![]() If you are playing mainly jazz, or country music, look for an amp that sports a large single speaker. Next decide what sound you are going for. If you plan to be playing in large stadium sized venues, then consider going with a seperate “Head” and “Cab” design. If you are just looking to play in your bedroom, then concider a low wattage small combo amp that weighs less. To make this process simple, first decide what you will be using your amp for. These may include Head/Cab amp or Combo amp, Tube powered or solid state, Graphic EQ or basic EQ, and different speaker sizes. When deciding which amp to purchase there are many features that you are faced with. Ampegs run pretty pricey but produce a unique, classic tone unlike any other amp. If you are an absolute tone freak like myself, go with a Ampeg and you won’t be disapointed. (They also produce higher end “pro” lines, but most of those products tend to be overpriced.) I would caution you to stay away from brands like Behringer as they tend to be poorly made. Hartke, Fender, and GK produce fairly priced amps that sound great and give you more bang for your buck. They are the biggest brands, and tend to produce the best products. Ampeg, Fender,Harke, and GK are what I like to call the Big four. Today, their are many decent bass amp companies out there. The same concept applies to bass as well. As with guitar you can own a crummy guitar with a great amp, and still sound decent. The amp is really the key to sounding good. Without a decent amp, your bass will sound, well…….not so pretty. The second area that comes into play when looking to play bass guitar is your amplifier. Like I mentioned earlier though, you really can’t go wrong with a Fender. However, I would stay away from the Squier line of basses made by Fender, as I feel they are of very poor quality. Although I feel Fender is the best choice bass-wise, I would also recommend Gibson, Calvin, Tobias, Rickenbacker, and Dean basses. These features are honestly all personal preference and I would highly recommend visiting a music store and seeing what YOU like. When purchasing a bass, there are many features that you should consider such as fretted/fretless, single coil/humbucker pickups, and neck shape. I have owned a Jazz bass, and P-bass for 4 years and haven’t had one problem yet. As you can probally already notice, I am very biased towards Fender, but for good reason. Fender has been around since the 50’s boasting years of experience, and their instruments have been used by countless musicians. Fender instruments are also extremly easy to upgrade, modify, and repair, and are very well built. I highly recommend FENDER bass guitars for several reasons, the first being that with Fender you tend to get the most for your money. The basses made in America are the best, however will generally cost you much much more. The only thing you are really paying for in a musical instrument is the quality of the electrical and hardware componants, as well as some minor detail work. Many, if not all bass guitar bodies are computer cut, and therefore are very consistent. The quality of the instruments that guitar companies are producing today is much, much better than it was, say 10-15 years ago. Because, in the long run it will be well worth your money, as quality instruments A.) Will sound better and B.) Will be easier to sell when the time comes. I know from experience that you are better off biting the bullet and buying something that, yes may cost more. The number one mistake I think people tend to make when starting out is buying cheap gear. The first step when an instrument is to determine how much you are willing to spend. Ok enough rambling, the purpose of this post is to educate beginner bassists so they can purchase a quality rig suited for beginners. Otherwise, the majority of the time, you will get burned. lol Anways, the point that I am trying to make is simple Don’t step foot into Guitar Center unless you are well educated and and know exactly what you are going to buy. I told him he should think of getting a new job. To illustrate this point, I once had a sales assosiate pick up a strat and try to convince me it was a bass. tend to know absolutly nothing regarding the products that they sell. Unfortunatly, the vast majority of employees that I have come into contact with G.C. As you are probally already aware, when you walk into that store you are immediatly bombarded by numerous sales assosiates just begging to make some money off of you. You probally can already sense some sarcasm coming on. Guitar Center, Guitar Center, Guitar Center, Oh how I love Guitar Center, the Walmart of Music stores. ![]()
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