Pondering about basses ..

[Hana]

Hi!  I'm a 30+ female who has been thinking of learning a instrument for fun - figured no harm done in playing Rocksmith and seeing how it feels. My first thought was guitar since I feel too old for band but knew I had made the wrong choice when I caught myself googling intensely "how to make your guitar sound like a bass" before the guitar arrived.   

 

Not a metal person, more of a disco / dance / funk / Motown but also into rock, esp alt, indie, math, some prog, pop punk .. figuring out which bass could handle both has been challenging but someone suggested to check what types of bass the bands I liked used, and some did precision, others jazz, and others used 80s Jpn jazz basses which had PJ pickups apparently? So a PJ but the other way around. So I figured it would not hurt to look at local listings and fell for some along the way. Among those that picked my attention at a low price point for a beginner were Samick Saturn and Ibanez EXB445 (figured one more string for my goth bands couldn't hurt .. ) and then the Fernandes FRB40 that fellow 90s Jrock enthusiasts may have played their first lines at. At a lower price point missed a Cort GB JB while I was pondering and an Aria Pro II Magna both of which I could not find reviews of. 

 

If anyone has more info on the uniqueness of these vintage Japanese basses from the 80s I would be thankful, mind you I googled it but all I saw were "regular" PJ basses so not sure if that's what it meant 🙂 and I guess pls suggest your favorite low end bass that can handle both disco grooves and the best of The Cure lol and whether u would recommend PJ basses (heard some people don't like them because of noise issues 🤔 ) and 5 strings and active basses for beginner or nah just stick to a simple passive 4 string P or J 

Edited Monday at 13:36 by Hana

[Woodinblack]

Frankly, and this isn't a universal opinion, but within bounds almost any mainstream bass can handle any sort of playing. 

You will get people who swear by their fender stuff and people that go the other way, but if you are learning, as long as you have something that is basically decent to play you will do fine. In fact you won't really know what it is you want until you have tried something you don't. So just go ahead and try everything you can try.

I am pretty well exclusively a 5 string player who likes non fender things, so I can't really say about fenders (except my new £62 bax jazz bass like aquaition) but always a fan of things ibanez and maybe 80/90s japanese. You don't really need reviews of aria pro IIs, they are all basically good, some better than others. If you have the option to try stuff, just try it and see how it feels.  I have never heard the increased noise on a P / J, electrically that seems very unlikely, but people don't like them because they are not a 'standard fender thing'. 

[PaulThePlug]

Ibby SR300

Jazz-esq Neck, Smaller, Lighter, Comfy Body Shape, Loads Secondhand, bound to be one near you, £250ish

 

Or a GSR200 for less than £100 - but the SR300 is well worth the extra.

Edited Monday at 15:59 by PaulThePlug

[SpondonBassed]

Welcome Hana.

 

You may have been reading about a "reverse P".  This is where the E and A string pickup is nearer to the bridge than the D and G pickup instead of nearer the neck on a standard P.  This results in a slightly thinner sounding E and A string relative to the D and G.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hana]

Thanks so much for all the info everyone, these forums are pretty quick, I didn't expect this so soon so sorry for not replying before  

 

On 09/02/2026 at 12:47, Woodinblack said:

Frankly, and this isn't a universal opinion, but within bounds almost any mainstream bass can handle any sort of playing. 

You will get people who swear by their fender stuff and people that go the other way, but if you are learning, as long as you have something that is basically decent to play you will do fine. In fact you won't really know what it is you want until you have tried something you don't. So just go ahead and try everything you can try.

I am pretty well exclusively a 5 string player who likes non fender things, so I can't really say about fenders (except my new £62 bax jazz bass like aquaition) but always a fan of things ibanez and maybe 80/90s japanese. You don't really need reviews of aria pro IIs, they are all basically good, some better than others. If you have the option to try stuff, just try it and see how it feels.  I have never heard the increased noise on a P / J, electrically that seems very unlikely, but people don't like them because they are not a 'standard fender thing'. 

Understandable  my fear was that picking up an older Asian brand bass because I like the aesthetic might produce bad results lol but if that's the case then it's great. These were all among the cheapest in my region so it's great to know this is the case 

Got it. What I heard is that the shielding often isn't good so there's noise when the jazz pickup is on and this is what I saw on a Saturn review but then saw other people commenting on that in a broader sense. But if you never heard of it I assume its people who aren't fans for other reasons being nitpicky! Thanks a lot  !! 

 

On 09/02/2026 at 12:57, PaulThePlug said:

Ibby SR300

Jazz-esq Neck, Smaller, Lighter, Comfy Body Shape, Loads Secondhand, bound to be one near you, £250ish

 

Or a GSR200 for less than £100 - but the SR300 is well worth the extra.

These are a bit more expensive around here. The GSR200 I have seen a few listings for, including a very well priced one so I asked the guy but they wouldn't deliver and I didn't want to travel to get it, lol but that was my first option. Thanks  

 

 

On 09/02/2026 at 13:41, SpondonBassed said:

Welcome Hana.

 

You may have been reading about a "reverse P".  This is where the E and A string pickup is nearer to the bridge than the D and G pickup instead of nearer the neck on a standard P.  This results in a slightly thinner sounding E and A string relative to the D and G. 

Got it, that's a term I saw floating around but didn't know what it meant. That could be what they meant indeed. Do you think that's what I should be looking for for the genres I want to play ? Thanks   

Edited 5 hours ago by Hana

[42Hz]

On 09/02/2026 at 13:46, Hana said:

Hi!  I'm a 30+ female who has been thinking of learning a instrument for fun

Welcome. Bass IS fun. If you like to move to the rythm bass is THE instrument. Most basses - if technically in order - will sonically work. In the lower price range I would prefer a passive bass. Try some and choose one you like to handle and play, and preferably like the look of. Some cheaper basses may need a little handywork to feel nice and all basses from the cheapest to the most expensive benefit from a good setup/adjustment by a skilled technician.

As you already have noticed japanese instruments from mid 70s and up are highly regarded. They are mostly good instruments but priced by popularity and availability. If you would like to have an 80s instrument because it is an 80s instrument that is also fine.

 

I recommend starting with a 4 string. That is the golden standard and will suit 99.5% of all music.

Edited 1 hour ago by 42Hz

[Woodinblack]

4 hours ago, Hana said:

Understandable  my fear was that picking up an older Asian brand bass because I like the aesthetic might produce bad results

 

Thats the thing that matters really when it comes down to it. Unless you are auditioning for a named group where they want some specific look or you are recording and want an exact sound, then 90% of what matters is playability and a look that you like. 

I have loads of basses here, ibanez, maruschyk, musicman, rickenbacker, spector, shuker, hohner etc and I can take any bass to any gig and it will be fine (almost - I need a 5 string for my gigs, and one of the rics is a 4), noone will notice a difference, apart from me. So its down to what I want to do. 

[HeadlessBassist]

Hi Hana, for the sheer wide range of your musical tastes, you'd be best served with a simple passive Jazz. The Jazz is sonically very versatile & also suits more hand sizes with it's slimmer neck. You can always add a preamp pedal later if you feel you need more 'oomph'.

 

As for the Japanese 'LawSuit' era Basses, have a look at an early Tokai Jazz Sound JB-45R. There are some lovely examples around. They're often better than the original Fenders from that period, too. 

 

Most of all, enjoy your bass playing! We'll be interested to hear which way you end up going  

Edited 1 hour ago by HeadlessBassist