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

[JTNuney]

Saw a bass for sale recently from Iowa luthier Andrew Drake that he called a “student bass” - apparently he'll sometimes put these together in his spare time using extra hardware. Of course, being made by Drake, they're freaking beautiful, even though the designs are simpler than his full-custom stuff.

Whether we’re talking Drake or Squier, I like “student” bass as a less-derogatory term compared to “beginner.” I mean, I’ve been playing since the 1980s, so I don’t feel like a “beginner” - but I still have a lot to learn, so I’m fine being called a “student”.

 

[JRA]

Whether we’re talking Drake or Squier, I like “student” bass as a less-derogatory term compared to “beginner.” I mean, I’ve been playing since the 1980s, so I don’t feel like a “beginner” - but I still have a lot to learn, so I’m fine being called a “student”.

you make a good point, and i get where you're coming from.

per the OP/discussion:
but i don't care what they're called: i modify the cheapa$$ "beginner" EBs that i buy and turn them into "pro" axes --- so all they are to me is a cheap way to get what i want --- i'm far from being a beginner on bass, or more generally, in music. i've been a pro musician all of my adult life (actually before adulthood) so i figure i can tell the difference between beginner/student/pro models of several instrument types. nowadays, my axes start as cheap beginner models and they end up pro-level players!

i agree that CNC changed everything. for everyone. it's certainly the case that those machines are the reason i can do* what i've been doing with "beginner" axes.

* i'm a musician, not a bass builder. but even i can put parts together.

 

[keyofnight]

I started on an Ibanez ABG way back when. My musician friends thought I should've bought a Squier P. They said I had no business buying something "nicer" because I had no idea if I was going to stick to it. They said I needed to "earn" a better bass. I, of course, didn't care. I played my ABG, and learned so much. I bought a 5-string a year or two later — they were upset about that too. Through all of that, I learned that people just have low expectations of beginners, think they should be hazed, and often just want to be gatekeepers rather than the gate-kept.

Honestly, if I were getting into bass today, I would get something nice like an American Standard P. If I didn't stick with it, I'd sell it and call the loss a rental fee. Why learn on something that you don't want to play? That never made sense to me.

Lucky for all of us, guitars are much, much better than they used to be, and luthiery is much more accessible too. Even many of the bad instruments of the past can be spruced up with a few choice upgrades and a decent setup. No one has to suffer anymore.