Looking at buying my first bass guitar. I don’t really have any idea what I’m looking for.
I just fancy something different.
I don’t want to spend a great deal, so any recommendations for something new or second hand will be gladly received.
Ive seen an Epiphone Thunderbird IV on Facebook for £150. Is this a consideration?
When it comes to things like strings...are all the same go to names in electric guitars, still applicable for bass?
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Precision seems to be the go to recommendation, although personally I'm not keen having tried them. Jags are a good best of both option, ibanez make some great starter basses. GSR 200 would be a good, neutral bet.
Go try some.
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The Squier Jaguar bass is a real bargain though, even new - if you're OK with short scale. Likewise the Epiphone EB-0, although it's quite limited soundwise.
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Since getting a Sire V7, I've not looked back and it's a jazz bass with a very versatile and powerful preamp, great tones, looks and neck. You can pick them up used for good prices but look at their V3 models, which are cheaper.
The Squier Vintage is another good one.
More versatile but, in some respects, less "bassy". Tighter string spacing suits some hands and hamstrings others.
Nicer than the Squier VM but over budget.
Older examples have rectangular pickup cavities. These should accept aftermarket 3.5 x 1.5 inch "soapbar" pickups. Plenty of scope for customisation.
How so? The number of frets makes no difference to scale length.
Perhaps, a more important consideration is the body shape. This will influence how an instrument will hang on a strap and, hence, how far the player needs to reach.
The pickups in budget bass guitars can sound bland. Replacement pickup availability favours the more popular shapes - P, J, double J, 'Ray, -35 and - 40 "soapbar", narrow Bartolini "soapbar". Some pickup shapes and mountings are unique to one brand, making them difficult to upgrade in the future.
Mostly, yes. There are a few specialist bass brands, some of whose prices could swallow over one third of your budget.
Plenty of pre-owned bargains to be had within your budget from makers such as Yamaha, Cort, Sterling/SUB, some Höhner models, Overwater/Tanglewood Aspiration Standard, blah, blah.
If you can cope with the 34" scale and the wider neck then the precision is the best option.
I have short fingers so I prefer the neck width of a Jazz and/or a shorter scale length.
If you can find one the old Indonesian made Squier P Bass Special is very good value. It's hyrbid Precision/Jazz. Has a Jazz neck so easier to play, but with a Precision body and pickup. Also has an added Jazz bridge pickup.
I think you first need to clarify a few things: what do you want to do with the bass? What style of music/style of bass playing?
What do you want to be "different"? Do you mean playing bass will be different from playing guitar? Or an unconventional style of bass?
This should give you an idea
Specifically, is the hypothetical bass guitar for home recording or live performance?
Hum-rejection is a concern for stage work. If the intention is just to lay down guide bass parts in song demo recordings for a band, there is an argument for getting something cheap 'n' cheerful. This way, the band's bassist will not imagine that you are taking over his or her role.