What Are The Best Beginner Basses?

[Stub Mandrel]

Some advice for beginners...

Tuning once a week is adequate, unless the tuning heads get bumped. Action at the 12th fret should be 1/4".

Anyone know where that comes from?

[hooky_lowdown]

13 minutes ago, DoubleOhStephan said:

I agree, I think sub £100 you're either buying an already budget bass not worth much more than that new (but without warranty), a higher value bass with possible problems or you're getting a bargain. For it to be option 3 you need to know what you're looking at and what to avoid, not something a first time buyer can be expected to know. 

Are you talking sub £100 for a new or used bass? As mentioned a HB pb50 is sub £100 new and perfectly gigable.

What would be helpful is a list of good beginner basses at different price points, and the price range they sell for both new and used. This would be a resource beneficial to beginners.

[DoubleOhStephan]

35 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said:

Are you talking sub £100 for a new or used bass? As mentioned a HB pb50 is sub £100 new and perfectly gigable.

I'm saying you'd need to spend between £100-200 for a decent used bass, £150-250 for a decent new bass.

I've never played a Harley Benton so, whilst I'm sure they're absolutely fine, I'm not in a position to personally recommend one. 

The other issue is, if you want anything other than a HB P bass, even a HB Jazz costs £150 (at least from Thomann including delivery), so really it's just a matter of lack of choice at that price point. 

Re. Used basses, I'm a huge fan of used gear and have only ever bought 1 bass new (a TT4 which was on sale with an extra 20% off) but, for less than £100, I don't think you're going to get anything other than an already "bottom of the range" bass (less than £150 new) or a beater which, as I mentioned above, unless you know what you're looking for, could come with a host of problems unless you're lucky.

35 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said:

What would be helpful is a list of good beginner basses at different price points, and the price range they sell for both new and used. This would be a resource beneficial to beginners.

Completely agree. 

Edited August 26, 2019 by DoubleOhStephan

[hooky_lowdown]

16 minutes ago, DoubleOhStephan said:

I'm saying you'd need to spend between £100-200 for a decent used bass, £150-250 for a decent new bass.

Totally disagree, there are many sub £100 basses that can be had which are very decent.

My current main bass is a Yamaha rbx270 with upgraded pickups and electrics. However the stock pickups and electrics would be perfectly suitable and usable for a beginner, and stock it only cost me £70, though they generally can be picked up on fleabay for under £100.

My point here being Yamaha's, Peavey's, Ibanez, Cort, Squier, HB's, SX and J&D's can all be picked up sub £100 used and are all very decent (I've owned them all at one time).

I do agree with you £150-250 for a new decent bass.

[BreadBin]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Some advice for beginners...

Tuning once a week is adequate, unless the tuning heads get bumped. Action at the 12th fret should be 1/4".

Anyone know where that comes from?

Disagree, tuning should be carried out whenever the instrument is out of tune! Heat, hard playing, cheap machine heads can all be a factor.

[Stub Mandrel]

5 minutes ago, BreadBin said:

Disagree, tuning should be carried out whenever the instrument is out of tune! Heat, hard playing, cheap machine heads can all be a factor.

Ah but who said that, and should we respect their opinion?

[BreadBin]

2 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Ah but who said that, and should we respect their opinion?

No idea, and no, not really!

[greghagger]

1 hour ago, hooky_lowdown said:

 

What would be helpful is a list of good beginner basses at different price points, and the price range they sell for both new and used. This would be a resource beneficial to beginners.

That is a really great idea! 

[stewblack]

On 22/08/2019 at 16:29, lownote12 said:

Revelation range.  £199 new.  I've had 40 basses up and down the price range, from a Harley Benton to higher end single cut Ibanez and Fenders. My Revelation fretless P bass is my favourite to date.  Nicely made, great sound and nothing money. I wouldn't reach over a Revelation for a Squier, although the latter is OK. One of London's high end shops, the Camden Bass Gallery, recommends and sells them.  I rest my case m'lud.   Next up would be a Sire.

+1. I picked up a Revelation for not a lot of money at all a d gigged it that night after noodling in the soundcheck. Seriously good instrument, not much money. 

[Stub Mandrel]

19 hours ago, BreadBin said:

No idea, and no, not really!

Carol Kaye.

[BreadBin]

3 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Carol Kaye.

Explains why a lot of Motown bass lines are out of tune then...

[Stub Mandrel]

1 minute ago, BreadBin said:

Explains why a lot of Motown bass lines are out of tune then...

It was clearly a different instrument in those days. Put on a set of brand new roundwounds and everyone would have run a mile.

how to play the electric bass carol kaye.pdf

[greghagger]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

It was clearly a different instrument in those days. Put on a set of brand new roundwounds and everyone would have run a mile.

how to play the electric bass carol kaye.pdf 574.16 kB · 2 downloads

To be honest, my P-Bass with flatwounds on it, is pretty similar. and I definitely tune it when needed! 

[Stub Mandrel]

24 minutes ago, greghagger said:

To be honest, my P-Bass with flatwounds on it, is pretty similar. and I definitely tune it when needed! 

