If you can get a rebob for the same price as what the OP is looking at, I'd do it for sure. As far as quality to price ratio they are fantastic. They cost used more than twice what he OP is considering spending though...
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Can't decide on a beginner bass, which would you choose? Help!
- Thread starter gb_bass
- Start date
If you can get a rebob for the same price as what the OP is looking at, I'd do it for sure. As far as quality to price ratio they are fantastic. They cost used more than twice what he OP is considering spending though...
okcrum
in your chest
I'm not following this. What better bass is there to learn to do your own setups on than this one, especially when a proper setup is going to cost 1/4 to 1/3 the price of the bass?
I would choose the YAMAHA , of that lot. All very nice basses, but the Yamaha is the only one with 24 frets.
Admittedly, that may never be relevant to you. It is relevant to solo'ing and chord playing.
2nd choice, the Ibanez, I like the look of, esp. the "Walnut Fade" finish.
can't go wrong with any of them!
Admittedly, that may never be relevant to you. It is relevant to solo'ing and chord playing.
2nd choice, the Ibanez, I like the look of, esp. the "Walnut Fade" finish.
can't go wrong with any of them!
Hi! First thread here. I've started private bass lessons two weeks ago and I want to buy my first bass on a USD 200 budget. As I'm total beginner I can barely play something (scales, etc) so I can't notice really any differences between different basses, I feel very comfortable on all of them so, which one u would buy?
- Yamaha TRBX174
- Ibanez TMB-100 Talman
- Ibanez GSR200 GIO
- Squier Affinity Series Precision Bass PJ
I really need to choose between one of them cuz I will buy international (here in my country the same bases are doubled priced and difficult to find) and used basses are not from well known brands or are totally over my budget.
If u wanna recommend other bass keep in mind that as I will buy international I can't spent over USD 200(country laws)
Thanks for reading!!
PD: Sorry for my english, it's not my native language
I'd get the Yamaha - they make phenomenal instruments. The Talman is active, which I'd steer clear of until you've developed your touch, though Ibanez also does make really good basses.
It's not that "crazy" of a gap. Indonesian made Affinities usually have the same tuners and depending on the model, the same electronics and bridge as more "expensive" Squiers.
What exactly is "a lot of my students", is it 1 to 3 students or 5 to ten students? All of your students play Squiers? All of them had problems? I think your exaggerating a bit and making an overall generalization about Squier Affinity models based on a few problems. Another thing to consider, were these basses purchased new or used?
I will say that the Chinese Affinity models with the covered tuners, small winding posts and plastic tuning bushings are pretty much junk when it comes to hardware and electronics.
I'll still say the Squier Affinity made in Indonesia is a perfectly fine, reliable bass for a beginner. Plus it's (in my opinion) not goofy looking like the Yamaha TRBX174.
OP buy what you want. Your going to get 1,000,000 opinions about 5 different brands and basses.
- Sep 14, 2009
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- Endorsing Artist: GullanskyLab pickups
If you have no choice to test them before you buy, I'd suggest the Yamaha without any doubt: simple and solid, with a certain resale value in case you want to step to something better;
#2 the Talman: recently I tested a short scale one and I was surprised, although the look is something horrible (my taste...);
the GIOs I tested were quite cheap, and the Affinity Squiers too.
You can't go wrong with Yaghtmaha (entry level too) and Ibanez (not the GIOs, but SR are pretty ok, although slightly more expensive).
#2 the Talman: recently I tested a short scale one and I was surprised, although the look is something horrible (my taste...);
the GIOs I tested were quite cheap, and the Affinity Squiers too.
You can't go wrong with Yaghtmaha (entry level too) and Ibanez (not the GIOs, but SR are pretty ok, although slightly more expensive).
Affinity is from China here i have not seen any Indonesian version
Only indonIndon squier I saw was CV,vm ones not affinity ones .
Over all my country teacher and student won't be more than 50 so 5 from them is a big amount and all of them are new ones because used market here is not for bass under 600 .
- Squier Affinity Series Precision Bass PJ
The Precision pickup (neck) is great.
The Jazz Bass pickup (bridge) on this instrument is weak. I haven't had much use for it.
