noob looking for some bass advise

[Jason Miles]

Sounds like a brolen record.

Go to the music shop and play some instruments.

I like a wider spacing for slapping personally, so I have a bass with wider spacing just for those times I need to slap. I also own a 6 string with tight spacing for everything else.

Once you get the hang of things you will find which lane you want to roll in .

 

[JRA]

Now looking to play some bass.

who isn't?

playing a bunch of different instruments is good advice, especially if you know anything about the electric bass instrument in the first place --- but it sounds like you've got 0 experience with them = take lessons. your teacher will help you get started with the many rudimentary/bottom line aspects to consider given your lack of experience. you can take years to learn the instrument yourself or you can take a few months of lessons to get you started --- and going in a better direction...with more knowledge and 'things to consider'.

good luck with your slapping of the 5 string bass!

 

[nilorius]

You know want funk means, try to create your own, personal loops and train them.

 

[Remoman]

Well, coming from the same background (with some years added, ok, lots of years) the suggestions of going out and trying a few basses is good advice. While I don't have experience with it, the trbx 305 would likely be fine and suit your needs. Another popular bass to consider is the Sterling By Music Man SUB series Ray5. A little cheaper in cost, but they are great basses for the money.

I'll throw this out to consider too. I'd suggest getting most any decent shape, cheap/good deal 4 string bass off of Craigslist too, or maybe first. Say a Squire P or Jazz bass for instance. I've found that as much as I'm a low end guy, some things can be easier to work out first, esp lessons wise, on a 4 string. And then you have 2 basses and on you're way to feed the GAS!

 

[Sue Egypt]

Hey all I want to learn to play some bass. I have a musical history, playied low brass for many years, concert band, and jazz. Did a bunch of pro audio stuff as well. Now looking to play some bass.

looking to do some funk type stuff slap stuff like that. I was watching a ton of youtubes, and so far the ones that I seem to like the sound of the most are the yamaha trbx. I think the trbx 305 would be almost ideal "on paper". Looking for other options.

I am looking for a 5 string bass, and other then the tone, my only really big concern is I don't want to wide of a neck on it. hoping to pick up something on the used market, anyone have any suggestions of other models to consider?

Best thing you can do (based on my experience) is get your hands on a lot of basses. Go to all the shops in your area, pick up everything and see what feels best to you. If an instrument doesn't feel good in your hands you likely won't play it much.
Before buying look around online to see how any particular product is rated. Nothing worse than buying something that feels good but falls apart over time or doesn't have parts/upgrades available.
If a bass feels good, stays in tune and the manufacturer doesn't have a terrible reputation then take it home and get to know it.
And lastly no offense but slap is for savages. Tapping is far more rich and eloquent.

Just kidding. Do what you like.

 

[funkinbottom]

Hey all I want to learn to play some bass. I have a musical history, playied low brass for many years

First off, welcome to Talkbass.

It might be better to go play a few to see what feels good, though it does seem a bit pointless not really being a bassist yet, and not knowing exactly what to look for. Maybe go and just noodle around a bit, or just hold and grip some necks and see if anything speaks to you.

quite honestly, although the advices on neck are good, a beginner usually can't tell the difference in neck width

True. That said, OP If you're not really sure about the feel thing, at least get something that moves you in some way, even if it's just a look, body shape or color. I don't think there is really a wrong choice. The important thing is to start playing. As a time passes and you progress, you will figure out your preferences and requirements to find "the" bass for you.

I strongly recommend starting out on a 4 string, not a 5. Set yourself up for success. Even on a 4, you have many, many months (perhaps longer) in front of you learning how to properly master the technique, and key aspects like string muting will be much easier. You can always move to a 5 later, but learning on a 4 will be faster

No disrespect intended at all, but I feel this is not good advice. It may have worked for you, and that's fantastic, but not everyone is you. Not sure how it's easier/faster to learn on a 4 string. The same techniques apply to any bass regardless of number of strings. Palm muting is still palm muting, slap is still slap, a major scale is still a major scale etc.... A beginner has not developed any muscle memory, habits (bad or good) and has no previous experience to compare the "ease" of less strings. Is it easier to learn to drive a 2 door rather than a 4 door with hatch back? If someone wants to learn on a 5, then by all means, start on a 5. I can't think of a reason not to.

I am looking for a 5 string bass, and other then the tone, my only really big concern is I don't want to wide of a neck on it. hoping to pick up something on the used market, anyone have any suggestions of other models to consider

Going the used rout can be a great way to go, and will usually get you more bass for the $$. If you're concerned about narrow neck, the TRBX series is probably one of the more narrow with a width of 43mm (1 11/16") @ the nut. Ibanez and Schecter 5ers are 45mm (1 3/4") and both great basses. If I was in the market for a new bass, Schecter would be close to the top of my short list for certain. There's a bunch more I'm sure, but not familiar with any. For comparison, Fender/Squier is 47.6mm (1 7/8").

Good luck with your purchase. Keep us posted on your decision, and post pics once you have bass in hand.

 

[red_rhino]

No disrespect intended at all, but I feel this is not good advice.

And no offense taken at all. We don't all agree on everything here, but that's what makes this place so great. Likewise, please note that I'm only breaking this down to address each of your points clearly, rather than write one long paragraph in response.

