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Buying a BASS Guitar for a beginner.

Numbers

Numbers

an ting!
Beginner = me.
Missus is buying me a BASS Guitar for Christmas and I'm going to try and self-learn it.

Can anyone recommend what/where to buy one for this scenario?
I've been Googling but any advice would be appreciated.

There are some old threads I'll look through but they're 10+ years old.
 
Numbers said:
Beginner = me.
Missus is buying me a BASS Guitar for Christmas and I'm going to try and self-learn it.

Can anyone recommend what/where to buy one for this scenario?
I've been Googling but any advice would be appreciated.

There are some old threads I'll look through but they're 10+ years old.
Click to expand...
why not try something like a squier bass? they're decent guitars and won't bust the bank Squier P Bass Guitar Review | Beginner Guitar HQ
 
Numbers said:
Beginner = me.
Missus is buying me a BASS Guitar for Christmas and I'm going to try and self-learn it.

Can anyone recommend what/where to buy one for this scenario?
I've been Googling but any advice would be appreciated.

There are some old threads I'll look through but they're 10+ years old.
Click to expand...
you'll also want an amp, might be worth asking on here if anyone's got an amp they no longer need.
 
Numbers said:
Beginner = me.
Missus is buying me a BASS Guitar for Christmas and I'm going to try and self-learn it.

Can anyone recommend what/where to buy one for this scenario?
I've been Googling but any advice would be appreciated.

There are some old threads I'll look through but they're 10+ years old.
Click to expand...

Budget?
 
Ok you already said 300-odd. Squier affinity basses start at about 180 and the quality is reliably good with them.

I might also be tempted by one of these:

Epiphone Viola Bass Guitar EBVIVSCH1 Vintage Sunburst

Epiphone Viola Bass Guitar EBVIVSCH1 Vintage Sunburst Pair Of NYR/NYT Pickups The Epiphone Viola Bass Guitar is powered by a pair of NYT/NYR pickups that are located at the neck and bridge. The NYT/NYR pickups are able to achieve bright and clear tones with excellent focus for a vintage...
www.rimmersmusic.co.uk www.rimmersmusic.co.uk

...but epiphone's quality control is a bit patchy.

Cort, Ibanez are both solid brands (they both use the same factory IIRC) and anything from them will be decent.
 
bass-bass-jpg.275102
 
One thing with basses is you get two very different scale lengths. That's the length of the strings basically. Short scales (30") are a bit easier to play with the fret hand because there's less string tension but I'd recommend starting on something with a 34" scale (like fender/squier precision or jazz basses) because the extra tension makes it easier to get a solid rhythm with your picking hand.
 
Numbers said:
I’d just like to learn how to play an instrument (I don’t currently) and with a love of reggae and jazz mostly I’d like to just learn and see what I can do. I’m in no hurry, just fancy trying it.
Click to expand...
I reckon get something like that acoustic bass linked up thread. Rather than something you have to plug in to hear properly. You prob want something you can just pick up and mess around with whenever you pass, rather than having to plug in. And as you're starting out you want to be able to hear the notes clearly, which you won't be able to on an electric bass that's not plugged in. Basses are a bit tricky to tune by ear if you dont play an instrument, so maybe get a tuner too. Leave the amp for now; I dont have an amp at home still.

I dont reaaally see much point in electric basses except for playing as part of a band, or recording; for learning from scratch, don't think they're great. Too quiet unplugged, too loud plugged.

OR if you see something you love that goes against all my advice, then that would also be just as good ha
 
Last edited:
Numbers I had a quick look round and for me this is the nicest currently around, as you have a slightly higher budget than the link upthread. Partly cos it looks great to my taste, but also good make and great reviews. You might be able to find it cheaper this is just 1st link:
www.gak.co.uk

Ibanez PCBE12MH Performance Acoustic Bass Open Pore Natural | GAK

Buy Ibanez PCBE12MH-OPN (Natural) online from GAK.co.uk. Unbeatable prices and next day delivery from the UK's no1 instrument store. Order Today.
www.gak.co.uk www.gak.co.uk

Some nerd talk:
www.talkbass.com

NBD: Ibanez PCBE12MH Acoustic Bass

Howdy y'all! I've got a new toy that I'm really happy to talk about. It's the Ibanez PCBE12MH acoustic bass guitar. It's a new bass so there's very...
www.talkbass.com

For your styles of music, I also suggest buying some flatwound strings (it will probably come with roundwound). Not urgent though.
 
rutabowa said:
I reckon get something like that acoustic bass linked up thread. Rather than something you have to plug in to hear properly. You prob want something you can just pick up and mess around with whenever you pass, rather than having to plug in. And as you're starting out you want to be able to hear the notes clearly, which you won't be able to on an electric bass that's not plugged in. Basses are a bit tricky to tune by ear if you dont play an instrument, so maybe get a tuner too. Leave the amp for now; I dont have an amp at home still.

I dont reaaally see much point in electric basses except for playing as part of a band, or recording; for learning from scratch, don't think they're great. Too quiet unplugged, too loud plugged.

OR if you see something you love that goes against all my advice, then that would also be just as good ha
Click to expand...

Acoustic basses are a bit iffy as they require amplifying in most group situations* although, when amplified well they give a pretty decent tone reminiscent of a double bass. All the cheapie ones I’ve played have been pretty shit with intonation all over the place.

* Unless you have one of those absurdly deep bodied ones favoured by mariachi bands.

FC104536-FA3A-4AD3-87CC-978470EB916C.jpeg
 
As others have said there are decent budget brands (Squier and Epiphone are pretty reliable brands) that are often sold as a package with a wee practice amp. My friend bought his like that and the amp was surprisingly good for the money. I would recommend that once you’ve bought the guitar, take it to someone who plays who can set it up properly. Many brand new guitars have ridiculously high action (distance between the strings and frets) so it’s a good idea to get someone to lower it so it plays more comfortably. Good luck
 
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