But do you find that it still has unwanted overtones because the damping in the bridge cover isn't powerful enough? 🙂

TBH I find that I don't need to tune more often than two or three times a day 🙂

[greghagger]

2 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

But do you find that it still has unwanted overtones because the damping in the bridge cover isn't powerful enough? 🙂

TBH I find that I don't need to tune more often than two or three times a day 🙂

The strings are so dead that I don’t have that problem 😀  Also palm mute and thumb so absolutely no tone whatsoever 😂

[RoverT]

On 22/08/2019 at 18:15, machinehead said:

Ibanez Talman range.  Available for under £150.00 brand new.

I've just bought a Talman TMB100M from Tom1946 and, after lowering the action a little to suit my playing style, it's a superb bass.  I gigged it on Saturday night.  It's up there with my US Fenders for sound and playability.   The hardware, woods and assembly are good enough to gig this bass for life.

I wish I'd owned a Talman when I was starting out on bass.

Frank.

What is the weight like? As a "mature" beginner that is important to me 🙂

[tobiewharton]

Definitely more from Yamaha and Ibanez. I'd also get Cort, Bass Collection and Vintage in there. I recommend all of these over Squier, to my students. Better components, better qc and far better value. IMO, of course. 

[greghagger]

1 hour ago, tobiewharton said:

Definitely more from Yamaha and Ibanez. I'd also get Cort, Bass Collection and Vintage in there. I recommend all of these over Squier, to my students. Better components, better qc and far better value. IMO, of course. 

Some good choices there thanks. I’ll definitely be editing the list. 

[machinehead]

11 hours ago, RoverT said:

What is the weight like? As a "mature" beginner that is important to me 🙂

Mine is an Ibanez Talman TMB100M.  It weighs exactly 8lbs and balances comfortably on a strap.

The fitting and finish is of a very high standard.  The frets are level with no sharp ends.  I have a low action without buzzing or rattles.  I think it could go a little lower but I'm happy where it is.  I haven't needed to adjust the truss rod, having only lowered the bridge saddles by two turns.

The hardware is doing its job as well as on any other bass I own although the tuners don't feel as refined as on more expensive basses - they work perfectly well though.

The pickups are rich and powerful and the active preamp needs tiny adjustments to be very effective.

This Talman range is fantastic value for the little money they cost.  I recommend them wholeheartedly.

Frank.

[tobiewharton]

 

1 hour ago, machinehead said:

Mine is an Ibanez Talman TMB100M.  It weighs exactly 8lbs and balances comfortably on a strap.

The fitting and finish is of a very high standard.  The frets are level with no sharp ends.  I have a low action without buzzing or rattles.  I think it could go a little lower but I'm happy where it is.  I haven't needed to adjust the truss rod, having only lowered the bridge saddles by two turns.

The hardware is doing its job as well as on any other bass I own although the tuners don't feel as refined as on more expensive basses - they work perfectly well though.

The pickups are rich and powerful and the active preamp needs tiny adjustments to be very effective.

This Talman range is fantastic value for the little money they cost.  I recommend them wholeheartedly.

Frank.

I second that, Frank. 

[greghagger]

1 hour ago, machinehead said:

Mine is an Ibanez Talman TMB100M.  It weighs exactly 8lbs and balances comfortably on a strap.

The fitting and finish is of a very high standard.  The frets are level with no sharp ends.  I have a low action without buzzing or rattles.  I think it could go a little lower but I'm happy where it is.  I haven't needed to adjust the truss rod, having only lowered the bridge saddles by two turns.

The hardware is doing its job as well as on any other bass I own although the tuners don't feel as refined as on more expensive basses - they work perfectly well though.

The pickups are rich and powerful and the active preamp needs tiny adjustments to be very effective.

This Talman range is fantastic value for the little money they cost.  I recommend them wholeheartedly.

Frank.

Great, worthy of being added to the list then. Thanks. 

[prowla]

By "beginners'" do you mean cheap?

You'd be better off buying a used good one which you can sell on at the same price if you decide it's not for you.

[greghagger]

7 hours ago, prowla said:

By "beginners'" do you mean cheap?

You'd be better off buying a used good one which you can sell on at the same price if you decide it's not for you.

No not necessarily although as discussed previously in the thread, this is certainly a factor. 

[mangotango]

There's been quite a few "Well I started out on a XYZ bass..." posts involved with this thread. It's quite interesting, I am sad enough to believe, especially if accompanied by the usual mix of nostalgia and misery - "now that WAS a piece of ****, action about a mile high, and don't get me started on the amp...."

So I think I might just kick off a "What was your first Bass/Amp?" thread on here. Might be a bit of fun. See what people have to say.

Pictures essential, natch, even if they're library pics off the Internet and not of the actual bass, which would probably be lost in the mists of time...and would probably have deserved it too, in most cases....

[kodiakblair]

2 minutes ago, mangotango said:

So I think I might just kick off a "What was your first Bass/Amp?" thread on here.

Audition or Commodore semi hollow with 3 strings,no buttons on the tuners and pickup held in by brads. Cost me £1.

With no amp and banned from using the tape recorder in the music centre , I'd rest the headstock against the cupboard door.