Best target for 1st bass??

[M2roadwarrior]

+1 Longhorn

 

[radtz]

You can't go wrong with any Ibanez you pick up at that range. I've played 4 strings Ibanezes since the 80's. I picked-up an Ibanez Gio series 5 string bass to noodle around on last year. I was shocked at the quality. All I did was a string chnage and truss rod adjustment and its good to go. Here's the killer: It was $250 USD. At that price, it won't disappoint.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ibanez+g...io+bass,aps,154&ref=nb_sb_noss_1&tag=tdpri-20

 

[bettyseldest]

Why do guys always suggest short or medium scales basses , with a slim jazz neck to be extra patronizing, for female players ?
Among upright players that kind of talk would have you run out of town on a rail

Most of the female players I know just play what they want , many chose 35" scale 5 strings.

All the OP needs to do is pay for whichever bass his good lady wants , she will take care of the playing part.

It's good to know which models members have had good and bad experiences with, what gives good value for money, and not to write off short scale models. But in the end, after taking that all into account, it's all about what works for your wife. What she enjoys playing, and encourages her to progress as a musician.

My daughter played upright classical bass in school. She would not touch my short scale Vox Clubman, Squier Musicmaster, or standard scale Fender Power Jazz Special (P Bass body, but J Bass narrow neck). When she was sixteen I bought her a 34" scale Status fretless which she loves. Since then I have also bought myself a 23" scale solid bodied electric Ukulele bass. Despite the very short scale and being fretted, she loves it too. Whenever she picks it up she has a big smile on her face. Still no interest in my other basses.

 

[CJM3309]

I would second the recommendations for the Ibanez Mikro bass. I bought one for my son to play/learn on and it's really nice. It is short scale and very comfortable to play. Im really starting to gravitate towards the shorter scale basses. It was under $100 used when I got it a little while back. It needed a quick set up and new strings and now its great.

There are lots of good suggestions here and you can't go wrong with any. Get out and try some! Long scale, short scale.....All of them. Make a fun day out of it. To be honest, bass shopping and lunch with my lady would be awesome.

Good luck and you know pics will be required upon purchase!

 

[Maroonandwhite]

So if I were looking at a G&L tribute vs a Fender Player…I assume they will be pretty close in quality? We both reallllly like the look of the Mustang bass.

 

[Jakedog]

So if I were looking at a G&L tribute vs a Fender Player…I assume they will be pretty close in quality? We both reallllly like the look of the Mustang bass.

I haven’t tried the player series yet, although I have one currently en route. I like the Tribute series better than the old MIM Standard line. The player series are supposed to be a significant improvement over the old standard line as well. If this one isn’t, I’ll be sending it back and grabbing a tribute. It should be here in a day or so.

 

[ndcaster]

I just picked up an Ibanez TMB100 with a gig bag for $250

wanted a versatile (and black) bass, and this fit the bill

active (battery-powered) pickups

QC very good, and I dig the shape



I'll just switch out the round strings for a good set of flats

 

[Maroonandwhite]

Sooooo this is kind of comical buuuuut I just bought one. Wife and I both agreed that since it’s from Sweetwater we can just send it back if we don’t like it. It’s a demo with a super small ding on the headstock. Got $80 off. It’s a beauty! Player series Mustang.

I appreciate all the responses!

 

[Downsman]

Why do guys always suggest short or medium scales basses , with a slim jazz neck to be extra patronizing, for female players ?
Among upright players that kind of talk would have you run out of town on a rail

Most of the female players I know just play what they want , many chose 35" scale 5 strings.

All the OP needs to do is pay for whichever bass his good lady wants , she will take care of the playing part.


Being petite never stopped Suzi.

I'm 6'2 and don't have small hands. I prefer short scale basses, and love the Mustang Basses I've played and recommend them to everyone. Male or female, large or small, young or old.

For the OP, great choice on the Player Mustang, I think you'll both be happy with it

 

[kbold]

It’s a demo with a super small ding on the headstock. Got $80 off.

Well done. Many pay more for relic'd guitars.

 

[Duck Herder]

I'd probably look away from Fender towards Ibanez basses, which may be better balanced and less chunky. Some female player find the 32" scale preferable, like on the Mezzo

Definitely!
After a trip to the Guitar Store my wife found that the SR300 was the best fit for her.
Heck, even my JB-2 gets feeling heavy after a while.

