Newbie hunting for First Bass

[funky_numba]

Hi all,

I've been trying to get some idea as to what bass to buy as a 'first bass' for a beginner. I've already posted on this site and had great guidance from all members who replied.

Today, I went to a local music shop, near Glasgow, had a look around, chatted to a few punters there who were bass players. Later on, a very helpful shop assisant gave me a chance to to try out a stunning looking bass, an Ibanez SR 300 Red Sparkle. It sounded amazing, and in physical terms, it 'fitted' me better and felt better that other basses I tried out a few weeks ago in another shop.

The asking price for that bass guitar was about £250, however, I have been advised by a number of ppl to start small, buy second hand and work my way up, which seems to be the standard way.

Have any of you guys tried the Ibanez SR 300? Is it worth investing or should I go cheap, second hand and practice the skill first?

I'd really appreciate any help, advice, etc.

Many thanks.

[derrenleepoole]

The general rule of thumb is this, buying second-hand can get you more bass for your money - in theory at least. This however, doesn't mean you should. If the bass you've tried feels right and is well within your budget, then buy it. It is after all you that will be playing it and no one else. I can't advise on this particular model of instrument, others can and I'm sure will, but any bass with a decent setup and steely determination for a good student will always be a good way to start

[Lozz196]

Great that you`ve found the bass that "fits" you the best. As said, 2nd hand will get you more for your money, or, get the bass you like at a better cost than new. I`d suggest trawling through the basses for sale section on here, and also put an ad in the items wanted. You may find the Ibanez at a better price. If not, if the £250 is within budget, I`d go for it. Its much easier to learn on an instrument that you play well.

[jonunders]

i started playing bass less than a year ago, i bought one of the starter packs, bass and amp, £169. it helped me to get to grips with the basics,and find out if playing bass was going to work for me without waisting shed loads of money.
i am in a more enviable position than most and i was able to purchase a better bass fairly soon afterwards, a G&L l2500, fantastic bass.

[mcnach]

I was able to buy an SR400 for £150 including a hard case not a less than 2 years ago... so checking second hand could be a good thing... But if you really like that bass and don't see any s/h that you want, and have the money... why not? I would go for it.

[Delberthot]

its definitely worth doing your homework when it comes to buying second hand - you can get a bargain on Ebay only to find that its only a few pounds to buy it new


McNach - did you intend your avatar to look like a classic John Deacon image?

Edited October 25, 2010 by Delberthot

[Circle_of_Fifths]

I may come off as the Ugly American here - but I have only one time bought a used bass.

It was a great bass - full of tone and sustain and great looking. But it wasn't 'mine'. Follow me here?

After a 47+ year hiatus from playing anything but a stereo and CD player - I bought an Ibanez SR500 for my first 'return to the scene' basses and it's prolly the only bass I ever wanted from that point on in my life ---- for a while.

The Ibanez is great - I still have it and play it regularly - but I've branched out into the 'F-brand' - which Ibanez fanbois cannot even say.

The used bass? - I flipped it for twice what I paid for it and immediately bought my Deluxe Fender Jazz and that was the first and last time I will/did ever buy a used bass.

I like the newness of something that I buy - it still has that new-car smell - can you understand that?

Pride in ownership is another thing - but that usually gets a fierce argument from those who like RW or pre-funked gear. I just don't, really.

I love the SR500 as well as all my Squiers and Fenders. I would not have done any purchases differently than I have so far. What I WISH is that I had considered a P/J Fender a long time ago.

I have one now in the form of the VM-Jaguar. Happy - happy - happy.

If happiness is important to you and you can afford it - then I'd always recommend NEW.

[Lozz196]

Fair opinion there, that way all "wear" on the bass is down to you. Differs from me tho, all three of my US P-Basses are 2nd hand, and couldn`t be more happy with them. I understand the buying it new theory, though I wouldn`t have had the near grand needed for a new P-bass, but could scrape the £500 each time, through a bit of juggling my finances. And I still got 3 amazing basses for approx half what they cost new.

