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Is my guitar a good beginner bass?
- Thread starter Dinasawrroar
- Start date
I think that the most important thing for a first bass is less about the bass itself than how it is set up (string height, neck relief, bridge adjustments, fret level). If it's comfortable to play, it'll be a great instrument to learn on. It would be worth the money taking it to a good tech if you have any doubts about that.
Could be? For a beginner, the real killer is a too high action generally, plus a too high nut which means fretting at the first fret is even tougher and the intonation suffers. If the strings go down to the frets without too much effort, then it makes learning easier. You can always go to higher actions later if you want to play louder, but a low action and no buzzes are easiest to learn on. Tone, wise - well that is up to you. Does it sound good?
I can't really say if it's comfortable or not, since I'm still not quite used to using a bass, so I'm not so sure.
It sounds fine to me, I played a few riffs, and they all sound pretty accurate. And by action you mean moving between frets right? I'm suuuper super new to playing the bass and guitars in general, so my apologies if my questions sound dumb.
EDIT: Derp, I realized that you said what the action was. Now that I think of it is sort of a hindrance that I have to push down harder that necessary, although that could just be me being unaware of how bass guitars usually work.
You adjust the action by adjusting the string height at the bridge, if you think you have to press too hard. You will probably get to the point, where the strings start to "buzz" against the fretboard - and then you gone too far 
You will then probably have to additionally adjust the intonation afterwards, which is the "length" of the string, in order for the bass to tune properly. My advice is to have someone take a look at it, and get it the way you want. If you don't have a friend or family member who nows how, maybe try taking it to a store and see if they'll help you out with a good setup. Also, I remember I put flats on my first bass, which were somehow more "welcoming" and inviting than the round wounds that were on when I got it. You can always change, when you find the type of sound you like later on. GODD LUCK WITH PLAYING THE BASS 
You will then probably have to additionally adjust the intonation afterwards, which is the "length" of the string, in order for the bass to tune properly. My advice is to have someone take a look at it, and get it the way you want. If you don't have a friend or family member who nows how, maybe try taking it to a store and see if they'll help you out with a good setup. Also, I remember I put flats on my first bass, which were somehow more "welcoming" and inviting than the round wounds that were on when I got it. You can always change, when you find the type of sound you like later on. GODD LUCK WITH PLAYING THE BASS 
Any fretted bass is a good starters bass imho.
Ok,... except for some tore-down, broken, strings-5-inches-from-neck guitar.
Ok,... except for some tore-down, broken, strings-5-inches-from-neck guitar.
Sure, you have two pickups so you should be able to dial up enough tonal options, the bass has good access to the upper frets, and it looks good in black. You can always have it professionally set up , as was mentioned, and you can always change strings...plenty of good threads about different strings here.
If you have an amp, play your bass at least an hour every day. Listen to the music you like...and learn.
Hey, I'm not embarrassed to say I bought a used Tascam Bass Trainer a few years ago and it turned out to be one of the best investments I've ever made...it's a headphone amp, too.
The keyword is practice. Practice until you feel comfortable, practice until you bond with your bass...use your fingers, use your thumb, use a pick, just practice.
If you have an amp, play your bass at least an hour every day. Listen to the music you like...and learn.
Hey, I'm not embarrassed to say I bought a used Tascam Bass Trainer a few years ago and it turned out to be one of the best investments I've ever made...it's a headphone amp, too.
The keyword is practice. Practice until you feel comfortable, practice until you bond with your bass...use your fingers, use your thumb, use a pick, just practice.
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It's a good idea to bring it by a good guitar shop and have them give it a setup. Some instruments are set up great out of the box... others not so much. You don't want to have to wrestle with the thing to play it.
Almost any bass can be a good beginner's bass, as long as it doesn't have problems that frustrate YOU. If you enjoy it, then it's a good bass. If it can't stay in tune, if the frets are unfiled and sharp when you run your fingers over them, if the strings are misaligned so that they slip off the edge of the fretboard when you try to fret them, if the pots make static when you adjust the knobs - those are all bad signs. They're usually a matter of factory quality control rather than an inherent problem with the model you got. Assuming none of those are the case - over time, you'll probably start to find there are certain traits you prefer in a bass (do you like slim or wide necks? active or passive electronics? how important are factors like balance and fretboard radius to you?). Your first bass may be perfect and what you're comfortable with for life, or you may set off on the very expensive quest to find your "perfect" bass.
Either way, welcome to bass, and enjoy yourself!
Almost any bass can be a good beginner's bass, as long as it doesn't have problems that frustrate YOU. If you enjoy it, then it's a good bass. If it can't stay in tune, if the frets are unfiled and sharp when you run your fingers over them, if the strings are misaligned so that they slip off the edge of the fretboard when you try to fret them, if the pots make static when you adjust the knobs - those are all bad signs. They're usually a matter of factory quality control rather than an inherent problem with the model you got. Assuming none of those are the case - over time, you'll probably start to find there are certain traits you prefer in a bass (do you like slim or wide necks? active or passive electronics? how important are factors like balance and fretboard radius to you?). Your first bass may be perfect and what you're comfortable with for life, or you may set off on the very expensive quest to find your "perfect" bass.
Either way, welcome to bass, and enjoy yourself!
A Hamer Slammer is a perfectly good beginner bass. In fact, that's specifically what it was designed to be.
godofthunder59
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- Feb 19, 2006
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The Slammer is a very good starter bass. Decent tone and a nice neck. It's good enough to keep as a backup bass once you buy your dream bass.
When you learn, high action is a killer as it kind of gets in the way, so you need more pressure on the strings to make them touch the frets, so it's harder work. I always loved really low actions, and it took some careful setup to get them to play buzz free. I always ended up playing quite quietly - in terms of 'twanging'. Then I wanted/needed a Jazz bass, and needed to play a different type of music. I couldn't get the action as low as I was used to, and was shocked to discover the fender recommended action was exactly what mine was set up at. However, playing loud means the lower action I loved just isn't suitable - so I just play with it higher. It's tougher and more tiring to play - and if it had been my first taste of bass playing, maybe I'd now be playing something else?
Great starter bass especially if set up correctly.
The first bass here was in 1965, said "Made In Japan" when that was not good, had a neck as big as a tree trunk, and brand (no)name was "TOPLINE". It served its purpose for about 6 years.
The first bass here was in 1965, said "Made In Japan" when that was not good, had a neck as big as a tree trunk, and brand (no)name was "TOPLINE". It served its purpose for about 6 years.
I fully agree. Being you're new to bass, and not sure what to look for - have a tech do a setup for you. There's nothing like a bad setup for a beginner to become discouraged and quit. Also string types have a great deal of bearing on the sound, and there's a "Strings" forum here where you can get a lot of help understanding the differences.
Welcome to TB - "you can checkout anytime you want, but you can never leave".
