Advice on an affordable beginners bass?

[Ezzo]

Hey guys, my girlfriend told me she would like to learn how to play the bass and since her b-day is coming up soon I'd like to surprise her with one. I'm, planning on grabbing a used one of craigslist and I'm leaning toward a fender because they seem to have a wide selection of entry level basses. I was wondering if any model has a better build quality/electronics than the other or are they all pretty much as cheap they can get away with. For example is a squire P-bass any better or worse than a Mexican p-bass? I see bronco basses pop up every now and then, how do they fare in comparisson? I play guitar but I'm not really a "fender guy", any advice would be a big help.

 

[musicofanatic5]

I, personally, wouldn't play a bass if it didn't say Fndr on the headstock (or have some genetic link), but a used Ibonez or Yahama is the most affordable deal out there on CL by my experience.

Since you play gtr, you know what to look for (squirrelly neck, etc). A decent Squire or mex Fndr can be a great buy, too, with the mex Fndr usually edging out the Squire.

 

[1after909]

I agree with the above comments..Except on the current Fender Squier "Vintage Vibe" series..outstanding for the $ with a beefier bridge, cool custom colours etc..I would stay with a Jazz sized neck or simular, as a P bass neck is a little wider..and not always "Girl friendly"..A mustang or similar is cool too..and the short scale would be girl friendly..if your gal has longer arms, and fingers..regular size will work..Good Luck!

 

[The Golden Boy]

My wife is playing one of the cheap Ibanez SR basses. It's not a bad bass-

 

[harpinon]

I would suggest the Squier jazz bass(by fender, though not made by fender at all). Looks and feels like the real thing. Tone-wise it wont hold a candle to a Mexi or an American, but it is affordable and a great bass to get started with.
If you can swing $300, get a used Mexican Fender. Tone to the bone.

 

[Ezzo]

Cool, thanks guys. I really like the entry level Fender basses. She's a pretty big Ramones fan so I'm going to keep an eye out for a cheap Mexi P-bass.

 

[theruley]

used squier/fender P

buddy picked up a killer squier at a pawn shop for only $100.

 

[nealpolitan]

As with cheap basses, like cheap guitars, you can find good ones, you just have to play alot of them. That said, a squier p-bass or j-bass can usually be brought around to nice and playable with a setup and some tweaking, unless it's a real basket case. For someone small, the epiphone EB-0 short scale basses are pretty OK too (and cheap). Gretsch also makes a nice cheap short scale bass (Electromatic Jr Jet, I think) which has a very thin neck.

 

[KCWM]

As with cheap basses, like cheap guitars, you can find good ones, you just have to play alot of them. That said, a squier p-bass or j-bass can usually be brought around to nice and playable with a setup and some tweaking, unless it's a real basket case. For someone small, the epiphone EB-0 short scale basses are pretty OK too (and cheap). Gretsch also makes a nice cheap short scale bass (Electromatic Jr Jet, I think) which has a very thin neck.

I was going to suggest the Gretsch Electromatic Jr Jet as a possibility. I picked one up on Craigslist for $100, though I think they normally go around $150 or so IIRC. The short scale really helped my wife out before she broke her wrist and had trouble learning.

I also picked up a Squier Standard P Bass Special (p and j pickups) for the incredibly cheap price of $30. I bought new pickups (seymour duncans), had it rewired and set up, and came out cheaper than a stock MIM would have cost me. Aside from buying strings that were too thick (bought what I think are .115s), it plays as well as any MIM I've owned (with thinner J-bass style neck) and definitely sounds better. That might be an option to look into.

 

[mojocaster.com]

My first bass was a Godin SD4. Bought it for $150 used. Frankly, can't be beat.

 

[Jon C]

A G&L Tribute can be an outstanding bass -- I've had an L-2500 (5 string) and now an L-2000 and both were/are really good, and they come with the real deal G&L US model pickups. SB-2s are also tasty.

Look for a used one, the price is right.

 

[jeff25]

My first bass was an Ibanez SR400 for $150....The P's rock,but the Jr. jet would look SO HOT!

 

[TheMutt]

If you're looking for inexpensive, the SX basses are a fairly good beginner's bass, Squier VM basses are actually very well made for the price, and definitely look into used basses. I used to scoff at used instruments, but my main bass now is a used Stingray 5'er that I snagged for a great deal a few years back. Definitely get to know who is selling you the item though, take someone who knows something about instruments with you when you take a look, and if you're buying online sight-unseen then make sure that person has a good reputation for deals.

 

[Adel2]

I have a Jay Turser jazz bass copy that I bought brand new for under $200 CDN. It's no MIM or MIA but it's has a beautiful body, plays great and I use it at gigs - where I often get compliments on the sound.

 

[fuzz_factor]

I haven't had a chance to play one yet, but the Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar bass looks really cool. Folks over at TalkBass seem to like them:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Squier-Vintage-Modified-Jaguar-Bass-106075815-i1535384.gc

I'd like a nice lightweight, tonally versatile complement to my P-Bass, so I definitely want to try one of these out.

 

[catsuit]

+1 on the gretsch electromatic jr. jet. My wife just traded in her mexican 70's reissue jazz bass for the gretsch and it's much more comfortable for her smaller hands.