Tips for buying

[Dana R Gregory]

A good bass to start with is the Squier Classic Vibe 60s fretless jazz bass. It will weigh in between 8 and 9lbs. I had one a couple years ago strung with chromes and loved it. Hated to let it go. Very reasonably priced and worth a look.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

1. Hello guys, I need some tips for buying a new bass. I plan to study in a jazz academy and was looking for something that is suitable for jazz. I've been working on a cheap Cort bass for a while now and thought it's about time. Since there are so many different brands, I don't really know what to choose. I would prefer a fretless one because I still want to get close to the sound of a double bass. For example, I had already seen nice basses from the Sandberg brand, such as the custom thinline or california tm, etc., are these solid things or would I rather go to a fender? Which brands do you recommend?

Sandberg are great basses, by the way.
Like most of the answers above show, no one can tell you what's best for you.
But I did just have a look at those Sandberg custom thinline fretless basses - man those are beautiful.
A bass like that could really last you a long time, and would probably be great for jazz.
But tons of basses are great for jazz. Just commenting on that one since you mentioned it.

 

[pcake]

You might consider waiting until you get to the academy -- or reach out in advance to one or more of the instructors there -- to see what they recommend. They might even be able to set you up with a good deal, e.g. with a current student looking to sell a bass.

i totally agree with this!

 

[chris_b]

IME, I made my most growth as a musician when I only had one bass (my MusicMan StingRay).

This.

The most growth I made as a bass player was 3 years of playing on my old busted up Framus. That's from playing my first note on a bass to joining my first pro band.

I needed better gear as a pro player but my playing (on the Framus) got me that first gig.

 

[mikeswals]

Just use what you have now if it works perfectly fine. Get through your first year, then decide what your needs are and go from there.

 

[Jogobass]

get a really nice one. one that will stick with you for long. by now you figured out you want to be a bass player

 

[Koshchei]

There are a number of ways to look at this type of purchase and I’m sure others will pipe in with differing views. Personally, if I were in a similar situation I’d go with a Fender Jazz Bass. Not only can you get a remarkably wide variety of tones, but they are plentiful enough to where you can find a very nice used example at a decent price. If it turns out that you’d prefer something else, you can always sell it for what you have into it.

This is great advice!

Or stick with the Cort, since you already own it, and it's clearly working for you.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Stick with what you have for now.
Once you find a direction you can head that way.

 

[Salem6127]

Just wanted to add that you should look at used basses. I was against buying used for the longest time but now I'll never go back. There's just so much more value for your money, and most of the time the worst thing you'll find in a used bass would just be cosmetic imperfections.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I’d look for the neck fit rather than the brand.

I agree with this myself. My first "good bass" was a 1965 Jazz that I bought in 1966. It had both a narrow and a slim neck. Jazz basses have kept the narrow part all the time but some of the necks they've put on them are fat and not slim. My Jazz had what I believe is called a 60's Slim C-shape neck with a 7.25" radius. It was stolen along with all my touring gear in 1976 along with all my touring gear (toured for 3-years in early 70's) when our house was burglarized. It took me until 1985 to find another Jazz Bass with that same shape, profile, and radius. It's the one I currently play and you can see it in my avatar. It's a 1982 Jazz with maple neck and the neck feels the same as my '65 did.

So, if you come across one with that same 60's Slim C-shape neck, check it out. If you're new at this you might even be OK with the 9.5" radius that Fender switched too in the mid/late 80's. It just feels wrong to me but I played my 65 Jazz through high school, some college, and toured with a night club band using it. We played 5-nights a week, 50-weeks a year, for 3-years. And then I played weekend gigs in the LA area after that. So the feel of that neck got ingrained in me and anything else just feels strange. Be sure you get a neck you feel comfortable with.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

Wishbass. $300 fretless you can do finish work on in your own time.
Steves not gonna be around forever.
Once he's gone, the prices will triple.

 

[Topkat13]

What salmon256 said.

 

[Key of G]

You mentioned the Sandy Cali… My Sandberg California is the best neck I have ever played. Easier to play than any bass I have ever owned. I started out with Fenders, then Lakland now Sandberg. The Sandy takes the cake. I can’t put it down. It’s great for gigs with long sets… very comfortable, great tone. Enjoy!