Researching My First Bass

[Samfordia]

Hello there,

My first post, and from what I have seen this seems to be a good forum with great resource.

For the last eight weeks I have taken part in a weekly two hour session at a community college where I have played the bass. The sessions mainly consist of several absolute noobs learning a basic song and trying to get to the stage where it can be played from start to end by the time the session ends. For example, this week it was Wild Thing, and in other weeks it has been Teenage Kicks and All Day and All of the Night.

I have enjoyed it immensely and have been so frustrated that I have to wait for a whole week for a short two hour session. I have also become frustrated at the fact that I'm now not exactly learning much as all I am doing is quickly learning the tab for a song. I have always enjoyed the bass guitar when listening to music and naturally gravitated to it when I started at this community college. It is definitely the instrument for me.

For the past couple of weeks I have been researching online as to which bass I should buy. In doing so I have learnt quite a lot about the instrument that I had no idea about previously. The more I learnt the more tricky it became for me to work out what I should go for. If I knew nothing then I'm sure I would have already bought any old bass that caught my eye.

The bass will be used primarily for me to learn on when alone at home. A pick will be used for most of the time, with fingers also used from time to time. There won't be any slapping going on as I don't seem to appreciate that sound or the type of music that goes with it (at least for now). The music I will be concentrating on will be mainly post-punk/new wave, rock, indie etc. I don't see much funk, jazz or blues going on, other than in the learning process with regards scales etc.

At the very most I have around £300 to spend on a bass, amp, lead and tuner. I could put more to it but I would then have to wait even longer in order to save more. I have not yet been into a shop to try any as I would imagine that to be a rather embarrassing situation, especially when before I started to do some research I didn't even know of the existence of a P or J-Bass, a short scale or long scale etc. So I have been trying to hone in on exactly what kind of bass it is that I want before going to a shop to listen to them and feel how they are.

With the sound I want I am thinking that a P-Bass would be more suitable. I see lots of P/J basses but I assume that the 'P' won't be as much of a 'P' as in a P-Bass? (That may be the worst sentence ever written but I'm sure you know what it is I am trying to describe!) At first I was attracted to the look of what turned out to be short scale basses. But again, would this not give me the sound I want? Having said all of that, would going for a full scale P-Bass limit me in my learning? Would a short scale be easier for me to learn on? Would a P/J give me more options for learning?

Some basses I find to be rather boring looks wise, at least to me personally, and I think that it would really help me out a lot if I was attracted to it other than the sound it gives. If it encouraged me to pick it up every day then that would be great.

I was initially attracted to the [b]Epiphone EB-0 [/b]but that was before I understood that there was such a thing as short scale. So then I veered towards the [b]Epiphone EB-3. [/b]A few models I read about often are the [b]Yamaha RBX170, Ibanez Soundgear GSR200 [/b]and the [b]ESP LTD B-10[/b]. I am not all that attracted to those three basses all that much as they seem to look a little too metal for me. Also, I'm not too into the active side of things and being at the mercy of a battery, which the Ibanez is. The bass I am most attracted to physically is the [b]Squire Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass SS in black[/b]. The other two models (full scale) near that in price I like too but I notice that they're active. Others I have looked at are the [b]Squier Mike Dirnt Precision Bass [/b]and the [b]Squire Vintage Modified Cabronita Precision Bass[/b]. Those would probably be getting past my budget though. I discovered an English company called Lindo that caught my eye. They have a few cheap basses and one of them I found on Amazon with a good bunch of stuff as a starter pack - [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lindo-Series-Electric-EBG15-FP-Amplifier/dp/B00FWVMVUE/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1405209618&sr=8-21&keywords=lindo+bass"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lindo-Series-Electric-EBG15-FP-Amplifier/dp/B00FWVMVUE/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1405209618&sr=8-21&keywords=lindo+bass[/url] - which is odd as they supposedly charge £200 for the actual bass on its own.

I do apologise if I have rambled my way through this but I have nobody else to talk to about it and I think that I just needed to get it all out there as it's been quite difficult learning so much new information at the same time as being unsure as to which way to go. I would greatly appreciate any guiding and please do feel free to speak in laymans terms.

I'm happy to be here

Edited July 13, 2014 by Samfordia

[Dad3353]

Good evening, Sam, and ...

