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Looking for a Good Quality Bass Starter Pack

R

rjames1973

Jun 28, 2013
9
0
#1
All,

I've been playing the guitar for over 20 years, and have decided to take up the bass. I mainly want to take it up for fun, but need to learn how to play for some home recording projects I have in the pipeline. I've been looking at basses and amps separately (my first choice is the Schecter Stiletto Extreme-4 and Ampeg BA-108), but am also considering a basic bass guitar beginner's pack. That being said, is there a good quality starter pack that you all could recommend? I'm not too worried about the price, as long as it includes a relatively good quality bass and amp. Thanks in advance for your help!
 
#4
I've always heard the bass that comes with starter packs is a cheaper version of an already cheap bass. Like the Squier affinity that comes with the starter pack is made even more cheaply than an affinity you buy separately.
 
#5
+ another one for skip the starter pack and buy good used instead. given that you already have exp with guitars you would probably be very unimpressed with the quality you get with a starter pack and probably already know what to look for in a used amp so youll get more for your money that way
ampeg makes several decent small combo amps that are pretty common to find used
 
#6
Starter packs make for good christmast presents for 12 year olds who probably won't stick with the instrument. Not good for someone who knows how to play guitar already.

Look for older Peavey combos. Lots of them out there and you'll get all the volume you need.
 
#9
Can't speak for Schecter, but Yamahas are a good bang for the buck bass and can be found on the bay for little coin.
Also, for recording and possibly playing with others, I'd go with an amp with a line out and a bit more power. Ampeg BA112?
 
#10
MD said:
Also, for recording and possibly playing with others, I'd go with an amp with a line out and a bit more power.
Click to expand...

Anything but a starter-pack amp!

Ampeg BA112?
Click to expand...
It's an OK unit, but for some mysterious reason, that one little amp used to be incredibly overpriced for what it was, even proportionately to all other Ampegs. The BA-115, which was hugely more amp, was only $100 more, MSRP...so nobody bought the BA-112. Very weird. They're cheaper now relative to other Ampegs, but you can still get a lot more amp for the money.

As for recording? Bass, cable, interface. Bass has been recorded that way for over sixty years now, and it makes more sense now to do it that way than ever before.
 
#11
All,

Thanks for all of the replies. Just wanted to share that I decided against purchasing a bass starter package. Instead, I have opted to order a Schecter Stiletto Extreme-4 (black cherry) and Ampeg BA108. Sweetwater gave me a really nice deal on both, so I'm going for it. Looking forward to learning the bass!
 
#14
rjames1973 said:
All,

I've been playing the guitar for over 20 years, and have decided to take up the bass. I mainly want to take it up for fun, but need to learn how to play for some home recording projects I have in the pipeline. I've been looking at basses and amps separately (my first choice is the Schecter Stiletto Extreme-4 and Ampeg BA-108), but am also considering a basic bass guitar beginner's pack. That being said, is there a good quality starter pack that you all could recommend? I'm not too worried about the price, as long as it includes a relatively good quality bass and amp. Thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...

Besides fun, if the main purpose is recording, instead of looking for a bass and amp, you may want to look for a preamp, interface, and a nice bass.
 
#18
schecter5string said:
Do yourself a huge favor.......
Stay away from the starter packs. Shop used and get some good gear.
Click to expand...

+1 as well, and the Schecter Stiletto like you mentioned is a nice bass having a 2 band active EQ w/EMG's. You might want to check out Ibby SR as well.

Acoustic maks some small nice combo amps as do many other manufactures, and there's lots of good info in the "Amps" forum. Personally I only use a small combo for practice, and would recommend a separate amp/cab setup if you're serious about this. You might check out the Carvin website - they have some nice smaller amps, and cabs.

EDIT: Congrats! Sweetwater is a really nice outfit - I got my last 3 basses there.
 
#19
Well, if you hadn't already settled the issue, I too, would have said stay away from starter packs. Only one I ever bought was when we had just moved and I couldn't afford anything else. The amps are usually not too great, and you don't get to play the instrument you actually buy, which I(like most, I think) prefer to be able to do. But I lucked out and got a pretty good one.

As to whether Squier Affinity pack guitars are lesser in quality than regular Affinities, mine was decent, right out of the box, but I've never compared it to a non-pack version. However, it is a little different.

Most of the relatively newer non-pack Affinity Strats(and a lot of the other Squiers) of the same years as mine I have seen have the oversize CBS headstock. Mine has the standard Fender size headstock.
 

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