How to test a Bass Guitar?

[viper_chad]

Hi,

I am totally new to this Forum but have been playing basic guitar for a long time. I surrender playing guitar and will move on to bass.

I am looking forward to buy a bass guitar soon. I have read the Bass FAQ which is very informative but would like to ask the BassSofties how do I test a bass guitar?

Of course, as a beginner, I am not familiar and cannot identify what good or bad bass guitar. What are the characteristics or defects of a bass guitar that should be a avoided?

Hope you could help me with these as well as other beginners that are planning to play bass. Thank you.

 

[cherns]

I normally look out for 3 things

1) Tone - does it sound good? This is obviously subjective, so whatever sounds good to you, sounds good.

2) Playability - does it feel good? i.e. Does the neck feel comfortable? Is the action (how high the strings are from the fretboard) high or low? Is the bass too heavy? Does the bass balance well?

3) Construction - Is the bass put together well? Do the parts look flimsy/cheap? Is the finishing good/poor?

That's about it! Most important is how it feels and sounds to you. If that's good, then it's all good.

 

[5stringwonder]

just to add to Cherns post which pretty much covers most of the essentials. if you are looking to buy a bass, try to get a more seasoned bassist to follow you. never hurts to have a second opinion.

also, take your time to try as many as you can before deciding on your purchase.

good luck in the bass hunt!

 

[shinobi]

remember to test it acoustic

 

[e4t3n]

if ur unsure, can get a friend who is more experienced to accompany you..

 

[AvonRellets]

I am totally new to this Forum but have been playing basic guitar for a long time. I surrender playing guitar and will move on to bass.

Congrats! You have answered a higher calling indeed! :mrgreen:

I am looking forward to buy a bass guitar soon. I have read the Bass FAQ which is very informative but would like to ask the BassSofties how do I test a bass guitar?

If you're looking at getting a NEW bass, here's some factors to consider, expanding on the above points by cherns

Tone - what kind of tone do you like would correspond to what kind of bass pickup configuration you would choose. The main types of pickup configuration are jazz, precision and humbucker. A good gauge is to listen to a bass player or bass line you enjoy and see what that bass player uses. For example I like bass sounds with lots of ZING! so I prefer jazz basses. If you can't decide, a good pickup configuation to start with is a P/J pickup config. Precision split coil type in the neck and a Jazz single coil at the bridge.

Playability - like a guitar, the neck feel is the most important. Jazz bass necks are narrower that precision bass necks. Ibanez necks are the slimmest I've tried. For me I have small hands but phat fingers so jazz necks are the most comfortable for me. This is akin to comparing les paul necks to strat necks to tele necks. Or even comparing acoustic to classical guitar necks.

Construction - what cherns said pretty much covers it. With new instruments its usually very hard to tell. I've found that cheap basses only show their defects over time.

Of course, as a beginner, I am not familiar and cannot identify what good or bad bass guitar. What are the characteristics or defects of a bass guitar that should be a avoided?

Hope you could help me with these as well as other beginners that are planning to play bass. Thank you.

We move on now to what look out for when buying a USED bass guitar

1) Neck warp
2) Cracks anywhere on the body, especially on the headstock and neck joint areas
3) Electronics. Any crackling sounds when turning knobs or when flipping the pickup selectors?
4) Dead spots on the fretboard

I'll let other posters fill in the 2nd hand bass guitar buying tips!

 

[viper_chad]

We move on now to what look out for when buying a USED bass guitar

1) Neck warp
2) Cracks anywhere on the body, especially on the headstock and neck joint areas
3) Electronics. Any crackling sounds when turning knobs or when flipping the pickup selectors?
4) Dead spots on the fretboard

I'll let other posters fill in the 2nd hand bass guitar buying tips!

err. sorry, i don't know such terms (though i can google). what are neckwarp? and what does deads spots mean?

 

[FourSling]

Viper, as you can see there's plenty to consider.

I'm going to mess it up more and add a couple of more things:
- be very mindful that that dream bass of yours sounds in Swee Lee or wherever you buy it or test it may not sound the same when you take it home, or to the club or jamming studio... which brings me to another thing you may need to consider buying with your bass...

- Bass amps, bro, n that's another story

Take your time, Google stuff, and best advice here from the posts is to bring a seasoned bassist with you who can give you inputs.

 

[Resetti]

I would put comfortability in playing more important than the sound Of course sound is important definitely, but to me comfortable feel is more important.

If you're buying a acoustic instrument then of course sound is more important, but this is electric instrument, sound can be modified later, but comfortability is harder to modify.

Buy the bass guitar first, for how comfortable it is to you to play. Do you like the feel of it? If it feels shiok, then you'll play better!

