There's no such thing as a "beginner" bass.

[JesterR]

Yep, it's promotional slogan for selling cheaper instrument. And very clever. When you say parents, which do not want to spend too much $$$ that this is actually how it should be.
And when it used as marketing nothing wrong with it. You definitely could play on cheap instruments, if they properly set.

But what bothers me, when someone try promote idea, that you HAVE to start on some cheap instrument. And it would give impression, that you sound bad because you are bad player, when cheap instrument could be really just bad. And this idea is very toxic.

 

[jimmydean]

No such thing as a beginner bass , it's about the low price of the instrument .

 

[chris_b]

Beginners deserve good basses to learn on.

 

[ElectricBass72]

I agree with OP. My cheapest bass, an Ibanez Talman that I bought new with rebate for $150 from MF... is totally gig worthy with amazing action and tone. The Talman would also sound great on recordings. It ain't no damn beginner bass... but would serve a beginner well.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I enjoy watching good bass review videos. But one thing that always irks me is when the reviewer refers to a budget bass as "suitable for beginners" or "aimed at beginners" or "for beginners". Manufacturers do it too in their ad copy. They'll say things like "it's affordable and lightweight with a comfy smooth satin neck and minimalist configuration which is great for beginners!". Hell all of that sounds great and desirable for ANY player.

Or "these features make it great for beginners or a great backup for more experienced players." As if more experienced players automatically want more bells and whistles. Maybe some of us want comfort and simplicity! I get it. They need "tiers" so you'll keep buying more basses to get to the next level. Like a video game where the final boss is a $10,000 premium deluxe boutique yacht of a bass. Sheesh.

Anyway, bit of a lighthearted rant. I don't knock what anyone likes. I just often prefer cheap "beginner" basses (but not always) and I've been at it 25 years. Sue me! Over!

Personally I prefer the term entry level.

But, I’ve never been a fan of buying the cheapest, most likely to fail, worst sounding worst playing instrument you can get your hands on for any reason. Expecting someone subjected to a bad experience to be motivated to practice and improve to the point of “qualifying’ fo and better instrument is beyond me.

From an economic standpoint an entry level instrument usually bought at full retail is about as close to a dead loss as you can get. Either frustration is going to kill the romance, or the newby is going to gualify for a better instrument. Either way, you are left with a bass with a zero street value.

When I’ve been asked for advice on buying instruments and this has happened a lot, I’ve alway recommended set a price range for their budget, then buying a quality used instrument in very good condition. At worst if the romance fades they can get most of the money back out of it, or use the sale proceeds towards the cost better instrument.

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

Interesting topic. The opinions already expressed are all valid, because they're coming from our own experience(s).

I've been playing for over 45 years. My first bass was a used pre-CBS Fender Precision. It wasn't very expensive. I've owned an awful lot of basses over that span, with a wide difference in quality, tone, playability, fit and finish, setup, etc.

I learned how to do all my own work on every bass I've ever owned (complete fretwork, truss adjustment, bridge adjustments, neck shimming, electronics, etc.) and I've probably modded every bass I've ever owned. None of those basses were anything but a bass I wanted at that time, some were inexpensive, some cost me a lot of money, but I wouldn't have thought to label any of them "beginner" or "professional" or whatever.

I took a break for a few years and recently came back to playing bass again and bought an Ibanez GSR206 six string bass for $379. I can't find any fault or flaw in it whatsoever. Sounds and plays beautifully.

I love and appreciate the aesthetics of a beautifully designed and built bass. Regardless of price.

So what's a beginner bass? It's the bass one begins playing bass with.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

It's not always true that you get what you pay for, and there are certainly things (not just basses) that are unreasonably marked up,

Yes, I was playing a friends Foldera, it is really nice. But it’s not 10 times better than my Fender. I have a $300 bass that I play at a lot of gigs, smooth fret ends, nice tight tuners, sounds good plus a great review from @LowEndLobster. Even though it is considered a “beginner” bass it works for me. After 30 years I still looking for advanced player bass? More strings? More knobs? no tuners? Auto tune? Auto playing? Curved neck? Goofy shape? Weird color?
Maybe more strings? I guess the more strings your bass has the better you are?
I guess we 4 stringers will be beginners all our bass lives,,,,,

 

[BassBrass]

This is just Advertising, use of key words to attract specific buyers even if they leave other kinds of buyers out, (they will disregard what doesn't apply) and amazingly, IT WORKS. It's something you should learn to disregard too unless you don't get enough stress from everyday life.

 

[2strings2frets]

“Beginner “ instruments are low priced for a reason. To allow parents to provide children a new experience or experiment if you will, to expand their horizons musically. If only pro instruments at pro prices were available then very few kids would experience the joy and rising confidence of a developing skill and first performance. The fact that these offerings can be used at the pro level is a credit to modern manufacturing methods.

