One of my first basses was a Squier Jazz 5 string. It cost about 200 i believe. I played it for about 8 years or so and then I got a better one
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
first bass ( cheap )
- Thread starter peykar
- Start date
-
- Tags
- cheap first bass
fender jazz bass price is sth near 200$ but ibanez is 350$ BUT in my country the price of the fender is too higher than price of the ibanez and that cause to mixeup
and I DON'T khow which one is worth to buy
My view of Squier vs Ibanez for your purposes would be based on playability - when you play each... which one feels better to you. Of course this only works if you can play each before deciding. If not then it's a little bit more visual - which one excites you... makes you want to pick it up and play it. I've not found too much difference between the necks of the Ibanez versus Squier Jazz... the Jazz is a bit thicker front-to-back but both are very comfortable.
It's at time like this I realize how far we've come. When I started playing in the late 1970s, these two basses you cite would have been some of the best built and best sounding basses available to ANYONE. A beginner couldn't have afforded them. Or even found one to try. I remember both Les Pauls and Fenders from that era that cost over a thousand bucks (a lot of money now, a lot more then) that were being sold in unplayable condition, instruments that would have required their purchase price in repairs (usually neck and fretting issues) just to get them up to speed. And they weren't used. Brand new high-end instruments that couldn't be played. Imagine that.
Your research is solid and they're both decent basses.
I'm in Iran ... and in city where I live it is realy realy hard to find a bass guitar
Aww damn I'll bet it is. Here's something to think about since both basses you cite are good; which one would get you in less trouble? The Squier is made by an American-owned company. The Ibanez is not.
I know we and Iran are not on the friendliest of terms at the moment. Don't want to see a fellow bassist get in trouble for picking out something that might imply he's on good terms with an enemy country.
That would have been true 20 or 30 years ago. It no longer is. Squier has improved its production a lot. Either bass would be good, but it really comes does to personal preference. The Precision will have more bark in its tone, a thicker neck profile, and passive electronics. The Ibanez will have a slim neck, tighter tone, and active electronics. Buy whichever you like best, especially if you can try it out in person first.
I'm sure the OP can tell better than any of us whether playing a brand will get him in trouble in his own country. I doubt an Indonesian-made Squier is going to be a political hot potato, even in Iran.
Played a Squier Affinity Jazz Bass a few days ago. Sounds swell, looks nice. Go for it, dude.
He wouldn't be the first to scrub the Squier logo off his bass.
Last edited:
Personally I would opt for the affinity squier, but that is my personal bias as I just don't care for Ibanez basses tone or necks. I have an affinity precision bass and absolutely love it, I would suggest looking at precisions as well as they just sound great with a band.
I know there are a good bit of guys on here that look down on the affinity series and will tell you to opt for the vintage modified or classic vibe lines instead, but in my experience the affinity squiers are awesome and the necks have been more stable as well.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
We live in a golden age of inexpensive bass guitars. Ibanez, Squier, Epipohone - they all make very good instruments for the price. If you can find them used, even better.
Good luck, and welcome to TalkBass.
Good luck, and welcome to TalkBass.
I am relatively new (playing for 2.5 years) though have managed to own a lot of basses. My take on this is as follows:
- the lower priced basses from the RECOGNISED brands have great quality: I bought a 2012 Squier Jazz and the build quality was really really impressive with a fantastic transparent sunburst finish
- where these lower priced basses seriously differ to the higher priced basses is more in the quality of parts and options. The Squier had a light weight bridge, the pickups were fine though lacked the low-end growl of the higher quality pickups, no colour options, no carbon fiber rods blah blah blah blah blah
- many of these lower priced basses are made in the same factories in Indonesia or Korea
- as a new player, you won't appreciate / understand the technicalities of an expensive bass so don't buy one. It is a kin to a new wine drinker buying Grand Cru Burgundy (a waste of money).
I was so impressed with the quality of the Squier that I used it as the basis for a build project.
The best thing to do is:
- go to a big shop
- find all the basses in your budget
- find a bass from a recognised brand
- buy one that sounds, feels and looks good.
Go with Ibanez, they are way better bang for the buck than Squiers. Plus the really fast necks are great for beginners to accumulate on.
What kind of music do you want to play? And what will you be playing it through?
Could you please stop posting pics of this bass? I'm going to get divorced if I go home with another bass, and this one is giving me superGAS.Squier Affinity is fine, but for a little bit more you can get yourself a VM or CV, even if you have to look for a nice used one, and, of course, the CV is not only a good beginner bass, but a bass good enough to equal some of the big boys in playability and tone.
Seriously, why settle for anything less?
Your English is fine. The Squier basses are IMO not bad. The Maple neck/ Maple fretboard are pretty nifty. I still have a Squier Jazz bass that I bought a LONG time ago, I still bring it to gigs. The Ibanez basses have those slim necks which makes it easy to navigate and they're not heavy. Basically, make sure you have no fret buzz, dead spots on the neck. Make sure your neck is nice and straight. For the beginner, play what's comfortable. Some of those Epiphone basses, like the Thunderbird Pro are pretty decent IMO. Only draw back on them is you may experience neck dive as well as weight issues. Good luck on your journey thru the bottom end...welcome to the club.
Don't fall into that Big $$$ = quality nonsense. Even when you spend big bucks, it can be a QC issue or comfort issue. Buy what sounds, feels good in your hands. I've got a few basses, amps and I've found out that you can make just about any bass work. Some may laugh, but the only bass I couldn't wait to get rid of was a Rickenbacker. Trading it for a Sting Ray and MIA Fender P was like winning the lottery. AND the guy who made the trade with me thought he had done the same thing. Like I said it's what feels good, sounds good in your hands.
Okay, I'm going to post unpopular opinion - find an OLP MM2 used on eBay or some other such site, they are usually dirt cheap and very awesome for the money, despite the weird hate for them.
Yes, you can get one of these used for about the same price as a new affinitySquier Affinity is fine, but for a little bit more you can get yourself a VM or CV, even if you have to look for a nice used one, and, of course, the CV is not only a good beginner bass, but a bass good enough to equal some of the big boys in playability and tone.
Seriously, why settle for anything less?
