# Interested in purchasing a bass, need help?



## vkw619 (Dec 29, 2014)

Hey guys,

I have recently really wanted to get into bass. But I literally have NO idea where to start. I know absolutely nothing about basses, bass amps, strings, scales, anything hardwear wise at all. So I was hoping some of the wonderful people here could help out. 

Basically, good starting/mid level bass suggestions?
Amps suggestions (something small, bedroom level, something I could hook my HD500x into)
Benefits of starting off on a 5 string as opposed to 4?

My favorite guitar brand is Ibanez due to necks mainly because I have quite small hands so if anyone could provide a good suggestion based on that, that'd be wonderful. 

I know a ton about guitar hardware but again, not a single thing in the bass area. So treat me like a total noob if you will xD.

Thanks all


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## FretSpider (Dec 29, 2014)

Well, with your affinity to Ibanez in mind, I'd look at either an SR 400 or 500 series bass, though you MAY want to take a good look at ESP, as well. In my experience, their necks are pretty close, dimension-wise, and I think that ESP's are ounce for once better than most Ibanez's beginner to intermediate lines of instruments. That's not to say I dislike Ibanez, because I don't. They're one of my brands of choice, and I'm dying to get my hands on an Ibanez BTB 1406E. ESP just seems to offer a "better bang for the buck". Some ESP's to check out would be (keeping a 5-string in mind) a B/F-5E, B-206SM, D-5NS. I wouldn't hesitate to play on any of those instruments. 

I started on a 5-string, and I have no regrets. More often than not, the string spacing is closer together than on a 4, so really, that's going to be a matter of preference. To me, it doesn't really matter. Your hands will adjust, and since you're just starting anyways, it really doesn't matter as you have no muscle memory for bass. As I got older, I decided to switch to 6-string basses. To me, there just wasn't a point in going half way between a 4 and a 6, but again, this is a preference. I do use the high C a lot, regardless of weather or not I'm playing metal or soloist kind of stuff. You may not have any use for that C. Personally though, even on a 5'er, I'll string it EADGC. I don't use that B all that much, though it's still nice to have, hence why I love 6-strings. 

That's all my preference, but moving onto all reality, regardless of preference, I like extended range basses because of flexibility, especially on higher register where it's annoying to have to change positions. On the bottom end of things, it's nice to ride that B, or to fret a low D. The ability to fret a D is about 70% of a B-string's use, I'd think. 

Given the choice between a 4 and a 5-string, I'll take the 5, but the same can be said between a 5 and a 6. All of them have their pros and cons, and all have their place in the world. There's actually one 24-string bass, which I think was a bit overkill, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to try it at least once. (It was a custom build for the owner of Circle K/ Kalium Strings). Some people think that all a bass needs is 4-strings. That's an opinion I'll respectfully disagree with. I think it's a matter of what's needed or wanted. My opinion is that 6 is all anyone should really need, but I've also been wanting to get a Conklin GTBD7 7-string, which has everything a 6-string has, plus a high F. 

Sorry...rambling a bit. 

Truth is, I think that you may as well just start on a 5. They're slowly becoming the new standard. It doesn't matter what type of music you play, from country to metal, a lot of guys are playing on 5-strings now. 

I hope that helps. I know it kind of reads that you should just dive into a 6, and I do appologise about that. I kind of have a mentality of "Why settle for half way if I don't have to?".


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## punisher911 (Dec 29, 2014)

If you never tune below drop D, you could live on a 4 your whole life. Even saying that, playing the 5th fret E on a 5 string has a bit more "oomph" than the open E on a 4 due to the thicker string. Plus you can go all the way down to B/drop A on the 5 in its normal set up and can play along with 7 string guitars. So i vote for starting on the 5.


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## Grand Moff Tim (Dec 29, 2014)

I'd seriously just go grab a Squier Jazz bass and small practice amp. Perhaps a starter pack. It won't be the nicest thing in the world, but it'll be suitable for someone who doesn't know any better, and ideal for learning the ins and outs of playing the bass. Assuming you actually want to learn how to play the bass, that is, rather than just using a pick and treating it like a longer, lower-tuned guitar. That way if you don't jive with bass you won't be out that much cash, and if you do jive with it you can step up to something nicer.

My first bass setup was a Squier Affinity Jazz bass and a small Crate bass practice. It doesn't really get too much cheaper than that. I loved it, though, and enjoyed it immensely. I've moved on to bigger and better things since then, but I actually still have that old Squier.


