Need bass guitar recommendations (All details inside)

[groove pump]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I have narrowed my choices down to two now.

• Sterling Stingray Ray34
• Epiphone Thunderbird Vintage Pro

Any final thoughts? I'll be on a pilgrimage to the Hollywood Guitar Center to try out as many basses as I can and I plan not to leave empty-handed.

Lastly, can I get some recommendations for strings? I'm assuming I need some kind of roundwounds, but what brands and models?

I've always been a fan of nickel roundwounds. My favorites for a while have been DR Sunbeams, but I've enjoyed other DR's as well as D'Addario XL's and some nickel rounds from Fender. DR's can be a little pricey, but they seem to have a little something in their feel and personality that just gets me. There may be brighter options out there, but I've always been happy with DR.

In terms of choosing a bass, I hope that you can put a lot of your expectations on the shelf and try everything you can sit with at the shops. Whatever might be regarded as the "best for slap" or whatever else doesn't really matter if that bass doesn't work for you. The instrument doesn't make any sound until you put your hands on it, right? You won't necessarily find a decent fit on your first outing, but hopefully you do.

I have a passive parts Jazz bass that has DiMarzio Ultra Jazz pickups. This rig's strongest suit is its sound and response for slapping. I tried other Jazz basses through recent years and I actually didn't like a couple of them for slapping - big surprise there because I thought that pretty much every J-bass had it in their DNA.

That J-bass was great for me for many years, but I sidelined it when I got sick of its hefty weight. I found a much lighter alternative with a familiar Jazz bass layout, but it has a pair of humbucker pickups, an on-board preamp, and it can run active or passive and also switch to single coil. Very flexible. It's also better for slap than my old Jazz.

Double humbucker basses can be super useful - more than just a one trick pony in terms of the tones they can do. When you look at that Ray34, I'd say look for other MusicMan style basses that have a pair of pickups (a "HH" layout). The G&L L-2000 also has two pickups and a preamp. So did the MusicMan Sabre - dimensions more like a Sterling and maybe the best slap machine ever devised (I have one that I don't really play anymore).

I only read the first couple of pages here - sorry if I've echoed other recommendations or you've already made decisions or a purchase. I'll read the rest later and see how this goes.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

I totally agree with you Ross, that's why I suggested Squier.
But it's his money. We can only recommend. It's his decision in the end.

057912

I'm more afraid if he follows the recommendations and doesn’t get the desired result, he'll blame the equipment.

Squier is always a good solid choice for someone just starting.

 

[tunabolt]

I'm back with an update. Didn't get to go try out basses yet because of family coming over for the holidays and current New Year festivities. However, I have exhausted my brain from reading through all the feedback here and researching more basses. I have come to a final decision with 99% confidence that I will be getting the...

Fender USA Geddy Lee Jazz Bass
Invalid Link Removed

That last 1% will be tested on me when I actually go try out the basses in person, which will be this weekend.

What a journey it has been so far. Who would have expected this turn of events? I am sorry to say that I will not be joining the Thunderbird Club, but I still do intend to some day and when that day comes it will be a Gibson instead of the Epiphones I have been eyeing.

 

[mcnach]

I could have sworn he had a bass, but rereading his post, that does not seem to be the case.

That being said, he seems to want to run a marathon before he learns to walk?

How so?

 

[mcnach]

I'm more afraid if he follows the recommendations and doesn’t get the desired result, he'll blame the equipment.

Squier is always a good solid choice for someone just starting.

Unless you want, say, a Stingray sound...

I always encourage people to get a good instrument, regardless of beginner/experienced status. In fact, as a beginner you're probably going to benefit more from a good instrument. I remember struggling with my first electric guitar, thinking it was all because I was learning. Then one day I got to try a friend's much better guitar ad I could play stuff I never could on my guitar.

Squier do make great instruments. One of my very favourites is a Matt Freeman Precision. Completely stock it was superb. That neck is so smooth... I had it modified with a J pickup at the bridge and I took it to a local luthier to do that for me. This guy is well known and makes few instruments a year, being a one man operation, but what instruments he makes! He told me that he was amazed at the quality of that Squier.

Squiers are great, but if your budget allows, I would not restrict myself to the cheaper ones, and just try anything within budget. You may end up choosing a Squier after all but try everything you can afford, so that you can choose the best for you.

 

[mcnach]

I'm back with an update. Didn't get to go try out basses yet because of family coming over for the holidays and current New Year festivities. However, I have exhausted my brain from reading through all the feedback here and researching more basses. I have come to a final decision with 99% confidence that I will be getting the...

Fender USA Geddy Lee Jazz Bass
Invalid Link Removed

That last 1% will be tested on me when I actually go try out the basses in person, which will be this weekend.

What a journey it has been so far. Who would have expected this turn of events? I am sorry to say that I will not be joining the Thunderbird Club, but I still do intend to some day and when that day comes it will be a Gibson instead of the Epiphones I have been eyeing.

That's a nice bass, and very versatile, not a bad choice at all. Just make sure you try them first.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

Unless you want, say, a Stingray sound...

I always encourage people to get a good instrument, regardless of beginner/experienced status. In fact, as a beginner you're probably going to benefit more from a good instrument. I remember struggling with my first electric guitar, thinking it was all because I was learning. Then one day I got to try a friend's much better guitar ad I could play stuff I never could on my guitar.

