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Noob Reccomendations

So Im new to playing bass, but Im supposed to play it in a band cause my friend has played bass in a bunch of bands and wants to do vocals. I have some money, about $700 but I wanna leave some money for a camera and stuff. Im a sophomore in high school so Im not looking to spend too much. I have Fender amps but theyre for guitar. So Im pretty much looking for a starter pack or something that would be recommended, and good enough quality so I can be happy with it for a while, but for a low enough price. Thanks.
 
You will have to ignore people like bassfacekevin, he doesn't realise not everyone knows every single feature of the website.


You should check out the Ibanez starter kit. It gives a good bass, a starter amp, a tuner, ect. ect.

Also, don't play if you don't actually have an interest in bass. It would be a waste of money.
 
Don't you wish some guys would remember that new guys don't know things like that before they write things that make it look like you're wasting their precious time?

Anyway.........

As for the starter stuff, it seems your problem is that you will need a quailty bass and amp to play with people, and most starter packs include amps that are like 20 watts and 6' speaker..no way!
My reccomendation would be-
-Ibanez GSR200
-ESP LTD B50
-Yamaha RBX 170
-Anything by SX (www.rondomusic.com)

and-

-Behringer
-Fender Rumble series
-Peavey
-Crate

All of the basses should be around $200 or less and the amps should be $300-400; as long as the amp is at least a 12-15inch single speaker or 2x10 inch speakers and 100 watts, that should cover your needs for a while.

Hope that helps.
 
masonkazerxxx said:
So Im new to playing bass, but Im supposed to play it in a band cause my friend has played bass in a bunch of bands and wants to do vocals. I have some money, about $700 but I wanna leave some money for a camera and stuff. Im a sophomore in high school so Im not looking to spend too much. I have Fender amps but theyre for guitar. So Im pretty much looking for a starter pack or something that would be recommended, and good enough quality so I can be happy with it for a while, but for a low enough price. Thanks.

I would suggest to get an amp of minimum 150 watts rms bass amp to start, any thing less will leave you underpowered for a rock band. Something like a used Peavey bass combo amp would get the job done fine.

Secondly, you can purchase a used Fender mexican made Jazz or Precision bass off ebay for around $300. They are great basses when set-up properly.
 
Totally agree. First, I HIGHLY recommend you buy used. You will get more for your money and if you decide bass is not for you, you can sell the gear again (assuming you've taken care of it) without taking too much, if any loss. Second, I would invest most of that $700 on the amp - if you want to get up and running in a band, you'll need as much power as you can get for the money (which is not a lot - bass can get quite expensive ;) )

If you get lucky, perhaps you could find a used MIM (Made in Mexico) Fender bass, which would be a great score. I sold a MIM Precision bass last year for $225. They are great basses that you can continually upgrade down the road if you like. Not sure what to recommend on the amp side - maybe for $475 you could get a used Nemesis, which IMHO is great bang for the buck and powerful enough for jamming with a band.

Welcome to Talkbass, BTW. Great site with lots of friendly, helpful and experienced folks who can help guide you along the way. :bassist:
 
Hey, I didn't mean to come across as being rude, or mean spirited, I was honestly just suggesting that he use the search function, (as he being a new guy, he dosen't know what it is) as it will help you find what you're looking for, and I have specifically seen a thread of this nature before.

Anyhoo, sorry man, welcome to tb, you'll find people to be much nicer than I!

~K
 
You can either by a combo amp that has a speaker and a head (the thing that powers the speaker) in one box, or you can find a seperate speaker and head for more power. The first behringer you listed is a combo that puts out 120 watts, the second behringer you listed is a seperate speaker cab that can HANDLE 1200 watts. You would need to buy a seperate "head" to power it.

Maybe the Behringer 4x10 and Behringer 450 watt head would be good for you. (I don't know what this costs, but It has to be pretty cheap...)
 
Get a Job, save some money, Buy a decent combo amp like a peavey, and you can find several basses under $500 that sound good like fender P-bass's and Ibanez. If it's something you think you might get hooked on doing, getting some decent gear to learn and progress on will save you more money down the road, and you won't regret it. Then save money for a the camera. Bass always comes first. Live by that and you will excel in life, and get the chicks.
 
blackreverend said:
As for the starter stuff, it seems your problem is that you will need a quailty bass and amp to play with people, and most starter packs include amps that are like 20 watts and 6' speaker..no way!
+1000

Personally I'd avoid the Behringer amp. While you're at the Rondo Music web site, check out the Douglass 100 watt bass amp they have for $169.99 for a starter. Don't get caught up thinking "more watts = more volume". There are many ways to measure "watts", and behringer is infamous for fudging around with numbers. A 100W combo with a big honkin' 15" speaker will be sufficient for you.

So go to Rondo, and put together this starter pack:

aba1001.jpg
Douglass 100 watt bass amp


sjb6241qmdrds1.jpg
The 5 string bass you like


A gig bag (or case), cord, a tuner, a strap, and you're ready to go with enough money for a camera!
 
Philbiker said:
+1000

Personally I'd avoid the Behringer amp. While you're at the Rondo Music web site, check out the Douglass 100 watt bass amp they have for $169.99 for a starter. Don't get caught up thinking "more watts = more volume". There are many ways to measure "watts", and behringer is infamous for fudging around with numbers. A 100W combo with a big honkin' 15" speaker will be sufficient for you.

So go to Rondo, and put together this starter pack:

aba1001.jpg
Douglass 100 watt bass amp


sjb6241qmdrds1.jpg
The 5 string bass you like


A gig bag (or case), cord, a tuner, a strap, and you're ready to go with enough money for a camera!

+1

Not to mention a pretty cool looking bass which is always a +! :bassist:
 
I agree with everything said about the amps. Peavey and Crate make some very nice entry level combo amps that would make anyone happy. Yorkville would be another good option.

As for basses, nothing wrong with the suggestions offered so far. However I would recommend you look at Peavey (Millennium or Grind), Yamaha and Ibanez. All produce 5-strings at a reasonable price and are well known for their quality in the entry-level market. Just some food for thought :)
 

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