Reasonably Priced Bass Guitars for an Amateur

The most important thing for a beginning musician is finding the right gear without breaking the budget.

There's many options out there for "cheap" Basses, but you have to remember that cheap doesn't mean good. In most cases you get what you pay for.

With that being said. You can never go wrong with most Squire or Epiphone instruments. Squire is made by Fender and Epiphone is a Gibson product.

Most musician's will lean more towards the Squire product, especially when it comes to bass guitars, because they sound better. Squire, as with most guitars have straight head stocks, which cuts down on sustain due to higher string tension.

Epiphone has a more slanted head stock that allows for more sustain from the strings.

One can argue these facts, but you can't argue it when you use a tension guage.

Probably one of the better deals that you'll find for an inexpensive bass is the Squire Affinity P-Bass. You're looking at around $180 for this particular bass if you buy it online at musiciansfriend.com.

I see more rookie bass players use this guitar, because the style and sound is more versatile than it's Epiphone counter part.

The only draw back to this particular bass is the tuning keys. With age they tend to slip a little bit causing it to go out of tune. This sucks, especially if you're playing live. That goes without saying.

If you're looking for something with a nice "rock" sound. The Epiphone EB-0 Bass is one of those bass guitars that will deliver. Priced at around $200 on Musician's Friend, you'll find that there's hardly room for error with this baby.

The draw back to this guitar is that it's not really all that nice looking. If you can get passed the looks of it, then even a more experience player will have a great time with this bass. Another thing with Epiphone guitars is the electrical system will tend to wear out within a year or so. This causes terrible static when turning the volume and tone knobs.

Ibanez and ESP's LTD brand also make decent bass guitar's, but you're going to shell out a little more cash for those.

The Ibanez GSR 200 is a decent bass for $200, but it lacks a good feel. But you may think it has a great feel. It's pretty much up to the particular musician when it comes down to feel and playability.

Then we have the ESP LTD brand which makes great guitars and basses, but you're going to spend around $330 or so. They sound great, but only if you're a rock musician. That's what they're designed for.

As I mentioned, you usually get what you pay for. I would recommend staying away from Yamaha and Dean bass guitars, because they just don't fit in. One can argue this. Don't get me wrong, they sound decent, but if you're wanting something to last a fair amount of time, stay away from these brands unless you plan on learning lead or rhythm guitar. They do make good 6-strings.

One thing you need is an amp. There's dozens of good 10-15 watt practice amps out there that will deliver the "umph" that you need to get started. I would recommend any amp made by Fender. They make several quality practice amps that won't shoot a hole in your pocket. They also make great higher end amps, too, that won't break the budget.

Buy yourself a nice little effects processor to go with your rig. Digitech and ZOOM makes several multi-effects boards for under $150. This is where you can tailor your sound(s) and create something unique with just a twist of the knobs. The possiblities are endless at this point. The more money you're willing to spend on a processor though will increase the options that you'll have in the end.

One thing you may want to consider if you buy any bass for the budget minded musician is to switch out the electronics (Pick ups and wiring) and the strings first thing. Also, if you're a beginner you may want to take the instrument to the local music store and have them set it up for you. This will help keep dead spots out of your sound. This process will usually cost anywhere between $15-$30, depending on how "cool" the person is and willing to help out a "newbie". They will most likely let you sit in if they're not busy and teach you how to set it up yourself. You need to set it up if you change string guages. I would recommend learning how to set it up, that way you can do it on a regular basis, considering bridges tend to slip from time to time, especially after a bump.

Now, go out there and get your gear and practice, practice, practice and remember ol' Diablo Knight when you're out there in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans.