So deterring from my usually computer type insructable, I decided to make an "artsy" one. I am not a master bass player, but I've been playing for 3 years and know a little about what I am talking about.
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Signing UpStep 1: Picking out a bass
If you have a bass already, just skip this step and buy an amp if you don't have one.
The first step of picking out a bass is NOT deciding the budget, however if you truly never have played a stringed instrument before a bass you get a Walmart with the amp should be sufficient.
If you have played guitar before, or don't ever plan on buying a new bass, or just have played before, go to a music store. Ask to try out the basses, and they will try to talk you into a bass. Just ignore it, and try out any bass that looks good to you. What you should look for in a bass is whether you will be playing only rock, only jazz, or a little of each. If you only plan on playing rock, I suggest a precision bass, they have a deeper tone. A jazz bass is the opposite, it has a brighter tone. Personally, even though i play mostly rock I love my Jazz bass, it seems more... well... customizable. You will be able to tell the difference even if it is not in the name like Fender. A jazz bass has a narrow neck towards the tuning parts, but it gets wider towards the body of the bass, therefore the strings spread apart. A precision bass is different in that the strings stay more or less the same length apart down the whole neck.
When you are looking at basses, don't look at the price tag, that comes next. If you fell in love with a bass, tell the workers there why and they might have a cheaper version. Also, ask for someone who can play the bass, people who don't will not know much about a bass.
Fretted over Fretless: For a first bass, get a fretted. They are easier and you can slap them and such. For a secondary bass get a fretless if you want. That does not mean don't try a fretless out, they are really fun to play.
Full sized over 3/4: Get a full size, even if you are young. You will grow into it. It will also get your fingers used to reaching.
4 String over 5 or 6 string: For your first bass, get a 4 string. Until you feel you need another string (most of the time the string is lower) stay with a 4 string bass.
24 Fret over 21 Fret: Actually don't worry about that. Any of the two will do. The 24th fret is just another octave.
Active over Passive: Active electronics means you get better sound quality from your bass, mostly more bass. It also takes a battery. However, you can usually shut it off so you can play it like its passive if you want that sound.
Solid over Semi-Hollow/Hollow: GET A SOLID! Although the hollow ones may look cool, once you crank up the volume the air inside will resonate giving it a muddy tone. Unless you are planning on always playing softly, get a solid bass.
Of course, you can go against all those if you truley fall in love with a bass. Just i suggest you pass the bass with someone who plays the bass. They will hopefully tell you if they like it. Also, before you buy it, go to a different music store if you can and try a few basses there, and compare prices.
Strings: Don't worry, unless you are really good at the bass you probably will not notice the difference.
Some other tips: Unless you think you are good at the bass, I suggest you don't crank up the volume on the amp at the store, it is pretty embarrassing to have no idea what to do and just hit random notes, most people will know that you have no idea what you are doing.
Looks are a lot in a bass, only try the basses out you like the looks of. It is no fun having an ugly bass.
Get a hardcase, they are sturdier than softcases and more protective.
Get an bass amp, not a guitar amp.
Used basses ARE good, they will not lose sound quality. They may even gain it. You can also get a great deal on a used bass, I saved more then $500 on my Fender Jazz Bass, (the first picture in the intro)
My suggested price ranges when you do end up buying a new bass:
100-300-Beginner. Keep this bass for a few years until you get good and decide to stick with the bass
300-500-Intermediate. Keep this bass for a while, until you feel the instrument is holding you back.
Above-Good. The store just made some cash, and you have a bass thats really good. You probably don't need a bass that good until you are good.
My suggested price ranges when you do end up buying a used bass:
This is harder, but I suggest 300-500
I got mine for 400, it's a $900 bass. I also got a really good deal on it though, they were having a sale.
Amps: The bigger the better, don't get a used one. The more watts the more punch you will feel when you hit a note as well. As a beginner, you probably only need 20-30. As you get better, trade it in for a bigger amp. You really shouldn't need anything fancy in an amp, no effects or anything, however they are fun sometimes. You're bass should have enough knobs built in to get the sound you want. You could also look into tube amps, or even build one! Build a Tube Amp
For the case, depending on how good your bass is, any old hardcase will do, they range from 90 to a lot more. I got mine for $90
Strings: Your bass will come with strings! Once you get good enough read the Strings step in this instructable.
