Newbie - looking for first bass

[JimmyAZ]

I was sitting here thinking I'd give lip service to Squier since I don't buy Chinese products if I can avoid it. But I see they are made in Indonesia and that is fine by me. Will try and at $450 it isn't a huge risk. I mean especially when you consider I'm looking at 6 Ron Thorn guitar and a Fender Custom shop strat I hardly touch now. What's one more that might end up sitting and collecting dust? LOL

 

[Engle]

There are many good basses manufactured in the far east. Don't buy something from Aliexpress, but get a Squier or Epiphone.

 

[jd56hawk]

Thanks all. Wish I knew as much about bass as i do guitar. And I can try them but don't know how to play a bass so not sure I'll get much out of that. Perhaps the answer is risk little and get a Squire against the recommendations of my wife's piano teacher. It might be years since she looked at the bass market and perhaps older ones were crap.

Heading to GC. Might make a stupid decision today. LOL

Good luck.
GC is big on Squier.

 

[JimmyAZ]

I guess I'll be able to tell fit and finish based on owning electric guitars. I know I'll be unhappy if it's crap but I am not in need of a $2000 instrument either. And yes far east makes lots of great stuff. CIJ Fender is some good stuff in particular.

 

[MrLenny1]

I say get the MIM Fender Jazz bass. Easiest neck to learn on.
Also the name will help to sell it in the future.

 

[hbarcat]

There are plenty of budget minded electric basses being made in Asia now that are of fine quality. This isn't the 1970s.

Several posters specifically mentioned the Ibanez brand and I can attest to their quality standards. My main gigging bass is an SR600. They cost about $700 new and I wouldn't trade it for most basses costing twice as much.

 

[CallMeAl]

Thanks all. Wish I knew as much about bass as i do guitar. And I can try them but don't know how to play a bass so not sure I'll get much out of that. Perhaps the answer is risk little and get a Squire against the recommendations of my wife's piano teacher. It might be years since she looked at the bass market and perhaps older ones were crap.

Heading to GC. Might make a stupid decision today. LOL

You nailed it, Squier has gotten better (more consistent) in the past 5 years or so especially.

You know guitar, so you know more than you think. Trust your gut. The big things are how the neck profile feels in your fretting hand and how it feels on a strap. Have fun!

 

[JimmyAZ]

This place is awesome. I am off to experiment. Will try not to make a fast decision but...... well it happens. LOL

 

[wiscoaster]

.... I do not want to buy a cheap guitar that I will hate in 6 months or that is impossible to sell if I decide bass isn't for me. ...

Don't judge based solely on price, on brand name, or on where made. When I started playing bass several years ago it was a pleasant surprise to me to find out what great quality instruments can be had for not much, and most of these are not "made in the U.S.A.", sorry. One of my best basses I picked up at a Pawn shop for $200, and it's an Ibanez made in Indonesia, and looked like it was brand new when I found it.

Whatever bass you buy, regardless, if you sell it in six months, you're not going to net more than two-thirds of what you paid.

 

[Maestro29]

Hi all,

I have never played a bass. I have electric and acoustic guitars so some experience with stringed pieces of wood. Wife unit is trying to learn piano. First ever musical instrument for her and she is struggling with timing. I thought maybe if I could lay down a decent beat on a bass it would help and we could actually play together. (Note I also posted this on gearpage.com if this sounds familiar).

I've had multiple opinions on what I should buy. I'll lay out where I am at the moment and seek opinions of alternatives. I do not want to buy a cheap guitar that I will hate in 6 months or that is impossible to sell if I decide bass isn't for me. That pretty much eliminates all the Chinese manufactured stuff. No Squire. I also think I want the smaller neck style closer to a regular electric guitar versus the larger Precision bass neck size. Full scale is preferred.

Looking at Fender it seems the best point of entry for me is the made in Mexico Player Jazz bass at a cost of about $775 ordered direct from them. I'm OK with this and am close to just doing it. But I wonder what alternatives in that price range might offer superior product that is also something that would sell on the secondary market if I lose interest. Such as Ibanez and Yamaha.

Any direction as to which product lines are made either in Japan, Mexico or some place where quality standards are high from alternatives to Fender would be welcome.

Also, since I plan to start only in my living room with the wife I will be using a Positive Grid Spark amp at first. Wondering if anyone has tried that with any success.

Thanks for allowing me to participate on the forum.

I’d also look into Sire. They play and sound phenomenal. They really give you the “pro” feel right out of the gate. I mean they basically are a pro bass with a fairly inexpensive price tag. I have been playing bass 20 years and I still consider the V7 one of the better basses I’ve played in recent years.

 

[JimmyAZ]

Thanks. I am open to made in Asia. Just not China. I try to avoid purchasing products made there. Seems the Classic Vibes Squiers are made in Indonesia. Will take a look for sure.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hi all,

I have never played a bass. I have electric and acoustic guitars so some experience with stringed pieces of wood. Wife unit is trying to learn piano. First ever musical instrument for her and she is struggling with timing. I thought maybe if I could lay down a decent beat on a bass it would help and we could actually play together. (Note I also posted this on gearpage.com if this sounds familiar).

I've had multiple opinions on what I should buy. I'll lay out where I am at the moment and seek opinions of alternatives. I do not want to buy a cheap guitar that I will hate in 6 months or that is impossible to sell if I decide bass isn't for me. That pretty much eliminates all the Chinese manufactured stuff. No Squire. I also think I want the smaller neck style closer to a regular electric guitar versus the larger Precision bass neck size. Full scale is preferred.

