Members LateGreats Posted October 11, 2005 Members Posted October 11, 2005 I'm thinking of taking up playing bass, and had some questions. 1) Which would be best: Private lessons, or online/DVD lessons?2) Can anyone recommend some good gear that won't break the bank but would be gig-worthy? Don't want to be Flea, but I do want to be solid.
Members zachoff Posted October 11, 2005 Members Posted October 11, 2005 A lot of folks will probably recommend a bass from Rondo, but I'm not sure they're gig-worthy & they also talk a lot about upgrading them & that's not something you're likely to want to do as a beginner. That said, a used Mexican Fender P or Jazz will do you well. If you don't want to go that route, I'd also recommend a Peavey Grind or Schecter Stiletto. For an amp, you'll want at least 200W to be useable in a band situation. Yorkville or Peavey should do you good. If I were you, I'd buy used. --edit-- I took a lesson a week for a couple months when I first started. It helped a little, but most of what I know I learned on the fly. So, I guess I really can't weigh in on that part much.
Members Gruven Posted October 11, 2005 Members Posted October 11, 2005 Answer to 1: It really depends on how well you learn on your own and who your teacher might be. Answer to 2: There are a lot of combo amps out there to try. It's best to please your ear. Try a bunch in your price range. I know... I'm no help on this am I?
Members y-o-y Posted October 11, 2005 Members Posted October 11, 2005 wanting to be flea is ok...expecting to be flea may lead to disappointment... I just started playing a couple of months back and i can strongly recommend private lessons, even if it is just for a few months to get started on the right foot. as far as gear goes, do a search for 'beginner bass' or 'sx bass' and you should find more than enough info... good luck
Members Mudbass Posted October 11, 2005 Members Posted October 11, 2005 1. A good bass teacher will kick a DVD's butt every time. 2. I agree with zachoff, if you're gonna cut corners someplace don't do it on the bass. You won't out grow a Mexican P or J for a long time. Start off with a good practice amp like the Peavey Microbass. No matter where you go or how good you get you'll always need a practice amp. Don't buy a practice amp that's more than 20 watts or so. Anything more than that is just overkill. Take your lessons, get your chops up and while you're doing that save up for a nice gigging rig.
Members Gruven Posted October 11, 2005 Members Posted October 11, 2005 Originally posted by Mudbass Start off with a good practice amp like the Peavey Microbass. No matter where you go or how good you get you'll always need a practice amp. Don't buy a practice amp that's more than 20 watts or so. Anything more than that is just overkill. Take your lessons, get your chops up and while you're doing that save up for a nice gigging rig. Good advice on the practice amp. I've had my MicroBASS since '95 and I still use it. It's one of the best investments that I've made.
Members DanTolen Posted October 11, 2005 Members Posted October 11, 2005 Get lessons if you've never played any other stringed instrument. Otherwise it should be easy to learn. Get an SX bass. Get a 1 x 15 combo that's at least 90 watts. That's the most cost effective way of getting started. Good luck.
Members jeffery.addison Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 Private Lessons are the way to go. A good foundation will pay big dividends in the future. I think that Ibanez and Schecter have some really nice basses available and they won't clean your bank account out. As far as an amp is concerned...I would look for a Used Ampeg...they are one of those amps that hold their value a little better then say a Crate or a Carvin. Good Luck!
Members gazman Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 Originally posted by LateGreats Don't want to be Flea, but I do want to be solid. You got the first part right, the rest is cake.
Members sunburstbasser Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 I'm gonna suggest that, for a bass, you check out a Cort Action bass as well as the others mentioned. Its a very solid bass all around. As far as quality goes, Cort actually makes nearly all of the cheaper Ibanez and Schecter models that get recommended so much, and I've played basses from each of these makers. Quality is usually pretty consistently good among them so I think if you like one you'll like all three, you just need to choose which is best for you. Amp wise, I'm all for Peavey for a first amp.