Also, get a tuner if your amp does not have one built in, and a cord. Just ask the store workers for one and they will give/sell you one. It really does not matter on the type of cord or tuner, anything will work.
The first step of picking out a bass is NOT deciding the budget, however if you truly never have played a stringed instrument before a bass you get a Walmart with the amp should be sufficient.
If you have played guitar before, or don't ever plan on buying a new bass, or just have played before, go to a music store. Ask to try out the basses, and they will try to talk you into a bass. Just ignore it, and try out any bass that looks good to you. What you should look for in a bass is whether you will be playing only rock, only jazz, or a little of each. If you only plan on playing rock, I suggest a precision bass, they have a deeper tone. A jazz bass is the opposite, it has a brighter tone. Personally, even though i play mostly rock I love my Jazz bass, it seems more... well... customizable. You will be able to tell the difference even if it is not in the name like Fender. A jazz bass has a narrow neck towards the tuning parts, but it gets wider towards the body of the bass, therefore the strings spread apart. A precision bass is different in that the strings stay more or less the same length apart down the whole neck.
When you are looking at basses, don't look at the price tag, that comes next. If you fell in love with a bass, tell the workers there why and they might have a cheaper version. Also, ask for someone who can play the bass, people who don't will not know much about a bass.
Fretted over Fretless: For a first bass, get a fretted. They are easier and you can slap them and such. For a secondary bass get a fretless if you want. That does not mean don't try a fretless out, they are really fun to play.
Full sized over 3/4: Get a full size, even if you are young. You will grow into it. It will also get your fingers used to reaching.
4 String over 5 or 6 string: For your first bass, get a 4 string. Until you feel you need another string (most of the time the string is lower) stay with a 4 string bass.
24 Fret over 21 Fret: Actually don't worry about that. Any of the two will do. The 24th fret is just another octave.
Active over Passive: Active electronics means you get better sound quality from your bass, mostly more bass. It also takes a battery. However, you can usually shut it off so you can play it like its passive if you want that sound.
Solid over Semi-Hollow/Hollow: GET A SOLID! Although the hollow ones may look cool, once you crank up the volume the air inside will resonate giving it a muddy tone. Unless you are planning on always playing softly, get a solid bass.
Of course, you can go against all those if you truley fall in love with a bass. Just i suggest you pass the bass with someone who plays the bass. They will hopefully tell you if they like it. Also, before you buy it, go to a different music store if you can and try a few basses there, and compare prices.
Strings: Don't worry, unless you are really good at the bass you probably will not notice the difference.
Some other tips: Unless you think you are good at the bass, I suggest you don't crank up the volume on the amp at the store, it is pretty embarrassing to have no idea what to do and just hit random notes, most people will know that you have no idea what you are doing.
Looks are a lot in a bass, only try the basses out you like the looks of. It is no fun having an ugly bass.
Get a hardcase, they are sturdier than softcases and more protective.
Get an bass amp, not a guitar amp.
Used basses ARE good, they will not lose sound quality. They may even gain it. You can also get a great deal on a used bass, I saved more then $500 on my Fender Jazz Bass, (the first picture in the intro)
My suggested price ranges when you do end up buying a new bass:
100-300-Beginner. Keep this bass for a few years until you get good and decide to stick with the bass
300-500-Intermediate. Keep this bass for a while, until you feel the instrument is holding you back.
Above-Good. The store just made some cash, and you have a bass thats really good. You probably don't need a bass that good until you are good.
My suggested price ranges when you do end up buying a used bass:
This is harder, but I suggest 300-500
I got mine for 400, it's a $900 bass. I also got a really good deal on it though, they were having a sale.