[Circle_of_Fifths]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='999649' date='Oct 24 2010, 11:49 PM']Fair opinion there, that way all "wear" on the bass is down to you. Differs from me tho, all three of my US P-Basses are 2nd hand, and couldn`t be more happy with them. I understand the buying it new theory, though I wouldn`t have had the near grand needed for a new P-bass, but could scrape the £500 each time, through a bit of juggling my finances. And I still got 3 amazing basses for approx half what they cost new.[/quote]

Yeah - it's JUST an opinion too, but I may break a rule soon if I can find a trade to get another bass for a guitar I have up for SALE/TRADE ::



But I won't likely sell it across the water as the shipping and insurance and taxes are prohibitive.

The fact that you've been successful in your endeavors ([i]no 'u' in endeavors here[/i]) and have bought ([i]there IS a 'u' in that one![/i]) some nice gear used and gotten so much performance from them means something too.

What really frosts my cookies (UK= biscuits) is that you guys pay so much for a Fender. I know they're kinda expensive here - but you guys get hosed!

I've got friends in Australia and New Zealand and they get it in the shorts too - er, money-wise. .

[garethfriend]

I started on a SR300, does the job but I upgraded pretty quickly as the electronics annoyed me. Otherwise a good first bass though. For £250 I'd be looking at a Squier Vintage modified Jazz bass though, cracking bass for the money and should hold it's value a bit better than Ibanez should you outgrow it and want to sell.

[Rusco]

Hi,

I was in the same position earlier in the year and found the advice my teacher gave to be spot on. I bought the very cheapest bass I could find that was in a reasonable state to give a baseline (no pun intended..) of what I liked, didn’t like etc. I found a Lindo bass (p-bass copy) with practice amp, case, strap , lead in Cash Converters for £69 all in. So cheap it’s almost disposable and I wasn’t spending money on something I know little about, it did the job I bought it for just fine.

Now I have a little more idea of what I like I’ve bought my first ‘proper’ bass and I’m very pleased with it, a Squier CV Jazz Bass. In the same way I also tried a couple of EBMM’s at the same time and they felt great, could I buy one ?, yes. Would I buy one now ?, no.. for similar reason I wouldn’t really know what I was looking at with that level of instrument...., maybe in a few years when I do.

Waffling a bit but just my two pennies.

[funky_numba]

Hi Guys,

I FINALLY got a bass and amp. Only cost me £50 for the two items. Bought second hand from a friend at work. The bass is in very good nick (it's about 4 years old). The amp is good and does fine for now.

Wesley Bass Guitar (don't know the make). There are 2 pickups.. single-coil type I think (can't tell if they are humbuckers).
Starfire TEC20B 40 watt practice amp.

I think the bass needs a fair bit of fine-tuning, as I believe it's had a lot of use in the past. Being a newbie, I don't know how to 'fine-tune' the bass. I'm so confused by all the mechanics of a bass.

The strings buzz at times when I play them. The strings sometimes hit off the frets in the middle of the bass.

To stop the buzzing and the strings hitting frets, should I :

1. Raise the bridges at the bottom to increase the space between the strings and the fretboard?
2. Tighten the strings
3. Adjust the Truss-rod. (I don't want to end up busting my bass with this).

I would really appreciate if any of you guys could offer some help with this please. Did any of you have the same problem when you bought a second hand bass?

On another note..

1. What does raising and lowering the pickups do to the sound?
2. Would replacing the pickups give me a completely different sound?
3. Are there different pickups for different kinds of music i.e. would one particular pickup be better for Jazz while another type for rock music?

So sorry for the long-winded message. I just need to get my head round this whole new world.

Many thanks for all your ideas/suggestions, etc, etc.

[kingofthestuntmen]

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1012740' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:24 PM']I think the bass needs a fair bit of fine-tuning, as I believe it's had a lot of use in the past. Being a newbie, I don't know how to 'fine-tune' the bass. I'm so confused by all the mechanics of a bass.

The strings buzz at times when I play them. The strings sometimes hit off the frets in the middle of the bass.[/quote]


Your previous posts suggest you're in/near Glasgow..? If so, check out our very own 7string - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=85024&hl="]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=85024&hl=[/url] - he does phenomenal work.