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## punisher911 (Dec 30, 2014)

Grand Moff Tim said:


> I'd seriously just go grab a Squier Jazz bass.



I'm actually grabbing a Squier Jazz V today for recording. I have my Squier P Bass with flats for E standard stuff, but after I bought my Clint Lowery in C# standard I realized that I had no bass to record against it. 

And yes, please play bass like a bass player. Not a guitar player playing bass. Think, less busy and more impactful. Something you can hum along to. Guitar players can "noodle", let the bass just groove...


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## vkw619 (Dec 30, 2014)

I appreciate all of the feedback guys.

If I do happen to lean towards a 5, does anyone have some suggestions? I went to my local music shop and they had no 5s in stock so I played a few Fenders and I really liked the feel of them but something just felt off. I tried 1 of the low end Ibby SR guitars (not sure of the model) and it felt nice, I just didn't jive with the body shape. 

What woods do basses particularly come in? I've always been a fan of really light guitars so I gravitate towards basswood, but it seems every bass I've tried is a super heavy mahogany. I'm assuming thats just the nature of transitioning to a lower register instrument? Or am I wildly mistaken?


And just to throw this out here, I've always been a rhythm guy. I played drums for a while but do to personal struggles I had to sell my kit (that and I had no where for it to be in my tiny dorm room), and moved to guitar and always find myself playing chords and simple riffs never even touching the higher strings. So I've always had an interest in bass and always as a backbone piece to a band setting, never as something that should be crazy intense. So based on that, I feel as if bass might be a good instrument for me (heck most people assume that when I say I play guitar that I play bass and when people see me play guitar they ask if I've ever tried bass before cause of the way I play) so I guess the TL;DR version of this is no worries, I plan on playing like a bass, not a guitar, so no worries there guys. lol


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## punisher911 (Dec 30, 2014)

I actually changed my mind on Squier purchase and instead ordered a Yamaha TRBX 305 in mist green. 

I am the same way, I play guitar and bass very similar and consider myself a "rhythm" player as well.


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## vkw619 (Dec 31, 2014)

punisher911 said:


> I actually changed my mind on Squier purchase and instead ordered a Yamaha TRBX 305 in mist green.



Any particular reason why?

Does anyone have any more recommendations for a 4 or 5 string?


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## punisher911 (Dec 31, 2014)

vkw619 said:


> Any particular reason why?
> 
> Does anyone have any more recommendations for a 4 or 5 string?



Humbucker pickups for recording. The 5 way selector for eq settings to get quick and easy different tones. Yamaha is generally good quality they just don't get much love.


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## Orgalmer (Jan 8, 2015)

Hey man, there's a few options available if you're looking to get into bass. I forget what tuning you usually have your 6/7 in, but a 5 string bass will handle everything you need for drop tuning and still give you access to the normal range of a bass.

IMO, an Ibanez SR305 is a good choice to start off with. My housemate recently picked up an '07 model and it's great. Nice and light, sounds decent and is easy to play.



> I actually changed my mind on Squier purchase and instead ordered a Yamaha TRBX 305 in mist green.



Yamaha have always been a really good brand, even at the cheaper end. I'd give one of these a shot if you come across them.

If you're tuning below Ab, keep in mind that some bridges don't handle thicker strings. String-thru basses are out of the question and older Fender style bridges are also not compatible. Have a look at the SR305 bridge and then a Fender Jazz bridge, and you'll see what I mean.

As for amps, you've already got a kickass HD500X so you won't need a new preamp any time soon. Your computer speakers or headphones will do for now with that setup. I've only owned a Behringer KFX3000 which was alright, not great. I'd rather have a 2x10 combo or something similar instead of that, I'm sure someone on here can make a better recommendation for a practice rig though.

Good luck and make sure to let us know what you end up getting!


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## vkw619 (Jan 10, 2015)

Orgalmer said:


> Hey man, there's a few options available if you're looking to get into bass. I forget what tuning you usually have your 6/7 in, but a 5 string bass will handle everything you need for drop tuning and still give you access to the normal range of a bass.
> 
> IMO, an Ibanez SR305 is a good choice to start off with. My housemate recently picked up an '07 model and it's great. Nice and light, sounds decent and is easy to play.
> 
> ...



Thanks man! I'm going to look into the SR305. I just love the look of Fender basses.. thats where the love stops though


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## Orgalmer (Jan 11, 2015)

> I just love the look of Fender basses.. thats where the love stops though


 
Haha I hear that. Fender basses are actually pretty good, but obviously they only have 21 frets and generally aren't suited for super low tunings. If you do get one though they can handle pretty much everything else.