Sound and tone can always be EQ'd and adjusted with tone shaper pre-amps and amplifiers.

 

[spartacusx]

yah, i think if u wanna go buy a bass, u shud go wif sumone who play bass. . . if dun noe anyone who plays bass, maybe one of the guys in this thread can help u out!!! hehehehe. . .

 

[ashchong]

I would recommand getting a squier for starts , if ya can afford get better ones.

Yamahas are good too . they have great playability

i haven't much to say about secondhand basses though

 

[vic_bass504]

..

if u just start playing bass then any decent bass is good enough as long that it has a correct pitch..that's ultra important so u wont get used to the wrong notes hehe..

this one u can check with the harmonic on 5th and 12 th fret with a tuner...it supposed to ring the same note and with a pitch concert which is A is 440...(i think there's a decent way to check the correct pitch off a bass...that's one of the way i know...)

if it's wrong then u may want to check the neck if it's warped...or u could just check it from the beginning if it's warped badly...

and i once watch on youtube , Victor Bailey said that should treat an electric bass as an acoustic bass...what u play on a bass without pluging it to an amp should sound good first..cos it's about the vibration of the strings channeled by the woods of the body and neck..a good pickup will help later on..but bass should be simple from fingers to strings to body and neck...

enough blabbing hehehe...correct me if im wrong fellas...

 

[shinobi]

in principle one should check the pitch as you have mentioned, but unfortunately in reality a display bass is rarely tuned, much less set up properly

if you are serious about getting the guitar, get the shop to set it up, then try it acoustically. if there are fret buzzes (that may not be heard when amplified) that a setup cannot solve, send the bass back. i did that when i followed a beginner to buy an electric guitar and the shop (davis) obliged. i suspected poor nut action which was difficult to rectify without some serious repairs

 

[AvonRellets]

err. sorry, i don't know such terms (though i can google). what are neckwarp? and what does deads spots mean?

Ah. Its bloody hard to describe what is a warped neck. Easier to show in person! Someone who knows how to, please help!

Dead spots mean that when you fret a note and pluck, instead of a clear note you get a "dead" thump. That means you won't get a note out of that fret ever! Usually linked to warped necks.

 

[vic_bass504]

Ah. Its bloody hard to describe what is a warped neck. Easier to show in person! Someone who knows how to, please help!

Dead spots mean that when you fret a note and pluck, instead of a clear note you get a "dead" thump. That means you won't get a note out of that fret ever! Usually linked to warped necks.

the neck is not straight when u see it from your bridge all the way to the head or the other way around u can see that the line edge of the fretboard is not straight..it's slanting a bit..if it's just a minor warped maybe u cant see it clear...if it's a C shaped warp either way i think still can adjust the neck, but if it's a S shaped warp..i think it's history...

to shinobi: hehe in the end i certainly will check by plugging it to an amp...those hisses and crackle and buzzes upset me usually when i went to jamming studio and didnt bring my bass...

 

[shinobi]

you used those basses in the jam studio? >>>>ZOMG<<>> :twisted:

 

[vic_bass504]

you used those basses in the jam studio? >>>>ZOMG<<>> :twisted:

yeah it's horrible i know...but my bass and the case are heavy...the last time the studio had a 3 strings bass... so i asked for a G STRING!!! gee..imagine the embarassment..

"could u give me a G string please?"... and they didnt have one but that's okay imagine i have to put the G string in front of my band mates?

hahahahaha

 

[liqnitro]

Trying getting something that you are comfortable with. The feel of the neck when running the fingerboard, how heavy is the bass when you are playing with it strapped on, the tone(this would be quite a difficult task for a start cause you might not know what type of tone you really want for now) and maybe how sweet it would look on you(Get a friend to tag along for this part).

If you don't mind starting out on starter bass package. You can probably get down to swee lee yamaha, citymusic, davis to check out their bass starter pack. Comes with amp, bass, cables to get you started. Maybe, after you are more familiar with the bass you could source for a bass that suits your playing style. Last but not least welcome to the endless journey of G-A-S~!!!

Oh in case you need the address for the shops just ask around

Swee Lee - Bras Basah Complex(Next to NLB)
Citymusic - Peace Centre
Yamaha - Plaza Singapura
Davis - Penisular Plaza

 

[viper_chad]

cool! I really learned a lot from you guyz... hopefully, I can find a buyer for my guitar to fund my first bass.

 

[guitcare]

I am quite sure you are now more confused than when you first started. Just go and get a Fender Japan Bass. A second hand one going for 700 to 800. If after playing for a while and you decide to give up can still sell for the same price.