Squier do make great instruments. One of my very favourites is a Matt Freeman Precision. Completely stock it was superb. That neck is so smooth... I had it modified with a J pickup at the bridge and I took it to a local luthier to do that for me. This guy is well known and makes few instruments a year, being a one man operation, but what instruments he makes! He told me that he was amazed at the quality of that Squier.

Squiers are great, but if your budget allows, I would not restrict myself to the cheaper ones, and just try anything within budget. You may end up choosing a Squier after all but try everything you can afford, so that you can choose the best for you.

Could be a Stingray? No issues. Just make it a solid playing instrument.

Much like my analogy of marathon and learning to walk, i don't think someone who is just learning.......has any

Unless you want, say, a Stingray sound...

I always encourage people to get a good instrument, regardless of beginner/experienced status. In fact, as a beginner you're probably going to benefit more from a good instrument. I remember struggling with my first electric guitar, thinking it was all because I was learning. Then one day I got to try a friend's much better guitar ad I could play stuff I never could on my guitar.

Squier do make great instruments. One of my very favourites is a Matt Freeman Precision. Completely stock it was superb. That neck is so smooth... I had it modified with a J pickup at the bridge and I took it to a local luthier to do that for me. This guy is well known and makes few instruments a year, being a one man operation, but what instruments he makes! He told me that he was amazed at the quality of that Squier.

Squiers are great, but if your budget allows, I would not restrict myself to the cheaper ones, and just try anything within budget. You may end up choosing a Squier after all but try everything you can afford, so that you can choose the best for you.

Not sure if someone just starting out will be able to understand the subtleties?

The poster mentioned being obsessive with coming up with this list OVER going out snd actually trying instruments.

Your example of playing your friends guitar sort of misleading. Your friend's guitar, by your admission was better than yours in playability, you didn't mention sonically. I understand a Strat is different than a Paul, but if they are both set up well, big difference is scale length and pickups, which sound pretty much the same depending which pedal used.

 

[mcnach]

Could be a Stingray? No issues. Just make it a solid playing instrument.

Much like my analogy of marathon and learning to walk, i don't think someone who is just learning.......has any




Not sure if someone just starting out will be able to understand the subtleties?

The poster mentioned being obsessive with coming up with this list OVER going out snd actually trying instruments.

Your example of playing your friends guitar sort of misleading. Your friend's guitar, by your admission was better than yours in playability, you didn't mention sonically. I understand a Strat is different than a Paul, but if they are both set up well, big difference is scale length and pickups, which sound pretty much the same depending which pedal used.

Misleading? Not at all. You're not giving credit to someone to identify instruments that feel/sound better to them just because they're beginners? I know I could. I was just inexperienced, but when I had a good instrument in my hands, I could tell the difference, and it was so much more fun to play that. That's why I insist the OP *tries* instruments in real life before choosing what to get.

When I started out, I had people say I should start on an acoustic before I could 'progress' to an electric, much like your learning to walk before you run. I think it's BS, quite frankly. Play what you want, play what you find interesting.
The OP wants to get into slap... why not? The more fun it is, the more likely it is you'll continue with it. You think a person starting out with slap is not going to also learn fingerstyle/plectrum? Most likely they will, it's all part of playing bass, but maybe someone is just happy playing slap and nothing else. Let them.

Recommending someone to restrict themselves to the cheaper instruments because they're a beginner is seriously misguided. Also, it kind of makes me laugh that we consider $1000 instruments relatively expensive. Good job you're not playing tuba!

 

[ninefingerbass]

Also, it kind of makes me laugh that we consider $1000 instruments relatively expensive. Good job you're not playing tuba!

My thoughts exactly. It's kind of crazy that I had a $100 bass when first starting out and thought upgrading to a $1000 bass was insane! Now I think the same way when one purchases a $10,000 bass!

 

[tunabolt]

So this just popped into my YouTube feed recommendations...



I think this must be some sort of sign for me. Must I answer to this divine call?

 

[BassDaddy77]

So this just popped into my YouTube feed recommendations...



I think this must be some sort of sign for me. Must I answer to this divine call?

I think you're overloading yourself on preconceived notions. Just get out to a few music stores and get your hands on a bunch of basses. Only you will know what feels right in your hands, looks right in your eyes, and sounds good to your ears. Forget the name on the headstock, country of manufacture, and pricetag (within reason of course!).

 

[tunabolt]

I am back with a final update after finally getting the chance to demo stuff (from whatever was available) at the Guitar Center and Sam Ash. Here is what I decided to get in the end:

• Fender Player Jazz Bass
• DR Legend Flatwounds
• Fender Rumble 40
• TC Electronic Polytune 3

I did manage to find a used Warwick Thumb BO that was the most amazing sounding out of everything I played; it is definitely on my wishlist and will be my next purchase. I was hoping it would not have sounded so good in person so I could stop lusting over it, but unfortunately it confirmed to be the absolute best bass guitar in existence. I would like to try new/current models and especially a NT version before I commit to getting one.

Now I am off to learn and practice my favorite tunes. I am still shopping for a nice strap and maybe an amp stand.

Thanks for the help everyone!