Looking at Fender it seems the best point of entry for me is the made in Mexico Player Jazz bass at a cost of about $775 ordered direct from them. I'm OK with this and am close to just doing it. But I wonder what alternatives in that price range might offer superior product that is also something that would sell on the secondary market if I lose interest. Such as Ibanez and Yamaha.

Any direction as to which product lines are made either in Japan, Mexico or some place where quality standards are high from alternatives to Fender would be welcome.

Also, since I plan to start only in my living room with the wife I will be using a Positive Grid Spark amp at first. Wondering if anyone has tried that with any success.

Thanks for allowing me to participate on the forum.

While I'd love to come up with a perfect solution for you, I can't, too many variables. But I will offer a couple of suggestions.

Buy gently used gear. If you buy anything new retail, you will never get your money back out of it in 6 months if you decide it's not for you.

With regard to buying used your dollar will go a lot farther towards a quality instrument not paying retail prices for a new one. Guitar Center online has a really good selection of used gear that comes with a 30 day 100% money back guarantee. This would allow you to try out a bunch of different basses to find the one you really like. They also come conditionally rated, and on the site they have a definitions of what their conditions mean. Make sure you are patient and be choosy. They have basses for sale 24-7-365 so the is no need to rush.

Best wishes on our musical journey, and welcome to the board. Feel free to post again for advice on instruments are considering.

 

[RhinoBass]

No matter what bass you buy, do not forget the importance of a good set-up. I'd rather play a well set-up MIM P than a poorly set-up Alembic.

 

[dalkowski]

This place is awesome. I am off to experiment. Will try not to make a fast decision but...... well it happens. LOL

If you find something you like, TB classifieds is a reliable source for used basses.

 

[Larryfales]

Definitely don't rule out Squier, the quality for the money is impressive. Anything from the Vintage Modified line and the Classic Vibe series is very good.The Paranormal Jazz bass ( built in China) is absolutely outstanding. Check out Low End Lobster's review.

 

[Nebadon2000]

+1 to what @Warpeg sez. Play a bunch and find the one that feels right.

I'd add: Don't sleep on Squier basses. They have been punching well above their weight the last several years and in many cases are dollar-for-dollar a better value than their Fender counterparts. Proud owner of an olde Fender P and a late-model Squier Mustang and love em both.

Finally, welcome!

That wasn't my impression when I was at GC a few months ago and played a few Squires; Based on praise given here and not my experience in past; but IMHO nothing has changed except they look and are finished a tad better.

Listen to Empire Music demo of new American AV 54P and Squires Copy night and day isn't strong enough and I have a good Idea the difference in feel, playability build quality, Gig tough, fit and finish, hardware Etc. is the same.

I am a check it out till your satisfied and if Squire does that for you Great

But every time some asked about basses not matter their Ideas or requirements Squire is always pushed with the added false assertion [hidden as a opinion] that they out preform basses 2-5 times their price in all way's is perplexing and annoying at the same time.

I apologize to the 'Squire Boy's I may have offended but lttlr devil on my left shoulder compelled me after years of reading similar post/responses

 

[Aidenn7]

squier's new sonic series.. any of them will be good enough for you.. mim is just as hit and miss.. but 3-5 times the price..

 

[Bass]

...I can try them but don't know how to play a bass so not sure I'll get much out of that...

This makes a lot of sense to me. Would a beginner notice the difference between basses until they know how to hold the arm and wrist?

My first bass was a 1997 MIM Precision and I don't regret it. I'm a fan of the new Mexican Player series and a jazz bass is a good choice.

 

[DaveParker39]

Do you know anyone nearby who plays bass? Taking someone shopping with you who can show you the ins and outs of various instruments and notice flaws (fretwork issues, electronic flaws, etc.) that you might not. That said, the stuff you would notice that is "wrong" about a guitar you would notice on a bass too.

MIM Fender is a pretty safe bet for an instrument that will serve you, is easy to noodle/service/upgrade/resell/gig/record with. I have $5k basses but my MIM Precision still gets played.

 

[Auspuff]

Hi all,

I have never played a bass. I have electric and acoustic guitars so some experience with stringed pieces of wood. Wife unit is trying to learn piano. First ever musical instrument for her and she is struggling with timing. I thought maybe if I could lay down a decent beat on a bass it would help and we could actually play together. (Note I also posted this on gearpage.com if this sounds familiar).

I've had multiple opinions on what I should buy. I'll lay out where I am at the moment and seek opinions of alternatives. I do not want to buy a cheap guitar that I will hate in 6 months or that is impossible to sell if I decide bass isn't for me. That pretty much eliminates all the Chinese manufactured stuff. No Squire. I also think I want the smaller neck style closer to a regular electric guitar versus the larger Precision bass neck size. Full scale is preferred.

Looking at Fender it seems the best point of entry for me is the made in Mexico Player Jazz bass at a cost of about $775 ordered direct from them. I'm OK with this and am close to just doing it. But I wonder what alternatives in that price range might offer superior product that is also something that would sell on the secondary market if I lose interest. Such as Ibanez and Yamaha.

Any direction as to which product lines are made either in Japan, Mexico or some place where quality standards are high from alternatives to Fender would be welcome.

Also, since I plan to start only in my living room with the wife I will be using a Positive Grid Spark amp at first. Wondering if anyone has tried that with any success.

Thanks for allowing me to participate on the forum.

Buy the best bass you can barely afford.