Practice bass....

[Logic_11]

Thanks for the replies.

In all honesty I haven't really learnt to play much at all yet. After considering entry level models, my mind took over and I started looking at the next model up, then the next, and so on... I'm currently considering an Ibanez Premium model at a very tempting price. Having not owned and played a bass over many years, I don't know how long they would last under different types of usage. I doubt I'll be gigging, and if I did it would be quite some time before I'd be at that stage. I do intend to look after whatever bass I own, which is why I started the thread.

If buying a cheap Ibanez to learn and practice on would mean that my expensive bass would last longer, then I'd consider it to be a worthwhile investment. But if I'm just being too cautious and daft, I'd rather save money and enjoy the best bass that I can afford.

Not sure which ibanez premium model your looking at but, I have a super basic model and I play in a band with it every week.
I love it and I won't be getting rid of it anytime soon because I like it so much. Eventually I'll upgrade the pickups on it, but that's later
I love how it feels and how it weighs. Don't impulse buy, just weigh your options, think of which one you like and why, take your time

 

[Leo Thunder]

That blue SR370e looks really nice

I do love mine:

 

[nilorius]

I don't think there is a need for practice bass. Practice with the same you gig.

 

[Neil Martin]

At the end of the day do what YOU want to do. Its your bass and your money you're spending. Me personally though echo the idea if you buy a bass you really like then yea play it. That's what its designed/made for not to sit in a case all the time. I'm the proud and lucky owner of two rickenbackers and when I play one I always feel guilty for leaving the other one in it's case. Wish I could play both at the same time.

 

[Leo Thunder]

At the end of the day do what YOU want to do.

People asking for advice do not know what they want to do. That's why they're asking and they don't need anyone to give them some pointless non-answer.

 

[Neil Martin]

People asking for advice do not know what they want to do. That's why they're asking and they don't need anyone to give them some pointless non-answer.

Well fair enough mate. Its an open forum where people are free to give their opinions which TS can ignore if they like. I could say the same for pointless replies but there you go.

 

[crankypants]

What's a "practice bass"? It's just your bass, innit?

 

[LowRick]

I practice on the bass i gig it with. Initially the thought was "to get the tone right" but i adapted that reasoning to be "to get the feel right". Granted, i don't have many basses, but i gig most with my expensive one and so i also practice most with it. It's made to be played (though it would also look awesome on a wall)

sometimes we do a Police song so i gig (and practice) that with my squier Tele. (i think that is actually a matter of tone)

Bottomline, i would never buy a bass and not practice on it. Specially in home/rehearsal-room conditions which is usually not the worst enviroment for it.

 

[JakobT]

After a few issues with getting a "new" bass, it's also given me time to think and I've slowly moved my focus from an entry level model to something a bit more substantial. I haven't yet pulled the trigger, but I'm extremely tempted.

So what I'm wondering is if people generally have a practice bass to learn and mess about with, rather than put their prized possession through daily torture.

Part of me is saying I should get something dirt cheap for practicing and messing about etc, but I don't know if I'm just being overly cautious.

Any thoughts?

Get the best you can afford, something that will want to make you pick it up and play it every day. Practicing on a cheap bass when you own a good one is a little bit like having plastic covers on your living room couch.

 

[HardNHeavy]

Does anyone use "practice strings"

 

[Fun With Dirt]

I only have one bass. So....my prized #1 is my practice bass.

I'm trying to keep it that way. Sort of on purpose. I have 5 or 6 guitars. I almost never play them individually speaking so I never get super comfortable playing any one of them. I have like 4 guitar amps, too. Hardly play any of them.

3 years now with this being my only bass, I'm super comfortable playing it. It looks about as good now as it did the day I bought it brand new.

 

[nnnnnn]

So what I'm wondering is if people generally have a practice bass to learn and mess about with, rather than put their prized possession through daily torture.

In a "normal" environment a bass will not wear out from being played, so no, don't worry.

Having said that, for a while my wife had a "car guitar" - a cheap acoustic that was OK, but cheap enough that it wouldn't be much of a loss if it were damaged or stolen, so it was used on roadtrips, sometimes left in the car in very hot weather, passed around at the beach, played by a campfire, whatever. But practicing at home she played her good guitar.