I've put a few things his way, everything from a car boot sale P copy to a Gibson 335 belonging to a friend of mine, and they've all come back playing and sounding as good as they're gonna...

Think he's got a website now, but check out his thread in the meantime.

Edited November 4, 2010 by kingofthestuntmen

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1012740' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:24 PM']2. Tighten the strings[/quote]

I think before you learn how to 'fine-tune' the bass, you need to learn how to tune it A cheap electronic tuner will be your best friend to start with, it's pretty much a necessity for a complete beginner. I strongly recommend you buy one.

N.B. You don't just arbitrarily change the tuning of the bass until the strings feel 'tight'! Only once it's in tune can you make good judgements on other aspects of the set-up.

Regarding your second set of questions, the answer to all three is 'it's complicated'! Best (only?) way of learning this stuff is to play for a bit, see how you get on, then tweak things around, play for a bit more and see if and what kind of difference it makes.

If in the unlikely event that you're in or near Edinburgh then I'd be happy to give the bass a quick once-over to check there's nothing terribly wrong with the set-up, otherwise I'd recommend taking it to a reputable shop and spending a bit on a set-up so you're not fighting against the instrument. People on here will probably have a recommendation of where to go/where to avoid in your area. The cost will probably be worth it even if just to confirm that the set-up is close enough already. Of course, if you have a teacher they'll be able to help you here, and as a bonus you'll learn stuff about actually playing as well!

Good luck, it's a really rewarding hobby/life if you can stick with it.

Edit: you beat me to it sir!

Edited November 4, 2010 by LawrenceH

[Ian Savage]

Strewth again, you're chucking yourself in at the deep end! Fair play to you though...

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1012740' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:24 PM']Hi Guys,

I FINALLY got a bass and amp. Only cost me £50 for the two items. Bought second hand from a friend at work. The bass is in very good nick (it's about 4 years old). The amp is good and does fine for now.[/quote]

Good good, as long as the amp works for the time being who gives a crap.


[quote name='funky_numba' post='1012740' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:24 PM']Wesley Bass Guitar (don't know the make). There are 2 pickups.. single-coil type I think (can't tell if they are humbuckers).
Starfire TEC20B 40 watt practice amp.[/quote]

Slap a picture on here if you really want to know the pickup type - doesn't really make a difference as long as they work. Wesley is a Chinese-manufactured cheap-as-chips brand, so don't expect miracles...

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1012740' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:24 PM']I think the bass needs a fair bit of fine-tuning, as I believe it's had a lot of use in the past. Being a newbie, I don't know how to 'fine-tune' the bass. I'm so confused by all the mechanics of a bass.

The strings buzz at times when I play them. The strings sometimes hit off the frets in the middle of the bass.

To stop the buzzing and the strings hitting frets, should I :

1. Raise the bridges at the bottom to increase the space between the strings and the fretboard?
2. Tighten the strings
3. Adjust the Truss-rod. (I don't want to end up busting my bass with this).[/quote]

Right then. If the strings are hitting the MIDDLE of the neck, I'd suspect that the truss rod is over-tight, and loosening it a bit WON'T do your bass any damage, so it's worth a go. If the rod adjuster's at the headstock end, slacken off the strings a bit and give it a half-turn anti-clockwise; then get it back up to pitch and see if the strings still hit the frets.

You can by all means raise the action from the bridge end (on a pedantic note, you'll actually be raising the saddles), but go too far with this with the truss rod not right and you'll just end up with a bass that's unplayable (can be sorted, certainly, but in the short term unplayable ).


[quote name='funky_numba' post='1012740' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:24 PM']I would really appreciate if any of you guys could offer some help with this please. Did any of you have the same problem when you bought a second hand bass?[/quote]

Cheap secondhand guitars/basses are almost always problematic, but since they're almost invariably built around Leo Fender's 60 year-old designs (Gawd bless the man ) they can usually be made at least playable as long as the manufacturing isn't total crap.
It's just a case of getting someone who knows what they're doing; BassChat is an invaluable resource and you might even find someone versed in guitar tech-ing close to you who'd do the job for you while you watch and learn for the price of a few beers (which would, in my experience, be considerably less than you'd pay to some music shops who don't really know what they're doing and hence won't let you watch them work). I'm in South Staffs/West Midlands, and would certainly have a look at it over a four-pack of your providing if that's anywhere near you

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1012740' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:24 PM']On another note..

