My 13-YO Daughter Wants a Bass Guitar -- Any Wisdom from DU Musicians?

[On the Road]

Her birthday is coming up. I don't know how serious she is about it, but many of her friends are learning guitar and she could be part of a band.

I don't want to spend much more than $200 if I can help it. Is this reasonable? What brands should I be looking at? Any sources or retail suggestions?

On Edit: Oh, geez, I just realized she'll need a left-handed model. Unless she can play like Jimi Hendrix.

[el_gato]

1. you can definitely pick up a bass for 200 but you'll also need an amp

[loftycity]

25. Mom might want to get Headphones so she doesn't need to hear

practicing. Get the Amp and the Headphones for sanity. Plus your daughter can practice anytime and not bother anyone.

[el_gato]

27. that is such a good idea

too bad for my roommates that I never thought of it. :evilgrin:

[Goldmund]

2. Yeah,

you can get a beginner's bass for $200. I've found the best sources of equipment to be www.sweetwater.com and www.musiciansfriend.com. You can also try EBay, but you have to know what you're looking for and what questions to ask.

[On the Road]

16. Good Sites -- I Didn't Know About Them

[XNASA]

3. Here's a nice, small, affordable bass.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040426113603130076096014605511/g=bass/s=electric/g=bass/s=electric/search/bigpid/base_id/38287/

Fender Squire Affinity Bronco Bass

[ProfessorGAC]

5. I Know A Guitar Player Who Has One

It's perfectly fine. Really inexpensive, plays with a fairly light touch, not too noisy through the amp. Finish is pretty good, the neck is true, and the tuners will hold the strings firmly.

It's a really good bargain for a starter bass. I'd recommend it, too.
The Professor

[XNASA]

7. Well there you go. It's settled.

If the Professor approves, you can take it to the bank.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. XNASA's Post Reworded

"Well i guess you have to buy one now that the pompous ass has spoken."

Hey, don't worry. I know how i come off sometimes. (Yeah right, sometimes. Like 99% of the time.)
The Professor

[XNASA]

29. I would never call you a 'pompous ass', Professor........

Bloated....or inflated, even.....but never pompous.

:evilgrin:

[ProfessorGAC]

35. Well, Alright Then

Apparently you think more highly of me than i do myself. I pictured myself as even a bigger jerk than you had me as. Thanks, i guess.

The Professor

[On the Road]

9. Thanks XNASA and PGAC

I will keep those in mind.

I appreciate the product review:

Really inexpensive, plays with a fairly light touch, not too noisy through the amp. Finish is pretty good, the neck is true, and the tuners will hold the strings firmly.

It helps to ask the right questions.

[tridim]

15. Squire basses are actually fairly good

Unlike Squire guitars, which are crap. I've owned both, and still have the bass. The guitar was sold long ago.

If I were you, and this is just my opinion, I'd get her a 6 string guitar first. Not that bass isn't a good instrument, but because if you're not actively playing in a band, bass can be quite boring to learn. It's a good thing to learn guitar first and then add bass as a second skill. The progression is natural.

[BigBigBear]

4. Check your local pawn shop

or newspaper for used stuff - there'll be plenty.

Bass is an unexpectedly complex discipline. You really need good harmonic, percussive and rhythmic sense to play it well - in some ways, I think it's the most demanding rock band instrument. And I'm a guitar player (mostly retired...)

Don't let her get frustrated - spend enough to get her something decent, but offer to get her lessons as well. A decent teacher can really help a young player stay focused and stay interested.

[lovedems]

6. We got our 6 year old son a bass guitar for christmas

and if it helps we got him a "mini bass" it is a Corsair Mini bass guitar and it was under 200.00 but it is a bit smaller




http://www.lindacomm.net/gm/Detail.bok?no=182 if you want to look at it.

Since it is smaller it is easier to handle and it is not quite as heavy.

[findyouranswers]

8. Don't know about a type of bass....

But get her lessons ASAP. That'll get her much more involved and really set the tone for whether she's serious about learning to play. Indulge in this. Musicians tend to be smarter and more well-adjusted. Just don't expect a 13-year-old to have the patience to teach herself.

[On the Road]

10. Yes, Without Lessons It Won't Work

I'll have to find someone to teach her.

[parasim]

20. Also there are really good DVDs out there that teach the basics

Both my kids pretty much taught themselves with the aid of instructional DVDs and getting tabs on the internet. Private lessons are by the best approach, but there's a lot available that can be really helpful in teaching the basics.

