{"id":6287,"date":"2014-09-18T11:14:10","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T16:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/?p=6287"},"modified":"2018-03-25T14:07:12","modified_gmt":"2018-03-25T19:07:12","slug":"whats-a-good-beginner-bass-guitar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/article\/whats-a-good-beginner-bass-guitar.html","title":{"rendered":"What’s a good beginner bass guitar?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This one is being written by user request.<\/p>\n

When it comes to electric bass guitars, the “safe” thing to do is to start out with a 4-string that is inexpensive, but not so cheap that it will fall apart in a year, and something you can bang around without worry.<\/p>\n

Can you upgrade a beginner bass?<\/h3>\n

Yes. People often buy parts from us to specifically upgrade low-cost basses. If you’ve bought one already, the warranty period has expired and you’re ready to upgrade, we have everything from pickups<\/a> to preamps<\/a> to bridges<\/a> to tuners<\/a> and a lot more<\/a>. We also routinely post discounted bass gear<\/a> too, so be sure to check that out.<\/p>\n

Things to know about beginner electric bass instruments<\/h3>\n

It is better to buy new than used<\/strong><\/p>\n

With a new bass, you get a warranty. And in America, larger guitar stores offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee where if you don’t like it for any reason, you can take it back and get a full refund (assuming the instrument is not damaged and is in saleable condition).<\/p>\n

Beginner bass guitars have almost no resale value<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is yet another reason to buy new. The moment you buy the bass, it is very unlikely you will ever be able to sell it for what you bought if for. That being true, you are better off buying new so you have that 30-day period where you can return it for a refund if you want.<\/p>\n

During that first 30 days, do not<\/em> modify the instrument in any way just in case you want to return it. After that 30 days, you are stuck with it, so if you have modifications planned, wait a month after buying first.<\/p>\n

You do not “inherit” someone else’s problem when you buy new<\/strong><\/p>\n

Seasoned bass guitar buyers know how to spot flaws in used instruments, but those that are just starting out do not. Once again, buy new. And if the bass has a problem, you have a warranty where you can get it fixed, exchange it or get a refund.<\/p>\n

Better to buy the bass at a guitar store<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is recommended for one reason. Shipping an instrument (especially one for repair or replacement) has never been an easy process. But it is easy to drive to guitar store where you bought the thing if you encounter issues.<\/p>\n

Remember to include “blemished” as well as new<\/strong><\/p>\n

At larger guitar stores, some instruments arrive where the paint has been scuffed or chipped, so it is discounted as a “blemished” or just “blem” for short.<\/p>\n

A blem is still a brand new bass guitar with the same return policy and the same warranty, just with a scuff or two in the paint. If you can find one of these, that’s a very good beginner buy.<\/p>\n

Fender and Squier<\/h3>\n

\"squier-p\"
\nSquier Affinity P Bass<\/p>\n

\"squier-j\"
\nSquier Affinity J Bass<\/p>\n

\"squier-vm-p\"
\nSquier Vintage Modified Precision Bass<\/p>\n

\"fender-jag\"
\nFender Modern Player Jaguar Bass<\/p>\n

Of the four above, the “most traditional” is the Squier Vintage Modified Precision Bass. The P bass for many is the go-to instrument, and even seasoned bass players give the Squier VM P a nod because of its maple fretboard, “woody” appearance, better hardware, better electronics and “proper P bass feel.”<\/p>\n

The Fender Modern Player Jaguar Bass is a China build. However, “it’s a Fender.” If Squier puts you off and you want Fender-branded without breaking the bank and have it be something that’s a good beginner bass, Fender’s MP Jag with its P\/J pickup layout is a good choice.<\/p>\n

LTD<\/h3>\n

\"B-10_BLK\"
\nLTD B-10<\/p>\n

The B-10 is a P-style bass from ESP LTD. Simple design, no frills, and usually only comes in black.<\/p>\n

Dean<\/h3>\n

\"DN-E1\"
\nDean Edge 1<\/p>\n

The Edge 1 from Dean has two color offerings (Trans Amber and Trans Red), and has real-deal soapbar pickups in it. This Dean also has that “looks a lot more expensive than it is” thing going on with it.<\/p>\n

Yamaha<\/h3>\n

\"image_01\"
\nYamaha RBX170<\/p>\n

The RBX170 surprisingly has some good hardware in it (you’ll particularly appreciate the tuners and control knobs), and a good “punchy” tone with its P\/J pickup layout. The bridge is a bit on the cheap side, but then again, this sells new for under $200 USD.<\/p>\n

Ibanez<\/h3>\n

\"230912\"
\nIbanez GSR200<\/p>\n

The GSR200 has been around for a while and can be found in many different colors. The advantage of this over other inexpensive basses is 4 control knobs instead of just 2 or 3 (volume\/tone for each pickup). Also, the “leaned” tuners does make it easier for the player to grab a tuner and tune with.<\/p>\n

Do you agree with this list?<\/h3>\n

Let us know by writing a comment or two. And feel free to mention any beginner basses you think would work well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This one is being written by user request. When it comes to electric bass guitars, the “safe” thing to do is to start out with a 4-string that is inexpensive, but not so cheap that it will fall apart in a year, and something you can bang around without worry. Can you upgrade a beginner … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":6278,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6287"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}