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First Bass

#41
Welcome, first.

I play guitar as well as bass. TBH I've done pretty well with bass and my guitar playing sounds more like if you spilled a case of Slinkys down a steel staircase.

Only advice I'd give a beginning bass player who already has a basic grasp of musicality is the same I'd give to a bassist switching to guitar. What is the neck shape you prefer? Play some basses that match that. If you don't know or don't have a favorite profile go play some. Go to a shop and handle as many as you can. Some are going to feel better than others.

Don't be bashful about asking to try and don't worry if the employee thinks you're not as good as Victor Wooten. Just try a bunch. Pickups and electronics and all that other stuff can be easily modified to your liking but neck is harder to change. Find a bass that fits the fret hand and you'll never look back.

Good luck.
 
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#45
NotAGardener said:
Let's get the important stuff out of the way first: Gravy and cheese on fries??? Ok, understand this; you don't violate First Principles, except at your peril: The Earth is not flat, entropy rules, S*&t runs downhill....and French Fries = 'Taters, hot oil, salt (plain old salt; iodized is acceptable). Period.

Gravy and cheese on what started out as FFs does not = FFs. It's something, but it ain't FFs. As an aside you don't mess with ales; you don't put strawberries in'em, or whatever the whacko new age ingredient dujour intended to make your beer stand out from the rest, is. The W Europeans/UK got this stuff figured out a long time ago. Don't mess with, just improve execution.

QED

My first instrument was Trombone; second, quite a few decades later, drum kit, third (recently), bass. Since I didn't have a guitar background, test driving would have been pointless (and difficult to arrange); the OP has a guitar background so it seems to me that test driving would be very worthwhile if reasonably feasible. I know nothing but, First Principles again, how could one go wrong with a P or J-base? For me though, when I read that Leo left Fender in '60 something and ended up building G&L during his increasingly older (and presumably wiser and more knowledgable) years I just decided "G&L"; and for some reason that evades me right now plus nice reviews I snagged a Kiloton (Tribute Series). I still know next to nothing, though my fingers are starting to move around the fretboard better, and I love that bass (and I'd doubtless love a bunch of others). I will cop to serious lust at the countenance (and six bolt neck) of the Fullerton Kiloton in orange metallic with fake tortoise shell PG.
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I was just saying in the GnL club thread that IMO, the Tribute Kiloton is a great first bass, and if the weight is under 9#, perhaps even a lifelong keeper.

I also second the Sterling Ball short scale bass.

I stopped by a local LnM about a month ago and was struck by the playability, weight, fit-finish and colour on several Squier 40th anniversary models (P and J both).
They are good enough for a pro, at reasonable prices - > half your budget.

Without knowing more about what floats your boat, these are a good ones for a start.

Good luck and welcome to TB!
 
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#46
Kubicki Fan said:
I was just saying in the GnL club thread that IMO, the Tribute Kiloton is a great first bass, and if the weight is under 9#, perhaps even a lifelong keeper.

I also second the Sterling Ball short scale bass.

I stopped by a local LnM about a month ago and was struck by the playability, weight, fit-finish and colour on several Squier 40th anniversary models (P and J both).
They are good enough for a pro, at reasonable prices - > half your budget.

Without knowing more about what floats your boat, these are a good ones for a start.

Good luck and welcome to TB!
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Thank you @Kubicki Fan Great info. The folks at our local L&Mc are going to be seeing a lot of me I suspect.
 
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#47
I think a lot of it depends on the particular bass sound(s) you're wanting for your recordings and/or playing live. I think that there's a greater variety here in personal sound preference than any other individual variable, so someone else's advice, while utterly valid, may not work for you at all. If someone was asking my advice about the safest bet in a first bass that will provide classic sounds as well as some versatility, my recommendation would be a 34" scale with a PJ pickup configuration. I also think the classifieds here have some of the best deals to be had on basses in the range you're looking for (and the others) and most of them are going to already be set up to play well and sound good.
 
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#48
dune said:
I think a lot of it depends on the particular bass sound(s) you're wanting for your recordings and/or playing live. I think that there's a greater variety here in personal sound preference than any other individual variable, so someone else's advice, while utterly valid, may not work for you at all. If someone was asking my advice about the safest bet in a first bass that will provide classic sounds as well as some versatility, my recommendation would be a 34" scale with a PJ pickup configuration. I also think the classifieds here have some of the best deals to be had on basses in the range you're looking for (and the others) and most of them are going to already be set up to play well and sound good.
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Thank you for chiming in @dune Gigging days are over for me. The bass will only be used here at home in my small project studio. I do agree that what sounds good to my ear should most certainly play a part in the decision making / purchasing process. I have heard so many great bass recordings. Some dating back decades and others as recent as a few days ago. Of course there could be a fair deal of engineering trickery in what we hear today. But, it can still be quite pleasing to the ear.
 