[On the Road]

Dupe

[On the Road]

11. Dupe

[notadmblnd]

12. they're cheaper than a bass cello

Actually, I was talking to a guy that plays in a band,.He said bass players are in short supply. I've encouraged my son to take bass cello. You don't have to excell at the bass to be employable, you just need to be good.

[TrogL]

32. There's no such thing as "bass cello"

The violoncello is a tenor instrument.

The string bass is not a 'cello - the tuning is different.

[notadmblnd]

41. Technicaly you are correct

It is a bass. but it does look like a cello to the layman. My son is 10, it's new to us. I'm not a professor of music, just a mother trying to encourage her son.

[xultar]

13. AWESOME!!! I love the bass!!!

[parasim]

17. From this bass-buying father...

Look around for used basses (EBay or if you have a Music Go Round near you) and you should be able to pick up a decent bass with amp for 150-175 bucks.

on edit: as was pointed out by another poster, you're taking a huge chance in buying a used bass on the internet. (I retract that part of my recommendation)

When I say "decent", I mean knock-off brands new or used. I've purchased basses like this for both of my sons when the were about the same age as your daughter. The older son ended up in a touring rock band and bought himself a Fender Precision Bass. THe younger son now has 4 basses, two of which he bought himself and one junk bass that he's modifying. His pride and joy is his Fender Acoustic/Electric bass.

and both of them still have the cheapass basses that I bought them in the first place.

[tridim]

19. I would never buy a used guitar/bass, sight unseen off of EBay

There's no way to test the action. It'd be really bad to have a beginner learn on a bass with a warped neck and worn frets. That said, there's nothing wrong with looking at used instruments at a good guitar store.

[parasim]

21. I agree with you.

Although my kid's favorite bass is one that he purchased from eBay. It has wonderful action, it turns out, but he understood the chance he was taking by doing it that way.

That said, though, I totally agree with you, you really need to have hands-on experience with a guitar to insure a wise buy.

[Commendatori]

18. Go cheap at first,

or you might wind up with my situation: my daughter wanted to learn drums, so I bought her a set of Pearls, only to see her switch to bass.

Oh, and screw the left-handed model. If she's a lefty, have her learn as a righty. It will be easier for her to have her stronger hand on the fretboard anyway.

[asthmaticeog]

22. Will all deference to the advice...

given here by others, DO NOT BUY ANY USED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT SIGHT-UNSEEN OFF OF THE INTERNET, EVER! It's a damn fine way to wind up with unplayable rubbbish. From the little thumbnails you see on e-Bay, it's difficult to tell if you have an untrue neck, a broken truss rod, crap parts, etc.

Check this link out. All the manufacturers shown are easy to find at Sam Ash or Guitar Center or best of all, your local independently-owned guitar store, and even if the lefty models aren't in stock, they can be ordered easily by the store or from the manufacturers' web sites.

<http://www.die-linke-bass-saite.de/english/basses1.html>

I recommend the Squier.

[smiley_glad_hands]

23. $200 is plenty of money---try a Pawn Shop.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

24. left-handed vs right-handed

My husband's taught guitar and bass for 35 years, and he says that unless there's something wrong with her left hand that would make it impossible for her to play, she won't need a left-hand model.

You might want to wait to get lessons before you purchase an instrument. That way, you can consult with your child's teacher, who can often help you get the best instrument for your money.

Good for her for wanting to play! :D

[Bake]

26. I'm a lefty who plays string instruments "righty."

I have found that the dexterity in the left hand is invaluable in fretting the strings, changing positions, etc. I think there is really no "lefty" or "righty" in playing guitar/bass/etc.

But I've been told I'm weird, too.

Bake

[asthmaticeog]

36. You make a good point.

Quick, which Beatle was left-handed?

It's Ringo. Paul McCartney plays lefty even though he's a righty. It was more comfortable for him to learn that way, for whatever reason. I know a few lefties who play right-handed just fine. Myself, I tried playing lefty (I'm right-handed) since I thought it stood to reason that my more dominant hand would be better for fretting, but good lord, NO -- not in my case, anyway! Like everything else, it depends on the individual.

[jimshoes]

28. One thing to consider

The bass guitar almost demands that the player have sufficiently large enough hands/fingers to cover at least 4 frets, so the Squire bass is a great choice if a smaller hand is involved. If you decide to go to a music store, the salesman will be able to help you make the best choice.