Amps: The bigger the better, don't get a used one. The more watts the more punch you will feel when you hit a note as well. As a beginner, you probably only need 20-30. As you get better, trade it in for a bigger amp. You really shouldn't need anything fancy in an amp, no effects or anything, however they are fun sometimes. You're bass should have enough knobs built in to get the sound you want. You could also look into tube amps, or even build one! Build a Tube Amp
For the case, depending on how good your bass is, any old hardcase will do, they range from 90 to a lot more. I got mine for $90
Strings: Your bass will come with strings! Once you get good enough read the Strings step in this instructable.
Also, get a tuner if your amp does not have one built in, and a cord. Just ask the store workers for one and they will give/sell you one. It really does not matter on the type of cord or tuner, anything will work.
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The Gibson EB0 was made with a single humbucking pickup right at the neck, which gives a really low, "woofy" growling sound. Jack Bruce of "Cream" played an EB0, among others.
I got my EB0 in 1973, in lieu of wages owed to me by a music store. It had been modified by a previous owner, who had added a Fender Jazz Bass pickup halfway between the bridge and neck. This pickup gives a whole different tone. Unfortunately, although he did (or had done) an excellent job routing and positioning the 2nd pickup, the wiring is a nightmare - done by a chimpanzee, perhaps. One big problem is that the Gibson pickup has a DC resistance (and corresponding AC impedance) of about 30 kOhms, while the JB pickup is about 7 kOhms. This means if you connect them in parallel, one is completely swamped by the other. I'm currently doing a complete overhaul of this bass, and plan to upgrade the electronics so that both pickups can be used, and the sound blended.
The Peavey basses are just great.. The first bass I ever had was a Rickenbacker, which had a long, skinny neck - perfect for small hands - and the Peavey Milestones have a similar, really excellent, well-profiled, slim neck. The first bass I bought after giving up the Rickenbacker (which was borrowed) was an 80's Peavey Milestone, and it was rugged and sounded good. It played a lot of gigs, as did the Gibson.
My more recent Peavey Milestone III is a real beauty (pictures on their web site), I bought mine used; the previous owner had taken excellent care of it so it looked showroom new. It's a real pleasure to play because of the superb neck, nice action, and fits nicely to the body. I would highly recommend one of these, if you can find one in good condition on the used market.
I'd also agree with an earlier poster about the Fender "student" line, Squier. I have a couple of Squier strat guitars, and one "for-real" Fender strat. A good Squier, properly set up, plays every bit as nicely. They're made with lower cost components, but if you shop around and find a good one, Squier's product is good, especially for the beginner.
Just my two bits worth from my own experiences. Some other things to remember when looking:
Forget the name on the head, Check that it has a good, straight, un-warped neck that fits your hand, and that is properly attached to the body. Tune it, and see if the strings stay in tune, or if they loosen up after playing for a few minutes. If they don't stay in tune, walk away. Some ultra-cheap basses are made with plywood, but you can't tell if they're painted. For a student instrument it's not critical.
Sit down with the bass, see how the neck feels and how the bass tucks into your body. Is it comfortable? Are the strings even and at a good height? Does it need new strings (if yes, factor that into the cost). Do the electrics work? Do you like the way it sounds and feels? Is the price reasonable (a little net research will give you an idea on that). If the answer to all of this is "yes", then you probably can't go too far wrong. I'd rather buy an inexpensive bass with a straight neck, good action, good sound, and comfortable to play than a "high end name" bass with a warped neck, electrics that need work, that someone has "modified" or "butchered", and that's a P.I.T.A. in terms of how easily it plays.
IMHO only - your mileage may vary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NJwU-Ipe5s
It's not me, I just wish I was that funky. But, you can hear all sorts of different things in basses.
Are you buying the body for the bass, or are you making it yourself?
Let me know how it goes!
Think yourself lucky you didn't say that here - they probably would have hunted you down and killed you.
What type?
The bass guitar, like a double bass (also awesome), is tuned in *fourths*, unlike the violin family, which *is* tuned in fifths.
The difference is that the tuning is named relative to the position of the note in the scales, a fifth is A-E, or G-D. You were right about the fifth fret though, just nomenclature.