 

[MCF]

After a few issues with getting a "new" bass, it's also given me time to think and I've slowly moved my focus from an entry level model to something a bit more substantial. I haven't yet pulled the trigger, but I'm extremely tempted.

So what I'm wondering is if people generally have a practice bass to learn and mess about with, rather than put their prized possession through daily torture.

Part of me is saying I should get something dirt cheap for practicing and messing about etc, but I don't know if I'm just being overly cautious.

Any thoughts?

I mostly practice on better basses. They get properly cleaned and put away when I’m done. But I also have a beater Squire that I’m not afraid to leave lying around, even outside, to keep handy for a few minutes playing here and there while doing other things.

 

[halfwound121]

For $500 or so you can buy something substantial to learn on.
At that price, I wouldn't really worry about wearing it out practicing an hour or so a day. For that matter, I would have no concerns with a $1,000, if you're thinking of spending more money.
The only thing I'd worry about is buying a cheap bass that you can't bond with, something that will keep you from practicing every day.
You're better off finding something that sounds good and feels better, no matter the price. Something that makes you grab it the minute you have an hour to spare.
If it happens to be a low-priced bass, fine, but if it's an expensive bass, all the better.
Believe me, you're not going to damage it just by playing it.

After a few issues with getting a "new" bass, it's also given me time to think and I've slowly moved my focus from an entry level model to something a bit more substantial. I haven't yet pulled the trigger, but I'm extremely tempted.

So what I'm wondering is if people generally have a practice bass to learn and mess about with, rather than put their prized possession through daily torture.

Part of me is saying I should get something dirt cheap for practicing and messing about etc, but I don't know if I'm just being overly cautious.

Any thoughts?

As someone who has way too many basses, I strongly recommend that you don’t buy one just for practice. If you already own a decent one, play that one always. If you want a better one, buy the one you want and sell the other. The only real reasons to have more than one are if you need tone choices and if you pick so hard that you break strings. The downside is learning the feel of playing your bass, where you place your right hand, the feel of the neck and string tension, using the pots to get the tones you need for various songs, etc. Unless your “practice bass” is similar to your main, like having 2 jazz basses, you will learn to play faster by sticking with one, imho. I have a lot of nice basses that I feel obligated to play, and it always takes me time to adjust to whatever I’ve grabbed to practice with. Sometimes I wish I would sell them all and keep a favorite, but I know I never will because I can’t decide which is my favorite. In a way they all are.

 

[Admiral Thrawn]

I was in the same situation when I got back into bass after a hiatus.

I got an Adam Clayton Signature Jazz bass and then about 5 months later, a StingRay5.

The ACJB cost about $1800; the StingRay5 $2400. Ended up selling the ACJB about 4 months after getting the StingRay (I grew up playing a StingRay and when I got my hands on another one, we just clicked in a way that I didn't with the ACJB).

@TheBlueFalcon, get the bass you want. I don't play out at the moment, but I do take lessons and play/practice a lot every day. Playing on my 'Ray makes those playing hours and lessons hours a lot more fun, I think, than if I were on a cheaper bass (not necessarily cheaper in price, but in build quality, like if I were using a beater for my practicing). So when these other guys are saying you'll be more inclined to practice and play if you have a "nicer" bass, they're absolutely right.

When I was starting out (in high school), I initially had a Samick POS. Couldn't be set up to keep intonation or in tune to save my life. It was just a junk bass, it happens. But as I was just starting out, I didn't want to practice because I was fighting the bass more than playing it. When I got into my high school's jazz band, I got to take home the school's Fender MIM Jazz Bass, and that's when my playing really took off. It was a better bass than what I had at the time, and that made practicing easier--I was no longer fighting the bass to learn my parts and learn the instrument. That was junior year. By senior year, I was rocking the bass and had picked up my first StingRay and playing more than ever.

So, if that Premium Ibanez is calling to you, go get it! The worst that will happen is that it won't speak to you and you end up selling it to get a different bass. Then again, if you're able to test out a broad range of basses, you might find something else that is even a better fit and you'll be off to the races.