[On the Road]

30. If I Do Decide to Buy a New One

What about this $149 package from Musician's Friend?

---

Bass Starter Kit

The Bass The Rogue SX100B is a great-playing little axe built with a smaller, lighter body that's easy on the shoulder. It has a bolt-on, 34"-scale maple neck with a rosewood fretboard and dot position markers. It features a thick, durable, high-gloss finish on the body, neck, and headstock; plus chrome hardware and split-coil pickup.

The Amp The Drive CD200B bass amp is one tough little workhorse that performs just like a rock 'n' roll bass amp should. It pounds 20W of punchy, low-down sounds through an 8" speaker - compact, lightweight, and ready to rock!

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040426114710198023005011608978/g=bass/s=electric/search/detail/base_pid/519258/

---

Seems reasonable. Is it any good or a piece of trash?

[CrownPrinceBandar]

31. Bass? Good for her.....

It seems that there are a million guitar players looking to play out there (myself included). But there are few good bass players. If she sticks with it and likes it, it could be a potential investment in her creative/economic future.

Your daughter sounds like me at her age, a thousand interests and not knowing one to pursue. Its great that your supporting her interests. Do her a favor and don't make the mistake my folks made, when she finds something she likes, help her stick to it (even if it means being a hard-ass sometimes). Dedication is hard enough, doing it without support is nearly impossible.

[FunBobbyMucha]

33. Female bassists are dead sexy--be ready for that.

Ardent attention from over-caffeinated fanboys.

[TrogL]

34. A ripoff is fine for a first instrument

I've got a Stagg, which is a Fender knock-off. It did me fine for years of professional work (not that I'm the greatest bass player in the world)

[mulsh]

37. left handed

I'm left handed but I play guitar, bass and mandolin right handed. there are lots of good basses out there but before you buy her one I suggest you make sure she's going to play it left handed.

I have a dificult time using my right hand for most things but I seemed to naturaly favor the right when playing string instruments.

take her to a music store and see how she handles the intruments. talk to some teachers. could save you both a lot of grief.

[LastKnight]

38. as far as the left/right thing goes... and a link to a complete package.

as long as you start one way and stick with it it wont matter, its all repetition anyway... the best musician i personally know is left handed but plays guitar right handed... its all what you learn. give her a normal bass and have it tought to her normal, it will be fine, and alot easier in the long run.

and may i suggest squire as a starter brand? can get a bass for around 200-250, of a great quality for the price, might i add, the amp might suck a bit... ill see if i can find somethin for ya... sure its a bit more expensive than the ripoff brands, but defanetley higher quality and easier to resell if she decides shes not into it.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040426134034024230049241643429/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/510991/

or

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BassPakBLK/

i prefer dealign with sweetwater (link # 2) their probably the best on customer service out there as far as web order stuff goes

-LK

[bobthedrummer]

39. My wife plays a 1972 Fender Precision bass, it's nice and light-

sounds sweet through a Yorkville 200W 2x10 and 1974 Fender Showman bottom. But that's more than $200.
:hi:

[southpaw]

40. If you can find an experienced bassist to go shopping with you...

You may be able to find a great instrument at a great price in a pawn shop or a music store. But there are many things to consider, and an experienced player knows what they are.

Bottom line, don't dampen her enthusiasm by making her struggle to wring the notes out of a piece-of-shit instrument that plays like a brickbat. Give her an instrument that makes you want to play it! It could make all the difference.


Oh, and see what she thinks of this monster!!! It gives me a woody!

[paranoid floyd]

42. Some Very Good Advice So Far

Here's my two cents. As a bass player and music teacher here's what I would do. Squire basses are great choices. You will need an amp. Private lessons are definitely a good idea. Buy an instrument you can get your hands on. Sight unseen instruments can be the steal of the century or the biggest rip off - too many things that can go wrong.

I teach a student who plays left handed and he does quite well. A friend plays left handed and is amazing but can never "sit in" because unless he brings his guitar to the club, he's out of luck. She may do fine right handed.

Encourage her to get playing with her friends as soon as possible. There is nothing like jamming with your buds.

And, what I think is more important than all of this, encourage her to sing. Almost anyone, with enough practice, can sing. Singing will help her with everything - rhythm, intonation, style. You will always be busy if you sing and play. And it's a hell of a lot more fun.

And for those who are fans of Pink Floyd, check out my guilty pleasure.

www.outsidethewall.ca