Help Buying New Bass

[BassicBass]

What kind of bass would you recommend for someone that wants to play a variety of styles, from ska to heavy metal. I'd mainly play with my fingers but without a lot of slap and a little picking too. The main styles of music I would be playing would be rock, funk, jazz, hard rock, alternative pretty much anything else as long as it has a good bass line. It would also be good if the bass looked at least slightly unique or stood out.

*Update
I already have a fender j bass and a squier p bass so those are kinda out the question
I've messed around with yamaha style active basses and I like their sound and look but I've found that they are a bit fragile

Edited June 24, 2014 by BassicBass

[LukeFRC]

Until the last line I would have said a Fender or Squier type PJ bass... unique and stand out.. is more down to personal preference.

There's not that much a peavey T40 can't do tonally... and that would stand out...

[KingBollock]

Have a look at some Corts. I feel that the Cort T-35 I have covers all that, and I love it.

[Pukie]

You haven't mentioned price, but assuming you area beginner and mummy and daddy aren't plastic surgeons, I will echo the recommendation of something with a PJ pickup combination. then just go with something that suits your taste and budget.

As for basses that stand out. Some basses that look the part in a heavy band will just look silly in a jazz band, and vice versa.
if you are not sure which way your going remember generally Fenders or black or white basses go with everything

[Grangur]

It sounds to me like you want a good all round bass and as Pukie says, a PJ will give you lots of options on the sound you can get.

Some points worth thinking about as a new player:

Basses are like women. (And men to I guess)

1 - You will pay a premium for anything that looks distinctive
2 - You probably don't yet know what type of music you'll go playing - that will come when you join a band.
3 - You will almost inevitably trade up a few times until you find one you settle with. Even then you'll still keep looking about.

This would be a fantastic start if you can afford it:

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/239523-fender-precision-lyte-1993-immaculate-condition/

[throwoff]

Oof that P lyte is lovely.

[HowieBass]

I advocate sacrificing looks for sound and playability; what's the point of having an instrument looking 'flash' if it sounds dire? You can do a lot with customising an instrument either with body graphics or fancy scratchplates - remember Phil Lynott's black Fender Precision with the mirror scratchplate? If you want to cover a lot of different musical styles then pretty much every time you'll probably find a stand out bassist in that genre having used a P bass, and having a decent selection of effects (a few stomp boxes or a multi-fx unit like a Zoom B3) will allow you to tailor your sound to the song.

[razze06]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1403564688' post='2484058']
There's not that much a peavey T40 can't do tonally... and that would stand out...
[/quote]

This.

[KingBollock]

Just to play sort of Devil's advocate a bit... If I thought, and I do, that the looks of a Bass was important then this stuff isn't want I would want to hear. As true as it is, it isn't the whole truth.

It is perfectly possible to get a non-standard looking Bass for not too much money. The most important thing is that it is made well, but the shape has to be right, too. Yes you can change its colour, but you can't so easily change its shape, but you can change how it sounds by upgrading pick-ups and pre-amp, which is a good way of upgrading more cheaply than buying a new Bass and is ideal if you have found a Bass that you enjoy playing.

I mentioned Cort because they make well made Basses that aren't your bog standard P or J Bass. My T-35 has two humbuckers, which sound great and it has a very versatile sound and I believe wouldn't look out of place in any setting. They also do the T series with better specs, depending on how much you want to spend.

I am sure Yamaha and other makes do stuff just as suitable but I have no experience with them.

[razze06]

The Peavey T40 is always my first recommendation for many questions , but there are other very versatile and unusual basses to try out. Yamaha BB series are pretty useful, and I've got a thing for high-end Ibanez, like the SR1200 VNF.

[Geek99]

A precision bass, in tort and sunburst, it can do everything - although possibly not your ironing

[thebassist]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1403622365' post='2484636']
A precision bass, in tort and sunburst, it can do everything - although possibly not your ironing
[/quote]

This...except I'd go Jazz.

[Grangur]

Agree with all the above. A lot of folk like Ibanez as a first bass too.

The important thing is go down the shop and make a menace of yourself, go try some basses. Find out what YOU like. If you stick with the main brands you won't go far wrong:

Fender, Peavey, Ibanez, Vintage, Squier (made by Fender), Cort, Yamaha, Epiphone

[TheGreek]

I wouldn't be thinking about specific basses at this stage.

If you're just starting out ([i]which isn't clear at the moment[/i]) - I'd find somebody (not a guitarist!!!) who can play and take them shopping with you. You might want to think about checking people's avatars here and asking a BCer who lives locally to help out. It's a good way to build a friendship with somebody with some experience who can help out when you inevitably hit those plateaux.

When you go shopping I'd let the shop staff know that you're not sure what you're after and that you'd like to try some gear before you commit. Make it clear that you [b]definitely[/b] won't be buying today but that you are serious about buying from them, if they have something you like. This puts you on a clear footing and hopefully they'll provide a better service because of your openness. Don't jump in just because and make sure you haggle - even if it's just a set of strings or a strap.

When you try equipment ask your friend/local BCer to play it first - not the shop staff who can probably make anything sound great. Check for weight, balance, the neck ([i]is it straight?[/i]), how low is the action and whether there's any crackling from the pick ups. Don't be afraid to ask them to adjust the action and try different gauges of strings - my first bass came with heavy strings which I could never get on with and may be the reason I prefer light strings now.

As we now know, there are very few crap modern basses - virtually everybody builds half decent basses nowadays so it's unlikely that you'll buy an absolute dog if it's recent.

You'll get a ton of advice regarding brands but this boils down to personal choice - personally I hate Fenders but I'm pretty much in the minority so don't take my advice ([i]there's a paradox if ever there was one[/i]) - find something you like without spending a small fortune. The likelihood ([i]especially if you hang around here for long enough[/i]) is that this won't be the last bass you buy so get something that will do for now knowing that in 18 months or so you can buy something when you have a bit of knowledge.

After doing all this go you'll probably find yourself buying a Squier for less than £200 which will be more than adequate for your needs.

Good luck and welcome to the community..

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='razze06' timestamp='1403621358' post='2484614']
The Peavey T40 is always my first recommendation for many questions , but there are other very versatile and unusual basses to try out. [b]Yamaha BB series are pretty useful,[/b] and I've got a thing for high-end Ibanez, like the SR1200 VNF.
[/quote]

actually this (it seems great minds think alike )
I've seen secondhand BB414 go for £200 or so - a bargain at twice the price