I want to learn how to play the bass guitar, to add some funky bass riffs to my songs. I'm getting one of those "Teach Yourself" books.

I want to buy a secondhand one. I have a budget of around £150-200. Can any of you recommend any decent models that I could maybe buy on eBay for around that price?

Any help or advice would be gratefully received.

From an excited soon-to-be bass genius!

I think an Ibanez Soundgear bass would fit that desciption. They're in that price range and really quite good.

As always with making decisions about what to buy when you get to the stage of asking for advice, I recommend touching, feeling and playing an instrument to see what you think. Such a personal thing. Like falling in love. If it looks good, sounds exciting, and says ; "take me home" , that's your baby.

FLUX said:

Co-sign!

Every time I purchased an instrument, it was because it "felt right" in my hands..



Jshua

Well, I'm hoping to buy one online, so that ain't really an option...

Anyone else recommend any models? I'll check out the Ibanez Soundgear one for sure...

Get "Deluxe Jazz and Rock Bass Method" by Vincent Bredice on Mel Bay Publications

also

SLAP IT!
Funk Studies for the
Electric Bass


by Tony Oppenheim http://www.slapit.com/

Both are excellent books that I use to teach electric bass

Listen to anything Frank says, there's the first lesson in playing.

Next, you can buy one online but everyone is right in saying go play some and get a feel. Cheap or not, that's the best way to buy. When I want cords and things that don't matter, I go to www.musicansfriend.com. Which is the web site for the Guitar Center which is a huge store and a huge chain of stores in the States. Guitar Center is where I picked-up my cheap-ass bass for $100 (on sale) and it's a Fender Squire. I paid to get it set-up (adjusting the action, filing frets that buzz, etc.) and it stays in tune and has been the best $100 I've ever spent.

It looks like the way it comes now is as a "Rumble Pack" for $300.

Aaargh, please NO IBANEZ SOUNDGEAR!
Probably one the unfunkiest bassguitars ever made. It just plays very light, but it sounds like nothing.
Check out if you can find a Squier Jazz Bass and try it out. They can be really good and they're cheap. Or try any other Jazz Bass or Precision Bass copy (if you find a Precision Bass, make sure it's got 2 pick-ups).
Hohner has some good and cheap bass-guitars too. My first bass was a Hohner Arbor MX1, and sometimes I still use it. Bought it 2nd hand for about $120.

Of course, your milage may vary, and if you do like the Ibanez SG then good for you! But always try before you buy.
[Edited 2/10/05 10:41am]

That's funny, I've had bad experiences with a bass player using a Squire bass on stage (going out of tune, bad tone) and great experiences with one using a Soundgear model. Just goes to show that in the end, it's all in the hands I suppose. However, for funk a Jazz or Precision model would be about the last bass I'd consider (but I'm just a guitarist who occasionally picks up a bass). Wouldn't a lighter playing model be more recpetive to slapping etc?

hectim said:

Yeah, you're right, it's all in the hands. And yes, some Squires are quite crappy, which is why you always have to try it before you buy.
It could be that you liked the SG because, well, it kinda plays more like a guitar. The strings are closer together, it's light to play. It plays light, at the expense of having any characteristic sound IMHO.
On Fenders you have to really work, and esp. a Jazz bass has a great sound for slapping (not all of them though!). Listen to Marcus Miller, Rhonda Smith, Larry Graham... Typical Jazz bass slapping sound. Compare that sound to a SG and the SG all of the sudden sounds very 'plastic'.
Another great bass for slapping is a Music Man Stingray. Lot's of good cheap copies of the stingray too, so maybe that's one to consider too.

BTW, the bass on my track "High Steppin' Lady" on NFO II is an early japanese Squier Precision (JP model, so a Precision with Jazz Bass pick-up set up), with the original pick-ups replaced by EMG pick-ups. I think that's a pretty decent slap sound, don't you think? The sound is completely unprocessed too (no EQ, no compressor or anything). And it never goes out of tune, so I'm pretty happy with it.
[Edited 2/12/05 7:04am]