Absolute Bass Beginner

[Absolute Beginner]

Hi all.

As the subject heading suggests, I'm new to playing the Bass a Guitar, and am seeking done guidance !

I'm looking at purchasing one of the following guitars, but don't know which one to get - I'll be trying to play various styles of music:

Squier Affinity P
Squier Jazz
Ibanez GSR 180
Epiphone EB0

Any thoughts you can give re. the above would be gratefully appreciated, or suggestions for any other brands/models would be fantastic.

PS I've also been offered a Cort bass - are they any good ?!

Lastly, I'm 6 feet 4 inches if you need to know my height in terms of choosing a suitable guitar body - thought I'd mention it although it may be totally irrelevant !

Thanks very much.

[Absolute Beginner]

PS Sorry, I really should have spell checked my post !

[bassmachine2112]

[u]hiho[/u],welcome to the world of bass.
My advice is to try out loads of basses and one will feel right to you.
Other makes I would try would be Vintage,I have an old v4 which is modded but was good before I modded it and it gets gigged.Original musicman SUB made in USA ,fabulous for the money.Made in USA Peavey basses or crafted in USA,great bang for buck and good players with excellent build quality.Loads of basses will fit the bill.Learn how to do a good set up on your bass,plenty of info out there-joey,s bass notes is a good start and on here as well.
It depends on your budget.A good amp and cab or combo helps as well.Small practice amps are practice amps and not really up to playing with a full band.I practice at home with a line 6 floor pod and headphones and practice with band with my gigging set up.
Plenty of advice on here,wish this was around when I started
Oh and get in a band that,s the best learning curve of all and get out gigging.
All the best

[Jonnyboy Rotten]

I chose my first bass a year ago. I had my heart set on an Epiphone Thunderbird. I tried a load of different ones and walked out with an Ibanez SR300.

There are not many truly bad basses. It mostly is about what you like and what feels right.


Whatever your price range, (mine was about the £200 - £250) range try some that are double what you are looking to spend. Hopefully this will help you understand the differences and see what really sits in a sweet spot of giving you a great guitar at the right price. For me that was the SR300!

Also worth looking second hand to get a bargain.

Edited December 22, 2013 by Jonnyboy Rotten

[bobbytodd]

hi and welcome.for your budget id look at the squire jmv series.i got mine second hand but was really pleased with it in stock form.it has a really nice neck and the pick ups are ok.you can always upgrade the components at a later date

[Absolute Beginner]

Thanks all.

Can anyone recommend a good music store in Hertfordshire, UK - one relatively close to Hemel Hempstead ?

Cheers.

[Mykesbass]

Hi AB and welcome to the forum.

Cort are excellent basses, and are actually the maker of many of the bigger brand names.

Squier Affinity is the real entry level - better of looking for a CV model secondhand (check the classifieds on here).

EB0 is short scale so may feel a little bit odd for someone of 6'4"

Also don't forget the Yamaha RBX170 - their entry level bass, always top quality.

Good luck in your search,
Mike

[HowieBass]

Hi and welcome to the world of bass playing! Cort instruments are excellent value for money and are every bit as good as Squiers, Epiphones and the less expensive models from the Ibanez range - in fact Cort build Squiers and Ibanez guitars and they come from the same factories. Squier basses have developed quite a reputation for being great instruments, try Googling for reviews for the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz bass and the Squier Active Jazz Deluxe bass (I own a Squier Active Jazz Deluxe IV and am very happy with it, I also own a Cort Curbow 5 and a Cort B4FL fretless). Try before you buy if possible because new instruments don't always come particularly well set up - you might need to have an instrument seen by an experienced player/luthier to ensure it's set up properly (intonation, neck relief, string and pickup heights).

[Thunderbird]

It also depends a lot on how big your hands are if they are big look at P basses and if small look for a Jazz bass I would look at the Squier range but I myself would recommend trying the Vintage brand far better than any Squier IMO and very well priced check out the V4 Icon basses I have one and it is great and should easily be within your budget

[Absolute Beginner]

Hi.

I have fairly small hands.

Is a Colt bass on a par with a Jazz or would the Jazz bass be better ?

Thanks.

[Storky]

Like you, I am tall (6'6") and for what its worth I find the slightly larger Jazz Bass body the most comfortable bass i've played. But as I have quite big hands I prefer the slightly wider neck on a Precision Bass better though.

I think the Squires are good, but i wouldn't go for the Afinity range, go for the Vintage Modified(VM) or the Classic Vibe(CV) ranges instead. I can't comment on some of the other makes mentioned, but I'm sure they are worth thinking about as well. As mentioned above, the EBO or other short scale (i.e. about 30") wouldn't be an obvious choice and they can look like "toys" on taller guys.

Enjoy the choosing, great fun!

[gary mac]

[quote name='Absolute Beginner' timestamp='1387708267' post='2314677']
Thanks all.

Can anyone recommend a good music store in Hertfordshire, UK - one relatively close to Hemel Hempstead ?

Cheers.
[/quote]

Coda in Stevenage (they also have another branch, cant recall where) springs to mind. They usually have a fairly good choice right across the price spectrum.

[Jonnyboy Rotten]

[quote name='Absolute Beginner' timestamp='1387708267' post='2314677']
Thanks all.

