Buying a bass for my 8yr old brother...

http://www.music123.com/Danelectro-Dano-63-Short-Scale-Bass-516195-i1398598.Music123

semi hollow so its light, short scale, sounds good.

 

Jay Turser JTB-40 I think is a half-scale bass
which is shorter than a short scale but I don't
know the actual scale. It's under 30" though.

http://www.jayturser.com/jtb-40.php
and comes in black, blue, or red here:
http://www.instrumentpro.com/P-JAYJTB40

 

.... my '75 global jazz.....

 

a lakland to get him straight onto the good stuff

 

a baritone ukulele. seriously.

 

3/4-scale Rondo SX (Essex) P-bass would be *perfect.*

http://www.rondomusic.com/spb57lpbshort.html

 

Hamer Slammer shortie

 

+1 to the SX. Cheap and good quality!! P.S your brother is one lucky dude!! Way to get him started early!!

 

check out the Ibanez micro series. Well built, sound good and not expensive. http://www.ibanez.com/bass/guitar.aspx?m=IJSB90

 

It brings back memories of my own brother, starting me off with my first bass (well, his - he let me use his '94 Jazz) at the ripe, old age of nine (me, not him - he was eleven). Thirteen years later, I'm playing more than I probably should.

 

Dean z metalman 2A =D

 

got a baritone uke for christmas. Everybody should own one of these. Great second instrument to the bass. Take everywhere and the 4 strings are the same tuning as the higher 4 strings of a guitar. DGBE... Also anytime any kids come to the house then this is the first instrument that they migrate to

Vacation time always includes packing the Uke and a Native American Indian Flute.

Now back to the original question.

Whatever you get....set it up properly. Low action and light strings will make it playable for an 8 year older. I went through this with my 8 year son.

 

Peavey T40 or a double neck manson bass

 

http://www.rondomusic.com/spb57lpbshort.html
This would be my choice. Much like teaching kids violin, start with a 1/4 size and move them up as they get bigger. Starting him on a 34" scale might cause him to develope bad fingering habbits simply because of the physical size of his hands.

 

the bass ain't great, but Yamaha RBXA2

 

My son was a little older (10), but had small hands. I got him a Gretsch short scale Electromatic. It has a 30" scale, but a very small body and is very easy to handle.

It sounds great, looks great, and will transition well into a full scale bass when the time comes.

If he can handle this one, I would recommend it. You can find them on the internet for about $175, which is a bargain considering the quality of the build and the sound, IMO. It fits nicely into a regular guitar case or gig bag. I put his into a guitar case. Playing through a Bassman 60, it thumps!

It has a single pickup, which is mounted just where the 24th fret would otherwise fall, so it has really nice harmonics.

 

Personally, get an Ibanez Soundgear - for beginners, light, and somewhat ok.

 

+1 to that, first stringed instrument i ever picked up in any seriousness was my brother's gretsch junior jet. i was 12. i borrowed it from him occasionally when the only bass i owned was my thunderbird and i didn't feel like carrying that because it was so heavy.