Buying a bass, what should i look for?

[Bass_Junkie]

As some of you may know i am in the process of buying a new bass, i will be going to try one out at a shop in the next week or so.


is there anything i can play sort of like a, 'test your bass' kinda riff or line that helps give me an idea of what all the parts of the bass are like?

And what should i look/hear/feel for to tell weather its a good bass or not?


any info would be nice.
Thanks.
Bass_Junkie.

[mancunianfox]

[quote name='Bass_Junkie' post='60447' date='Sep 14 2007, 03:54 PM']As some of you may know i am in the process of buying a new bass, i will be going to try one out at a shop in the next week or so.
is there anything i can play sort of like a, 'test your bass' kinda riff or line that helps give me an idea of what all the parts of the bass are like?

And what should i look/hear/feel for to tell weather its a good bass or not?
any info would be nice.
Thanks.
Bass_Junkie.[/quote]

If you play it, enjoy playing it and you like the way it feels and sounds then it is a good bass. If you don't then its not for you so don't buy it. Remember its not all about specification. Lots of people try really high spec basses and dislike them.

I don't think there is a definitive way to test a bass though. Check if anything feels flimsy on it and how easily you can get around the neck. I always like to bypass the eq or toneshaping on the amp too. You will know if it sounds right...tone is subjective to the individual.

Edited September 14, 2007 by mancunianfox

[Musky]

Good question, and one a lot of beginners face.

I don't think there's anything you need to play other than what you usually do - that's what you're going to playing on it, so that's what it should be tested with. There's not a great deal of point in seeing how well it slaps if you're never going to play slap bass, for instance.

The stock answer to how it plays/feels is to take an experienced bass player along with you, but for me that was never an option. I think the best bet is to play as many basses in the shop as you can, even basses out of your price range and other examples of the same bass (I mean [i]exactly[/i] the same model - there can be huge differences, especially on cheaper models). It should give you a good idea of the differences and playability of different basses. And like mancunianfox says, if you like what it does then that's the one for you.

There are a few things you might like to look out for though. Any sign of crackly pots, any fret buzz (check all strings on each fret) and poorly fitting neck/pocket (though pretty much a rarity even on cheap basses nowadays). Any problems with the neck should make themselves apparent in comparison with other basses.

[Mr. Foxen]

One thing I always do is put my ear on the body ( generally the top horn for convenience) and listen to what it sounds like there. Also, I pay aattention to how much the body vibrates when you are playing, I want my basses to really come alive when you hit a string. If the wood is good everything else can be replaced, I did that, load of no name generics, picked out the one that sounded loudest through the body.