Need advice on this bass & amp please.

[SimonC]

Hi all, looking for a bit advice.

I don't have a bass s yet, and have never played one, but at the age of 58 thought I would give it a go. Just for in the house use, I've got no aspirations of anything beyond that.

I'm looking to buy used, and going to have a look at a used Squire p bass (affinity) and Fender rumble 25 on Friday.
He's looking for £130, is that a decent price? The price is about what I want to pay tbh.
They both look in excellent condition, and says very little use.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[lug]

If the bass is in even decent condition, yes. So, yes.

 

[Polfuste]

And welcome in the Tribe !

 

[J Wilson]

$165 USD. If nothing jumps out at you (looks or feels wrong), not a bad deal at all.

With a rank beginner, IF you can, get someone experienced to go with you.

 

[GIBrat51]

$165 USD. If nothing jumps out at you (looks or feels wrong), not a bad deal at all.

With a rank beginner, IF you can, get someone experienced to go with you.

Yeah, what ^He^ said...

 

[Drop1]

Yeah, what they said.
If you don't know what you are looking at, it'd easy to overlook Important things. A bass can look mint and still be a pile of garbage. If something is wrong, it will make the bass very hard to play. It'd laredy going to be a bit of a learning experience, no need to fight a faulty instrument.
Sire does make a decent bass though. One of the better ones for the money.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

IMHO that's a good price assuming they're in good working condition.

 

[cdef]

For your stated purpose, that looks like an excellent deal. Still, most basses can be set up to play better than before, so you might want to consult someone with hands-on experience.

 

[DrBnz]

Its a nice price, but have somebody experienced look at it. Now there isn't much to a P-bass so long as the neck is good and you can set it up. But if not, you won't get a good enough tone to play it. Ya can't learn on that.

 

[g-dude]

If you can, try to get a more powerful amp - it’ll sound better and be more useful in the long run

You can turn an amp down far easier than making it louder.

You don’t need 400w to start out, but I think you’ll have a more enjoyable experience with something that has a bit more oomph.

 

[Five or Six]

No matter what you buy, have it setup! Starting out with an ill playing bass is nothing but discouraging.

 

[MegaSwing]

It’s a good enough amp to start out with; so is the bass. When it’s time to upgrade, if you ever want or need to, you’ll get your money back. But every player needs a capable backup and a small practice amp. Overall, it’s a good buy. And as others have intoned, do invest in a good set-up for the bass.

 

[SimonC]

Thanks for all the advice lads, it's really appreciated.
I'm looking at it tomorrow, and all being well I'll take it.
I will let you know how it goes, hopefully tomorrow is NBD.

 

[Andy Marshman]

no matter how good or bad the bass may be, that amp only has an 8" speaker. I wonder if you'll soon think that the bass sounds crappy when it's the amp that's thin on low end. But if your preferred tone is wide open treble-ish, my comment doesn't matter.

 

[Krakmann]

Salud!

Welcome to the show!

 

[dustinymichaels]

Those two items should accomplish what you want to do as long as they function. Almost any bass can be set up to play well enough.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

No matter what you buy, have it setup! Starting out with an ill playing bass is nothing but discouraging.

This x10,000

I would also add that you'll want to buy a new set of strings (possibly from the shop that does the setup for you), so the Guitar Tech can set it up for that tension/gauge of strings. Something like .105-.045 is pretty standard, but you may want to do .100-.040 starting off, so the strings are a little easier to fret. It won't be so light as to hinder your ability to play "standard gauge" though.

Welcome aboard, too! The price you mentioned is a solid deal for a working bass and amp

 

[Markmann]

You're smart for not spending a lot and finding a good deal because if you decide bass isn't for you, you haven't spent much and you'll get your money back.

 

[TyBo]

Sight down the length of the neck, particularly the edges of the fretboard. Does it look bass-ically straight? If yes, buy it. If no, it may or may not be fine with a truss rod adjustment, so it becomes more of a crapshoot. A very slight upward bow is acceptable. Imo.

 

[Brain Fog]

Of course, we expect to see photos if you decide to buy it.