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Best Bass for beginers

#61
Sorry to hear about your brother! Great tribute on your part as well!

All the info here is good. Just have to go to a music store to find your answers. When you get there ask for some help. Guitar Center (here anyway) is good at that. Play as many as you can and let them know your budget and you are new to this endeavor. The setup is what really matters after purchase. It's like taking someone ice fishing for the first time. Freeze your hind end off and don't catch any fish, you probably won't go back! So, the whole thing, "choice and then setup" is the end result. Good luck and welcome.
 
#63
My advice is to buy a decent used bass, for example a MIM (Made In Mexico) Fender Jazz Bass.
It won't hold you back and if you don't get on with it then you'll be able to sell it for what you bought it for, so a net zero cost.
Similarly when/if you decide to upgrade.
 
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#65
Here are three great choices for the right prices.
Guitar Center has a very good 45 day return policy.

The first one has a very nice EMG aftermarket pickup that somebody was nice enough to install in it, this one is a no brainer.

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EDIT: Somebody just bought this one!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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This one is a well made bass in brand new condition, selling for cheaper than it should (it's mislabeled).

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This one is way underpriced.

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The Yamaha BB300 is an older bass that is very well made and they have great necks that hold up well over the decades.

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#66
Wfrance3 said:
Very sorry for your loss...
I would opt for something that is solid. Used is always a great bang for your buck. Go to local music shops and take a few basses out for a spin and see how the different basses feel to you.

Two common pitfalls that I have personally learned from the hard way:
BEGINNER INSTRUMENT - Don't buy an inexpensive "beginner grade" instrument. It's a flawed notion. Bargain basses that are hard to play are one of the chief reasons for beginners to quit. A well setup instrument that plays nicely will make you want to practice, not dread having to practice...

THE "COOL LOOKING" INSTRUMENT - Try not to shop entirely with your eyes - A bass should look cool, but don't think you can put up with a less than great feeling (and/or sounding) bass because it looks cool.

Once you find something you like and buy it, get a new set of strings for it and have a competent local guitar tech put them on for you and do a setup. A setup includes having all the things checked and adjusted that need to be checked and adjusted. A setup won't need to happen every time, but it's not usually too expensive and is a great way to make sure your bass plays as good as it can and is in good repair. Welcome to BASS and again,sorry for your loss.
Click to expand...

This^^^^^.
 
#67
Others recommendations for what's comfortable, or which sounds best are good recommendations, but as a beginner none are going to feel comfortable, and all are going to just sound like a bass to you. So my suggestion is buy the bass that looks cool to you. If you think it looks cool, then you are always going to be drawn to picking it up off the guitar stand and playing it.
Do you know what bass your brother played? A similar model could be a good start. Otherwise I think a Fender Precision or an Ibanez Soundgear would be two basses to go try out in a store and see what you think. They are very different basses which will give you a starting point.
 
#68
@sxaxsx

DHarmon71 said in #8: "I'm not really sure. His favorite one was one he built with our uncle. The body of a squire and the neck of a Jackson"
A custom made parts bass, so probably not the best starting point for a first bass.
 
#69
DHarmon71 said:
Hello all! I am new to the world of bass guitar. My brother played bass and when he passed away I said I would learn to play in his honor. Im not new to music, but I am new to stringed instraments. My wife has encouraged me to find a new hobby. So now seem like an appropiate time to lean the bass. What bass do you recomend for a beginner? I wouldn't be playing gigs for a while but might possibly join my churches worship team once I become comfortable.
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I'll mimic what has been said, no best first bass. Do you have any friends who are musicians? Might help to go check out a music store with a friend and try out as many as possible.

I will say that the Squire CV series are a whole lot of bass and quality for the entry ticket. Pretty standard basses and archetypal of a lot of aspects we've come to call standards.

What happened to your brothers bass(s)? Could be a wonderful reminder of your brother every time you pick it up?

Sorry for your loss. My brother's and I don't talk as much as I would like, but seriously not sure how I'd fare without them. Love them dearly. My most positive vibes on this journey. Playing an instrument (especially bass) is a very rewarding experience, this could and will be a very special part of your life.
 
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#70
Sorry for your loss, but welcome to the world of bass.

As for someone starting out, as everyone else said, the amount of quality gear you can get for fairly little coin is staggering. I usually recommend a Yamaha RBX as a great starter bass and always recommend you get a good solid amp as well. Even the best bass will sound choked through a cheap amp.

Heh, and once you go down the TalkBass rabbit hole (because we all like to geek out over gear and enable each others' GAS or Gear Acquisition Syndrome), it may be overwhelming at first but we're generally good people.

Enjoy your bass journey and though you're playing to honor your brother, I hope you find your own unique love for bass in there as well. (Troy and Kyle Sanders are bass playing brothers in wildly different bands with wildly different approaches to playing bass, yet are still super bonded as brothers).
 
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