Best bass guitar for beginners

[Helen S]

My son is learning to play bass.  I have seen a marlin  bass near me for sale but reading on the internet it's not great.  I want something affordable but good for him to play. 

 

Thanks so much. 

Edited March 26, 2021 by Helen S
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[Teebs]

I've never played a Marlin bass, so can't comment - someone on here will be able to either recommend or not though.

For an entry level bass, there are loads available, and the quality of some is very good for the money.

Yamaha, Ibanez or Squier (avoid the Affinity range) are all decent at the less-expensive range.

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/yamaha/guitars/bass/

https://www.gear4music.com/Bass_Guitars/Ibanez_Bass_Guitars.html

https://www.andertons.co.uk/brands/squier/squier-jazz-basses?#facet:&productBeginIndex:0&facetLimit:&orderBy:&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/squier-bass-guitars?page=0#&auto=true&b=68&cat=30

Good luck! 👍🏼

 

[Al Krow]

Hi and welcome to BC!

Not sure how old your son is - if he's still young then a short scale bass could be worth considering (they seem to be pretty popular anyway on this forum), but I'll leave my more knowledgeable BC'ers to recommend you a make and model, as I only play standard scale 34" and 35" basses currently.

If you can get something used but in good condition, that will make your budget stretch a fair bit further / open up additional options.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Al Krow

[Teebs]

4 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Not sure how old your son is - if he's still young then a short scale bass could be worth considering (they seem to be pretty popular anyway on this forum), but I'll leave my more knowledgeable BC'ers as I'm only playing standard scale 34" and 35" basses, to recommend you a make and model.

If you can get something used but in good condition, that will make your budget stretch a fair bit further / open up additional options.

Good call!

I have & would recommend the Gretsch Junior Jet II short scale bass:

https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=gretsch+baSS

Where abouts are you located?

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by Teebs

[Helen S]

Thanks for your replies.  He is 14 but about 5 foot 10.  So taller than me. He has been learning on a normal sized bass.  

[binky_bass]

@Helen S - Personally I would give the Marlin a miss. They are not particularly good basses and often, because they are cheap, they are not set up to play very well at all. 

If your son is just starting out my recommendation is avoid the cheapest 'new' basses and go for something around the £200 price point if affordable - both Yamaha and Ibanez do some very respectable basses at this price point. Harley Benton are worth taking a look at too. 

If you buy something super cheap the chances are it will be unpleasant to play and may end up with your son not pursuing playing bass because of it. Spending just a little more to ensure you get something that will be a pleasure to play will help ensure he enjoys playing and continues it for many years! 

There are a lot of decent basses in the for sale section on this forum and most sellers are very easy to talk to if you need some honest advice about what they're selling. 

I hope you find the right bass! 

(There's a Peavey Fury II for sale here for £100, that'd be a perfectly respectable first bass and is a great price so if he decides not to pursue playing after a while you can sell it and you won't loose money)

Edited March 26, 2021 by binky_bass

[Lozz196]

I’d recommend either a Squier Jazz or Precision, and then do a search for a local luthier/guitar shop to set it up properly. Fender type basses are still pretty much industry standard so learning on one gives a good foundation for later on.

[Munurmunuh]

Since August I've been learning on a Yamaha TRBX - the thin neck has been very easy going while my hand built up stamina. I'm around the same height, and have found the whole instrument very comfortable to play. I had high expectations of build quality and value for money from Yamaha and have not been disappointed. Here's the TRBX304 model

Red TRBX304 at Yamaha's London shop

 

[Al Krow]

13 minutes ago, Helen S said:

Thanks for your replies.  He is 14 but about 5 foot 10.  So taller than me. He has been learning on a normal sized bass.  

In which case the world is his Blue Oyster Cult! 

Personally, I'd be very happy to recommend a used Yamaha 424, or a used Sire bass as being excellent value for money and good quality basses. 

[Munurmunuh]

17 minutes ago, binky_bass said:

(There's a Peavey Fury II for sale here for £100, that'd be a perfectly respectable first bass and is a great price so if he decides not to pursue playing after a while you can sell it and you won't loose money)

Will someone anyone please take advantage of this amazing bargain so I dont crumble and buy a bass I've really no need for? 😅 That advert has been haunting me, and I keep coming up with terrible excuses for buying it, (eg it would be good to have a cheap j neck strung with flats for when I want to take it easy)

Edited March 26, 2021 by Ricky Rioli

[Teebs]

Just now, Ricky Rioli said:

Will someone anyone please take advantage of this amazing bargain so I dont crumble and buy a bass I've really no need for? 😅

*whispers*

Do it, Ricky, you know you want to...

[jrixn1]

@Helen SWhat make/model bass is he currently learning on, and does he like it or not?

[Reggaebass]

Hi and welcome Helen 👍, has he looked at any basses and what sort of things does he like the look of, maybe have a browse through something like eBay for ideas and let us know and the good folks of basschat can advise 🙂

[TheGreek]

Hey @Helen S

Not sure of your budget but there are many good basses in the £200-300 range - so much so that he won't NEED to upgrade but will eventually WANT to. 

There are numerous threads here about budget basses - held in esteem include Sire, Musicman Sterling, Yamaha, Spector and Squier. I've owned one or more of each brand and not been disappointed, selling only because of that eternal search for the "perfect tone" - which probably doesn't exist anywhere other than between my ears.

Unfortunately, if your son joins this forum you won't be able to block the Marketplace options so he will inevitably contract GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) like the rest of us older kids.

 

[TheGreek]

I've just checked - there is no dedicated "Budget basses" threads.

[Cato]

Marlin basses and guitars from the late 80s/early 90s weren't great instruments, quite a few lads I knew had them as starters when we were at school.

Today's budget instruments are in a different league.

As others have said find out if he has any idea what style of bass he likes, aesthetics are important, of he likes the look and feel of the instrument he's going to be more inclined to pick it up and play.

There will be a good budget option available on most styles of bass.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Cato

[Reggaebass]

3 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

I've just checked - there is no dedicated "Budget basses" threads.

There was a first bass thread last year 

[TheGreek]

Thanks...

 

[Geek99]

Frankly I’m impressed that you tracked down what a marlin is, from a standing start in a world that you (probably) know little about. These pages are filled with topics that amount to “what is this bass, and is it any good?anyone ever had one?” Do well done 

I was young when Marlins came out and quality has improved a lot with budget instruments. They really weren’t great and I’m not sure age will have improved them

 

I’d be looking at Harley Benton clones of the fender precision and jazz basses. 
they cost pennies and are so good that many members on here gig with them (back when that was possible) or as a basis for small improvements 

https://m.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_electric_basses.html

they ship to UK for nothing (I think) and you can send it back if you don’t like it.
Get your son to join once he has found his feet. If he grows out of an HB you can shift it on here for a good price

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by Geek99