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

Ibanez also makes a pretty decent quality, lower priced bass.

Pick up your local want ads and buy something used, there are a ton of folks who buy instruments only to give them up months or years later.

Often these instruments have very little actual wear and tear as they were mostly showpieces that after an intial furious burst were played about once a month or so.

Haggle and bargain like you were in a turkish carpet shop and you'll get a deal of your life, especially if your seller is low on rent or needs to pick up an OZ.

Well, back in my crappy touring punk band days, I played a Ibanez Roadstar. Sounded great (especially through a distortion pedal) and could take a serious beating.

If you want to be an actual musician, you may have more advanced concerns.

yes. you will get a better instrument for your money. bring a friend with you to make sure its not fucked up. if money is an issue, dont spend more than $200 for your first bass.

a rickenbacker 4001 and a trace elliot stack

word,ibanez all the wayyyy

There's a lot of good advice in this thread, but I think by far the most important thing, more than brand or number of strings or style of construction, is to get a bass you like. This means go out and plunk around on as many basses as possible, in music stores from the classifieds, wherever you can find them. Chances are you will frustrated for days and then suddenly fall head-over-heels in love.

HOWEVER if you decide to do this, it is vitally important that you borrow or buy an amp and bring it along with you. The amp you use makes a vast difference in the sound you get. A shitty amp will make the world's greatest bass sound like a sick st. bernard taking a dump, but a good amp can make the bass you bought for $10 at the thrift store sound at least mediocre. I'm not saying you need to go out and drop $6000 on a professional stack, I'm just pointing out that it makes a big difference, so you want to try out every bass with the same setup.

And just to illustrate the point that personal preference is the most important thing: I've been playing bass since I was 8, I majored in bass performance in college, and I play $$ gigs on a regular basis. I would not trade my $100 Chinese made 4 string Fender Squier (that everyone's been shitting on in this thread) for any 5 or 6 string, $10000, buttered-silk sounding, 24-karat gold plated fucking bass in the world, unless I planned to sell that bass and buy another bright red Squier. I love my piece of junk. I sleep with it. If I had a girlfriend, she'd get jealous. Of course-- and here's where the personal taste comes in-- I like the raw, noisy, rattley sound and I effect the living shit out of it.

So it truly all depends on what kind of bass you like to listen to. Figure that out, and find one that you can make that sound with.

mmmmmmmmmm yes

rule 1: it better look cool.
rule 2: if it hurts to play, don't buy.
rule 3: read rule 1

Agreed. You'll know for sure that it's the right one when it's in your lap.

Wait...we're talking about bass guitars, right?

i agree... i had a really great Fender JP-90 (which they don't make anymore) till my wiring got screwed and i haven't bothered to rewire it.

i bought an ibanez soundgear just so i could have a bass and play again. i think the head stock looks kinda dumb, but the body's really comfortable, it has a rich warm sound with just enough attack to make it rather well rounded, and it cost me 159 bucks (including shipping).

even if i do fix my fender i'd probably still play my ibanez more... it's also got a decent neck (my hands arn't very bass playerish but they don't hurt when i play, nor do i have to reach for anything) and it's light.

also if you wanna get an amp too.. don't get anything over 60 watts. that way you can play live if you mic it, and it's a good size for practicing and being able to hear yourself over the drums.

tofu ""

For most rock, you'll be happy with most Fender J or P basses. They're usually quite solid instruments that fit all-purpose methods and song styles, but they don't particularly excel at one thing or another. You can find tons of them on sale all the time.

Ibanez basses are particularly despised by most bass snobs (amazing, they exist!). My problem with Ibanez is their plastic, almost synthetic sound. Some guys like this sort of sound, but I don't.

Most people that start playing don't play for very long, so it would be nice to get an instrument that will have decent resale value. Fenders and Yamaha do well here since they're a well-known name. Obscure or not-so-hot brands, unless from some prime luthiers, will not do well (ie. Samick, Epiphone, Peavey, or some knock-off of Guild).

I've found that basses that are built well will get you more of your money back, but that means you'll need to put more upfront. Like, a custom Carvin or a Pedula will net you most or all of your initial investment should you sell it, but they will run you at least $700 for a not-so-solid instrument.

Buy a Thunderbird. Cos they look fuckin FANTASTIC. And, lets face it, if you were bothered about the sound, you'd learn guitar anyway.

Another thing about the Mexican Fender Jazz is that it has a thinner than usual neck, making it easier to play (I've got tiny fingers!).

And as Cash said, it looks cool. Call me shallow, but it IS important

I'd suggest trying to find a Fender Bronco. You can get one for under two bills, and the neck is smaller scale(kinda like the Mustang/duosonic) so it's really easy to play.

-let me start off by saying that i'm a guitarist, not a bassisit. but, i happen to play bass in the band i'm in now and also had to play bass for a while in another band i was in. that said, i've grown quite fond of my ibanez SDGR and my bc rich warlock basses. they sound good and play good, so i have no complaints. but again, what the fuck do i know? i'm a guitarist. ask me about guitars and i'll steer you in the right direction.

I want this as a bumper sticker.

i've been playing bass for about 10 or 11 years and have always preferred Ibanez basses over any other. from the cheap ass one i had in high school to the mid-model one i play now...Ibanez, and for all the reasons delete_yourself said as well...

the only cool bass solo i know of is rancid's maxwell murder... that shit rox face - go matt!

a mexican made fender p or jazz bass is the way to go. as its already been stated they're about $350 new and about $250 used. a jazz bass will give you a more spoingy tone with a sharp attack while the p-bass gives you a warmer, more growly sound. its just a matter of preference.

the best single piece of bass gear that i've ever bought is the sansamp bass driver pedal. it carries a bit of sticker shock (about $190 new and $120 used) but its worth every penny. most club gigs that you play, especially if you have a shitty amp, the sound gut will place a DI box between your bass and your amp, sending the naked bass tone straight to the sound board (the same with recording). its rare that you see a bass rig miked on a stage. the bass driver is not only a pre-amp but a DI box as well. it seriously sounds like an ampeg stack coming out of a PA. you can get a crazy variety of tones out of it, every thing from punchy and jazzy to low dirty and distorted. all of my tone anymore comes from this and my jazz bass, live and in the studio. my amp is pretty much just my bass moniter live. like i said before the sticker shock is great but, its still way cheaper than buying a solid amp rig. if your band has a decent PA you won't even need an amp to practice with.

...also find a good brand/gauge of strings and change them often. you'd be suprised how drastically your tone changs with a new set of strings.

Nothing says BOOM like an old P-Bass and an Ampeg SVT

go here

+1

I agree with Cash, J-bass should work well, i've had one for many years now, gigs and practice...no problems, although when i bought mine it wasn't set up...it makes a difference, believe me...set it up, or have it set up, and buy decent strings.

That's good advice too....have it set up by a pro. BUT........and nothing against any guitar store mechanics here......but DON'T have the shop that sold you the instrument do the setting up.

There's a guy...he may be in your town....or a few towns over...but there's a guy. He's the guy that the musicians take their instruments to. That's the guy who you want to set up your bass.