• 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.

Just startin Bass need a few opinions plz :)

R

rholty

Oct 26, 2010
4
0
#1
Hey everyone just thought i should ask for a few more opinions before i decide on what i want as my first bass :). im going to be playing metal (hardcore, heavy, thrash etc...) and i need a cheap bass that can cut it for starters. Im going to be playing in my friends band and i already have a nice sounding 180 watt behringer BXL1800 (only $250 :D) lined up so now i need a bass

i found two basses, which i think (im probably wrong) will cut it. I just have 2 questions (which i am researching through the forums but im just going to post to make sure)
(EDITED to add the two new basses i found which are better)
Dean Edge http://cgi.ebay.com/Dean-Edge-1-Cla...r-/110589853529?pt=Guitar&hash=item19bfab3f59

Douglas NB Link Removed

Cheers and thank you everyone
Russell
 
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
#3
Welcome to the low side.

Not a huge fan of the Rogues.

Check rondomusic.com for some alternatives. Do a search for Essex, the forum can't handle searches for less than 3 letters, so SX (the real name) doesn't work.

Fivers are usually at least 34" and are often 35". Mine are 34" and I have no problem with them, but some argue that the longer neck results in a tighter B-string (fives
are usually strung BEADG with the B being lower than the low E on the four string.)

Harder? Well, I don't think so. I have two fives and three fours, but the fours are strung BEAD rather than the traditional EADG. I found the switch to be easy.

Have fun with your band.
 
#4
Hey Russell,

First of all, its Great to see you're getting into playing and welcome to Talkbass.

Now, IMO, It all comes down to what feels better for you. We can't give you a perfect answer because we are not YOU.

Go to your local Roque dealer or music shop and try both of the (and other) basses out. See which you prefer. You might hate the long scale of the 4, but the 5 strings might be too much for you to begin on. It is all personal opinion.
If your budget is $200 max, try get the most comfortable bass for you, sound isn't important right now, you can always upgrade to a better bass later on. For $200, its not going to sound like a 'Made in America' Fender anyway, it will sound like a 'Made in China' $200 bass.

Also, Don't limit yourself to playing metal either. As a bass player, if you want to gig a lot, you'll need to be versatile and be able to play a lot of genres competently. Learning how to Read music would be a good step for the future too! (notation - not tab. tab is useless. If you're not going to learn to read notation, train your ears!)

All the best! MC
 
#5
so 31 is not good for a 5 string bass? oh and quality wise are these basses at least good? they didnt sound to bad spec wise

and yes im going down the street tommorow to try em out

and yes i can read music i also play tenor sax but i pefer tab for guitar since its just quicker to stuff around with :) im going to research all my tuning for bass when i get it
 
#6
Agree with getting an SX. I'd also check your local classifieds or craigslist for used basses. You can get a decent bass for under $200. You might even find a bass and amp for that price if your lucky. And I didn't know of any 31" scale 5 stringers. Stick with 34" scale length. That is basically the standard. And you should start with a 4 stringer, but if you find a good 5 stringer, I wouldn't pass it up. You can always tune lower if you get a 4 string, but want to go lower. Take a look at the classifieds on this site too. As far as amps go, you don't need a full stack when starting out. But I'd get something with at least a 10" speaker, and at least 25 watts. though the Fender Rumble 15 is decent for an 8" speaker. One with a headphone jack is a plus. Line out, even better. DI out, you'd be set for playing live. Just take the time to look around. You don't want to spend money on something that you're just going to sell in a year, and has very low resale value.
 
#7
Around here the consensus would definitely be to go to Rondo for an SX rather than for a Rogue. My personal vote would be to hit your local craigslist and get a cheap used bass, maybe an Ibanez, there's usually a lot around. While you''re learning the fundamentals of the instrument, I'd go with a 4-string, 34" scale, since that's pretty standard. The five-string isn't harder to play, it just gives you more flexibility. The short-scale would be a route to go if you're uncomfortable with the long arm reach of a standard-scale bass -- it may feel more comfortable to you switching over from guitar, which is what, 25" scale?
 
#9
I'd say...

Any bass will do as long as it sets up well and you are comfortable playing it.
5 is neither harder nor easier to play than a 4 but has benefits, as you have more notes directly under your hand and will not need to shift as much, which can be beneficial when sight reading. I like that about 5s.


I'd buy 2nd hand.
 
#11
I know a lot of people tell new bassists to buy used, but I'm going to say a big NO on that one.

When I first started playing about 15ish years ago, my first bass was a used Lotus. Because I knew -nothing- about what to look for and only had my slightly more informed friend with me, I got ripped off pretty bad. The bass was junk. You never know what the other guy did to that bass, unless you know EXACTLY what to look for. You don't know if the neck's all warped, if the electronics are about to give out, etc. I had both issues with my first bass. I learned on it, but I bet a decent bass without any of those user flaws would have made learning a lot more pleasant and easy.

Yes, you can sometimes get a lemon of a new bass. Once in a while. Not nearly as often as you're likely to get a lemon of a USED bass though, IMHO. It's like a car. There's almost always something wrong with a -cheap- used bass just as there's almost always something wrong with a cheap used car. More expensive models? I'd feel better about advising to buy used, but for 200 bucks you're likely to get taken for a ride.

I'll add my voice to the SX idea. You can, for 200 bucks, get almost anything rondo has to offer AND their return policy is very....very generous. If you do get one that's a dud, you can send it back and they'll replace it, no questions asked (or very few questions asked, anyway). I've bought several bass guitars from them and only returned two - one was a Ursa P bass with a bad pickup and the other was a Douglas fretless I just decided to exchange for a different model.

www.rondomusic.com
 
#13
Yes, SX basses are a good place to start. The return policy from rondomusic.com is second to none, and they have a few good choices available for starters like you.

I'd also consider a used Yamaha, Ibanez, or a Peavey Foundation. All can be had for low $. Check the for sale area here on TB and the bay.
 
#16
Buy Used! For the same money you spend on a new item you can prolly get a better used one. Buy from a good music store, one that offers lessons and other services. They are more likely to want you happy versus just getting the sale. If you post your location, I'm sure there are people here who can recommend a store in your area. Next figure out what style of playing you like the most. Do you want to play chords and do finger tapping? Then get one of those short scale low string tension basses. Do you want to bang and slap it? Then go for higher-actioned 34" ones. Do you like bass lines that stay below the 5Th fret, or do you like to do runs around the 12th? You should definitely sit down and play the bass before you buy it. Since your new to this instrument I doubt you could just look at numbers (neck width, scale length, tension) and know what will work.

And finally make sure you pick up a tech21 Bass Vt pedal, your bass will roar.
:)
 
#17
rholty said:
ink now I am going to go with the douglas is this a better choice? I'm thinking the active pickups should sound nice as well
Click to expand...

IMHO, the Douglas brand is a better value than Rogue, SX or Squire. Douglas basses are built better.

Stay away from short scale ( 4 or 5 string) unless you need a smaller and/or lighter bass.

For a starter bass, I would be more concerned with how it feels to play rather than whether its 4 or 5 strings.

You don't need an active bass to play metal, but it won't hurt either. You shoud try out some actives and some passives to hear the difference in sound.
 
#18
Add me to the group that is against the short-scale bass.
While it might be a little easier for you as you transition from guitar to bass, IMHO you dont get the same kind of sound, especially for metal.
Plus, the B string is likely to sound like crap on a fiver-especially a cheap fiver like a Rogue.
 
#19
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back