It may have worked for you, and that's fantastic, but not everyone is you.

We all give advice based upon our experience of what has and has not worked for us. So the inverse of that statement is also true: Don't assume that something that works for me will not work for someone else.

Not sure how it's easier/faster to learn on a 4 string. The same techniques apply to any bass regardless of number of strings. Palm muting is still palm muting, slap is still slap, a major scale is still a major scale etc....

The reach is different, there are more strings to mute (and I'm not talking about palm muting). And I'm pretty sure I'm not alone on this. I know that Scott Devine (and others) take a similar view of the differences between a 4 and a 5. Of course you can slap a bass with more than 4 strings, but I believe it will be easier and faster to learn this on a 4, in the same way that it's easier to learn fretless bass on a lined rather than unlined board. Why put obstacles in your way?

Is it easier to learn to drive a 2 door rather than a 4 door with hatch back? If someone wants to learn on a 5, then by all means, start on a 5. I can't think of a reason not to.

Except that the number of doors has absolutely no relevance to learning how to drive a car, so this isn't really a valid argument. The question should be "Is it easier to learn to drive on an automatic or a stick shift?" In which case, the answer is "an automatic". It's faster to learn, easier to do, and less prone to frustration (or mistakes).

But beyond that, I do agree that people should do what they really want to do. If the OP has a burning desire to play a 5, have at it. There are great reasons to play a 5. There are also some things that don't work in your favor on a 5. All I can do based upon my experience, and the OP's stated goal, is point out what I think is the best path for success.

 

[kevinnem]

Thanks all the advise. I really appreciate the effort, looking in to all the suggestions now. Cheers! Will keep you up to date when I pick something up.

 

[nostatic]

who isn't?

playing a bunch of different instruments is good advice, especially if you know anything about the electric bass instrument in the first place --- but it sounds like you've got 0 experience with them = take lessons. your teacher will help you get started with the many rudimentary/bottom line aspects to consider given your lack of experience. you can take years to learn the instrument yourself or you can take a few months of lessons to get you started --- and going in a better direction...with more knowledge and 'things to consider'.

good luck with your slapping of the 5 string bass!

^^^ this. If you haven't played a string instrument before, you have no idea what anything is supposed to feel like - good or bad. Find a teacher and maybe rent a bass or buy a cheap-but-decent no-frills instrument like a passive P-bass. You can start with any number of strings, but starting with some guidance will be much more efficient than cycling through stuff while you work on the basics.

 

[groove pump]

Hey all I want to learn to play some bass. I have a musical history, playied low brass for many years, concert band, and jazz. Did a bunch of pro audio stuff as well. Now looking to play some bass.

looking to do some funk type stuff slap stuff like that. I was watching a ton of youtubes, and so far the ones that I seem to like the sound of the most are the yamaha trbx. I think the trbx 305 would be almost ideal "on paper". Looking for other options.

I am looking for a 5 string bass, and other then the tone, my only really big concern is I don't want to wide of a neck on it. hoping to pick up something on the used market, anyone have any suggestions of other models to consider?

The two sorts of basses that I think of as being perhaps a little better suited for that funky, slappy sort of stuff are a MusicMan Stingray/Sterling and also a Jazz. That's not ruling out everything else - just saying that these sorts of basses are ones I'd try to include in my trials.

The G&L basses like the L-2500 are sort of next generation MusicMans with double humbuckers, but some consider the Stingray 5-string to be one of the best 5'ers ever put out. I can't speak from experience there because I've settled in with 4-string basses - they've turned out to be a better fit for me. Occasionally I even entertain the notion of building a 3-string bass, but I'll need to talk that over with my luthier pals.

The Tribute series from G&L can offer a LOT of bang for your buck. I've also tried one or two Sire basses and if I needed to replace my Jazz bass tomorrow, I'd probably take a hard look at one of those.

While some Jazz basses are nice for slap and funk, they're not all the same by a long shot. I've had one or two that were more growly sounding than "poppy or snappy" and I think that this was primarily about the pickups in those basses. The Jazz that's my keeper has DiMarzio humbucking pickups (their Ultra Jazz model) that beg to be slapped, but they also make a nice sound for me with the neck pickup solo'ed. More than just a one-trick pony, but also more to my liking than other basses I've had which included single coil pickups.

Try to assume nothing about a certain bass until you sample it. When you can feel how it responds to your hands and also compare the tones it produces compared with something else, that's probably the best method to get a clear picture of what you're dealing with. P-basses or P/J's can be funky, too. It just depends on the specific package.

 

[B-Mac]

Hey all I want to learn to play some bass. I have a musical history, playied low brass for many years, concert band, and jazz. Did a bunch of pro audio stuff as well. Now looking to play some bass.

looking to do some funk type stuff slap stuff like that. I was watching a ton of youtubes, and so far the ones that I seem to like the sound of the most are the yamaha trbx. I think the trbx 305 would be almost ideal "on paper". Looking for other options.

I am looking for a 5 string bass, and other then the tone, my only really big concern is I don't want to wide of a neck on it. hoping to pick up something on the used market, anyone have any suggestions of other models to consider?

Yamaha
BB2025X (not the same as the TRBX)
Here's Ed putting a Yammy through the motions.
You want to slap and play fingers and possibly a pick too this should be fine.