 

[kodiakblair]

I use one because bass is not my main thing and they're a PITA for me to play when I'm used to guitar.

So your opinion was based solely on the trouble you have going from guitar to bass.

I've been on bass, upright and electric, over 40 years. Only instrument I ever played.

Guess that's why I don't tell guitar players what guitar to buy , even if it's for their wives/girlfriends/kids

 

[Quexoz]

Edit: Never mind. Buy whatever you like, some folks around here are offended by our opinions and I'm sure we're not allowed to defend ourselves without being banned.

I'm out.

 

[Duck Herder]

Why do guys always suggest short or medium scales basses , with a slim jazz neck to be extra patronizing, for female players ?
Among upright players that kind of talk would have you run out of town on a rail

Most of the female players I know just play what they want , many chose 35" scale 5 strings.

All the OP needs to do is pay for whichever bass his good lady wants , she will take care of the playing part.


Being petite never stopped Suzi.

Tina Weymouth

https://reverb.com/news/you-just-do...-the-secret-of-great-basslines-bacons-archive

 

[Mike SS]

Looks like you scored a great bass! I recently looked at those, but got a great deal on a Jackson Spectra JS3 (out the door for $205), so I took whipped out the cash and did not look back. I love the tone options of the PJ configuration.

 

[buster poser]

We bought my better half a bass earlier this year, and now I have a bass.

We got a Fender Mustang PJ at around $600, tough to go wrong with in terms of size* or equipment, but I'm not sure if Squier does one with that Precision + Jazz pickup config.

*If you switch to guitar a lot or are just moving 'up' from a guitar, it's an easier transition to manage. If you need to be a bass god who plays the "right" way on a full-scale because you can definitely hear the difference, well...

 

[Fiesta Red]

I love and prefer the look and sound of the classic Fender basses…however…

The higher-end of the Ibanez Soundgear line are some of the best-sounding, comfortable, bang-for-your-buck basses out there. The one my drummer owns is really good…BUT—it doesn’t look like a classic Fender, not one little bit.

If they looked more like a classic P-Bass or J-Bass, they’d be perfect.

 

[PCollen]

My wife is potentially going to give learning the bass a shot. If she doesn’t I’ll still use it to record with. I’m assuming since the Squier Classic Vibe guitars seem to be a great bang for your buck model, that it would carry over to basses.
Would anyone say that’s true and/or offer advice for a first time but quality model? My wife really likes the classic Fender styling.
Budget COULD go up to $500 but would prefer to end up around $350-$400.
We already have an amp to use for now.

Yamaha TRBX304 ($370) got very good reviews as an entry level bass. There is also a TRBX204 option at a lower price ($300) .

https://www.bassbuzz.com/gear/beginner-basses

 

[Peegoo]

An affordable bass that is made well and sounds really good is the Gretsch Electromatic Junior Jet. There are two versions--one pickup or two. Both are fantastic.

 

[0utputXfmr]

Sound wise I like the P Bass more than the J, so that would probably be my choice. But the neck size thing is important. A P Bass has a 1-11/16" nut width while a J has a 1-1/2" nut. Doesn't sound like much but you can really feel it when you play: the P neck feels substantially bigger than the J neck. If your wife has smaller hands it could be even more important. Then again some people don't care at all about it. It's kind of subjective. But if she can get her hands on a P and J before you buy you could at least take that out of the equation.

Depending on the era, the nut width for a P-bass ranges from 1-5\8" to 1-3\4". The 1-11\16" width you're referring to is actually pretty rare, to my knowledge, but is the standard width for a Warmoth neck, as it splits the difference.

Vintage P-basses started out with the 1-3\4" width, but virtually all modern P-basses and subsequent derivatives (Music Man Stingray, G&L L-series, etc) have a 1-5\8" width.

Edit: I should clarify, the Fullerton-made G&L LB-100, SB-1, and L-series basses currently sport a 1-5\8" nut width. Until the early-2010's, they had a default nut width of 1-3\4", unless option-ordered with a 1-1\2" or 1-5\8" nut width. I believe the G&L Tribute Series L-2000 still comes with a 1-3\4" nut width. Music Man Stingrays have been using 1-5\8" for as far back as I can remember, though that may have been different pre-Ernie Ball.