beginners help: looking into bass guitar

[Mr. Flippy]

I've always wanted to play the bass guitar, and i was wondering what brand of bass the musicians her on /BG/ would recommend. im looking at a budget of 100-200$. I've been told to go with an Ibanez as a starter bass but i would just like some input back from the music ppl on here.

[Dmitry]

From my experience, don't get a short scale bass.

Also from my experience I play guitar and got a bass also. My recommendation would be to look for a cheap Fender or even an Ibanez like was suggested(I don't know much about different basses) starter kit, the one with the bass, small amp, bag, etc. Mine came with a DVD and book to help start learning.

Also if you're in the store or ordering online, look for finger strengtheners. I'm not sure exactly what they're called but you won't regret it. Go for a high tension one, when I got mine I started with a light one and it was too easy.

Also, don't burn out on just learning from books, try to find tabs for songs you like once you get some of the basics down so that way you can apply it to something that's pretty cool. The site I go to is www.ultimate-guitar.com

Good luck to ya, hopefully someone more bass inclined can give you a little better advice. I would also recommend searching for the couple guitar threads on here. There's good info in there between people shitting it up with videos from Youtube.

[Pirian]

Get someone who knows how to play to get you started. It's really bad to be playing for 5-6 months only to learn you have horrible technique and need to unlearn it. I have an Ibanez myself, a 15 watt and a 50 watt Crate amplifier. Make sure you get bass amplifiers or you'll break em. If you're looking to play with friends then don't be intimidated by higher watt amplifiers, my 50 watt pretty easily keeps up with my friends 135 watt guitar amplifier.

Hit up your local music shop and don't be afraid to ask for help there I've found that pretty much all the people who work in those are pretty cool and will be more than willing to help you with your decision on what to get, but make sure you shop around a little to get familiar with the prices if you are not already. With a price limit of 200 you're probably going to want to get some used equipment, but that's alright usually that just means the strings will stay in tune a little longer lol

edit: speaking of staying in tune, make sure you get an electronic tuner.

[Mr. Flippy]

thanks for the suggestions. think on my next payday im gonna go look around at the local music stores and pawn shops.

[Alderaan]

Ibanez make some decent cheap starter basses so that's a good start. Also, do you already have an amp?

And for the love of god learn to play with your fingers and don't use a pick.

[Mr. Flippy]

nah dont have an amp yet either. a friend of mine where i lived suggested getting some headphones with an adapter to start out play. cause in the apartment i live in the old lady downstairs would complain if i practiced with an amp.

[Girl]

I guess I would be the same as everyone else and suggest a start pack from Ibanez or Fender. I'm not a fan of Fender Basses myself because I don't really like how the neck feels, it's just weird to me.

I suggest learning with some simple tutorials which you can easily find online. You can learn with fingers or pick, either works. Fingers just lets you explore everything bass has to offer. Pick gives you a different sound, it really depends on what kind of music you're getting into.

[Moridam]

as many others have mentioned, ibanez has some nice starter instruments in your price range. i'm also partial to the fender jazz (one of the few fender anythings i actually like) but i'm not sure if they have any in that price range, think those might start around 300ish for the low-end versions.

[Headspace]

Ibanez make some decent cheap starter basses so that's a good start. Also, do you already have an amp?

And for the love of god learn to play with your fingers and don't use a pick.

Play with everything.

[Dmitry]

Play with everything.

I'm going to second this.

I played bass with a pick for a little while when I first started because that's what I was used to, but using your fingers isn't too bad once you get used to it. I don't have the technique down perfectly, but you can just practice.

[Acturus]

You have two choices when buying your first bass. You can either buy a cheap model that will help you practice, but will never give you the tones and response that you'll need in performance, or you buy an entry level performance model and spend a little more money, but you won't have to worry about it sounding terrible, or replacing it quite as quickly.

I'd suggest you stick with a standard four-string model with at least 20 frets. Most basses have between 22-26 frets on the neck, and having a bass with 24 at least helps you place two octaves up the neck. Useful for scales and exercises.

I've seen some cheap-ass packages that include the bass and a small practice amp, but you know they're cheap ass. Fender is king of the Wal-Mart deals, but don't be afraid of Fender because of it, they have very nice high-end basses as well.

When I bought my first bass, I picked it off the rack at a Mars Music. At the time, my price range and preference had me picking between a bottom rank Washburn and a new model from Alvarez (for a time late 90s into 2000, they tried to get outside of their acoustic guitar market). I ended up with the Alvarez because I liked the tone better, and the sales guy told me that the Washburn I was looking at wasn't worth ever taking on stage (nothing against the company, but that particular model of Washburn was pretty crappy).

I found a 300w amp at a pawn shop, and since I knew the manager, he sold it to me for $300 and no sales tax. It was a good deal at the time.

Expect to replace the strings, no matter what you buy. I prefer a heavier, throatier sound from my bass, so I tend to find nice fat strings that minimize that tinny sound, and that's also why I play with fingers and not a pick.

Don't worry too much about peripheral stuff. Bass players don't tend to use pedals for much. It's worth investing in lessons if you don't have a friend. I'm not sure where you are in terms of music theory in general, or tabulature for basses specifically, but there are tons of resources out there to help you learn.

[Dolmen]

Generally speaking, a cheaper Ibanez is an excellent first bass. My first bass was a Raven that I purchased for $150. They're basically an Ibanez, but the tone that thing had was absolutely amazing. The bassist in one of my bands currently plays it, and it still sounds excellent after over 11 years. The moral of the story: play around with different basses and find the comfort, tone, etc... that suits you.

Currently I have a Fender J bass which has awesome sound, and then an Ibanez SR505 (5-string) which offers a really nice tone. I highly recommend Ibanez and Fender for basses, and Ibanez especially for an entry bass. Go to a music shop and play around, talk to somebody working there and have them sit down with you. Generally they'll help you understand what to look for in the bass, so you can figure out what you like.

[Mr. Flippy]

thanks will keep all the suggestions in mind when i go around looking for basses this weekend

[Headspace]

Been looking for a new bass since all i've got is my acoustic and the frets are buzzy (not sure if there's a way to fix that). I need to get an iMac and new glasses first though =/

[Gadritan]

I'm going to second this.

I played bass with a pick for a little while when I first started because that's what I was used to, but using your fingers isn't too bad once you get used to it. I don't have the technique down perfectly, but you can just practice.

Thirding it. Never limit yourself to one technique. That's what makes bass unique, in that there's many, many, many different styles and techniques that are "correct." Try different stuff out to see what's most comfortable for ya.

There's some great lessons from Victor Wooten on youtube as far as slap technique and bass tapping. I recently began swapping to the slap technique he uses as it's a bit more efficient than what I was doing previously. I've been playing for 15yrs+ now and I'm still constantly learning different techniques. The point to that is, never get complacent. Always be on the look out for something new. No matter how long you've been playing, there's always more to learn, and you've got to keep an open mind to that.

Good luck! It'll get irritating and frustrating, but stick with it and play, play, play!

Edit: Pawn shops are your best bet for finding the best deal on equipment. Make sure you get informed, or bring a musician with you since the employees don't always know wtf they're talking about and just want to make some money. For a beginner, it's usually best to bring someone with you. Otherwise you won't really know how to check some of the more subtle things (i.e. if the neck is too warped or not, and if it's fixable).

Also, another tip to help get your fingers in shape. Mix a little salt and water on a plate and lightly rub the tips of your fretting and picking fingers in it. It'll help them callus up a bit quicker and will allow you to practice for longer sessions sooner than later.

[Acturus]

Also, another tip to help get your fingers in shape. Mix a little salt and water on a plate and lightly rub the tips of your fretting and picking fingers in it. It'll help them callus up a bit quicker and will allow you to practice for longer sessions sooner than later.

I've never heard this, but it sounds cool.

I bought one of these things to help with individual finger dexterity:

http://www.isokineticsinc.com/product/cg_10-0742

It's nice to have lying around at work or when you get fidgity. I found that I drummed the fingers of my right hand on everything once I started playing bass.

[Gadritan]

I've never heard this, but it sounds cool.

I bought one of these things to help with individual finger dexterity:

http://www.isokineticsinc.com/product/cg_10-0742

It's nice to have lying around at work or when you get fidgity. I found that I drummed the fingers of my right hand on everything once I started playing bass.

I took lessons for the first month I played and my teacher gave me that tip after I came to my 2nd lesson with my fingers looking like raw meat.

Edit: Which reminds me. If you do take lessons, about a month is all that's really needed to learn the basics. After that it's just a matter of making sure you play everyday. Write your own stuff, try to play with shit you like, stuff that's just on the radio, etc. Even if it's just 10minutes a day, you're 10minutes better than you were before.

Those things are great for increasing finger strength. It's good to practice going index->pinky->index when you're using it to simulate going up and down the fret board as well.

Don't forget to stretch either! Before you play stretch and massage your fingers, wrists, forearms, etc. It helps with stamina.

Edit 2: Get in the habit of saying/singing the notes as you play them. Makes it a fuck ton easier to sing and play later on as well as making note recognition on the fret board second nature. That way if someone says "play a C," you don't have to think about it.

[Klaatu]

Wing it, worked for him ^_^b

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...idVicious2.jpg

[Gadritan]

Wing it, worked for him ^_^b

Sid gives me a rubbery one.

[OzzofAsura]

I was going to say what was already said....

But if I can add anything, don't be afraid to teach yourself. You don't necessarily have to unlearn technique as much as it will evolve as you learn more.