The Bass Geek

I mentioned that I was going to start going over some stuff from my bass book now that I’ve got a copy back in my hands, and a good place to start is actually getting that first bass.

There’s a reason most folks start learning to play on crappy instruments. You’re just starting this journey, you’re not entirely sure you’re going to keep going, and you don’t want to waste a lot of money in the process. Totally understandable. That’s the reasons there’s such a big market for rental band and orchestra instruments - parents balk at paying the hundreds of dollars required for a good instrument, knowing that their child will probably not become the next John Coltrane and put that saxophone to use outside of their mandatory music class (if they’re lucky enough to have one in this day and age of school arts and music cuts). So the instrument goes back, the family is out only a little bit of money, and everybody’s happy.

I don’t remember my first bass being a total piece of crap, but I’m sure that looking back on it now I probably would. It was a sunburst P-Bass copy I bought from some random resident of Marion, IN who had taken out an ad in The Trader. The price was $100. I don’t think I overpaid, but I didn’t get a deal either. I eventually traded it for a J.B. Player P-Bass copy (thanks to some not-so-gentle prodding from a bass teacher who also owned the instrument and the store selling it), and then that went to purchase my first “real” bass, a Fender JP-90. Those three instruments taught me a few things to look for in beginner instruments:

• A slightly rounded fretboard - the first bass I owned was completely flat, and as a result it was difficult to play. Fingerboards should have a slight curvature, or radius, so look for it. This is really only a concern for low-end instruments - it’s a given at everything but the bargain basement level.
• Well-maintained instrument - if you’re buying a used instrument, make sure it’s clean and cared for before you purchase it. The neck should be straight, the electronics should be clean and sound clear, and it should be free of major cracks or holes. These things will only become major problems later and keep you from learning as quickly as you could.
• Body-mounted output jack - The part of the guitar that you plug in should be located on the body, or at least in a metal pickguard. On the JP-90, the jack was located on a one-ply plastic pickguard, and I was constantly bugging the student radio engineer to solder it back into place after I broke it yet again. Guitar cords will strain these jacks, and they’re a pain to repair repeatedly.
• Get an amp - yes, you can’t play the instrument by itself and expect to get any decent results. If you’re worried about expending a lot of money, get a headphone amp or small practice amp. Beginners shouldn’t be trusted with full amp stacks, anyway.

If I were starting out a new player today, I’d encourage them to get a Made-In-Mexico Fender Precision or Jazz bass with a small (30-50 watt) practice amp. It’s enough power to get heard without disturbing surrounding life. That’s only about $400, and it should retain a decent amount of resale value in case you want to pass it on and get something else.

Why you’d want to is beyond me, but that’s a different matter.