1. What does raising and lowering the pickups do to the sound?[/quote]

You'll find there's an 'optimum' position for pickups, which you'll only find through experimentation with a given bass; too close to the strings and the pickups' magnets start to affect how the strings vibrate (and, more practically, the pickups get in the way of the strings' vibrations), too far away and the bass starts to sound 'weedy' as the pups aren't getting enough action.

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1012740' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:24 PM']2. Would replacing the pickups give me a completely different sound?[/quote]

They certainly can greatly change the character of the bass, although I'd live with it for a good few months after a set-up before spending the money on good pickups; a set of Seymour Duncans or DiMarzios in a Wesley bass strikes me a turd-polishing, but if a bass totally suits you feel-wise but just doesn't sound right better pickups are a major step.

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1012740' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:24 PM']3. Are there different pickups for different kinds of music i.e. would one particular pickup be better for Jazz while another type for rock music?[/quote]

Not knowing exactly what kind of bass you have, that's hard to answer; generally for rock music people will go for a Precision or MusicMan style pickup, for all-round versatility they'll have a Precision pickup plus a Jazz pickup, and for jazz they'll use, well, Jazz pickups, but that really means nothing. The routing on your bass will have the biggest influence on what pickups you can use without major woodwork, and people have been known to play metal with Jazz pickups and country with a Precision; there's no hard-and-fast rules, get used to the bass first.


[quote name='funky_numba' post='1012740' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:24 PM']So sorry for the long-winded message. I just need to get my head round this whole new world.[/quote]

No worries, we were all there once!

Edited November 4, 2010 by Ian Savage

[funky_numba]

I took a few photos of my bass but I have no idea how to add/ paste the images to my messages. When i try to add an image to my message I get asked for a URL (http) input. What's that all about? Can't I just simply paste the image???

[Circle_of_Fifths]

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1012854' date='Nov 4 2010, 07:22 PM']I took a few photos of my bass but I have no idea how to add/ paste the images to my messages. When i try to add an image to my message I get asked for a URL (http) input. What's that all about? Can't I just simply paste the image???[/quote]

You need to send the pixs to a site that can send them here - kinda an intermediary - that lets you create the link to that/those pixs and we can see them here.

You have a computer - right?

If so - and you have Google/Firefox installed, then just get a GMail account and then add Picasa Photo editor and with it comes a free place to upload your pixs.

That's what I use - as I hate those other places that let you upload and then for some reason they are gone in a few days. Photobucket seems to dump data at regular intervals.

Google/Firefox - Gmail - Picasa are all free too - the best part of the deal!

Your pixs will be inside the [ ]'s and it will have the URL or site address that stores the pixs, so they aren't really on here on this server. That save the site servers here ungodly amounts of money for beer and Earl Grey teabags.

Edited November 5, 2010 by Circle_of_Fifths

[Ou7shined]

You can also use the [b]attachments[/b] feature which appears below your reply box (once you open one) to post pics directly from your pc. The benefit is that you don't need to host you pics elsewhere on the net. The downside I suppose is that once posted on here they are not hot linkable.... no biggy really.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='999615' date='Oct 25 2010, 01:39 AM']its definitely worth doing your homework when it comes to buying second hand - you can get a bargain on Ebay only to find that its only a few pounds to buy it new


McNach - did you intend your avatar to look like a classic John Deacon image?[/quote]


Ha ha!

I didn't realise until now!

I was going to use a different picture because that one makes me look like a dwarf... and I'm not a big guy but I'm not as little as the picture suggests! I left second grade many years ago!
But maybe now I'll leave it

[funky_numba]

Hi Guys,

I managed to upload pics of my bass, thanks for the help with that!!

It's not a great looking, sparkly, all singing and dancing bass but it's a start.