Members Apendecto Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 My first two basses were Peavey Furys (1992 P copys made in USA) for 25 and 30 bucks. They are solid as hell and I still use them for my main basses. (Granted the pickups suck, I've added a J humbucker on one and I've rewired both of them.) I also started playing on a Fender BXR 100 (then the 200 modle) 15 inch combo 100 watter. Sounds pretty bland but is a tank and you can probably pick one up cheap. If I was to start over, I would get a decent 4x10 cab, a used power amp and some preamp. Room to improve on everything. Also, I've never taken lessons and turned out fine. Yo.
Members SoundwaveLove Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 I just got an MTD kingston and I couldn't be happier. 5 string for $450 new. its hot {censored} i wanna have sex with it. i got a used bassman 100 silver face ($300)and a pair of used cabs on craigs list, SWR 2X12 + horn, and an Ampeg 15" its very basic, but a very soild rig, and without a doubt loud enough (even too loud) for playing with a drummer.
Members Darkstorm Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 Being self taught with the aid of dvd's & books is best imo. Brings out your own succusful style & expresiveness better imo. And unlike private lessons, with dvds you get pro players including touring pros for cd producing pro bands. A level most private teachers can only dream about reaching. With pro touring players you get pro tourng player level of instruction. For budget reliable pro grade gear reccomends Peavey for amps. And ESP LTD or Schecter for basses. Due to best prices & qaulity in there price range imo. If your going to spend more then $500 but under $600 for the bass would add BC Rich NJ series to bass brand list to check out.
Members Thumper Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 1. Go with the lessons from a real, live teacher. The student/teacher interaction is something you can't get from a DVD. Also, shop around/ask around for the right teacher. 2. As for gear, stick with 20 watts or less for a practice amp. Peavey, Yorkville are good choices. Check out the product database/user reviews at Harmony Central and do some research on instruments. Personally, I'd start with a P-bass or Jazz-style, but Schecter, Ibanez, Hamer and MTD Kingston are great choices, too. Again, shop around, ask around, do your homework and you'll make a better choice. Good luck.
Members zachoff Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 Originally posted by sunburstbasser I'm gonna suggest that, for a bass, you check out a Cort Action bass as well as the others mentioned... Do you work for Cort now or something?!
Members SoundwaveLove Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 Try taking lessons, and try DVD's see which ones you like better. both are good. also jam with people and ask questions, that way you can learn for free
Members bville Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 Peavey Foundation basses are very solid and the electronics aren't as noisy as some of the other bargain-priced gear. Zuchoff is right, don't cut corners when purchasing your bass. Also, try out your bass before buying it - you don't want to be stuck with a bass that will need adjustments or modifications - so Internet stuff might not be the way to go.
Members DerekDRP Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 Originally posted by LateGreats I'm thinking of taking up playing bass, and had some questions. 1) Which would be best: Private lessons, or online/DVD lessons?2) Can anyone recommend some good gear that won't break the bank but would be gig-worthy?Don't want to be Flea, but I do want to be solid. 1) Becuase private lesson's with your teacher will show you what you are doing wrong, an it's fun to play with another person.
Members i_wanna_les_paul Posted October 12, 2005 Members Posted October 12, 2005 As for lessons - DO get a real-life teacher, even if it's only for a little while. Teaching yourself, even with books and DVDs can still lead to bad habits and incorrect form. People learn best from other people. It also provides a mentor and someone to be accountable to for making progress. As for the bass, I think a stock SX would be great. Sure, a lot of people upgrade, but they're still good basses stock, IMO. However, if you've got the money, a Fender, if it feels and plays good isn't a bad deal - neither are the Ibanezes, Schecters or Corts. As for an amp, I'm going to dissent a touch here and ask you what you'll do with the amp. When you're asking for a gig-worthy bass, I'm thinking you're wanting to play gigs. Get a good amp to start with. A gig-worthy bass is worthless if you don't have an amp that's good enough. Buy it once and have it over with - but that's just my mentality. For that, get a larger combo - 15" speaker, at least 100 watts or the like, or even a budget head/cab rig. If you're not wanting to play gigs right away, a practice amp will work for now, but if you want to gig, you'll need power and lots of it. Dustin
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