Let us know what you go with!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

My first bass was a Rickenbacker 4001, like getting a Ferrari with a learners permit, but I never regretted it. It looked, felt, and sounded great, which made me want to play it more. In those days the market was pretty well divided into high end or crap, but there are lots of great basses in the sub $500 range now. Get the best thing you can afford. I'd suggest any Ibanez SR, 300 series and up. Somebody already quoted the mantra I drilled into my son when he got his first bass: "In your hands or in the Case". My ancient basses look nearly pristine because I never trust a guitar stand, never leave a bass leaning against an amp, etc. What some people call "mojo", I call neglect. Wear is inevitable, beat to sh#t isnt.

 

[TheBlueFalcon]

A few people have asked which bass I am considering. I think I should first explain how I got to that....

Initially I was looking at SR300EB, SR370E, SR400EQM. After attempting to buy a "new" bass, but being sent "used" basses on 3 consecutive orders, I was feeling dispirited and almost gave up on the idea. This was after a very similar situation 10 years ago!! But I don't want to make the mistake of giving up again, then regretting it in another 10 years. I've realised I need to ignore my expectations of the condition of a "new" bass, within reason.

I've also been hung up on certain things about basses I've looked at, like pickups, colours, finishes, matching headstock, hardware style and colour. So another thing I decided on is that I'm not going to avoid a bass because of something cosmetic. I feel like this was a big step for me.

So, as one of the models mentioned above was going to be more like a starter bass, until I could afford something better, I've decided to skip that step and get the best I can afford now.

Recently I had the opportunity to get an SR670 at what I think was a reasonable price. But I was not sure about those Bartolini BH2's in the long run. This is obviously more than just cosmetic, so after considering the cost of replacing them, I realised I may as well put that money towards a better bass.

Therefore, right now I am considering the SR1800E. I did have the opportunity to get an SR1820E at a similar price, but I have a gut feeling that the pre-CITES model could potentially be better - or maybe it's just wind!!

Sorry for the long post.

 

[Bassmike62]

After a few issues with getting a "new" bass, it's also given me time to think and I've slowly moved my focus from an entry level model to something a bit more substantial. I haven't yet pulled the trigger, but I'm extremely tempted.

So what I'm wondering is if people generally have a practice bass to learn and mess about with, rather than put their prized possession through daily torture.

Part of me is saying I should get something dirt cheap for practicing and messing about etc, but I don't know if I'm just being overly cautious.

Any thoughts?

Knowing myself, if I'd get a cheaper bass just for practice, I'd probably play her for a while and at one point go back to the ones I enjoy playing. Had such an experience with an entry-level Squier sunburst Jazz, but I ended up selling it, I kept going back to the 3 others, including the Squier VM 70s and VM77. The sunburst one was simply not up to par, IMO. YMMV.

 

[iiipopes]

I even gigged my Rickenbacker 4002 (yes, "2," not "1" or "3") collectible in the extreme after Mr. John Hall himself said, "4002? They are rare as hens' teeth!" This added a zero to the numerical collector value of the bass, but I gigged it regularly until I completely wore the frets out. So I had a local luthier who reveres Rickenbacker refret it to factory fresh, and I still gig it. No, not every gig, as I now play in different bands that the repertoire requires different instruments and tunings (5-string, down tuned, Uke bass, etc.). But I don't leave it in its case under the bed to deteriorate, either.

It is kind of like driving a rare collectible car and parking it in the mall parking lot. Do I park it under the lights a couple of spaces down to avoid door dings? Yes. Do I worry about it getting stolen? No, because it is just too obvious. Do I keep it parked in the garage on days of inclement weather? Yes. Do I refrain from driving it on good days, just to let the seals dry out and the gasoline turn to varnish and the oil to sludge? No. I drive it. It was made to drive.

Purchase a nice bass that you like, take care of it, play it every day like it is your last gig, and enjoy it. If it breaks or wears out, fix it and rock on. You can't enjoy the music if you are always worried about the bass.

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star,
He played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the steak bar.
He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the Machine

 

[iiipopes]

Oh - one last thought - Sir Macca still takes his Höfner on the road. With its own seat on the airplane and a body guard, yes; but he still takes it on stage, now 56+ years after getting it. That should say it all.