 

[dougjwray]

Parents can have two different philosophies:
1) Give the kid a cheap instrument, so that I haven't lost a lot of money if he or she loses interest in a month.
2) Give the kid a "good" instrument because it will invite more playing, I can afford it, and nothing's too good for my little Timmy or Susie.
I agree with the OP-- a "beginner bass" is simply the one you start on. Also, as many have said, the consistency has gone so far up with CNC, etc., that I, who have been playing pro gigs for about 50 years, find something like the new Squier Sonic P-Bass perfectly viable for gigging and recording.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Back in the day, there was two flavors of "beginner " guitars and basses.
There was the really hard to play catalog stuff.
But the big players had em too.
Fenders Mustang, Music master stuff. Gibsons Melody Maker, Junior stuff etc.
It all came down to price..And how much mommy and daddy loved you..

 

[Swerve]

This is just Advertising, use of key words to attract specific buyers even if they leave other kinds of buyers out, (they will disregard what doesn't apply) and amazingly, IT WORKS. It's something you should learn to disregard too unless you don't get enough stress from everyday life.

Yes this is clearly a first world problem.

 

[Swerve]

This reminded me of when I went to GC to buy one of those Squier Mini P's a few years ago. The worker asked if I was buying it for my kid. I said no it was for me. They then asked if I was interested in lessons. Lol

They couldn't wrap their head around why an experienced player would want to buy a $200 mini bass.

Because its fun and some of us just have cheap tastes!

 

[HelpImaRock]

This reminded me of when I went to GC

Well there's your first problem...

 

[Five or Six]

Here is what I've done. I have some top end basses. I rehearse with my favorite right along gig with it. On several ocassions I have (unknown to my band) substituted one of my less expensive basses at a gig. Not a word from anyone about sound at all or, what I'm producing. No one notices unless they look at the bass being played that it's not my standard. No one knew the difference.

I do all my own setups which is to "my" liking, not to someone else's. Dumping the original strings is always the first step! My setups take a couple of days to perfect and make it comfortable. A lower cost bass can be made to play well with the "right" setup and this is imperative. It plays well right out of the box or off the wall is what kind of evaluation? Really!? So does this belief ruin someone's experience trying any bass no matter the price? No setup required?? Again, Really?!

The lower price is a good thing for someone in their infancy as a bass player or, any instrument for that matter. You never know if the project will be stuck with. The gear investment needs to be progressive as a player hangs and improves. Progression will deem reward. Lower priced basses don't necessarily constitute junk.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Another advertising anomaly back when was that the relatively nice beginner instruments ( Fender/Gibson) marketed themselves as perfect for the student/beginner.
While the Japanese stuff and catalog gear trumpeted their offerings as "Pro quality "!

 

[salmon256]

"Beginner" "Pro" "Studio Quality" are all marketing terms. Ok maybe Studio Quality may have some reason but I had a intense debate with a trombone teacher who deny such a thing exist, in his head he really believed a Pro Horn could not be played by students and they would struggle. Lol ok... it just a price difference.

It's true a pro would get something of that quality, at the end of the day maybe people even struggle themselves with that concept and also the idea of saying something is "beginner" is just a way to pretend is it magically easier to play then other basses but it is just saying it isn't 1k expensive IMO...

Unsure if it will show but there was simialr thread on Upright basses
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/st...on-student-double-bass.1660717/#post-28697814

am just echoing what @Scott Lynch said but very much the whole idea of a student upright is nothing more than in my honest opinion marketing. I had an intense debate many times with one professional trombonist on a forum back in those days when I play bone. This user was very hardcore that student bones were truly different and were different and better than a "Cheap" one and that if a student played on a "Pro" horn would struggle... It for sure will differ for all instruments but many classical/school instruments like violins, trumpets etc., will have student on them to aid parents to find a cheap one or even for mass buying for schools.

Just my 2 cents best of luck in your searches.

 

[ebozzz]

What else are you supposed to call basses with cheap wood, cheap hardware and rough frets

I would call them unsuitable for beginners or any bassist….

 

[Matt O]

I agree with those that are saying the concept of a “beginner” anything is marketing meant to appeal to frugal parents that are bankrolling Jr’s latest whim.

This thread inspired me to call my 90 year old mom, thankfully still with us, to thank her for buying me my first “beginner” bass. She had to go behind my dad’s back who was totally opposed to the idea. Thought it was a waste of money because I’d just give up on it in a couple weeks. She had $100 to spend and that’s what she did on a used Magnum. I begged for a Precision. Nope. Anyway, she appreciated the call from me and it brightened her day. I didn’t mention to her that the Magnum was pretty much unplayable and I did abandon it for a Precision about a year after. Payed $187 at a flea market. I remember that number because it was every dollar I had and the seller accepted my offer down from the $225 asking price. Anyway, thanks mom.

BTW, the 1951 Fender precision was the original beginner bass if you think about it. Unless, of course you had access to a Tutmarc then. Which nobody did.

 

[Brian Patterson]

I sprung for Yamaha's bottom rung BB234 to be my first bass on recommendation at GC by a bass player - I'm in love with it after all the mods I made - only thing original left is the wood! But the body was ideal for building a custom intrument without radical surgery of any kind. Drop in parts were.a breeze to install and I saved a bundle in the process. My 'beginner bass' ain't going anywhere soon ...