[URL=http://www.smileyvault.com/][IMG]http://www.smileyvault.com/albums/userpics/14389/tekst_welkom~0.gif[/IMG][/URL]

... to the forum. Plenty to enjoy here, and lots to learn.
First bass, eh..? Spoilt for choice, eh..? An enviable position. In posing the question here, you'll get, for every two replies, three completely differing opinions..! You'll have to decide for yourself of course, in the end, but I'm sure there'll be many willing to offer their views.
You've established a budget, that's a Good Thing. Have you any 'bass heroes' whose sound or style reflect more your goals..? Are you concerned with buying new gear, or would good used equipment suit you..? ([i]Hint: there's an excellent Marketplace on this very site..![/i]) Have you any access to tuition from a bass teacher, or is this out of the question..? Are there any music shops in the vicinity who could allow an inspection of their wares..?
That's just a few notions to think about whilst waiting for the hordes to swing into action; some replies to the above could help them help you. You've come to the right place (... but I would say that, wouldn't i..? ).
Hope this helps (... but not much, I'm sure...)

[alyctes]

Welcome aboard

A P/J bass should sound exactly as P-ish as a P-bass of the same construction, if you set the J output to zero.

It is worth looking at second-hand basses. See what's for sale here, and use the Feedback section to form an opinion of the seller. Most people here are honest and sane, and you'll generally get an honest opinion of what the thing is like from a player's viewpoint as well.

In my opinion you can't really go wrong with an Ibanez SR300 as a starter. They are active, and you may think they look too metal-ish, but to my mind they have no other disadvantages. The neck is skinny, which may not be comfortable for you. (FWIW, I don't like metal...) Personally I want something which plays well and comfortably and sounds good, and I'm not too fussed what it looks like, but it depends what you want to do with it.

Also worth looking at are the Peavey Milestones. Again, skinny neck.

I'd try some basses out, to learn what you like as a player. Be aware that your taste may change as you learn. My experience suggests there is no bass which is "just right" forever; so it depends what you need.

Good luck, and do ask questions

[Samfordia]

Thank you for the warm welcome

Seeing as he comes from my area and was the bassist in my favourite band Peter Hook stands out for me. I am also writing this sat about 20 yards away from where the band first rehearsed. Mani would be another.

I am not overly concerned about it all needing to be brand new. I suppose it would be nice if it was but I'm hardly sitting on much cash. There are lots of decent shops that I can travel to. PMT Manchester - [url="http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/manchester.html"]http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/manchester.html[/url] - is the closest. There is also Dawsons, Johnny Roadhouse and Forsyths that are all very well known and respected.

Affording bass tuition may be a problem. Without knowing how much it would cost there is probably not much chance of me being able to afford it for any sustainable amount of time.

Thanks for the two recommendations, I shall look into those.

[JamesBass]

Welcome aboard!

This journey you've just started on will only get better! Never be disheartened by not picking some stuff up straight away, always keep going and remember to enjoy yourself!

As for your bass dilemma, you're not alone there. Plenty have been in your position and plenty will get there someday. You will find an absolute wealth of knowledge and opinion on this forum regarding basses and what to get.

Although there are many different necks and basses out there, the scale isn't that much of a big factor, in my opinion anyway, it's more about the shape and feel of the neck in your hands, so as I tell everyone, go and try the basses on your shortlist! I personally can't get on with skinny necks, they just feel too small and not comfortable to me, I much prefer a thicker neck, but not a neck that is too deep, if you get what I mean?

In my opinion there is no better bass than a straight up Precision Bass, it's Fender's original design and has barely changed in over 60 years(almost). Many great players have used them such as James Jamerson, John Entwistle, and Steve Harris. The bass is still widely used today as it is something of a workhorse, very simple plug and play being that it is a passive bass and built very well normally!

The affinity series by Squire are very good instruments for the price http://www.gak.co.uk/en/squier-affinity-bass-guitars

And the Squire Classic Vibe series is absolutely excellent for the price http://www.gak.co.uk/en/squier-classic-vibe-basses

Don't be afraid of going pre-owned either, there's always a bargain to be had!

Good luck with your search, keep us posted!

James

[alyctes]

a couple more points:

- The strings make the noise; everything else fits around that. Spending lots of money on a bass, and then buying cheapo strings for it, can be a recipe for an expensive but bad noise.

- Likewise, amplifiers put the noise out. They are not so glamorous as the basses, but without them, the basses are not really very useful.

- Proper setup is nearly essential. Guitar shops will generally do this for maybe £20. New basses may well not be set up properly. Given your budget, you'll want to learn how to do this for yourself. But research it first!

[kerley]

If you have the time and more importantly the shop gives you the time then I would just go and try out the basses that appealed to me when seeing them. We don't know if you like short scale, thin necks, active or passive etc,. but you would soon find out when trying them out. And when I say trying out I mean in a separate room for 10 minutes each so you get a real feel for how they are to play and how they sound.

Even then, if you are like most people you will start wondering within a week whether you bought the right one and start looking at other basses. If you are lucky you can rise above that and know that none of that really matters and will just put your time into actually getting better at the instrument.