#49
peterbata said:
Thank you all for taking the time to respond to my original post. You have all gone above and beyond in your desire to assist and guide me. To say that I am immensely appreciated would be an understatement.
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You are most welcome and I think you'll find that we are good at giving advice here, sometimes even when it has been requested.

What we are less good at is stopping.

If you need to spare your sanity, there is a little link up at the very top of each page of a thread that allows you to "Unfollow" a discussion.
 
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#50
Kubicki Fan said:
I was just saying in the GnL club thread that IMO, the Tribute Kiloton is a great first bass, and if the weight is under 9#, perhaps even a lifelong keeper.

I also second the Sterling Ball short scale bass.

I stopped by a local LnM about a month ago and was struck by the playability, weight, fit-finish and colour on several Squier 40th anniversary models (P and J both).
They are good enough for a pro, at reasonable prices - > half your budget.

Without knowing more about what floats your boat, these are a good ones for a start.

Good luck and welcome to TB!
Click to expand...
Cool...link please? I'd be interested to read...and it makes me want to practice now, but it's way past my bed time...I'll go weigh it though!
 
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#51
Isaac_James said:
You are most welcome and I think you'll find that we are good at giving advice here, sometimes even when it has been requested.

What we are less good at is stopping.

If you need to spare your sanity, there is a little link up at the very top of each page of a thread that allows you to "Unfollow" a discussion.
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It's been a genuine pleasure reading each and every response. Knowledge is power. And, I can use all of the power that I can get these days.
 
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#53
Thank you! Looks great...and surprisingly like mine! I'm glad to hear that regular folks who actually know how to play really like it; not just magazine reviews which, given advertising $, are sometimes suspect or forget to mention shortcomings. If OP was down here I'd let him test drive mine.
 
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#55
NotAGardener said:
Thank you! Looks great...and surprisingly like mine! I'm glad to hear that regular folks who actually know how to play really like it; not just magazine reviews which, given advertising $, are sometimes suspect or forget to mention shortcomings. If OP was down here I'd let him test drive mine.
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I noticed that the Kiloton only has the one pickup. Doesn't that limit tone selection.
 
#56
peterbata said:
Forgive my ignorance but what is the "G&L Club"? Killer bass BTW.
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G&L is a bass and guitar manufacturer, founded by George Fullerton and Leo Fender (yes that Fender). They make a lot of really great instruments. TalkBass has a number of clubs for owners/fans of various types of gear, this is one of them. They're good resources if you want specific knowledge on say a G&L Kiloton.
 
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#57
peterbata said:
Forgive my ignorance but what is the "G&L Club"? Killer bass BTW.
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Birds of a feather club together, lol
The TB clubs form when an enthusiast for say X bass related subject starts a thread and like minded individuals join in discussion. As long as, they don't run out of things to discuss the thread lives. Clubs tend to last longer than other threads.
Warwick, G&L, Serek owners have clubs for example. But there are clubs that are formed around discussing short scale basses, amplifiers, you name it. You can join in by posting. Etiquette is loose, you'll be all right so long as you stay on topic (unlike what I am doing here).
 
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#58
Isaac_James said:
G&L is a bass and guitar manufacturer, founded by George Fullerton and Leo Fender (yes that Fender). They make a lot of really great instruments. TalkBass has a number of clubs for owners/fans of various types of gear, this is one of them. They're good resources if you want specific knowledge on say a G&L Kiloton.
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Thank you @Isaac_James Again, I will going to bed a little smarter tonight. Much appreciated. Watching the YT G&L Guitars video as we speak. Such an inspiring story.
 
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#59
Kubicki Fan said:
Birds of a feather club together, lol
The TB clubs form when an enthusiast for say X bass related subject starts a thread and like minded individuals join in discussion. As long as, they don't run out of things to discuss the thread lives. Clubs tend to last longer than other threads.
Warwick, G&L, Serek owners have clubs for example. But there are clubs that are formed around discussing short scale basses, amplifiers, you name it. You can join in by posting. Etiquette is loose, you'll be all right so long as you stay on topic (unlike what I am doing here).
Click to expand...
Roger that @Kubicki Fan Learning a little more each day. Much appreciated. Have a wonderful Sunday!
 
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