Can anyone recommend a good music store in Hertfordshire, UK - one relatively close to Hemel Hempstead ?

Cheers.
[/quote]

I live in Chesham and the best rould here as far as I know are Guitar World at Wembley. One in Luton -can't remember what its called but it is close to the train station I think. There is also Guitar Guitar in Epsom. Its a bit of a yomp but worth it.

[bobbytodd]

try as many as you can your hands and ears will tell you whats right

[Paul S]

Hand size is largely irrelevant as far as I can see - I have fairly big hands but prefer smaller neck sizes and you will see female bass players using 5/6 string basses. It is more down to whatever you feel comfortable with. Try as many as you can!

[SpaceChick]

I'd agree with trying as many styles as you can.

My first bass was a very cheapy jazz bass (less than £100 with a practice amp!) but that was just to see if I could get on with it.

When I was ready to upgrade, I tried a lot of basses and to me the Ibanez SR300 just felt right!

I, personally, can't play a P bass as my small hands really struggle with the wider neck.

Several basses down the line and I still play Ibanez SR range basses as they just feel like an extension of me.

So, get yourself into a shop and try until you feel comfortable.

Maybe be worth a trip to London, as Denmark street has Wunjos bass guitar shop with loads of different basses and friendly and helpful staff.

[geoffbyrne]

Take the Cort!

G.

[Absolute Beginner]

Hi all.

Thanks again for the information. I really appreciate it.

One other bass I've looked at it is the Epiphone EB3, which I believe has a full scale neck ?

Anyone ever played one ? If so, is it any good ?

Thanks again.

PS Although, I previously indicated that I'd be playing all styles of music, I'm heavily into The Beatles and aspire to play the bass line from "Taxman" !

[bonzodog]

+1 on the Vintage V4. I picked one up for £70 off ebay and it plays very nice.

The EB3 is a full scale neck but be aware of neck dive. When you stand and play the neck will automatically dive to the floor unless you hold it, or use a wider strap. Not the ideal situation you want when just learning

[Marc S]

Hi and welcome to basschat,
and the world of bass playing

As others have said here, try out as many as you can before buying
Just see what feels most comfortable for you

Re the hand size / neck dimensions question
I'm amazed at just how much difference there is here

Thinner necks are not necessarily "better"
Again, this will depend on how comfortable it is for you, and what style you want to play
but if you are looking for thinner necks, try maybe a Jazz bass
or thinner still, some of the Ibanez range

Also, consider secondhand
I bought an Ibanez Soundgear SR500 for £200 on ebay
- RRP was around £479 at the time!
That has an incredibly thin / narrow neck

Good luck with your search, don't feel rushed
just remember to try as many as you can
If as a beginner, you feel a little self-conscious of playing in a shop
you can always ask to play unplugged for a while....

Don't forget to let us know what you go for, and post some piccies
Cheers

Edited December 23, 2013 by Marc S

[Prunesquallor]

I was in your situation a year ago, and in the end I went for a Squier VM Jazz. As you probably know, it's an inexpensive, solid version of a classic Fender bass that has been used on countless recordings. It's very versatile, the Fender Jazz having been used by everyone from John Paul Jones to Aston Barrett to Flea. The variety of tones you can get from the twin pick-ups will help you find the sound you prefer. And it has a nice, slim neck, which could be easier for you to learn on. I haven't regretted it one instant.

Also, if you can, go to pick one with someone you know who plays the bass (a guitarist doesn't count). Quality does vary from bass to bass, and you'd be able to hear it played properly. He or she would increase your chances of getting a good example of a bass you like the sound of.

[Absolute Beginner]

Thanks all.

Just out of interest is there much difference between the makes Chord and Cort ?

I had a quick look at the Vintage Modified Jazz Bass online - a lovely looking instrument! I love that retro feel!

Does the VM bass have a slimmer neck than the Ibanez range?

Sorry for so many questions!

Thanks again.

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='Absolute Beginner' timestamp='1387796553' post='2315663']
Thanks all.

Just out of interest is there much difference between the makes Chord and Cort ?

I had a quick look at the Vintage Modified Jazz Bass online - a lovely looking instrument! I love that retro feel!

Does the VM bass have a slimmer neck than the Ibanez range?

Sorry for so many questions!

Thanks again.
[/quote]

I only know the Chord brand through the guitars my local shop stocks and really wouldn't put them up against a Cort - Cort far superior (IMO). Back to the Squiers, I had a VMJ fretless, and bought it before trying it. I went through all the CV and VMJ range at the time to get a feel for them before ordering the fretless and found the CV's were much nicer than the VMJs (although no fretless). One of the best things about them is they re-sell quite quickly and hold their price reasonably well. I'd say Cort would be a better bass but are not as easy to sell on.

[charic]

If you can try and get a lesson or two first, then when you go to a music shop you'll be able to try it out.

For your first bass you should be looking for comfort and something that you enjoy looking at in my opinion. If you don't look at it and think "I want to play that" then you wont. Comfort is the next most important thing as it will help you develop proper technique and you wont be compensating for a bass that isn't right for you

Good luck with your hunt!

[MikanHannille]

Don't forget Yamaha basses. They are great too!