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Crap, I can't talk to girls. They smell nice. Well OP, I was going to give you good advice, but now I can't talk. Seriously, the guy said dude, relax.
Back on topic - I've always had a soft spot for the epiphone eb-0, but lots of people like the Ibanez talman and the Squier Bronco. Unfortunately those aren't too metal. The Ibanez mikro should be good as well, and is a bit more metal imo.
Also, don't look into Daisy rock. I mean, they might be alright, but it's just a very obvious and dated form of gender pandering that they do.
As for short scale vs full scale - that's something you'll have to figure out on your own. I've known shorter people that play long scales just fine and taller people that like short scales better. I think for right now you've just got to get playing, although if you feel a short scale is probably better you may very well be right.
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Usually, I'll suggested people who start with Sire, but for your case, I agree with others, Ibanez Mikro will do fine. Or, if you want Fender-ish bass, you can look for Squier Jaguar short scale bass. For the amp, I think the 10" or 8" will do enough. Fender Rumble 25 or Ampeg BA 108
An amp is a complete waste of money at this point in your bass playing education if you have a guitar amp available. There are no coffee shop gigs in your immediate future. Making the time to go to Sam Ash really is a good idea.
The sentiment of go play a few basses is a good one but I understand you are just looking for some guidance.
I would check out a Squier Jazz Bass in short scale and normal scale and see how that feels. You will have to upgrade to a bass amp at some point soon.
I would check out a Squier Jazz Bass in short scale and normal scale and see how that feels. You will have to upgrade to a bass amp at some point soon.
Yes, head to the store and try some out in person. It's not a good idea to buy off the internet sight unseen; musical instruments can have lots of tweaks or flaws, even on different instruments of the same model, so you want to make sure you like the one you're getting.
As a beginner, though, you may be lost as far as what to look for. Three things; look, sound, and feel.
LOOK may sound superficial, but it is important. You should LOVE your bass. You should be eager for the next chance you get to hold it and play it. If you think it's ugly, you'll be less motivated to practice. So buy something that looks cool to you.
SOUND, though, is of course what we want musical instruments for. Plug the instrument into an amp at the store (ask the staff for help) and try plucking some strings and twiddling some knobs. At your stage you probably don't have very specific ideas about exact tones you want, but at least make sure that it sounds like a bass, that there isn't buzzing or crackling static or sound cutting out or anything bad. One thing I do is play EVERY fret on the top and bottom strings. If it buzzes on one side but not the other, the neck may be twisting, or you may find a "dead fret" where going from one fret to another doesn't make a different note like it should.
FEEL means that it should be comfortable. You mentioned being short and having small hands, but honestly, don't be intimidated; there are lots of petite women out there who handle full-scale basses just fine. Try them out and see how you like them. You'll find that some basses are heavier than others, and especially when it comes to the neck, there's a lot of differences; some have skinny necks, some have fat necks, some have flat fretboards and some more curved, etc. None of that is good or bad, it's just a matter of players having different preferences. Again, you won't really know yet what your preference is, and all basses will be somewhat uncomfortable because you're not used to them, but try out different ones and see which you like more. I would recommend asking the store to lend you a strap so you can see how they balance when you stand up; some will "neck dive," meaning the neck drops to the floor and you have to hold it up to play.
Also, you should look into getting a bass amp. At this point you'll just be playing in your bedroom to learn, I assume, so don't worry about anything big and powerful. There are a lot of decent practice amps for around $100, the store might have a used one for less.
Some have mentioned buying used; you can definitely get better deals off Craigslist and such. I don't necessarily advise it for a beginner, though. If you don't know how to check out a used bass, you could be buying someone else's problem. And a private sale carries no return policy or warranty.
As a beginner, though, you may be lost as far as what to look for. Three things; look, sound, and feel.
LOOK may sound superficial, but it is important. You should LOVE your bass. You should be eager for the next chance you get to hold it and play it. If you think it's ugly, you'll be less motivated to practice. So buy something that looks cool to you.
SOUND, though, is of course what we want musical instruments for. Plug the instrument into an amp at the store (ask the staff for help) and try plucking some strings and twiddling some knobs. At your stage you probably don't have very specific ideas about exact tones you want, but at least make sure that it sounds like a bass, that there isn't buzzing or crackling static or sound cutting out or anything bad. One thing I do is play EVERY fret on the top and bottom strings. If it buzzes on one side but not the other, the neck may be twisting, or you may find a "dead fret" where going from one fret to another doesn't make a different note like it should.
