nmcintyre2 Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Hello, I am relatively new to this forum and new to bass guitar. I'm a 16 year old guitar player who is looking to also learn bass guitar. I have been playing electric guitar for 2-3 years now and I am coming along quite well with it but I also want to learn bass. I am currently sitting exams so I am going to buy a bass as soon as my exams are over (mid-end of June). I listen to bands such as The Smiths, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Blur, The Kinks and a small bit of punk music. I have about £400 budget for a bass and an amp but I could exceed the budget a bit if necessary. The only preference I would have is that it has a maple fret board but this is not essential( preference in guitar so I presume I would prefer it on a bass also) I was looking at a classic vibe squire pbass and considering getting a crappy amp just to get things up and running until I can afford and better amp. I have no problems buying used equipment but the only problem being is that I live in Northern Ireland and people are usually reluctant to ship to here. Can anyone suggest and good bass and amp to buy within my budget. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Hey! Hope you're enjoying your time here so far If you've been looking at Squiers already you've started in a good place. The classic vibe ones get a lot of love especially within the budget. Buying used on here tends to be the best way, the majority members really look after their gear! Amp suggestions could be endless, but for a good starting point on a budget I'd always recommend Peavey. If you can get used to the weight they sound great and are near indestructible! Other good brands I've personally used and liked are Hartke, Laney, and Ashdown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 (edited) I'd recommend the Squier Vintage Modified Precision in amber finish and maple fingerboard - I bought mine from a fellow Basschat member and the stock Duncan Designed pickup is really good and the fit and finish are excellent. If you had to buy new you'd be looking at about £273 though there might be someone selling a Squier VM P bass on here. You won't get anything particularly loud with a bass combo with the rest of your budget (something in the region of from 20 to 50 watt) though if it's just for home practice then you won't need huge volumes anyway. Good luck with the search for your gear and welcome to the word of bass playing! Edit: The Laney RB2 Richter bass combo would be within budget and user reviews seem positive. Edited May 17, 2014 by HowieBass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulbass Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Hi, Squires are a very good start and are quite highly rated on here. I did venture into a music shop a few weeks back and i was trying out some basses and i was very impressed with the Ibanez models. I'm not sure which models they were but they were all under £300. The build quality,action and the sound they produced made me think that if one of my kids ever wanted to start playing bass i would have bought one there and then. I've had a Hartke amp for 15 years and they are very good....easy to use and very very loud. The head was a HA2000 which is quite old now but you can get them for less than £100 secondhand. This was used with a 4X10 cab. Good Luck and have fun on finding your bass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allighatt0r Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I'd recommend my Hondo in the for sale section, then you'd have £300 for the important bit... the amp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weststarx Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 As well as the Squires, take a look at Yamaha bass' as well, they make some brilliant instruments. Amp wise, you can't go wrong with a Laney! I would say though Bass amp wise, whatever you get go for something 30 watts or more. Anything lower either doesn't really produce any bass and they are only 'good' at extremely low volumes - good maybe if you live in a flat though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 You might not need to buy an amp. If you're just noodling around at home then you can use a guitar amp, just don't crank it up too loud (the bass frequencies can damage the speakers if you drive them too hard). For gigging or playing loudly you'd need a "proper" bass amp though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 [quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1400329453' post='2452961'] You might not need to buy an amp. If you're just noodling around at home then you can use a guitar amp, just don't crank it up too loud (the bass frequencies can damage the speakers if you drive them too hard). For gigging or playing loudly you'd need a "proper" bass amp though. [/quote] Good call! I spent the first year of my bass playing life plugging into the Mic In on an old record player. It had a 7 band EQ so I could get a pretty sick tone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mornats Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 If you're buying new, then the Yamaha and Ibanez budget-priced (all that's budget about them is the price really) are worth a look as well as the Squiers. For the music you mentioned it sounds like a Squier Precision would suit that. It's the classic bass sound and many people swear that all the need is a P bass. Not me, I like something different but you can't argue against a P bass. I've got a Laney RB1 practice amp and when the EQ is set flat it gives an honest natural sound. I really like it so an RB2 should suit you fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 If you like Precision style basses check out Pesties ad in the for sale forum. Its a Vintage that I had for a while. Not very much dosh and very good quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defo Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 If you can get a second hand tokai or aria that would be a good start and not too expensive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I`d look at a Squier as well, both the Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified are good, think only the Vintage Modified come with maple though. I`d also check out the Vintage Precisions, including the Tony Butler Sig Model which gets some very good comments. With music specified a Precision would fit the bill very well. Amp-wise, well Laney, Ashdown, Hartke, Fender and Ampeg all do decent practice amps. Again, for music specified, Ampeg, especially with a Precision would work really well. New you`re looking at £209 for a Vintage Tony Butler, and £108 for an Ampeg BA108 (nice little amp, I have one). These would be an ideal set-up to start off with, and work great for what you want to do.Well within budget too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weststarx Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Be warned, if you buy a Precision bass you will never want to buy anything different ever again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theyellowcar Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Just to echo everyone else's sentiments here. A Squier VM Precision through an Ampeg BA or a Fender Rumble would be spot on for the type of music you're playing. You should be able to come in just under your budget if you were buying new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanday1975 Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I just bought an ibanez sr300 as a back up but was so impressed at a gig last night I left my rickenbacker on the stand. Stunning basses with lovely narrow necks for £269 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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