Best quality beginner bass

[skinzz]

Hi I need some advice on a beginner bass a good quality one

Regards Chris

Edited December 7, 2011 by skinzz

[chris_b]

[size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]Mmm. I've been playing for decades and I haven’t spent £1500 on a bass yet![/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color]
[size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial] [/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color]
[size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]For a real beginner I'd only spend a couple of hundred. If they want to take it further they can splash out later.[/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color]

[Musky]

Lots of options with that kind of budget. If I were you I'd spend some time trying as many basses as you can lay your hands on - there's nothing like playing the actual bass you're going to be buying, and it should give you a good idea which model feels suitable for you.

[chris_b]

[size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]For a beginner I’d get a good second hand bass, but if you have to have new, I'd get down to the Bass Merchant ([/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=2][size=4]Colchester[/size][size=4] [/size][size=4]CO4 9HT[/size][size=4], [/size][size=4]01206[/size][size=4] 751 173[/size][size=4]) while their closing down sale is still on. [/size][/size][/font][/color]
[size=4][font=Arial] [/font][/size][font=Arial][size=2][/size][/font]

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

There' s no such thing as a best bass - everyone has different taste.

Make sure you get one which looks so cool that you can't walk past it without taking it off its stand/off the wall & having a noodle.

You can get a fantastic bass for under £300. If you can buy it from somewhere that specialises in basses and has on-site expertise for setting it up - or take it somewhere for a setup. Then learn how to do setups. Nothing worse for a beginner than to have an expensive bass that plays like arse just because the shop that sold it have no idea how to do a bass setup. - I should know - I had owned my first fender for nearly 20 years before I had the courage to take a screwdriver to the truss rod.

[muttley]

For £1500 you could buy at least 5 decent s/h basses of varying styles and configurations. Live with them for a few months and decide which type/style/config you like best, then sell them all on and buy a really good or upgraded example of what you like most. You won't lose much money in the process and what little you do you can consider as the cost of gaining that valuable experience.

I re-started playing last Spring. I looked on here, numerous other websites and my local music shops and ended up with a really good buy on eBay for much less than I was expecting to have to pay.

Good luck.

[Ou7shined]

For 1500 smackers you are looking at buying a bass and amplification well in excess of the needs of any beginner.
Look for a top end Squier and a Roland bass cube practice amp and they'll be more than adequately catered for... should come to about £500.

[mr zed]

I'd buy something used off here - if you fancy a Fender deluxe or a Stingray, go for it. Should cost you anywhere between around £700 - 900 depending upon age/condition etc. If you decide it's not for you, it can be re-sold on here for around what you paid for it. If you decide you like it, you have a cracking instrument that someone else has taken the depreciation on. Simples!

[Dom in Dorset]

£1500 is about ten times the amount I'd recommend spending on a first bass.
1- it's a lot of cash to spend if you aren't 100% certain about getting on with the instrument.
2- as a beginner you have no idea about what type of bass give you "your" sound, no point buying a £1500 Fender delux P if in a years time you decide that you really wanted a passive jazz.
Just get a budget P copy, clock up some playing hours, learn more about the different styles of bass and playing styles before committing to anything more serious.
I've been playing on and off for 25 years, my most expensive bass is second hand £600.

[wateroftyne]

Buy a used bass for a fraction of that and spend a good chunk of money on a decent set-up.

[jjay69]

Wow thats some first bass, my first one came out of saved up pocket money and cost a full £75 (it played like a strung scaffolding plank mind you, but i wore those blisters with pride), the 30w combo was extra lol, it was 26 years ago.. I still haven't spent £1500 one, no need, i always bought 2nd hand except the G&L tribute which is an absolute beaut. Check them out, for £5-600 (or less) you get a lot af bass for your buck there. To give you an idea i played this for about 4 years prefering it to my Stingray and P Bass.

As JLP above says, everyone is different, an old pro once told me when i was young, try as many as it takes until something just feels right, neck widths, fretboard curves, string spacings, weight all play a part, i wouldn't just get one cos some band on tv uses one. I really wanted a Warwick for years but each time i tried one i didn't get on with them, shame cos they looked great to me.

[Alfie]

You should really try as many as possible, but I remember being a beginner and there was no way I was going to sit in a music shop sounding and looking like a complete noob, you might have more confidence however. Back then I bought a cheap Squier and in hindsight it was a mistake, hard to play, poor quality, undesirable image.

Moving to electric guitar a bit later I took a different approach, I bought the most desirable instrument I could afford, ironically it was a Squier Classic Vibe, goes to show how much the brand has changed. Owning a shiny new instrument of great quality made me want to pick it up whenever I saw it and encouraged me to learn.

My point is that you should get the best, most desirable bass you can afford, definitely don't spend less than £200. Buy second hand only if you are interested in saving money, owning a brand new instrument is a special feeling. If you have the money, spend it.

P Bass or Jazz are probably the best directions to go in when starting out as they can be functional as well as flash, Jazz basses have thinner necks so might feel more comfortable to begin with.

Find a P or J that you are comfortable playing, or if you don't want to expose your shortcomings in a music store then go with a brand with recognised quality control. Don't just buy a budget P bass copy. The Squier Classic Vibe series have an excellent reputation for QC and are often better put together than more expensive Fenders. A new Squier CV will leave you plenty of money to get a good lightweight amp and a looper to help you practice.

[Ou7shined]

I was guessing with the time of the year and all that this is a present for someone. If that's the case then second hand may not be desirable.
I think we need a bit more info before we get bogged down with a gazillion confusingly different ideas... like, does this beginner have any musical or playing experience at all (might explain the overly high budget)?