FEEL means that it should be comfortable. You mentioned being short and having small hands, but honestly, don't be intimidated; there are lots of petite women out there who handle full-scale basses just fine. Try them out and see how you like them. You'll find that some basses are heavier than others, and especially when it comes to the neck, there's a lot of differences; some have skinny necks, some have fat necks, some have flat fretboards and some more curved, etc. None of that is good or bad, it's just a matter of players having different preferences. Again, you won't really know yet what your preference is, and all basses will be somewhat uncomfortable because you're not used to them, but try out different ones and see which you like more. I would recommend asking the store to lend you a strap so you can see how they balance when you stand up; some will "neck dive," meaning the neck drops to the floor and you have to hold it up to play.
Also, you should look into getting a bass amp. At this point you'll just be playing in your bedroom to learn, I assume, so don't worry about anything big and powerful. There are a lot of decent practice amps for around $100, the store might have a used one for less.
Some have mentioned buying used; you can definitely get better deals off Craigslist and such. I don't necessarily advise it for a beginner, though. If you don't know how to check out a used bass, you could be buying someone else's problem. And a private sale carries no return policy or warranty.
Just one man's opinion -
Buy a Squier VM Jazz or Precision
Get a good teacher
Use the guitar amp at low volume
Learn good technique so you don't need to worry about short scale vs long scale.
Buy a Squier VM Jazz or Precision
Get a good teacher
Use the guitar amp at low volume
Learn good technique so you don't need to worry about short scale vs long scale.
I agree with Ifmn16. Get a good teacher first and you both can discuss a good starter bass. A good practice amp can be had for around $100 new. Above all, learn good technique. Again, get a teacher. Good luck and keep coming back to the forum. Plenty of good information here. 
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Shop is best suggestion, but do you have someone who plays bass / guitar to go along?
If you never owned a bass / guitar you might miss some detail, like neck warp, sharp frets, not working controls, etc. Or get carried away by salesperson speech, and checking instruments they want you to check, not those you like.
If you have a teacher they definitely have an opinion, and probably some basses to try.
If you never owned a bass / guitar you might miss some detail, like neck warp, sharp frets, not working controls, etc. Or get carried away by salesperson speech, and checking instruments they want you to check, not those you like.
If you have a teacher they definitely have an opinion, and probably some basses to try.
I would agree... These are pretty well made, sound good, and the short scale will help you out being that you have smaller hands. Check one out at whatever music store is near you and see how they feel.
Hi! Welcome to TalkBass. Glad you could join us on the journey.
But now - to business.
I'd suggest checking out a Gretsch Junior Jet. Huge amount of sound that would work well for rock or metal. I own one and like it a lot. They run $300 new and below $200 used. And they're worth every dime IMO.
You can get away with a guitar amp at first if you're budget is extremely limited. Many of us have been there at one point. The key thing is to start playing, because the two most important things to do if you want to play bass - or any other instrument - are:
A guitar amp kept to a low volume will at least allow you to start playing and take lessons. Where it won't work well is when you start playing with others. For that you'll want an amp designed for bass. And Fender makes a family of amps called the Rumble series that are excellent buys. Prices vary depending on the configuration and power. But even the small and inexpensive practice sized models are decent. So be sure to check those out too.
As far as being 5'1" goes, it probably won't matter. There are a lot of smaller people playing standard 34" scale basses. Proper technique is all that's usually required to comfortably play one. So don't automatically assume you need a short scale bass just because you're not pro basketball height.
There's a whole lot more to learn and know. But that'll come later once you get started.
Luck!
But now - to business.
I'd suggest checking out a Gretsch Junior Jet. Huge amount of sound that would work well for rock or metal. I own one and like it a lot. They run $300 new and below $200 used. And they're worth every dime IMO.
You can get away with a guitar amp at first if you're budget is extremely limited. Many of us have been there at one point. The key thing is to start playing, because the two most important things to do if you want to play bass - or any other instrument - are:
- Start playing
- Start playing with others as soon as possibe
A guitar amp kept to a low volume will at least allow you to start playing and take lessons. Where it won't work well is when you start playing with others. For that you'll want an amp designed for bass. And Fender makes a family of amps called the Rumble series that are excellent buys. Prices vary depending on the configuration and power. But even the small and inexpensive practice sized models are decent. So be sure to check those out too.
As far as being 5'1" goes, it probably won't matter. There are a lot of smaller people playing standard 34" scale basses. Proper technique is all that's usually required to comfortably play one. So don't automatically assume you need a short scale bass just because you're not pro basketball height.
There's a whole lot more to learn and know. But that'll come later once you get started.
Luck!
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Others have said it and I agree, you can use a guitar amp for now. Keep the volume level reasonable and it will be fine. Ibanez and Fender/Squier are both good brands for beginners. Neither one does much in short scale but the Ibanez Mikro and the Squier short scale Jaguar are both worth a look. Fairly small women and men play double bass quite well so you may not need to have a short scale. Try some long scale basses in your price range too. I play both, I like both, and both work very well/sound great!
