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What does "beginner's bass" mean?

#83
I'm in the "inexpensive bass, so Mom & Dad won't be out of a lot of money when the kid decides he wants to be an Internet Gaming Hero instead" camp. Yes, if it's your money; you know it's what you want to do forever; and you can afford it - then of course your "Beginner bass" is whatever your first bass is. Nobody's going to argue with you about that. And yes, inexpensive basses today are much better than "Beginner" instruments were when I was a kid. Unless they just like to argue, nobody's going to deny that a new Squier Bass is better than a $70 Sears Silvertone from the '60s. Which would have been about the only choice for my parents when I was a kid... if they had made a lefty...:)
 
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#84
SanDiegoHarry said:
So then, what's the difference between a "Beater" bass and "Beginner" bass? I'd say 'not much'
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To me, beater is a condition and cosmetic descriptor, which denotes how the instrument was/is handled. Beginner implies that the model lacks features. A brand new instrument can be a beginner but not a beater. Granted, people take care of quality more, so a beater is more likely to be a cheap instrument to begin with, but far from universally
 
#85
bridgecables said:
To me, beater is a condition and cosmetic descriptor, which denotes how the instrument was/is handled. Beginner implies that the model lacks features. A brand new instrument can be a beginner but not a beater. Granted, people take care of quality more, so a beater is more likely to be a cheap instrument to begin with, but far from universally
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I've had a few beaters that were good axes - not fancy but very playable, the kind of bass you bring to a gig on the bad side of the tracks - that's what I meant.
 
#86
Aras said:
yeah, thats what i'm talking about - ligth weight, short scale and other that type of things - this is what i can understand as "beginner's" stuff. Thing that made to just show the point for those who just whant to see. Like you know - plastic swords
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Being a short scale doesn't make it a beginner's bass. Neither does the weight. There are a lot more 34" POS's out there than there are short scales. Pretty sure I have a few or at least a couple of shorties that make the lemon juice run down your leg and get your socks all sticky.
 
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#87
fjadams said:
Being a short scale doesn't make it a beginner's bass. Neither does the weight. There are a lot more 34" POS's out there than there are short scales. Pretty sure I have a few or at least a couple of shorties that make the lemon juice run down your leg and get your socks all sticky.
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I didnt mean that all shortscale basses are for beginners. I wanted to say that in my point of veiw beginner is something with design features.
 
#88
Sorry, not meaning to offend. I've played short scale basses since the 60s so can get uppity when I see people saying they're just little girl basses and not good enough for them.

But truthfully it's just your first or first and second bass. Usually inexpensive and possibly lacking some of the refinements of more expensive basses. But today you can buy basses for under $200 that are much better than basses costing twice as much just a few years ago.
 
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#89
fjadams said:
Sorry, not meaning to offend. I've played short scale basses since the 60s so can get uppity when I see people saying they're just little girl basses and not good enough for them.

But truthfully it's just your first or first and second bass. Usually inexpensive and possibly lacking some of the refinements of more expensive basses. But today you can buy basses for under $200 that are much better than basses costing twice as much just a few years ago.
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:thumbsup:;)
 
#90
Herbie Chesnutt said:
Yeah, but here's the nit. There are a few guys that like to play shorties and like lightweight basses. For example, Birdsong basses are not beginner's basses. There is another company that makes quality shorties too, Landon? Lansdowne? Something like that. Me, my RA has made strapping on my 10# pbass a real bear even to practice. In fact I sold off all but one bass last year with the notion that I was done playing. Then I got a SS Jag and the new Ibanez Talman shorty. I've found that the difference between a MiM pbass and an Indo Squier to be not tremendous. In fact, my RA pain aside, I find playing the Talman incredibly fun and it has tone for days. Now, I will never say that these basses are pro level. But, I would not be surprised to see a gigging player with one of these in their hand, especially at a sports bar with no room between them and the crowd. They sound good, play fine, and if you have to use it to secure the perimeter for your chesty lead singer you are not out any real money.

Not really an answer to your original question, I know, but trying to make the case for shorties beyond the 12yo girl learning her scales mindset.

The one thing I can say that divides a "beginner" bass from the rest is hardware and electronics. Machine heads, bridges, plates, pots and wiring are all just barely passable in these cases. But the few models I've tried have decent pups for the most part. Talman pups are really good. SS Jag pbass pup is good while the jazz is an insult. The emo sparkle mustang with the humbucker actually has a usable tone. The Gretsch Jr Jet is phenomenal for that thumpy old Motown and Dub Reggae tone. But in every case the bass is improved by switching out the hardware and rewiring the thing with decent pots. Not really the case with MiM and above. Its more of a personal choice to switch out hardware and electronics at that level.
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LANDING BASSES
 
#93
My first was an old Harmony short scale semi hollow, no idea the name/model. Gave like $40 for it, pickups barely worked but being semi hollow I could hear myself plunk on it. Got my first decent paying job about the same time, once I'd settled that I really wanted to learn to play I immediately went out and bought a brand new 1974 Ric 4001 white with black. $450 new (if memory serves, which sometimes it doesn't so well...) back in '74. THAT was the bass I really learned to play on and played on the road with it for 5+ years. Wish I'd kept it...
 

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