[Alfie]

Basically, buy the bass you really really want, don't get a cheap bass wishing it was your dream bass.

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1323165782' post='1459888']
I think we need a bit more info before we get bogged down with a gazillion confusingly different ideas... like, does this beginner have any musical or playing experience at all (might explain the overly high budget)?
[/quote]

Listen to this! 'Best' instrument is going to depend on style of music, tonal and playing goals. Even though some basses are very versatile there is no one-size-fits-all.

[bremen]

[quote name='Alfie' timestamp='1323165791' post='1459889']
Basically, buy the bass you really really want, don't get a cheap bass wishing it was your dream bass.
[/quote]

But if you're a beginner you don't really know what you want!

I spent 1000+ on a Warwick because I liked the sound of it. I'd been playing for many years and thought it was my dream bass. However, I never really warmed to it, sold it at a loss, tried many cheap(er) instruments and now am blissfully happy with my £200ish 'bitsa' Precision.

[Alfie]

When I was a teenager beginning to play I really wanted a Rickenbacker, but I couldn't afford one, I still can't. But that was my dream bass.

[Conan]

[quote name='Dom in Somerset' timestamp='1323164916' post='1459872']
£1500 is about ten times the amount I'd recommend spending on a first bass.
[/quote]

Not sure I'd go quite that far!

Let's be honest here, when most of us were starting off we would have LOVED the chance to have that much money to spend on a bass! I still would!! Why learn on a crap instrument if you can afford a good 'un? That just seems counter-productive to me. Part of the reason why some of us struggle with technical deficiencies now is because we adapted our playing styles to cope with rubbish basses in our formative years (IME anyway).

Isn't there just a teensie weensie bit of jealousy because we didn't have £1500 to spebd on our first intruments?

What I would definitely agree with is to buy second hand. Not only could you get a brilliant bass for even half of that budget, but then you could easily sell it on (should the need or desire arise) for at least what you paid for it. It's a no-brainer really.

[Conan]

[quote name='Alfie' timestamp='1323165642' post='1459884']Owning a shiny new instrument of great quality made me want to pick it up whenever I saw it and encouraged me to learn.[/quote]

This. Apart from the "new" bit, of course!

[Dom in Dorset]

Most of my concerns about spending £1500 on a bass for a beginner stem from my personal circumstances , I just don't have that kind of cash (also my father was Scottish, I'm naturally tight fisted)
If spending £1500 is something you can afford to do with ease and the recipient is going to really appreciate the quality of the instrument, then go with your first choice.
I usually recommend a budget P bass because it's the nearest thing to an affordable "one size fits all" that would give an inexperienced beginner an introduction to the instrument. A Westfield P is under £100 and IMO is better than many basses in the £2-300 range ( search the forum to see how many devotees they have) . In this case money doesn't appear to be deciding factor, as long as the bass in question isn't too "Marmite" you might as well go for it.

Edited December 6, 2011 by Dom in Somerset

[leftybassman392]

£1500 on a beginner bass? This is a joke, right?

(And before anyone comes up with the 'oh well you're just jealous' line, my lineup includes a £2000+ Sei, a £2000+ Zon, a £1500+ Roscoe... I could go on...)

[Alfie]

Basically, buy one of the Squier CV Precisions currently listed in the for sale section.

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/159629-squier-cv-precision-fiesta-red-for-sale-now-l200/

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/160375-squier-cv-precision-fiesta-red-l220-inc-postage/

That leaves you with over a grand to get a nice lightweight combo.

[bremen]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1323166789' post='1459906']


Let's be honest here, when most of us were starting off we would have LOVED the chance to have that much money to spend on a bass! I still would!! Why learn on a crap instrument if you can afford a good 'un? That just seems counter-productive to me. Part of the reason why some of us struggle with technical deficiencies now is because we adapted our playing styles to cope with rubbish basses in our formative years (IME anyway).

[/quote]

ok, but it's not as simple as bad bass/good bass. There's such a huge range and what might be a great bass for you might be totally unsuitable for me.

[Conan]

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1323168250' post='1459935']
ok, but it's not as simple as bad bass/good bass. There's such a huge range and what might be a great bass for you might be totally unsuitable for me.
[/quote]

Absolutely true! Personally, if someone gave me £1500 to spend on a bass I wouldn't know where to start! OK, I would - a five string Status series II - but that's another story!

Ironically, my favourite bass at the moment is my Squier P. It cost me sixty quid. A decent set of strings and some upgraded pickups and I'm dead happy with it.

Reminds me of a time way back in the early 1980s. A guitarist mate of mine and I were in a music shop in Newcastle (Chris and Andy's) doing the usual saturday afternoon thing of pretending we had money to spend, but actually only buying picks and maybe strings... Anyway, this kid comes in with his mam. He enquires about a guitar and the assistant takes it down for him. He proceeds to play stuff like Smoke on the Water and Whole Lotta Rosie on one string (very badly). Five minutes later his mam says "We'll take it. Oh, and do you know anyone who gives guitar lessons?".

The guitar in question was a lovely Les Paul gold top. The price? £1500. And that was thirty years ago!!

[KiOgon]

[quote name='skinzz' timestamp='1323157598' post='1459805']
Hi I need some advice on a beginner bass a quality one, I was thinking of a fender precision American deluxe or a stingray ? Any advice please

Regards Chris
[/quote]
I'd say search the sales on here & get a good used bass up to £300 & a decent enough practise combo max £200 & spend the change - or at least some of the £1000 on lessons then you'll have a better idea of what suits you.