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first bass help (bear with me here)

I

ilikemagpies

Jul 6, 2025
10
5
#1
Hi!
So, first bass buyer here, and I don't know where else to look for help. I'm sorry in advance because this is going to be a very weirdly put (and lengthy) thread.
Anyway, I'll be working over the summer to save up for a bass, specifically the SBMM Sting Ray35 (yes I want a stingray, yes I'm buying a 5 string as my first bass because I have played a 5 string instrument before for a few years and because the genre I want to play in the future utilizes the 5th string a lot). Problem is it's expensive and due to reasons I'm not sure if I'll be able to save up enough for it this summer. My question is: do I wait until I can save more money to buy a Ray35 or do I go with a cheaper instrument? I know the Ray35 is by no means a "beginner bass" but I wanted something good quality that I would want to play and that could last a really good amount of years. I've been considering the SUB Ray5 since it also comes in a dual humbucker variant which I really like but I'm not certain of the quality (I know all Sterling basses are generally good value for beginners, but again I need something really good quality for 8+ years). I've also seen the Ray25 but that one doesn't make too much sense financially for me and I haven't seen much good reviews for it. Any others?
Again, I know this was explained weirdly and it's a weird question but I could REALLY use some help. Also if anything's not clear or I haven't said something important I'm sorry.
 
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#2
Welcome to T.B.
Expect every answer possible to address this question so here’s the first……. Get the best you can afford and if you need time to save more be patient and get there. Years later you’ll be glad you did. I was lucky to get a very nice bass when I was a real hack but 40 years later it’s still my #1 and I’ve never had any need to chase another.
Good luck.
 
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#3
Roland GR 88 said:
Get the best you can afford and if you need time to save more be patient and get there. Years later you’ll be glad you did.
Click to expand...
….and </thread>

This is straight-up the best answer you will get. Get what you want. Your goal is not unreasonable at all. Perhaps it’s not the typical beginner instrument, but it’s also not a $20K Alembic. (I’m assuming that you’ve already had an opportunity to play a Ray35, right? Right? So you already know that it’s the right bass for you, right?). If so, stay focused on your goal, be patient, and get what you want.

Welcome to Talkbass, where the #1 rule is “No pics, no bass”. (Just in case they didn’t cover that in the orientation.)
 
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#4
Roland GR 88 said:
Welcome to T.B.
Expect every answer possible to address this question so here’s the first……. Get the best you can afford and if you need time to save more be patient and get there. Years later you’ll be glad you did. I was lucky to get a very nice bass when I was a real hack but 40 years later it’s still my #1 and I’ve never had any need to chase another.
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! :D
Maybe someone else will answer but I didn't expect an answer in just one reply so I'm very very grateful! :)
 
#5
red_rhino said:
….and </thread>

This is straight-up the best answer you will get. Get what you want. Your goal is not unreasonable at all. Perhaps it’s not the typical beginner instrument, but it’s also not a $20K Alembic. (I’m assuming that you’ve already had an opportunity to play a Ray35, right? Right? So you already know that it’s the right bass for you, right?). If so, stay focused on your goal, be patient, and get what you want.

Welcome to Talkbass, where the #1 rule is “No pics, no bass”. (Just in case they didn’t cover that in the orientation.)
Click to expand...
"Play the bass"? Yeah lets say I did hehe...
Thanks for the answer though! Ray35 it is!
 
#6
I’d get something I could afford. Saving up has its benefits, but there are excellent instrument in the 200 bucks range that can get you playing much much sooner. It’s not the instrument that makes the music, it’s you that makes it. You can always save up for more premium gear when you know that playing bass is even what you actually want.
 
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#7
I agree with getting the bass you want, but I'll add that looking for a used version of that instrument from a reputable seller could get you there faster.

Oh, and definitely play it first if you can. Nothing worse than lusting after a bass, and finding out when you finally get it home that it's not what you were expecting.
 
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#9
Your on the beginning of a journey that can take you to amazing places and good times.My 2 cents is if you don't spend as much as the Ray buy a bass that can grow with you.It should have keys and a bridge that will hold tune and intonation and trussrod to get you right where you want.Electronics such as pickups and pots can be changed to suit you as you progress.The most important thing I think is to have the instrument fit you rather than you adapt to it.A 5 string Squier,G+L Tribute series,Sire etc might suit you even better and be cheaper.But above all HAVE FUN! Let us know what you end up with.
 
#11
My first bass was a cheap Japanese Jazz copy that I bought back around 1974. It wasn't the bass I really wanted but gigs were coming and I needed a bass quickly that I could afford. A few months later I found a nice Precision that I still have. It earned me a living for many years. If you really want to play get the best bass you can afford. You won't regret it.
 
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#12
I'd agree that a Ray 35 would be just fine, and also as Woofer pointed out, you could always watch for an 'open box', 'floor demo', or LN- used and lower the admission price a bit if possible.

I ALWAYS advise a 'beginner' to buy as much GOOD bass as they can. Bass can be daunting for a newbie, what with hand strength, growing your finger calluses, etc., and a bass that feels wrong, doesn't play easily, and doesn't sound good is just adding a lot of firewood making the sometimes difficult first year way harder than it needs to be, makes it easier to not practice, or even just walk away.

GO for it, that axe could stand you in good stead for quite a while. The StingRay Five and its' less expensive versions like the Rays are a benchmark five string.
 
#14
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i want one !!!
 
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#15
ilikemagpies said:
My question is: do I wait until I can save more money to buy a Ray35 or do I go with a cheaper instrument?
Click to expand...
I really wish I could offer up something more definitive and helpful, but my instinct says save up for the Ray35. It is possible, if more than a bit unlikely, an undeniable opportunity could land in your lap while you're saving up.

Perhaps I was just lucky, but that's what happened to me. The bass I wanted to start off with had been discontinued a few years earlier. In my continuous searching, I found a couple of models that were close to what I wanted, but notably more expensive. Then, one day, one of those more expensive models, well-used and nicely discounted, showed up online. It was still a bit more than I wanted to start with, but the deal was so good, I had to pull the trigger.

What I wanted...
tNHLDG2.jpeg


...what suddenly appeared!
ADoVAew.jpeg


But, my biggest advice of all has to do with "LOOKS vs SOUND vs FEEL". In my opinion, make sure it "FEELS" right in your hands. Everything else is either secondary (looks...important, but still secondary) or can be changed (sound). By now, I could own a seriously expensive Rickenbacker or Warwick, but ergonomically speaking, they don't feel right in my hands. (No slam on Ricks or 'Wicks, but my fretting hand says they're not for me.😞)
 
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#18
The subs are great and can take you far. Most entry-level instruments these days are great, and could easily be used professionally. I don't agree with the "save up and wait" advice, because I think the differences in playability and sound are marginal, and likely not even noticeable to most beginners.
 
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#20
ilikemagpies said:
My question is: do I wait until I can save more money to buy a Ray35 or do I go with a cheaper instrument?
Click to expand...
I’d say it depends on how soon you expect to be able to afford it. You will have no bass until then and you’ll be missing out on valuable practice time (and fun!).

It’s your decision of course, but if I had to wait more than a couple of months until I could afford the bass I wanted, I’d buy a cheap(ish) second hand bass to play in the meantime and sell it once I saved enough to buy the bass I really want. I might lose a small amount of money in buying and selling, but it would be worth it for the practice time.
 
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