bass guitars...what do i need to know??

I am looking to purchase a new or used bass guitar and start learning to play....my only musical experience is with drums. I don't want to cheap out too much or break the bank (i'm a student...). any suggestions or info about what i should be looking for?

Anything more than four strings and you're a fucking jag off.

At some point you're going to want a 5 string, so my suggestion is to pick one up early and suffer the growing pains all at once.

Oh, and when you're starting, no blood no foul. Keep practicing no matter how bad your fingertips hurt.

And please please don't play with your fucking thumb.

At least I don't have to down-tune every time I want to play a popular solo, fag.



[Edited on Feb 12, 2004 by Jeff_Fries]

A great starter bass is a Squire P or J. That way if you don't stick with it its not a huge loss. You can't go wrong with Fender/Squire.

I always go back to my Fender

Hmm. 5 strings are useful.

The only thing worse than a drum solo is a bass solo

Sounds like someone couldn't hack playing along with their shitty white boy funk records...

*sidesteps the pissing contest*

Check out Korean-made basses. Someone's bound to start bitching about how they don't make 'em like they do in the USA, but with CNC manufacturing it's actually quite cheap to make a bolt-on (a reference to the popular and effective method of joining the neck to the body with bolts) guitar or bass overseas that rivals its US counterpart. Look at Squier (which is Fender), Peavey, Yamaha (the cream of the crop in Asia), and US-made Godin.

Don't get a 5-string right away, simply because you've mentioned your budget is tight: a 5 is something you need to spend a bit more on, say $700+. Also, the four will be easier to handle and get you playing faster. And who knows if you'll turn out to be perfectly happy with 4 strings--lots of superb players are.

(My $0.02 on 5 strings: They're indispensable for professional musicians who find themselves in studio situations where they can't afford to be unable to play a note that the keyboardist can handle with his left pinkie. My brother, for instance, plays an acoustic upright and a five-string electric to keep all the bases covered.)

[Edited on Feb 12, 2004 by dogslife]

Yikes! I bet you never thought you'd start a minor war with your question.

I would recommend you start out with something low to mid level, based on what you can afford. The biggest mistake a lot of people who want to start playing guitar or bass make is buying the cheapest piece o' crap. This will do nothing but piss you the fuck off and probably make you quit, so make sure you get something remotely comfortable. As for 4 or 5 strings... go with whatever you think you'll like more.

Good luck, and don't quit no matter how bad the pain.

Disclaimer: I'm a guitarist, so I don't claim to know what the fuck I'm talking about. KIDDING!

OLP Basses aren't too shabby when it comes to less expensive basses, either.

I can't believe I didn't clarify that.

Use the thumb for Funk. Use it for anything else - say, 12 bar blues - and I will cut it off.



...

*contemplates sticking thumb in Jeff's eye*

What kind of sound are you going for and i'll you the run down on equipment? It's very important to buy equipment that's going to suit you and your playing style.

He's not kidding, check my profile picture.

well hot damn, thanks for all the tips so far... and don't fuckin' use this thread to bitch at each other, that's annoying as hell.
as far as sound i'm looking for, I was thinking rock but also funk and hip hop. I have no idea that these are all possible in one bass, I guess rock comes first here.

if it says fender on it chances are good its worth playing

i have a cheap epiphone that i'm happy with... for now... it was part of a package, came with a little practice amp and cables and a bag and a shoulder strap... $300 total........................................ of course the blisters made me stop for a while

AND YES, I USE MY THUMB. it's easier and doesn't hurt half as bad... and i figure it'll get me used to holding a pick... or i'll just get a thumb pick...

[Edited on Feb 12, 2004 by ShadowSlayer]

That was awesome, noob.

Actually, I have an Epiphone Casino with a set neck...it was made in Korea and it's a great guitar.

I definitely agree...it used to be that if you bought something made in Korea (or any place other than the US or England), it was bound to be a piece of shit. That's not the case anymore. You can get a really nice instrument without spending a bunch of money.

Artrageous coudn't be more right. I've played the bass for about 15 years now and it took me probably 5 years before I could really enjoy it because I stopped playing the bottom-of-the-barrell piece of junk I'd bought when I was 10.

I thought that I'd just peaked and that my learning curve wouldn't be much of a curve anymore -- and then I bought a new instrument.

Similarly, I switched from bass to guitar about 3 years ago and experienced the same thing. (except I learned my lesson this time and have been upgrading guitars at a rate that I can't afford) I bought a $300 Washburn to see if I liked guitar and was immediately frustrated with playing it, but my experience on the bass was enough that I went out and bought a solid mahogany Martin and watched my progress blossom.

a J-bass clone is probably a good place to start. I would avoid the P-bass like the plague, though.

my bass holy grail was a hot yellow jackson with a radioactivity symbol painted on the body and a reverse headstock. it was completely ridiculous. I called it the Nucular Banana Bass. the pawn shop guy said it had been there for months and that no one had even asked to look at it. I asked him if I could run to an ATM and be right back, and he told me to come back the next day; he was about to close up. the next day I came back and it was GONE. I was astonished. mainly, that anyone in the world would want that bass besides me. secondly, that after months of sitting on the shelf, it would get bought out from under me mere hours later.

A Mexican made Fender J Bass is just about as good as they come for a nice solid bass that won't kill your wallet. They go for about $350 new.

I had one for a while, and it was just dandy. Plus, the offset body of the J bass looks a lot cooler than the dorky P bass.

If you go with a Fender, I would advise against buying the Squire line. They are cheaper....but they're virtually worthless once you remove it from the store. Let's say you really take to playing the bass and eventually form a band. You will NOT want to gig with a Fender Squire. They have inferior wiring and will sound like shit if you put them through the rigors of gigging. Squire basses cost about $200 new

So, if you buy the Squire and eventually get good enough to play out, you'll then have to go buy another bass, and your $200 bass is now useless. If you buy the Mexican made Fender bass, not only will it NOT break the bank, but it is more than good enough to be used as a primary gigging instrument.

Let's say you buy the $350 bass and don't take to it. Well, I bought the $350 Fender J bass....played it for about a year, lost interest and sold it for $250. That's a pretty damn good return in the world of used musical instruments.

Excellent thread!

I haven't really picked up a bass since my band in high school called it quits. We were all learning at the same time.

So nowadays, instead of playing music, i promote it.

To this day, I always listen to the bass line of a song ans feel the vibe as they say.

Great song to hum along to as far as bass lines go...."Blood & Roses" by The Smithereens

Killer!

Hmmm... actually, i've been comtemplating on getting another bass to re-learn all over again. This thread was very informative! Thanx!


Sonny
www.TheHMD.com

[Edited on Feb 12, 2004 by TheHMD]

In light of Cash's contribution, which reminded me of some suppressed memories, I'm changing my vote for Squier to a vote for Mexican-made Fender: unless you want to do some electronics upgrading (including pickups, pots, and wiring harness, which will cost more than the diff. between the Squier and a Mexi Fender) go for the Mexi Fender.

Also, Ephiphone (Gibson's offshore subsidiary) makes some fine axes with set necks at a very reasonable price, though I find them a little less musically versatile than a J or P bass.

J, by the way, refers to the two-pickup Fender Jazz Bass, while P refers to the single split-pickup Fender Precision Bass.