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How to choose a bass?

#21
Have a patient friend go around with you to look at used basses, and buy one. As you can tell by reading this forum, the search goes on endlessly, so don't worry that your first bass will be perfect for you or your favorite genre, let alone perfect. Just buy what you can afford and listen and play ceaselessly.
 
#23
You could try a MIJ Geddy Lee jazz.....and see if that meets your needs.....those can be had for $500-600.....just ANOTHER thought...play what feels good to YOU though.
 
#28
aplusk said:
I have a big prejudice that all basses made from other than USA or Japan are bad.... I don't know what to expect from a bass from Indonesia or even China. Will it not break into parts when arrives to me? I don't know. I have no experience in this aspect
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Well, there ARE fall apart import basses out there. And you have to be careful when choosing. But as you can find here SX basses (China) have a great deal of love on TB and represent a HUGE savings for clone Jazz basses in REAL wood. Yes, you may need to know a bit about setup and shielding etc. to take advantage of the bargain, but a beginner needs that as an "education" anyway. I own about 8 of them. (Hey, this is America I don't think eight SX basses is too many! :) ) And the whole lot of them bought new probably cost me about the same as ONE USA bass from a major maker.

My Mexico fender is excellent ($300 used) My Ibanez SR506 indonesia ($250 used) is virtually unbeatable by ANY bass for the classic SR tone. And I have quite a few boutique Korean basses that are top notch.

So, yes, there are problems of chosing wisely, but if you do there is a great deal of cash to be saved. And that means the saved cash can go into your amp, cab and other stuff.
 
#29
bassbenj said:
Well, there ARE fall apart import basses out there. And you have to be careful when choosing. But as you can find here SX basses (China) have a great deal of love on TB and represent a HUGE savings for clone Jazz basses in REAL wood. Yes, you may need to know a bit about setup and shielding etc. to take advantage of the bargain, but a beginner needs that as an "education" anyway. I own about 8 of them. (Hey, this is America I don't think eight SX basses is too many! :) ) And the whole lot of them bought new probably cost me about the same as ONE USA bass from a major maker.
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+1 SX basses are great.
 
#31
Very first thing on my list, Is it comfortable? Does it feel good to play, or does it feel awkward in my hands? Does it have 19mm string spacing?

2nd is sound. not only do i want it to sound great, but i also need to be able to go from funk to metal to blues, and back with no problem.

3rd is does it have all the bells and whistles that i want. does it have a 3 band EQ? does it have the correct pickup arrangement? little things that add up.

4th on the list is looks. it isnt a huge consideration for me but it does play a role in whether or not i buy the bass. i dont look for anything in particular but i want an instrument that i could look at all day.

then the very last thing i consider is, can i afford it?
 
#32
Don't be too hasty about five strings. I played four strings for over thirty years and never considered a five string 'till I joined a progressive metal band that pretty much required it. I now have three five strings an a six string and I NEVER play my four stingers at all anymore. Low B strings are awesome!! Also, pretty much any Ibanez five (and six) string basses have the same size bodies as their four stringers. Other brands too. Fives are perfect for me. I use my six string for certain songs that require it but the neck uncomfortably wide for a lot of low string chugging where fives are not.
 
#33
aplusk said:
I have a big prejudice that all basses made from other than USA or Japan are bad.... I don't know what to expect from a bass from Indonesia or even China. Will it not break into parts when arrives to me? I don't know. I have no experience in this aspect
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Epiphone basses aren't made in Japan or USA and I think they make some great basses for the money. If you like Gibson style basses you can get almost any epiphone in your price range. The Thunderbird classic pro is around there and from what I've seen is a great instrument. I've owned quite a few epiphones and have had more issues from fender than my epi's.
 
#35
Bassist4Eris said:
I have four pieces of advice:

1. Buy from a store or a private seller, not from the internet. Buy an instrument you have actually played yourself and know you like everything about.

2. Don't buy the first one you like. Unless it's really, truly love.

3. Buy used. Because there is a chance that six months from now, you'll have a better idea of your requirements, and may want to buy something else. If you buy used, you can sell it to someone else for more-or-less what you paid for it.

4. Pay absolutely no attention to the opinions of others. Musicians are a strange bunch, and for every guy that tells you one thing, there's someone who will tell you the exact opposite. Do some searches on TB and you will find passionate users of every brand and model you can think of. Just find one that works for YOU.
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I completely and strongly agree with all of this. I buy basses on the internet but ONLY if I really know how they are (like a second one after I already own one) or they have a good return policy and I trust them (example Rondo for SX or Carvin). Used and tested in your own hot little hands for tone, dead spots, look, feel, playablity...all of it keeps you from being sorry.

For example people here are urging things like Music Man SUB basses. I caution you that MM Stingray basses are a kind of unique bass and you may love what they do or you may hate it. IMHO they are not universal like Fenders are where you can always somehow fit it to the music no matter what it is. This does not mean they are no good. They are amazing basses. But there are things that YOU have to decide and nobody else can.
 
#36
I don't know if the op has bought the bass already, but you can pick a Sterling Sub for cheap used at Guitar Center. To have it delivered to your door anywhere in the US, it's usually about $25 additional. Also Guitar Center has a 30 guarantee, so if you don't like it, take it back to any GC store and get a refund.

You can get one easily for way under your budget. This one is for $159
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#37
Deep Cat said:
Many basses claimed to be made in the USA, actually aren't.

If you can't find a proper factory tour video on Youtube, chances are it was actually made in China or Korea. In fact, even if you can find a factory tour video, it might not be made in the US or even Japan.

You can't actually tell where your bass was made, or by who, even if it's officially licensed and manufactured.
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Some rather strong statements of fact claiming that U.S. manufacturers (and apparently Japanese as well) are all lying.

Other than your claim that some parts are not made in the U.S. (true with every product I can think of, and not exclusive to less expensive instruments), where is your proof of the rest of this? Which are these "many basses" which claim they are being made in the USA but are not? Where are you getting this information? When did YouTube become the definitive source for point of origin evidence (or factual evidence of any kind)?

Please defend.
 

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