I am going to learn to play bass guitar is it better to buy an expensive bass or some cheap thing to start?

Question

with or better to get an expensive one been getting conflicting info from some of my friends some say expensive others say go cheap the ones who say expensive tell me its harder to learn on a cheap instrument cos they are too noisy? help please

Answer 1

Don't buy a cheap pice of junk, not good to learn on, but don't buy the top of the line either..look for the best used one that you can afford....

Answer 2

An expensive bass will be slightly easier to play. ie it will have a lower action and have a slimmer neck. Look for a cheaper instrument that has reasonable playability. You can get good quality no-frills models that are a step up from the budget models but are still relatively inexpensive. If you buy expensive and then give up you will lose a fortune. I am not saying you will quit but lots of people do - as the learning curve is normally quite slow. Dont know about cheap instruments being noisy - try them in the shop and you wont notice a huge difference.

Answer 3

You're probably better off not spending a ton of money. A more expensive bass will sound and play better, but if you're just starting out even a $99 Wal-Mart piece of crap will be playable if everything is adjusted properly. That'st the important part. Truethfully if you have and want to spend alot of money you'd be better off spending more on an amp. Even the best of guitars can't do alot for a crap amp, but a semi decent guitar into a good amp can sound astounding. Ibanez, Dean, Schecter, Washburn, all make decent basses in the $300-$500 range. If you're serious i'd recomend buying something like that. I'd recomend something new with a warranty. There are alot of great deals on used stuff out there, but for a non experienced player there's a much greater chance that you'll just be buying someone else's problums. No matter if you buy new or used find a music store with a reputable tech and have everything on the guitar adjusted and "set up" to play right. I've had a number of customers bring new guitars into my shop, some costing upwards of $1500... i won't name names... that is was obvious nothing on the guitar was adjusted or checked before the instrument left the factory. Modt reputable music stores will have a professional tech on hand and will have every guitar or bass in the store fully inspected and adjusted before it hits the sales floor. Unfortunatly most stores aren't willing to put this kind of investment into their stock, typically $50-$150 depending on the guitar, what strings it needs, and how out of whack everything on it is. A good way to tell a decent store is to find one that 99% of the instruments hanging on the wall are in perfect tune at all times.

Answer 4

you don't want to just buy the cheapest thing you find, but you don't need the best thing out there. talk to the guys at the music store and they should be able to help you find something good. the more you play, you'll realize that the better the quality of the instrument the easier it is to play. even great musicians can have a hard time making a piece of crap sound good.

Answer 5

i think you should buy the best you can afford if you are thinking of keeping it up. it is nice to learn on a nicer instrument, conversley, it is hard to learn on some piece "o" with super high action or crappy pick ups. you could probably find a more expensive bass at like a hock shop or pawn shop. shop around

Answer 6

I would say go with the cheaper one. Because when you are starting out, you have a chance of breaking your bass, and then you are going to have to replace it, so it might end up costing you a lot of money. Then when you get better you can just upgrade to a better bass.
hope i helped

Answer 7

an inexpensive guitar will be sufficient, because you may find you really don't want to learnit that much, and also it may take a long time to learn to play competently. I suggest you ask your instructor for his recommendation before buying anything. he/she may want you to learn on a standard type first, then advance to a bass.

Answer 8

Learn the "Penny Whistle" it's cheaper!!

Seriously though buy second hand, from ebay maybe or ask a local band have they got one you could buy/borrow. Good luck

Answer 9

go cheap! it doesnt hurt to go low-key at first...but when you know that you have the discipline other than the passion...go all out and make a huge investment!!!

the guitar is just a tool, but its you that determines how well you do.

best
~pinecomb

Answer 10

i would have to say expensive mikey`s gutair cost over $5000