I went to Guitar Guitar this aft and bought an absolute beginners book and dvd plus some electronic tuner thingie. Now I need a LOT of patience, a few beers to help me along, OH... and going by the pics in the book, a massive rubber left hand, to stretch on the frets... how the hell do I do that??

Anyways, thanks again for all your input!!!! Massively appreciated!!

[funky_numba]

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='1012762' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:52 PM']Strewth again, you're chucking yourself in at the deep end! Fair play to you though...



Good good, as long as the amp works for the time being who gives a crap.




Slap a picture on here if you really want to know the pickup type - doesn't really make a difference as long as they work. Wesley is a Chinese-manufactured cheap-as-chips brand, so don't expect miracles...



Right then. If the strings are hitting the MIDDLE of the neck, I'd suspect that the truss rod is over-tight, and loosening it a bit WON'T do your bass any damage, so it's worth a go. If the rod adjuster's at the headstock end, slacken off the strings a bit and give it a half-turn anti-clockwise; then get it back up to pitch and see if the strings still hit the frets.

You can by all means raise the action from the bridge end (on a pedantic note, you'll actually be raising the saddles), but go too far with this with the truss rod not right and you'll just end up with a bass that's unplayable (can be sorted, certainly, but in the short term unplayable ).




Cheap secondhand guitars/basses are almost always problematic, but since they're almost invariably built around Leo Fender's 60 year-old designs (Gawd bless the man ) they can usually be made at least playable as long as the manufacturing isn't total crap.
It's just a case of getting someone who knows what they're doing; BassChat is an invaluable resource and you might even find someone versed in guitar tech-ing close to you who'd do the job for you while you watch and learn for the price of a few beers (which would, in my experience, be considerably less than you'd pay to some music shops who don't really know what they're doing and hence won't let you watch them work). I'm in South Staffs/West Midlands, and would certainly have a look at it over a four-pack of your providing if that's anywhere near you



You'll find there's an 'optimum' position for pickups, which you'll only find through experimentation with a given bass; too close to the strings and the pickups' magnets start to affect how the strings vibrate (and, more practically, the pickups get in the way of the strings' vibrations), too far away and the bass starts to sound 'weedy' as the pups aren't getting enough action.



They certainly can greatly change the character of the bass, although I'd live with it for a good few months after a set-up before spending the money on good pickups; a set of Seymour Duncans or DiMarzios in a Wesley bass strikes me a turd-polishing, but if a bass totally suits you feel-wise but just doesn't sound right better pickups are a major step.



Not knowing exactly what kind of bass you have, that's hard to answer; generally for rock music people will go for a Precision or MusicMan style pickup, for all-round versatility they'll have a Precision pickup plus a Jazz pickup, and for jazz they'll use, well, Jazz pickups, but that really means nothing. The routing on your bass will have the biggest influence on what pickups you can use without major woodwork, and people have been known to play metal with Jazz pickups and country with a Precision; there's no hard-and-fast rules, get used to the bass first.




No worries, we were all there once![/quote]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for your comprehensive advice!!!

I didn't realise how much fun there was to be had, trying to learn all about playing the bass as opposed to other instruments.

I was thinking about going for lessons but don't know if I should go for one-2-one lessons or class lessons. How did you learn to play bass? Did you teach yourself or get lessons?

[Circle_of_Fifths]

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1013912' date='Nov 5 2010, 06:08 PM']Hi Guys,

I managed to upload pics of my bass, thanks for the help with that!!

It's not a great looking, sparkly, all singing and dancing bass but it's a start.

I went to Guitar Guitar this aft and bought an absolute beginners book and dvd plus some electronic tuner thingie. Now I need a LOT of patience, a few beers to help me along, OH... and going by the pics in the book, a massive rubber left hand, to stretch on the frets... how the hell do I do that??

Anyways, thanks again for all your input!!!! Massively appreciated!! [/quote]

There are prolly a few members near you who will drop by and break your hand into the required shape and position to facilitate your playing the bass. Either that or pray for a quick hand evolution.

Glad you got a tuner thingie - they are important since you cannot really hear the low notes as well as you can on a guitar.

Just remember that the tuner has no idea what OCTAVE you are trying for - so if you try to bring it up to guitar-land, something bad's gonna happen.