[Cairobill]

With your post punk interests i would definitely get a precision. The sound and look will get you through any musical situation in that context. Given your cash restrictions I would recommend continuing asking for info and keeping an eye on the sale board here until something comes up that matches your budget from a local board member. 250 is not a huge amount to spend but a good Mexican fender or parts built precision could be yours and will work perfectly well for practice, rehearsal, even recording, especially if the pickups are upgraded down the line.

Soundwise, I would suggest a cheap but punchy second hand combo for home practice, rehearsal and small scale gigs. Bigger gigs you could rent back line or borrow from other bands (make sure you ask in good time before the gig!). You will also find that some board members will get rid of old dated, combos for around the 50 quid mark as they are difficult to sell. Search the amps classifieds here for 'combo' and you will see what I mean. Getting something that is in a functional state by peavey, ashdown, ampeg or trace elliott would be my recommendation. Again, you're not looking for the best amp in the world, you just need to make a fairly loud noise and for it not to break down

Cable, straps, strings etc can be sourced through board members here as well either as secondhand cheap or freebies or high quality, independently made merchandise (OBBM leads are excellent).

And yes, get a good set up. Find a local guitar tech through the board who can give the new bass a set-up. But if you buy second hand from someone who knows what they are doing, they should ensure the bass has the correct set up and would have set up the action/ relief on the neck properly.

Good luck!

Edited July 13, 2014 by Cairobill

[HowieBass]

I also recommend the Squier series basses (I've got two) and for the looks and type of music you enjoy I'd say go for the Vintage Modified Precision in Olympic White - it's got punk/rock written all over it (some think it's been modelled after the bass Sid Vicious used) and the Duncan Designed pickup it carries is excellent (I have the same bass but in the amber/maple finish). The strings you'll find on a Squier are Fender nickel roundwound and again these are perfectly fine. Most of your budget will go on a bass if you buy new (or used from anyone on here) so instead of a small practice amp for home use you could use a multi-effects pedal where you'll have various amp/cab models, various bass effects and a simple drum machine all built in and you can listen on headphones and use the same pedal to plug into an amp for when you play at your class or for when you can afford an amp if you join a band... something like the Zoom B1on pedal would be a good place to start (it's also got an input jack so you can play along with your favourite music) http://www.zoom.co.jp/products/b1on

Have fun and welcome to the world of bass playing!

[Grangur]

Welcome Sam.

It sounds like you have a good setup going on there and it'll be a great environment for you to learn. My thinking is failry in line with Cairobill. £300 isn't a lot for the whole setup. I'd concentrate first in the amp. Ask around to find out if borrowing an amp at gigs is possible. If not, then you need to think first about the amp.

If it come to it you can get a cheap Encore or Gear4Music bass for less than £40, But a £40 amp will be unlikely to meet the need at a gig.

Incidentally, I bought a Gear4Music bass in great condition for £20. It's got hot pickups, so it'll work well in a band mix and feels great (after removing the brand name!)

[Horizontalste]

Where abouts are you? I've got a P-bass copy you can have for free if you want it.
It'll need new strings but it should do to get you going.
I'm guessing your somewhere near Manchester, I can get it to my friends in Rochdale if you can pick it up.

[HowieBass]

^^^^^^^^^

And this is why Basschat is such a wonderful community! Well done Horizontalste!

[Lozz196]

Welcome to the forum. In agreement with many of the above, for post-punk a Precision would be ideal. And given the budget, I`d look on here, ebay & gumtree for a second hand Korean Squier (also known as MIK). They are nice basses, but the necks are the real seller here, they are fantastic. I have one as a backup to my 78 Precision (the only 2 basses I own). You can pick one up for under £150, that then gives the remainder for the amp. A clip-on tuner can be had for a tenner, so with £140 you can get a fairly nice practice amp new, or look for a more powerful model used, again on here, ebay or gumtree.

[Grangur]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1405242520' post='2499931']
^^^^^^^^^

And this is why Basschat is such a wonderful community! Well done Horizontalste!
[/quote]
This... just WOW!!!

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1405242160' post='2499925']
Where abouts are you? I've got a P-bass copy you can have for free if you want it.
It'll need new strings but it should do to get you going.
I'm guessing your somewhere near Manchester, I can get it to my friends in Rochdale if you can pick it up.
[/quote]

[URL=http://www.smileyvault.com/][IMG]http://www.smileyvault.com/albums/CBSA/smileyvault-cute-big-smiley-animated-041.gif[/IMG][/URL]

You can't go far wrong with an offer of this sort. Well done, that man; kudos.

[Samfordia]

Thank you all for your replies. I have so much to go on. Everything that has been suggested I have either taken notes of or looked it up directly online.

And, of course, I hope to take up the hugely generous offer of the p-bass copy from Horizontalste and have conversed with him via PM.

