starting up playing bass any good ideas

[kenny]

toying with the idea of strating up playing the bass guitar just wanting to know if any body has any good ideas of a good starter bass i could get looking to spend about £250 on one, would like my self a nice ibanez if i can afford one.
____________________
KeNNy 100cc peugot speedfight 125cc Honda NSR125R 650cc suzuki SV650R 125cc suzuki GZ125 600cc yamaha YZF-R6

[UnknownStuntm...]

I can say this without a shadow of a doubt. Get your paws around a Yamaha. They all seem to play pretty well off the shelf, and if you see one in a second hand shop, you'll save yourself the initial depreciation too. I bought an RBX270 for £85 about 18 months back, and it's fan-frikkin-tastic.

For £250 you'll get a five string active. If that's your bag.

[V2]

agreed yamaha is where its at until you start talking ££££££££££££

[UnknownStuntm...]

Oh and by the way, do NOT look at anything with the words

VICTOR WOOTEN

in it.

Even this post is likely to make you give up, so only read it once then never again.

[Grav]

Yamaha make excellent Bass Guitars. I have an RBX 260 and it's a joy to play.

There's some excellent Tabs on https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/ and a few good product reviews as well to help you make your mind up.

Found this RBX 270, worth every penny IMHO.

Yamaha RBX270

[TheShaggyDA]

Get yourself down to a guitar shop and handle a few. Depending on your hand size, you may not like the amount of stretch you need down the bottom of (say) a Fender Precision Bass with a 34" scale, and might prefer a short (30") one, or even go for a long (36") scale.

Personally, I play much faster on a short scale.
____________________
Current: CB500 Previous: CB100N, CB250RS, XJ900F, GT550, GPZ750R/1000RX, AJS M16, R100RT, Enfield Bullet

[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[Rookie]

Go to a second hand shop and throw a few things around (figuratively speaking of course). Chances are you'll fall in love with something a bit weird and buy it, I ended up buying an 80s Jackson Charvel when I did this. Souunded like absolute arse but I loved it. Then I changed what I now suspect were the original strings, and it transformed it completely, into frankly an absolute bitch of a bass.

[karlbbb]

At around £250 I'd definitely be looking at some form of Yamaha, best basses for little money.

What kind of music do you like/think you'll be playing? A 5 string could be a very good idea to start on (I started with a 5 string).

[kenny]

[kenny]

is a bass hard to play as im going to get lessons i read thats its best to start out on a four string then if you like you can work up to a five. i dont want to end up throwning myself in the deep end and not wanting to carry on if you know what i mean.
____________________
KeNNy 100cc peugot speedfight 125cc Honda NSR125R 650cc suzuki SV650R 125cc suzuki GZ125 600cc yamaha YZF-R6

[kenny]

[kenny]

found this on a web site

https://www.dawsons.co.uk/musicstore/s53940/0/Bass-Guitars/YAMAHA/Yamaha-RBX170-Red-Metallic-Bass/details.aspx?&IsSearch=y&pageindex=1&CatId=1166&comp=n



plus


https://www.dawsons.co.uk/musicstore/s42679/0/Bass-Guitars/YAMAHA/Yamaha-RBX374-Bass-Guitar-Black/details.aspx?&IsSearch=y&pageindex=2&CatId=1166&comp=n

would any of these make a good starter bass, whats the difference between them does one have better sound or some thing or better made
____________________
KeNNy 100cc peugot speedfight 125cc Honda NSR125R 650cc suzuki SV650R 125cc suzuki GZ125 600cc yamaha YZF-R6

[karlbbb]

The RBX374 has "active" circuitry, meaning it boosts the signal coming from the pickups, but 'generally' has a cleaner tone. And by active, you will have to open up the guts (or sometimes it has its own little cover) to put the 9v battery in to power it. Replaced, for average use, once every 3 or 4 months.

I hardly play my bass and it still has the battery I put in over a year ago. When I used to play in a band, I replaced the battery every month, just so I knew it wouldn't conk out on stage (I never bothered carrying a spare, I was punk like that).