I play my Squier Affinity PJ with only the Precision pickup and it sounds great. The neck and woods on these instruments are some of the best I've seen. Especially for its price. I would purchase another one if I needed to.
The Precision pickup (neck) is great.
The Jazz Bass pickup (bridge) on this instrument is weak. I haven't had much use for it.
I play my Squier Affinity PJ with only the Precision pickup and it sounds great. The neck and woods on these instruments are some of the best I've seen. Especially for its price. I would purchase another one if I needed to.
The GSR200 is also available passive (or at least, it used to be).
Yep, best advise is to play all of them and go with what feels best to you. And definitely get it set up.
My wife has an Ibanez GSR200 (passive) that she bought before we met. She played many basses and picked the one that felt best to her. I put a new set of strings on it about 7 years ago, but mostly it has gone unplayed because she lost interest, and all my basses are way more high-end. Recently she decided she wanted to play again, so I pulled it out of the gig bag and did a set up on it, and started playing it myself.
I cannot put this thing down! No kidding, this is my favorite bass in the house. I can't believe how good this sounds and plays. I would happily take this into any playing situation and seriously rock it.
All that said, any of the basses listed by the OP are great beginner choices. Always always always get the one the feels best to you.
I’m throwing in a vote for the Talman. The battery doesn’t need replacing often- I freshen mine up once every several months just to be safe but it’s never actually died on me to begin with, let alone unexpectedly, and an active preamp will give you a much broader tonal palette to fiddle with. That’s an excellent quality for a first bass to have, since it means you can explore more voices and fit into more musical contexts without needing to buy another instrument.
Side note- as a bassist, you should be carrying a couple of screwdrivers and hex keys in your gig bag anyway, if only as a basic courtesy to your less-prepared musical companions, so it’s not like changing your battery is ever gonna be a hassle. You’re a support player now, and the best support player is the one who brought the screwdriver.
--^@
Side note- as a bassist, you should be carrying a couple of screwdrivers and hex keys in your gig bag anyway, if only as a basic courtesy to your less-prepared musical companions, so it’s not like changing your battery is ever gonna be a hassle. You’re a support player now, and the best support player is the one who brought the screwdriver.
--^@
Hi! First thread here. I've started private bass lessons two weeks ago and I want to buy my first bass on a USD 200 budget. As I'm total beginner I can barely play something (scales, etc) so I can't notice really any differences between different basses, I feel very comfortable on all of them so, which one u would buy?
- Yamaha TRBX174
- Ibanez TMB-100 Talman
- Ibanez GSR200 GIO
- Squier Affinity Series Precision Bass PJ
I really need to choose between one of them cuz I will buy international (here in my country the same bases are doubled priced and difficult to find) and used basses are not from well known brands or are totally over my budget.
If u wanna recommend other bass keep in mind that as I will buy international I can't spent over USD 200(country laws)
Thanks for reading!!
PD: Sorry for my english, it's not my native language
We spent Christmas in Australia about 2 years ago with my son and his family. My grandson, Rohan, got the Squier Affinity Series Precision bass with the P and J pickups for Christmas. He was already taking lessons, but this was his first bass.
I had to show him a few things and give him a few tips of course. I was really surprised while I was playing it at just how nice that bass was. Sounded great and looked great too. What was really amazing to me though was the neck. Normally Precision basses have what I call "clunky necks". They are wider and thicker by far than my Jazz Bass. The neck on this one was wider, but not really much thicker (I'm a stickler for neck profile). I was actually comfortable playing it. He also said it was an easier neck to use than the P-bass his teacher was providing during lessons.
With the P and J pickups, it could get the "real" P-bass sound as well as a decent Jazz Bass sound. I was impressed. So I wouldn't hesitate to recommend that bass to you.
I'd agree the Yamaha or the Talman would probably be the best bet on your list. Have you considered a Harley Benton Bass from Thomann? They're excellent quality basses and are insanely cheap!
Yamaha. You'll never know when you need 24 frets. They also have very good ergonomics relative to the other basses. Like someone else said, make sure you get it set up by a competent tech and that they pay special attention to the fret ends, which is where most budget basses feel cheap. That will get you a bass that will last a long time.