This really does seem a lovely place

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Samfordia' timestamp='1405259499' post='2500140']...
This really does seem a lovely place
[/quote]

Yeah, they all say that [i]before [/i]the initiation ceremony.



What..? You've not been told of the initiation ceremony..? Oh dear. Have you not bought your latex stuff, and informed next of kin..? Do you have personal injury insurance..? Perhaps I've said too much...

[BassTractor]

Welcome, mate! You seem to be well sorted with the kind of answers you've been receiving, so I'll just say:
Enjoy the bass, and enjoy BC!

Oh, and applause and kudos to Ste!

bert

[Samfordia]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1405259942' post='2500151']
Have you not bought your latex stuff, and informed next of kin..? Do you have personal injury insurance..? Perhaps I've said too much...
[/quote]

Okay so now I regret not joining talkbass.com instead

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Samfordia' timestamp='1405260656' post='2500161']
Okay so now I regret not joining talkbass.com instead
[/quote]

So you've not heard of [i]their [/i]initiation ceremony, either..?

[JamesBass]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1405259942' post='2500151']


Yeah, they all say that [i]before [/i]the initiation ceremony.



What..? You've not been told of the initiation ceremony..? Oh dear. Have you not bought your latex stuff, and informed next of kin..? Do you have personal injury insurance..? Perhaps I've said too much...
[/quote]
Christ! How are we meant to keep this initiation ceremony a secret if you keep spouting your mouth off! About it!

Just wait till the mods get a hold of you again, best take those days off work now to recover

[Samfordia]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1405239802' post='2499902']
so instead of a small practice amp for home use you could use a multi-effects pedal where you'll have various amp/cab models, various bass effects and a simple drum machine all built in and you can listen on headphones and use the same pedal to plug into an amp for when you play at your class or for when you can afford an amp if you join a band... something like the Zoom B1on pedal would be a good place to start (it's also got an input jack so you can play along with your favourite music) [url="http://www.zoom.co.jp/products/b1on"]http://www.zoom.co.jp/products/b1on[/url]
[/quote]

Headphones could be plugged into this and no amp will be needed?

[Dad3353]

[Annoying Twit]

Some of the Zoom pedals have micro-switches that wear out. Hence be careful when buying one second hand.

If you buy a pedal for practice, I'd recommend that you get one with an auxiliary input, so that you can play along with drum beats or music while practicing. My Zoom B2 doesn't have one. On the upside, I think that the B2 has a lot of good and useful sounds in it. I just wish that the microswitches on mine all worked.

If the OP is getting a free bass, then he could afford a Roland Bass Microcube, and still stay within budget. It wouldn't be suitable for full band rehearsal or performance, but should work for home practice. [url="http://www.roland.co.uk/products/productdetails.aspx?p=940"]http://www.roland.co...ails.aspx?p=940[/url]

Personally I like the idea of starting with a cheap but usable bass (and free is even better). It's possible to try out basses, but there's a chicken and egg problem. It's IMHO difficult to know what you want until you can play. And you need a bass to practice on before you can learn to play. A decent practice amp is more likely to remain useful throughout a player's development.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[Jellyfish]

Hey man, welcome to the world of bass.

I've read your posts but only scanned the replies so apologies if I repeat the great advice that other members might have given. £300 is a sensible budget, and when I started out that was exactly the amount that I had to spend. I ended up buying a [b]Yamaha RBX170[/b] and an [b]Ashdown After Eight [/b]amp. I was lucky in that I had advice from a couple of musicians and, without it, I probably would have not gotten anything anywhere near as good.

I'd definitely [b]go used[/b] when buying your first bass. Not only do you get way more for your money, but you'll also get a lot more back if/when you decide to sell it (perhaps to fund something better ). Found a couple of basses [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/240632-modified-vintage-v4-icon-series-pics-added/"]here[/url], [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/239556-ibanez-sr370-4-string-bass-in-trans-blue-beautiful-cheap/"]here[/url], [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/231939-squier-silver-series-jazz-silly-price/"]here[/url] and [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/237452-bass-collection-sgc-nanyo-sb301-mij-upgraded-electrics/"]this bargain[/url].

With spending around £200 on a bass, you'll want something under £100 for your amplification. Amps at that price range don't vary too much, so it'll probably be best to go to GAK or Thomann or whoever's the cheapest and order a brand new one. If you can find a used practice amp that's good value, go for it, but there's not a huge selection in the 'For Sale' section at the moment.

Regarding accessories, go for the cheapest 'plug in' tuner you can find. Clip-on tuners are okay, but it's quite a faf and I wouldn't recommend using one unless you really have to. If you're buying used, [b]new strings[/b] are another purchase you might want to consider. The difference between rusty, dirty old strings and a new set is like night and day for experienced players, so imagine what it might be like for someone who is relatively new...