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Looking for a bass for the other half.

#21
It seems obvious, but... you should probably discuss the selection with her, as well. I know you said it's her birthday present, but it's something that she has to gel with... if she doesn't, it's going to sit on a stand or in a gig bag and never get played. Show her what folks have recommended, and let her make the final decision, would be my suggestion.
 
#26
Anything Danelectro. Short-scale, light, comes in lots of cool colors (often with the funky/stylish "ostrich leather' binding around the body), has the "lipstick" pickups which make for a great story when giving it as a gift for the fairer sex, and they're a relatively cheap guitar that holds resale value if she doesn't care for the bass.
I had a 56 Dolphin reissue for awhile and would have kept it around if I liked short scale.
 
#27
Squier Jag would be my suggestion. I do have to say though that my wife also got into playing bass every now and then. (a recreational bassist- lol). Anyway, the bass I have she would use most is the Cort Curbow. Light, full scale yet small (due to the body) - it actually fits easily inside a 6 string guitar gig bag.
 
#28
JennySuzuki said:
It seems obvious, but... you should probably discuss the selection with her, as well. I know you said it's her birthday present, but it's something that she has to gel with... if she doesn't, it's going to sit on a stand or in a gig bag and never get played. Show her what folks have recommended, and let her make the final decision, would be my suggestion.
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I'm going to, but whilst I know what fits me, the hardest thing is trying to be unbiased when it comes to recommending something I've got to live with but isn't mine. And the suggestions that people have made in this thread, well, it's pure gold!

Getting the ideas of you ladies and gents on here, has been a really good thing because it's opened my eyes up a bit to what I'd have left on the rack at recommendation time, so when I've seen how she reacts with mine with the scale length/weight, had her playing an A minor pentatonic tonight by repetition it's a start and with the information presented here then I'm going to have a look at the instruments myself so I can avoid a potential disappointment and then take her down to have a look at them to see which ones she likes the feel (or more likely the colour) of; whilst trying to not let on the surprise.

Maxdusty said:
Squier Jag would be my suggestion. I do have to say though that my wife also got into playing bass every now and then. (a recreational bassist- lol). Anyway, the bass I have she would use most is the Cort Curbow. Light, full scale yet small (due to the body) - it actually fits easily inside a 6 string guitar gig bag.
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The Cort Curbow is there on my "I want to try one out of curiosity" list, as whilst I like my "Fender-esque" designs, the Curbow 4 in that cracked silver finish is one of the few basses that I've ever seen that I'd probably just buy as a bit of art.
 
#29
Formula144 said:
If you need a small neck, the Squire Jaguar SS has a very thin neck. It is a 30" scale. I think the 34" VM Jag also has a fairly thin neck as the current Squiers go.
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I have little girl hands and heartily approve of this message. the SS Jag necks aren't actually super thin, they are a medium thickness. What really makes them feel small, is that they are not as wide as normal 34" necks. Good tone, great playability, looks very cool, decent overall build quality, inexpensive. I recommend the silver with black pickguard.
 
#30
SeanNeedham said:
The Cort Curbow is there on my "I want to try one out of curiosity" list, as whilst I like my "Fender-esque" designs, the Curbow 4 in that cracked silver finish is one of the few basses that I've ever seen that I'd probably just buy as a bit of art.
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I had one of those silver ones- finish is called mystic ice crazer.. bought it used at GC for $200. You see them every now and then go below the $200 price point. It's very compact, and yes, it's a very artsy looking bass.
 
#31
eldercaribou said:
My wife loves her Luna Andromeda basses - she has one in Amber and one in Merlot, and they are light and have great tone :)

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I would try one of these out if you get a chance. I have one, and really like mine. There area few things that make it easier than a standard bass for small hands. The body is smaller than a standard Fender, they have a jazz feel overall, with a thin nut. IIRC the stock bridge spacing is a bit narrower than the average Fender. They balance very well(and light), and the body is thinner towards the edge(think aerodyne jazz-esque). The stock electronics are active(but the pickups can be used as passive with a rewire/new pots). Stock controls are volume, blend, and a stacked bass/treble boost(I think. Mine has been rewired several times in the years I have owned it). I dislike the stock bridge setup, some love it. I found I needed strap locks. I may sound like a for sale ad, but mine is not up for grabs :hiding:
 
#32
Maxdusty said:
I had one of those silver ones- finish is called mystic ice crazer.. bought it used at GC for $200. You see them every now and then go below the $200 price point. It's very compact, and yes, it's a very artsy looking bass.
Click to expand...

Mystic Ice Crazer, that is an interesting name for a finish!

I've been looking at the pricing for these after it came up last night, and I cannot find a place that stocks them new or used within 100 miles of me that has any on their web pages; so the odds of them physically stocking is not going to be that high. From when you said that they fit in a "standard" six string case, something flipped in the back of the head as I'm currently negotiating a position with a company in the city (so plenty of public transport if I pull that one off), and whilst it'd be my main skills that are needed the most photography, graphic / web design and translations/communications an easier to carry bass that looks a bit different from the usual would fit well.

Looking through this forum, I envy you folk over in the States, as you seem to have a lot more in terms of accessible (GC, MF, Sam Ash to name but three) then spots like Warmoth, even Amazon has a wider spectrum, and whilst I'm not going to get hooked on how "cheap" the instruments look relative to me, because I don't know what your levels of average earning is in relation (or things like tax) to here with the Euro. But it's the same with my work kit (cameras) and if I need anything, it's either special order or a day in the city because locally it's all the cheap "disposable" for want of a better word. It's a bit like living in the past, as before I moved from England, I could walk in to my local indie store and they always had lots of tempting things.
 

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