Nooooo! EB-0 with fuzz is awesome and übermetal, whilst the Mikro is just tiny. She's not 4 years old, she's pretty much the size of Tal, Victor Wooten etc.
I'd suggest to try a Squier jazz of some sort or an Ibanez SR300. If those prove too long, look into Mustangs, Broncos, EB-0.
Definitely try out as many basses as you can and buy what feels most comfortable. That will keep you playing more. If a 34" doesn't feel good, you won't play it. No matter what you get, you'll figure out what you really prefer as you go. Your next bass will probably be quite different from what you buy now.
You guitar amp will work for now, but you'll need a proper bass amp to play with others.
Check out the Squier short scale Jazz if you can find one. Decent bass at a great price.
You guitar amp will work for now, but you'll need a proper bass amp to play with others.
Check out the Squier short scale Jazz if you can find one. Decent bass at a great price.
Take a look at these and see which one you like. Pick the one that makes you want to play it.
Ibanez Mikro
Squire Jaguar (Short Scale)
Ibanez Talman (Short Scale)
Gretch Junior Jet
Epiphone EB-0
Also, check out violin basses (although not metal they are hollow and usually loud enough to practice without an amp)
Right now you have no idea what you prefer in a bass. It is better to pick something you are excited to play and fuels your enthusiasm. Then, once you are more familiar with the feel and sound of bass you'll know what you want in a bass and can make a more informed decision when moving to something more intermediate.
Ibanez Mikro
Squire Jaguar (Short Scale)
Ibanez Talman (Short Scale)
Gretch Junior Jet
Epiphone EB-0
Also, check out violin basses (although not metal they are hollow and usually loud enough to practice without an amp)
Right now you have no idea what you prefer in a bass. It is better to pick something you are excited to play and fuels your enthusiasm. Then, once you are more familiar with the feel and sound of bass you'll know what you want in a bass and can make a more informed decision when moving to something more intermediate.
$300 can buy you a decent bass nowadays. If you continue playing, it probably won't be your forever bass, but in the hands of a pro, it'll sound better than most of us playing a $10K Fodera. If a short scale works better for you, that's an option that some go with. Then again, I've seen people that are 5 feet tall playing full scales, and knocking it out of the park, so there are no real hard and fast rules. A bass that's easier to play - well set up, fits your hands, etc. will make learning easier, and at the start, that's what you should be focusing on - playability.
You can still get something like let's say:-
Squier VM Jaguar Short scale or an Ibanez Talman TMB30 for $179 and still have about $100 left for an amp. If you want to go the short scale route, these are two of the best in terms of quality and affordability. The Ibanez Mikro may be too small imo, these are slightly bigger but still short scale, also they're versatile basses because of the pickups configuration (a p bass pickup and jazz bass pu) - good for all kinds of music. Try them out and as many other basses you can before buying.
You can also find a better used bass amp with more wattage pretty inexpensively for under $100 at pawn stores, guitar center etc. I bought my 150w Fender amp for around that on Craigslist.
I just hate to see someone buy a low wattage amp because people seem to say tgat you can get more power/size later on.
I say that's a waste of effort and money.
IMO..... buy the biggest, baddest amp you can afford after plunking out whatever $ to buy the bass you need or want .... a combo-amp is good at this point.
Is it too big? Nope. It has a volume knob.
Is it too small? Nope. It was a volume knob.
You WILL want power earlier on than you realize, and any female bassist has a lot of appeal in a group, so you will get asked to play sooner than later.
Sell those wimpy guitar amps for more working cash. You'll run the risk of destroying them if you "somehow exceed" their capacity. They will die.....then they'll be junk with no redeeming value.
Learn your chops on the fingerboard, learn to read and you'll find bands looking for someone with your assets.(no pun intended).... but a diminutive girl on bass is a good PR move for a band.
Tal seems to have a full play-schedule. Go girl!
I say that's a waste of effort and money.
IMO..... buy the biggest, baddest amp you can afford after plunking out whatever $ to buy the bass you need or want .... a combo-amp is good at this point.
Is it too big? Nope. It has a volume knob.
Is it too small? Nope. It was a volume knob.
You WILL want power earlier on than you realize, and any female bassist has a lot of appeal in a group, so you will get asked to play sooner than later.
Sell those wimpy guitar amps for more working cash. You'll run the risk of destroying them if you "somehow exceed" their capacity. They will die.....then they'll be junk with no redeeming value.
Learn your chops on the fingerboard, learn to read and you'll find bands looking for someone with your assets.(no pun intended).... but a diminutive girl on bass is a good PR move for a band.
Tal seems to have a full play-schedule. Go girl!
