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Recommendations for a starter bass?

pati0furniture

pati0furniture

Guest
Apr 30, 2016
6
2
42
DFW, Texas
#1
Hello all, I'm looking for some advice on what bass to pick up/what to look for when going to buy one. I'm a total beginner, just looking for something to learn with. My budget is around $200. I'm finding quite a few options at that price point and just not sure which way to jump. I like blues, jazz, and rock/metal. But I'll probably play rock/metal the most with my buddy/coworkers, garage band style. Thanks!
 
#2
pati0furniture said:
I'm finding quite a few options at that price point and just not sure which way to jump. !
Click to expand...

Go and try out the ones you have found. The one that feels right in your hands, and sounds right to you, is the one to go for. Bear in mind that the type of strings can play a big role in how the bass sounds.

Best of luck...and welcome to TB... and the low end. :)
 
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#3
When you do try them out try them out with and set the strapeight so that the bass sits the same way whether you are sitting or standing. Also consider things like your build... arm length, hand size etc.... In that price range I would be looking at a Squirt of some kind also an amp that is 50_150W. You want to try to get gear that youwill be able to grow into. Don't look at it like just buying beginner gear especially with. You don't need some 200w box but you want something that will atleast allow you to play with others to a degree should you beady for that in a few months depending how much work you do and what is available to you.
 
#4
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Squier, SX, Ibanez all have great options in your price range. Another great option is a used Peavey T20, Fury or Patriot. These basses are built in the USA and were made to go head to head with American made basses. They are super high quality and are well within your budget. I recently bought a mahogany body Patriot for $99 bucks. Good luck with your search! Here's my Patriot.
 
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#5
Buy used. You get better quality for your money than your cash will get you new and can resell for what you paid for it. The bass may be setup and play very well. Even buying new ask that the bass be setup professionally so you aren't fighting it.
Ask some pros. Go to venues and politely ask around. Look what people are playing. Look what bassists of different genres are playing. Listen for what you like about the sound even if it's polka. :) EEK! Just kidding. Bass is way upfront in polka. I say this because while you are a beginner bassists get called more than all the other folks to play lots of different music. We tend to fall in love with lots of forms and leave our preferences (prejudices?) at the door and just enjoy music. Don't jump on what stars are playing because they may have endorsements or the version they are playing can be custom for them.
Welcome to the fold.
 
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#6
Love your avatar name! I, too, am a beginner bassist. I started with an Ibanez GSR200. It was fine and easy to play, but I just couldn't get the tone I wanted from it. I now play a Squier Standard Special PBass and love it. I bought it used for about $120. It's a PJ, so I have plenty of tone options to explore as I learn what "my" sound is. I also bought an open box Fender Rumble 100w v3 amp. It's pretty flexible as well with different tones to try out. I wasn't able to try a lot of basses in my town, but I certainly would suggest starting with that! Happy Playing!
 
#8
Haha thanks Patio44. And thank you everyone for the info. I'm probably buying at the end of the month, I'm near DFW in Texas and I'm finding alot of good deals on craigslist. 2 of my friends play bass as well and they have a few different ones, so I'm planning on getting with them to get a feel for some different models.
 
#11
I've had a few students and other people over the years who were looking for decent starter basses. From music stores, pawn shops, later Craigslist, I was always able to find decent basses for under $100 used.

Squier, Ibanez, Peavey, Yamaha, Washburn, and others...usually around $60-80. I'd do a setup...clean up controls, take care of fret sprout, tweak the truss rod, make sure the nut and intonation are right, and replace the strings if needed...usually not needed for a starter...the strings were usually OK.

What they'd get was a servicable, easily playing, decent sounding bass, with good action and intonation. Most stuck with their "starters" for years before buying a "better" bass.

A First Act bass, set up correctly, with no fret sprout (and maybe rolled fretboard edges) can be a decent player.
 
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#12
This is probably my Fender bias speaking but i think that Squire's are your best bet since they're rather close in function to their genuine Fender counterparts which are the derivative models for so many other brand basses out there. I started on an 5 string Affinity J Bass (Big mistake on my part to start on a 5 string, but i believe it made me more articulate). I'd recommend a Jazz, Jaguar, or Precision in the "Vintage Modified" or "Affinity" series, they're typically of a better quality than generic instruments that come in the Squire starter packs.
 
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#13
I'm a big fan of both the Fender Squire series and Sterling SUB basses. You can find both used and new for under $300.

With that said it's more important to play them and see what feels right. It will be an experiment in the beginning. It could take years before you really figure out what works for you. Enjoy the journey!
 
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#16
Good news is that these days there's a budget version of almost any major basses such as a p, j, musicman, hofner, etc. You gotta play as many as you can in order to determine the one that appeals you the most sound, playability, and the look wise. the durability is acceptable and the afordiability is nice these days. good luck, rock.
 
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#18
Third Stone From the Sun said:
Squier is the way to go because of the modding potential many parts are either internchangeable or require little work so they do. You could even go so far as to where the only think Squier is the wood. since you are a beginner your bass can grow with you and become personalized
Click to expand...

Right on, I love tinkering with stuff. Building/upgrading/modding PCs, game consoles, etc.
 
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