The RBX series would be ideal as a starter bass, and I'd definitely go for the RBX170 (as it's cheaper, will still play well, and are generally easy to sell on should you not like it or want to get a nicer bass in the future).


Lessons are definitely recommended, especially just starting out, they'll help a great deal, such as learning all the notes on the fretboard etc. I imagine any tutor you get will echo this, but it's a lot of help just sitting at home, putting your favourite records on, and just playing along, figuring it out as you go along. It's great to play along with your favourite songs.



P.S. I started on a 5 simply because I'd played guitar previously, and I've also played piano for 14 years, so I guess I was a little more "in the know" about what I was letting myself in for.

[UnknownStuntm...]

Re Vic Wooten (you ob. haven't taken the hint yet, but you'll get it after a while playing and watching him....!)

He's facking a-may-zin. I mean like, G-O-D on the low notes. My ears can't keep up with his playing, when he's on one. His fingers seem to just fall around the frets. He's got a funk so hard I can feel it in my pants. MY pants, not his.....

There. Sorry, I WOOTed out for a bit there.

[karlbbb]

[Grav]

Terrible pun.....

Right, I have owned and thoroughly enjoyed playing a Yamaha RBX 260 Bass for the last ten years. It's had a pounding cos I like to play Rage Against The Machine, Black Sabbath Metallica and then mellow out with the mighty Pink Floyd. (Guy Pratt is a genius btw.)

My advice is get an RBX270. it is a very forgiving instrument to play, with a nice easy action and solid electronics. It is also quite light compared to some basses I have owned (much lighter than my old Rickenbacker I had when Lemmy was God)

It is a decent, affordable entry level bass and you will not want to part with it. When you are more proficient at playing, you may want to get a Bass with active electronics but they have never been of much interest to me. I prefer the clean, crisp sound that my Bass produces, but it really is down to personal preference.

Bass players of note to study.

The aforementioned Vic Wooten

Mr Guy Pratt (Pink Floyd post Roger Waters line up touring band)

Mr Billy Sheehan (Dave Lee Roth and Steve Vai's touring bands)

Mr John Myung (Dream Theatre and six string bass God)
____________________
Dark Lord Of Custard

snigger.....

[Grav]

John Myung .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAGR95WG5c

the man is a genius.
____________________
Dark Lord Of Custard

snigger.....

[Fawbish]

Such uber pwnage



Fantastic Vid, cheers Grav
____________________
"Oh....it looks like Average Joe's is forfeiting the match!" - "Yeah, its a risky strategy but lets see if it pays off for 'em Cotton."

[veeeffarr]

[kenny]

[veeeffarr]

[kenny]

so if im starting out from scratch what will i need the bass , bag, spare strings, leads what sort, amp what sort i have a power amp that i used for a mic and i run my music through will that do. what else will i need as i dont wont to go to a shop and they say yea you need this, this and this plus this when i would only need half of the stuff they throw at me.
____________________
KeNNy 100cc peugot speedfight 125cc Honda NSR125R 650cc suzuki SV650R 125cc suzuki GZ125 600cc yamaha YZF-R6

[Grav]

Get the Yamaha Bass and this

Marshall Bass Practice Amp

and one of these

Gig Bag

take you pick of these

Leads

strings

Strings

Straps

straps

and a stand to plonk it on.

stands

You don't ned to buy it all from the company I have used here, shop around for the best deals. I have merely used them as a reference.

Happy hunting.
____________________
Dark Lord Of Custard

snigger.....

[olionel]

well a stand and spare strings and a bag is not essential.. unles your gona have lessons and carry it about. then you need a bag... a stand... meh depends how much you like your bass... cost about 10-15 for an average stand... you'll soon want a guitar though... be ready..
____________________
1989 CG125 - Childhood Sweetheart (she got kidnapped by baddies)
1998 ZXR400 - Teenage Love (lasted three years, then she turned lesbian and left me)
2001 XRV750 - Wife Material (still getting to know her but head over heels in love)

[Grav]

True, olionel, it does indeed depend on how serious he wants to take it.
____________________
Dark Lord Of Custard

snigger.....