what bass to buy?

[whywhy]

Hey, im in 8th grade and i have been playing the double bass for about 4 1/2 years now. Im in the jazz band at my school and was fooling around with a bass guitar and it was awesome i could play it pretty well too since i already knew how just never tried, so i was wondering what a good first bass to get, im probably going to have to get one from a pawn shop because i dont have too much to spend, so i would just like to know what some good quality basses there are and what basses NOT to get

thanks in advance


oh, and any help on amps would be cool too

 

[pauliebass]

Nice! I'm glad you enjoyed your first time with a BG. I started doubling at that age, and it opens up a world of possibilities. It's nice to be an upright player first as well. It's hard to say what to get first. I would like to say a Fender Precision or Jazz. These can get expensive though for a first bass. I think some tried and true companies in the cheaper range would be Ibanez, Yamaha, Epiphone, or Squire. I would stay away from most everything else in a pawn shop. If you take lessons, ask your teacher. As far as an amp goes... Get something with at least a 12 inch speaker or a 2x10 because it would be good to have something that is actually gig ready. Cheap small amps will just get thrown away. It's always nice to buy stuff that you can keep for a while. Please PM me if you ever have questions. Good Luck!

 

[funkygroover694]

you might consider getting a "starter set" which basically comes with a bass, amp, strap, cable and case. im pretty sure ibanez has one for around 200$ and theres certainly more out there. good luck

 

[StuartV]

Look for any electric bass made by Peavey that is Made In USA. They can often be found in the $100 - 300 range (well, and on up to $1000+). And the Made In USA models are pretty much all good quality and a great deal for the price the used ones go for.

Models you might find in that price range would include:

Fury (just like a Fender Precision)
Foundation
Foundation S (like a Fender Precision Special - i.e. P/J pickup config)
Dyna
Dyna Unity
G-Bass
T-40
T-45

And I'm probably forgetting some.

Peavey doesn't have the greatest rep among the general population, but bass players who know, know that Peavey Made In USA basses are top-notch.

 

[pauliebass]

I should have said Peavy as well. That was my first bass.

 

[Jazzcat]

Think about sticking with fretless too. I went from DB to fretless and was never comfortable with frets on a bass. Just something else to clutter your mind with.

 

[rxdiablo]

I've been floored with the quality of squiers for the money. It was probably in the setup, but starting with something styled like a fender was an easier jump for me coming from cello and DB than the more metal/ibanez style bass guitars. Friends who came to bass from a guitar backgroud seem to have had an opposite experience. Maybe the chunkier neck was easier for me versus the faster and narrower. I'd also add a g & l tribute series if you can find 1- I've seen them cheap used and have been impressed with them as well.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

I think a Invalid Link Removed would be a great first step into the BG from the UB. It'll run you (or your parents) about $299.

A good practice amp that would work for reasonably cozy gigs would be the Gallien-Krueger MG112 combo. It has a single 12" speaker powered by a 200W class D amplifier. It also has a 1/8" aux input for playing along to pre-recorded music, and a headphone output for silent practicing. It's $299 as well.