BUYING a BASS? Watch THIS video first.
Going into a guitar shop to buy a new bass guitar can be an overwhelming experience if you’re just starting out. It’s like going to a restaurant where the menu’s 30 pages long! Whether you get nervous about a lack of gear knowledge or you’re afraid of getting upsold on a bass that you don’t really want, it’s not always fun - and we want to help. So we went bass shopping at Professional Music Technology in Leeds, UK.
These days the sheer choice of entry-level instruments available to the bass-buying public is staggering. From a bewildering variety of Fender Jazz and Precision knock offs, to MusicMan and Ibanez, the choice on offer has never been broader. The days of “Would you like a Fender or, er… a Fender?” are well and truly gone. A video like this can’t hope to include everything out there, of course, and prices are obviously subject to change, so check before you buy.
Sub-£300
The great thing about these basses is that they are all properly designed and set up to offer a comfortable and accessible playing experience – something absolutely essential in a beginner’s instrument. For anyone looking to pick up a bass for the first time any one of these could be a real steal.
Fender Squier Jaguar Bass
The Squier Jaguar has a basic set of features at a price that will also appeal to the first-time buyer – it may even catch the attention of frustrated guitarists looking to try something new. If you're learning bass for beginners, this is a good choice for you.
Ibanez TMB 30 & Ibanez RGB300
Both Ibanez basses are solidly built, look good and, for the beginner, represent a route into bass guitar playing for very little cash. There are a few niggles and the sounds on offer aren’t world-beating, but if the low price encourages new players to start, so much the better.
Squier Affinity Pack
The Squier Affinity starter pack contains everything you need to kick-start your bass playing career. Along with a bass and a combo amp, Squier has also thrown in a gigbag, guitar strap, and a jack lead – what more could you ask for?
Sub-£500
One of the most competitive sectors of the market is the sub-£500 zone, as it captures a wide variety of players, not simply beginners. The quality of instruments in this price bracket has taken quantum leaps in recent years, and with the much cheaper manufacturing costs associated with outsourced production, it’s now possible to get a genuinely high-quality bass for well under the £500 mark
Squier Classic Vibe Jazz Bass & Classic Vibe 50s P Bass
Again, both Squier basses are a decent option for anyone looking for a more affordable instrument or a back-up bass. The thin, playable neck will surely appeal and the build quality is impressive at this price, but the absence of any real power or punch in the bottom end keep both firmly in the ‘beginner to intermediate’ bracket.
Music Man Sterling Sub Ray4
The Music Man Sterling Sub Ray4 is a solid, well-built instrument, based on the US-made Music Man StingRay. The single pickup gives your picking hand plenty of room to experiment with slap and pop techniques or really dig in with some fingerstyle funk. The range of sounds on offer is a little limited (this is a single-pickup bass after all) but as an entry-level instrument the Sub Ray4 has a core tone that will serve most bass players very well.
Sub-£1000
The basses we’ve looked at so far have all proved popular with the modern bassist on a budget. But while you can pick up a Squier or a Sterling bass for a couple of hundred quid, these instruments are fast approaching the £1000 mark, which suggests there is a little more on offer in terms of tone and flexibility.
Fender Player Plus P Bass
At just under £1000, the Fender Player Plus P Bass may be a bit pricey for the absolute beginner, but this model is certainly a step up from the more affordable Squier range. The progression in the quality of body wood is evident in both weight and tone, and the core bass sound has sufficient depth and power to deliver some authentic P Bass tones. It’s worth mentioning that a Jazz Bass is also available in Fender’s Player Plus Series.
Epiphone Thunderbird 60s Bass
The Thunderbird has remained one of Gibson’s most popular professional instruments for quite some time. So it was perhaps inevitable that it would eventually be unveiled as a part of the more affordable Epiphone range. With two humbucking pickups, a vintage-styled 60s Tune-O-Matic bridge and Tobacco Sunburst finish, on paper, it looks every bit as awesome as Gibson’s 1963 model.