You could also look at a Cort C4/C5 but I'm not confident that they're as competitively priced compared to Yamaha and Ibanez. That being said, I've owned a C4 and an A5 (the A5 is a neck-thru, higher end version of the C series) and they were both amazing. The C4 in particular just looked fantastic with a sparkling vintage silver finish and was a dream to play.


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## octatoan (Jan 12, 2015)

Hijacking the thread here: Would it be stupid for someone to start on a six-string?


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## House74 (Jan 12, 2015)

I hate sounding like a broken record on here sometimes, but I have to throw my hat in the ring again for the Schecter Stiletto Studio series. I have the Studio 6 (and 8) and even though the neck is wide, it's really thin and comfortable. The thing I like about the 6 is it gives you both the brutality of the low B on the low end, but also lets you do high melodic stuff and chording having the high B, which is nice to have that versatility.


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## Orgalmer (Jan 12, 2015)

> Hijacking the thread here: Would it be stupid for someone to start on a six-string?


 
I can't see any reason why you couldn't start on a 6 string bass, but my recommendation is to try a 4 or 5 string and see how you go. I say this because learning on a 4 string bass gets you familiar with that EADG range and you will find yourself being more comeptent overall, having spent time in a smaller range. You'll be able to play a lot of styles of music with just 4 strings in standard and there's not as much to think about.

If you play in drop tunings especially drop A or Ab, then a 5 string is probably best to start on because you still have your normal range (or close to it) and also have access to the lower end that you need for those tunings. Playing in drop tunings on a 4 string bass really pigeon-holes your understanding of the instrument to drop tuned metal and it'll make learning the instrument as it was intended tougher. Likewise, a 6 string bass as your first instrument means you have a lot more range, and a lot more information to commit to memory. Also having the high C means you run the risk of becoming dependent on it.

Ultimately, do what you think is going to work best for you. I'm going to get my 6 string set up for EBEADG so I can still use it for standard tuning applications while still having access to drop D, B, drop A, F# and drop E tunings if I need them. I also have a 4 string bass in standard which I would use if I were to play in a cover band, simply because they're so easy to play, they're lighter, and you have fewer strings to deal with.

Good luck!


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## 7stg (Jan 12, 2015)

octatoan said:


> Hijacking the thread here: Would it be stupid for someone to start on a six-string?


Starting with a 6 would be smart, especially if it gives you the range you need/want. I started with a 7 string bass and that was fine. I recommend a 5 string minimum to at least be able to cover a 7 string guitar.

If you want to tune lower a Dingwall or if Rondo ever makes a 6 string version of this Brice Defiant 53437 Nat Mahog - RondoMusic.com would be great.


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## vkw619 (Jan 13, 2015)

So quick update, I went to my local Guitar Center and they had a few basses in stock, I tried both the SR500 and SR505 and really enjoyed playing the 505. Just felt more right to me and and easier transition. However, I couldn't really find an amp I liked. I also had no idea what any of the knobs/switches do. They really change the tone much more drastically than what I'm used to on a guitar. Anyone mind explaining a basic in an out of bass hardware so I'm not completely blind here?


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## Orgalmer (Jan 13, 2015)

The SR505 is a good choice man, I really like how they look and they've got pretty decent electronics in them.

Are you able to tell us what brand or model amp you're looking at so we can tell you what they do? As a general rule all bass amps have something along the lines of Volume, Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble and Presence to work with. Some will have a 5-band EQ or similar. Some will have a Bright or Sub switch which will emphasize the high and low end respectively. A few have a limiter switch like my Hartke LH1000 - handy for protecting your cabinet from spikes in your signal.

I prefer the ones that have fewer pots to mess with but other people no doubt will prefer having more fine control over their sound.


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## vkw619 (Jan 13, 2015)

Orgalmer said:


> The SR505 is a good choice man, I really like how they look and they've got pretty decent electronics in them.
> 
> Are you able to tell us what brand or model amp you're looking at so we can tell you what they do? As a general rule all bass amps have something along the lines of Volume, Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble and Presence to work with. Some will have a 5-band EQ or similar. Some will have a Bright or Sub switch which will emphasize the high and low end respectively. A few have a limiter switch like my Hartke LH1000 - handy for protecting your cabinet from spikes in your signal.
> 
> I prefer the ones that have fewer pots to mess with but other people no doubt will prefer having more fine control over their sound.



