bass guitar question?

Question

i know nothing about how to play a bass guitar or any other guitar but i want to know where i can find a good quality bass and instructions on how to play for a reasonable price. i also would like to know if i should play 4 or 5 string plz help!

Answer 1

uhmm...well ive been playing bass for about a year now..and i never had lessons, my bass is a Fender Squire, which is a good brand to start on and i think you should start of with a 4 string. it's pretty easy to learn, get a couple books and just play!

Answer 2

I suggest you look at Austin basses at www.austingtr.com. This is actually the Alvarez guitar people. They are making a very high quality guitar for the price. As to four or five string, it may make it a bit harder to learn with the 5 string, but that extra low string makes you more useful in a band.... and it's just darn FUN to play that low, macho note. The five strings at Austin are so reasonably priced that you may as well indulge. There are instructional books for 5 string now and if you're going to learn from scratch, it's about the same either way. And there is an economic choice here that ppl don't think of: when you have a 4 string, you will have to buy another guitar if you want that extra string! When you have a 5, you have it. You're done.
Also, buy the highest wattage amp and largest speaker you can afford. Little bitty bass practice amps are not going to cut it if and when you want to play with others. In addition, the tiny speakers in bass practice amps just can't handle the large scale sound waves that a bass guitar produces, ESP that 5th string.
If you want to contact me through yahoo 360, please do and I'll try to help you along.

Answer 3

Why even make a choice? As I'm sure you know, bass is simply the last 4 strings of a guitar...with the exact same tuning. I don't know a single bass player who does not also play the guitar. As others have said...bass players are far more rare, so a girl with your looks would be able to command a lot more gigs and chances with better bands, and the opportunity to play with better musicians, which will only improve your ability. Guitar players are a dime a dozen. I will add...most consider it a bit more difficult to sing and play bass. It's generally easier to strum a guitar chord and sing, then to play a pattern of individual notes on bass and sing at the same time. Don't let that discourage you...if you concentrate on bass....do not neglect your singing...if a girl, who looks as you do, can sing AND play bass, you could conquer the world! LOL Hell, I might even kick my bass player out of the band and hire you? Generally...the low end Fenders are considered very good brands for the money, but it's up to individual choice.

Answer 4

I've been playing guitar and bass for about 16 years- I don't know what sort of budget you have, and I don't know if you have previous experience with music or musical instruments, however:

You can find a decent beginner bass/amp package for around $200. Check out guitarcenter.com, musiciansfriend.com, or americanmusicsupply.com.

I highly suggest you go to a local music store and TRY the bass out- you will notice a different "feel" from bass to bass. Some have skinny necks, some have wide, fat necks. It's important you choose one which is comfortable for your hands. It's also important that you enjoy the sound of the guitar. Try the bass out with the amp you are going to purchase, and ask a salesperson to show you how to "dial in" a few tones. Play around.

I also suggest that you quote the prices from Guitar Center or Musician's Friend (They're actually the same company) and negotiate with a local music store. Support the Mom and Pop Shop!

As for a 4 or 5 string- that really depends on the style of music you want to play. A fifth string, using standard tuning, adds a low "b" note. The other four (in order from low to high) are :E, A, D, G. There are many styles which can benefit from the lower note, but understand that it's not neccessary, and it will more than likely provide you with greater difficulty with learning your instrument, especially if you've no experience with guitar or bass guitar.

At this stage of the game, don't be too concerned with a brand name or the quality of the instrument unless you are certain you'd like to stick with it- it'd be a shame to spend a good chunk of your money and decide you'd rather be a drummer!

Brands which are popular and known for quality include: Fender (Precision or Jazz Basses are two of the more popular models) Music Man (Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers uses one) Yamaha, Gibson, Rickenbacker and Warlock. There are many other brands, and each offers different tones based on the wood used to build them, their assembly, their pickups (the magnets under the strings which "pick up" the string vibrations and translate them into electrical signal) and any other electronics the instrument may have. Don't worry about any fancy do-dads (active electronics, for example) just yet.

A large part of tone also comes from your hands and your style- keep that in mind if you want to "sound like" a particular musician.

Fender also licenses Squire to make basses which look like the Precision and Jazz- they are the "budget brand". Gibson does this with Epiphone. Again, many companies package Bass and amp with tuner for around $200.00.

I would expect to pay 30-40 for an hour lesson. Look for someone who you are comfortable with, not neccesarily the most talented person. It may help if they understand the style of music you'd like to play.

Good Luck

Answer 5

I would highly recommend buying a used bass to start. If you don't like it you could probably sell it for about what you paid for it. The decision of whether to play 4 or 5 string is up to you based on what kind of music you think you might play. I would recommend a 5-string for country or heavy metal ( but you can use a 4-string ). For anything else a 4-string will do just fine.

Answer 6

4 string for starters. go to a pawn shop to buy an old bass. good prices usually, but you may have to drive around a while for a decent price. go to guitar stores witch usually give lessons. or you can shop around in the papers. mxtabs.net gives online guitar playing lessons etc.

Answer 7

you can get some pretty good quality basses online from
www.musiciansfriend.com i would reccomend a squire, but rogues are less expensive and lighter with a smaller body if that seems like a better choice for you