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New to bass and these forums!Need buying advice..

B

Bass_Drummer

Mar 20, 2012
49
0
#1
Hey guys and girls,

I'm New to bass and have only been playing for a few weeks..I'm a drummer for life and have played for five years and 3 of these years are played seriously...I'm a member of drumchat forums and am loving learning bass guitar. I'm a 15 year old high school student who enjoys listening to heavy rock and metal music and the occasional jazz. Music is a HUGE part of my life and always has been...I also enjoy playing video games and working out.

Now as for my question...I'm looking to buy a 4 string bass guitar. I am starting a part time job on Saturday and will be earning $150-$200 a week. Oh I'm from Australia by the way...
I have already asked for help on the drum forums but haven't got much feedback at all...so why not have a chance to meet new friendly people while getting my question answered at the same time. As I said I play alot of heavy music and that's what I will be mostly playing once I advance..

The only issue is, I don't know what my budget should be as a beginner.. I want a guitar that's not overpriced, but want something kinda advanced so I don't have to buy one for a long time. Plus my parents don't want me to spend to much...but I want to save and get the best I can get..people have told me fender and fender squier..but please I don't want any suggestions from them because I've tried a few and don't like the feel or the looks...but that's just me.

So from what I've told you can you give me some friendly advice?

Cheers ^^^in advance
 
#2
Welcome to Talkbass!

Ibanez. Soundgear basses are affordable, active pickups for more growl and will give you a good bass to grow into. If you don't like the feel of the soundgear model, look at a used BTB by Ibanez. I would look at the indonesian made ones to save a little more.

I would also recommend looking at the classifieds on this site for used basses before paying retail at the store or online. Best of luck, and welcome.

Edit- I also want to add "Sterling by music man". Those are also good basses on a budget. They do an excellent job at replicating an authentic Music Man by Ernie Ball. Again, these pop up in the classifieds here from time to time for great prices.
 
#3
Here's my humble opinion having gone through many-a bass in my day. I'd recommend a Precision or Jazz bass you can try out locally. Fit and finish on most import basses is pretty good these days and you can get a great player for little cash.

The nice thing about a P-Bass or J bass is the number of upgrades available for them and it's kind of what people expect at gigs ( not like it should matter but...). I personally think a Jazz bass is infinitely versatile and can be used for anything and I personally think it is the BEST bass for metal :hiding:

One more thing; in my experience a mediocre bass can be made great with good amplification so find something that you like the looks of and, foremost, is comfortable. Good luck!
 
#4
I would probably recommend investing in a decent practice amp too. Some people recommend starting out on a 60 watt amp or something but, honestly, you don't need that much power if you're just starting off...even moreso if money is tight. Something around 30 watts should be more than enough power to hear yourself clearly while practicing.

As far as basses are concerned, realistically any bass will be a good starting point for you. But if you want bang for your buck, check out some Ibanez, Schecter and Yamaha basses. Not sure if there's a Billy Hyde store near where you live but if there is, pop in and try some off the racks. Some of those basses sound a lot more expensive than they're priced - particularly some Schecter and Ibanez models. They're also pretty neat for hard rock and metal so you'll definitely find some solace in that.

But before anything, don't be afraid to buy second-hand. You can score great bargains on quality instruments/gear through classifieds, eBay and even Cash Converters. In fact, my first amp (a 65 watt Ibanez prac amp) cost me no more than $100 at Cashies. A few months later, I spotted a Boss ME-50b multi effects board for a mere $200 (retailed at around $500 - $600 at the time) in the same store. Hell, I still have both items years later and they're still kicking as hard as ever.
 
#5
So you guys are thinking mostly ibanez and jazz basses...what jazz basses would you recommend? And what do you mean by J and P basses? I already have a 30 watt tour us amp...I'm not playing ^^^in a band and am just a bedroom player. Would you guys recommend epiphone or Gibson at all, I'm a big fan of them. They look great to..
 
#6
I feel lately I want to put out a disclaimer to anyone new to bass that chooses to start on an ibanez. Ibanez basses have necks that are thinner than pretty much any other bass out there. I've noticed that when people learn on them, they often get used to that, and then all other basses feel awkward and uncomfortable. If you choose an Ibanez as your first, keep this in mind. A lot of people somewhere down the line find other basses they love, but then say they couldn't deal with the neck. Too thick, chunky, whatever. For that (and other reasons I won't get into cuz there are a lot of Ibanez lovers here), I personally would stay away from them.

If you're looking for best bang for the buck, I don't think squier can be beat these days. I've owned a couple of them and I'm astounded by the sound/quality. If you're going to go for a few more bucks, then I agree with the Sterling by MM recommendation. If you want the absolute lowest price possible check Rondo Music Home Page. They're decent basses for the money, and get lots of love here on talkbass, but I think they're in an entirely different league than the others mentioned. My vote goes to Squier or Sterling.
 
#7
Yet another squier fan..ugh. I have no problem with them at all..they sound great. But I don't like the looks or feel. Thanks for the quick replies by the way.. So no one recommends Gibson,epiphone or any sig basses?
 
#8
Bass_Drummer said:
So you guys are thinking mostly ibanez and jazz basses...what jazz basses would you recommend? And what do you mean by J and P basses? I already have a 30 watt tour us amp...I'm not playing ^^^in a band and am just a bedroom player. Would you guys recommend epiphone or Gibson at all, I'm a big fan of them. They look great to..
Click to expand...

Apologies if you know any of this but there's a tendency to assume people know stuff that the rest of us had to learn at some point!

Ibanez - brand
Jazz - style of bass (originally Fender, now copied by many manufacturers at all levels of quality. Squier do good entry-level jazz basses).

J = Jazz bass
P = Precision bass

The above are the two most common bass styles. The J has two single coil pickups, a narrower neck and a slightly offset body. The P has one split-coil pickup and a slightly wider neck. They produce different sounds - which is best is a matter of taste!

Epiphone and Gibson - if you like, go for it! I have limited experience of them - some like, some really don't.

Do you have a decent music store near you? The best thing to do is always go try some out and see what you like the feel of as well as the looks. Happy hunting!
 
#10
Bass_Drummer said:
So you guys are thinking mostly ibanez and jazz basses...what jazz basses would you recommend? And what do you mean by J and P basses? I already have a 30 watt tour us amp...I'm not playing ^^^in a band and am just a bedroom player. Would you guys recommend epiphone or Gibson at all, I'm a big fan of them. They look great to..
Click to expand...

As far as Jazz basses go, you should definitely look into the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz bass. They normally go for around $500 - $600 AUD and they're ridiculously good quality for he price. A great intro to the bass for beginners but an equally good bass for veterans. If you're keen on a Jazz, I would start there.

For the record, whenever you read "J bass" or "P bass" that just means people are referring to either a Jazz bass (two single-coil pickups) or the Precision bass (one split-coil pickup). They're both very different sounding and feeling instruments so you should definitely look up some comparrison videos on Youtube or try some out in stores to get an idea what they're all about.

As Joe Nerve mentioned above, Ibanez basses do have thin necks and, its true, some people might have trouble adjusting to thicker neck profiles if they were to, say, play a Precision bass after years of playing on an Ibanez.
However, playing a bass should feel comfortable to you no matter what. Some people simply don't like the thickness of other basses and much rather prefer the thin Ibanez or Schecter necks for whatever reason (ie. people with smaller hands would likely go for an Ibanez or Jazz bass for the necks). Try as many as you can and see what fits for you.

As for Gibson/Epiphone basses, I've had some pretty mixed experiences with the basses. I've tried and SG bass that sounded and felt horrible but I've also tried a Thunderbird which felt bad but sounded great. The necks are a big issue for me on Gibs/Epiphone basses...especially the Thunderbird. Glossy necks hate me...and I hate them just as much :P
 
#11
I am playing drums for a short time and when I decided to do so the start up costs can be quite high when you throw in the hardware, etc. In the case of the bass, I would concentrate on getting a bass that is comfortable for you to start off with and sounds good enough when amplified. Buy on the cheap when it comes to an amp or even a set of headphones that are for the bass. Amps are sold used all the time, as are basses. Your budget could be as low as $300 for both.........................good luck .
 
#12
Yeah I guess that's the same for everyone, different opinions and all. Oh and thanks for the references and abbreviation words and stuff. If I was to go fender squier jazz bass for $500-$600 and didn't really like the feel of it maybe try a brand I like. Or I could go to my local Billy Hyde store and narrow it down to the basses I like that they have ^^^in stock and try them all out..not that I will buy from their but I'm sure they will understand.
 
#13
Of course, if you aren't in a rush to buy, you can spend some time on here learning from others experiences and opinions (which aren't always right), trying a few basses in store, then get the best used bass you can.

My first bass was £50 from eBay and was fantastic - I'd still have it if I hadn't started playing a 5-string (and if we had a bigger house).
 
#14
Bass_Drummer said:
Yeah I guess that's the same for everyone, different opinions and all. Oh and thanks for the references and abbreviation words and stuff. If I was to go fender squier jazz bass for $500-$600 and didn't really like the feel of it maybe try a brand I like. Or I could go to my local Billy Hyde store and narrow it down to the basses I like that they have ^^^in stock and try them all out..not that I will buy from their but I'm sure they will understand.
Click to expand...

Most Billy Hydes now have soundproof rooms to try out instruments so they shouldn't mind you playing a whole bunch of them. And don't be afraid to negotiate the price. You'll be surprised how easily some of the salespeople will bend backwards to make a sale. Instrument sales aren't exactly booming lol.
 
#15
Yeah I'm a regular customer so they know me pretty well...I'll just test out aol their beginner and intermediate and maybe a few pro basses. And yeah I'm not ^^^in any hurry at all..just looking for the right bass. I'll definitely be checking out the show us your guitars section as well...have you guys got any threads I can check out where someone else has asked about guitar buys and reviews? I've also heard ESP basses are great for metal music..
 
#16
Bass_Drummer said:
Yeah I'm a regular customer so they know me pretty well...I'll just test out aol their beginner and intermediate and maybe a few pro basses. And yeah I'm not ^^^in any hurry at all..just looking for the right bass. I'll definitely be checking out the show us your guitars section as well...have you guys got any threads I can check out where someone else has asked about guitar buys and reviews? I've also heard ESP basses are great for metal music..
Click to expand...

Quite a few ESP/LTD basses are catered toward metal and heavy music. They're actually pretty good for what they are.
 
#19
Bass_Drummer said:
Yes I saw that thread just a second ago thankyou for that...incredibly helpful. What do you think of the fender modified jaguar or precision jazz basses. I love the look of them, not plain like every other FS
Click to expand...

If I was buying a brand new budget bass today, I'd get the Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar (which I think is the one you mean - black with tortoiseshell pickguard). They get very good reviews, the combination of P and J pickups is very versatile and I love the Jaguar shape.

Not sure what you mean by a precision jazz though - that's a bit like saying a Fender Gibson!
 
#20
When I started out I played an entry level Washburn Taurus t-12. I don't have the largest hands, it was perfect. Sounded great and looks killer too! I have some friends that were always super surprised by how it sounded when we played together, one of them even borrowed it for an entire night because he wanted to change it up from his 60s Fender!

Check out that bass if you can, they're cheap too! :)
 

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