Orange Crush PiX CR50BXT Bass Combo Amplifier (50 Watts, 1x12")

That was the main amp I was playing out of while doing my testing. It sounded okay. Just hard to dial anything as I know nothing about bass tones..

Is there like a "bass knob for dummys". I looked on the ibby site for the diagram of the 505 and just got really confused.


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## Orgalmer (Jan 14, 2015)

Oh yeah? That one seems alright actually. Orange amps are usually pretty good. It'll be a good first amp.

I don't know if anyone else does this, but I just set all my bass/mid/treble pots to halfway on my bass and my rig. The pots on your bass will have notches so the midpoint is easy to find. I have the volume on my bass up on full and the mid contour pot down as low as it'll go (when I have my mid pot centered, the mid focus pot becomes useless).

With bass tones I take the approach of letting the instrument and your playing style generate the tone, and the amp and cabinet are subtle colours over the top. I don't know if anyone else will agree with that, but that's how I've played for years and it works pretty well for me.


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## monkeybike (Jan 14, 2015)

I have a Roland Bass cube and it makes for a nice little practice amp, it has a bunch of built in effects as well. It's got enough punch to rattle my house.


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## 7stg (Jan 14, 2015)

I use studio monitors for everything. A set of 6.5-7 inch monitors with a sub will get the deepest extension which is ideal for bass, ERG's and keyboards.


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## vkw619 (Jan 14, 2015)

monkeybike said:


> I have a Roland Bass cube and it makes for a nice little practice amp, it has a bunch of built in effects as well. It's got enough punch to rattle my house.



Any idea on how it will work with the HD500x? As far as taking a preamp goes? I know some guitar amps don't like to combine on board effects with other processors.


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## monkeybike (Jan 14, 2015)

Not sure, I just run a Wooly Mammoth fuzz into it.


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## stevexc (Jan 14, 2015)

vkw619 said:


> Is there like a "bass knob for dummys". I looked on the ibby site for the diagram of the 505 and just got really confused.



So the SR505 seems a little daunting, but it's not too bad. The two big knobs are Volume and Balance, which are pretty simple - Volume is straight-forward, and Balance is the equivalent of a pickup selector.

The other 3 knobs are a 3-band EQ - treble, mid, and bass. They all have a notch at the mid point, and on either side of that will add to or subtract from that frequency.

Lastly, the switch changes between the two different mid frequencies that mid knob controls. One way will accentuate or cut your low mid frequency, the other your high mid frequency. I've got an older SR505 that didn't have this switch so I can't speak to how it sounds.


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## Orgalmer (Jan 15, 2015)

stevexc said:


> So the SR505 seems a little daunting, but it's not too bad. The two big knobs are Volume and Balance, which are pretty simple - Volume is straight-forward, and Balance is the equivalent of a pickup selector.
> 
> The other 3 knobs are a 3-band EQ - treble, mid, and bass. They all have a notch at the mid point, and on either side of that will add to or subtract from that frequency.
> 
> Lastly, the switch changes between the two different mid frequencies that mid knob controls. One way will accentuate or cut your low mid frequency, the other your high mid frequency. I've got an older SR505 that didn't have this switch so I can't speak to how it sounds.



Thanks man, that's a way better description than what I wrote up haha.

Your Pod HD500 X should be fine to use on pretty much anything. I think if you set it up as Combo Front it should run correctly with that Orange cab? I will check and get back to you.


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## vkw619 (Jan 15, 2015)

stevexc said:


> So the SR505 seems a little daunting, but it's not too bad. The two big knobs are Volume and Balance, which are pretty simple - Volume is straight-forward, and Balance is the equivalent of a pickup selector.
> 
> The other 3 knobs are a 3-band EQ - treble, mid, and bass. They all have a notch at the mid point, and on either side of that will add to or subtract from that frequency.
> 
> Lastly, the switch changes between the two different mid frequencies that mid knob controls. One way will accentuate or cut your low mid frequency, the other your high mid frequency. I've got an older SR505 that didn't have this switch so I can't speak to how it sounds.



Thanks a ton for the help bro. That makes a bit more sense than what Ibanez and google were giving me. 



Orgalmer said:


> Thanks man, that's a way better description than what I wrote up haha.
> 
> Your Pod HD500 X should be fine to use on pretty much anything. I think if you set it up as Combo Front it should run correctly with that Orange cab? I will check and get back to you.



