I would NOT get an active bass. Active basses are not the best choice for beginners IMO, for various reasons.
Whatever bass you end up getting, factor in the cost of a professional setup. This should be done by a skilled luthier or an experienced guitar tech, NOT just some guy in a guitar store. Most low to mid priced basses (as well as many expensive ones) come with a HORRIBLE setup from the factory. This will make the instrument much harder to play. A professional setup can make an entry level instrument feel almost as nice as an expensive, top quality instrument. The money you spend on a setup for your first bass will be the best money you EVER spend as a bass player.
A pro setup should include:
-Adjusting the neck relief (truss rod)
-Adjusting the action.
-Filing the nut slots.
-Adjusting the intonation.
If needed, a professional setup should also include levelling, crowing and polishing of the frets. Most cheap basses will need the frets to be levelled to handle low action without fret buzz. Fret levelling is a lot more time consuming than the rest of the setup so this will add significantly to the cost but it will most likely be worth it. A skilled luthier should be able to tell you if fret levelling is needed or not.
I would NOT get an active bass. Active basses are not the best choice for beginners IMO, for various reasons.
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Sorry for your loss. My suggestion for $534 is this:
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I don't know your amp situation, but my advice would be the same as for tattoos - don't go too small. This would be great for starting. And if you don't mind a few more dollars, get the 200W version.
Fender Rumble 100 1x12" 100-watt Bass Combo Amp
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I don't know your amp situation, but my advice would be the same as for tattoos - don't go too small. This would be great for starting. And if you don't mind a few more dollars, get the 200W version.
Fender Rumble 100 1x12" 100-watt Bass Combo Amp
Well being young and healthy the sky is the limit then. Well, that and your budget. But as the guys are saying. You don't need to spend a lot of money to be happy. I would go to a music store, talk to them, try a few out for "size". Meaning a common criteria for whether people like a bass (other than color) is usually the dimensions of the neck. Is it fat, thin, wide, skinny. Just try a few. Those that feel like football bat, you don't want. But talk to the people there so they can show you the basics and answer your questions.