Thanks man! Looking forward to hearing from you!


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## Orgalmer (Jan 15, 2015)

Found some helpful info regarding the Pod and connecting to various amps and cabinets:



> Output modes:
> 
> Studio Direct: For connecting &#8220;Direct&#8221; to a mixing console (PA) or recording device. Also, this is the best setting for using headphones or monitor speakers.
> 
> ...


 
More info available here: POD HD500X\HD500\POD HD\POD HD Pro FAQ - POD HD Family - Knowledge Base - Knowledge Base - Line 6 Community


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## vkw619 (Jan 23, 2015)

A bit of an update - 

I have been trying different basses and so far the S505 has been my favorite. 
However, do you guys think that the lower models are good as well? There is a S303 used for 150 at my local Guitar Center as well as a S405 for only 400. Opinions on these models? Or is the S505 worth the extra 250 dollar price tag for a starter bass?


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## punisher911 (Jan 23, 2015)

vkw619 said:


> A bit of an update -
> 
> I have been trying different basses and so far the S505 has been my favorite.
> However, do you guys think that the lower models are good as well? There is a S303 used for 150 at my local Guitar Center as well as a S405 for only 400. Opinions on these models? Or is the S505 worth the extra 250 dollar price tag for a starter bass?



If the cheaper ones feel just as good and sound good enough to you, jump on it. Price tag be damned. Play what feels/sounds good to you. I've played $2400 Warwick $$ on stage and all the way down to a $179 Badtz-Maru Squier on stage. 

See...


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## MetalRecordingServices (Feb 10, 2015)

vkw619 said:


> Orange Crush PiX CR50BXT Bass Combo Amplifier (50 Watts, 1x12")
> 
> That was the main amp I was playing out of while doing my testing. It sounded okay. Just hard to dial anything as I know nothing about bass tones..
> 
> Is there like a "bass knob for dummys". I looked on the ibby site for the diagram of the 505 and just got really confused.



Never buy an amp that you cant dial in to please you in under five minutes. It just wont be the one for one for you. You'll frustrating and dialing not playing.

Id recommend a pre amp with separate power amp amp Cant lose if bass aint your cup of meat, you need a power amp for monitors anyway.

4 or 5 string, well remember this set of facts. The open E on a 4 is depending on tuning around 41 to 44 Hz. Already lower than most home stereo speakers.(usually 60Hz sometimes 80hz) Once you go lower whatever you spent your energy creating gets badly lopped off. How many laptop listeners will use a subwoofer while discovering and judging music? Almost none will. Watch Bruce Dickinson's Live skunkworks, for some insight on his high level opinion. Just might shed some light.


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## bostjan (Feb 11, 2015)

The SR400 series from Ibanez is pretty much an industry standard mid-level bass. I don't think you would be displeased with the SR400 nor the SR405. (Personally, my complaints with Ibanez basses are the "cramped" feeling, particularly on the five and six strings, of having tighter string spacing and scale length)

I believe that Ibanezes still come with some literature on which knob is which, but perhaps not any more, and it seems that the question was thoroughly covered already. Personally, I like to start with all of the EQ knobs set at their mid-point stops, and then adjust them so that I get an acceptable tone with a good cut at sound check. I think that the bass doesn't so much get "lost" in the mix as a guitar can, but it can lose its attack quite easily, if the guitar and bass do not find unique EQ space to occupy.

As far as amps and cabs, it's really a personal preference. I've always liked the tone from the Ampeg bass amps. The SVT can be expensive and heavy to transport, though. The solid state amps are usually lightweight and simple to set dials for a good tone, in my opinion. There's nothing wrong with any mainstream bass amp, though - Carvin makes some good stuff, and I've had great luck with Peavey as well.

For cabinets, I've historically gone with two cabs, either a 2x10 and a 1x18 or a 4x10 and a 1x15, but I am currently using just a single fifteen combo (Peavey TNT 115). It has pretty simple controls and seems to work best in my context of having a guitarist using an H&K Tubemeister. For my own stuff, I plug bass in direct to the PA [via DI box] or recording console.


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## hairychris (Feb 11, 2015)

Ibanez SRs are a good start for a guitarist going to bass, as this is the route that I went! The neck is a good cross-over, and do agree that string spacing is a little narrow.

I've just upgraded to a USA-built EBMM Sub 5. Neck's a bit wider, it's a bit more of a handful but still manageable.


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