How much for a bass guitar?

[MBony]

I am just curious how much I should be looking to spend on a bass guitar. I know you get what you pay for, but does anyone have a ballpark figure? Also, does anyone have one FS? Please post your answers.

 

[waylman]

varies a whole lot....u just beginning? you can pick up a used bass & amp for a couple hundred....of course it's not going to sound very good...

 

[HonkeyDonk]

um...how bout tellin' us how good you are or what level of bass guitar playing are you?

If you are a beginner or have never even played a bass, nothin wrong with buying a cheap $149-$249 bass guitar. I know fender makes a lot of beginner basses in their line of guitars that are a great value.

For me, I've been playing for 9 years or so and my current bass cost me around $600. It's been pretty solid for me and has a great sound. Sure I could probably stand to get a more expensive one, but I don't have that kind of cash at the moment and the one I have now does its job well.

So it all depends on how good you are.

but OTOH, you could spend a $2k on a bass guitar if thats what you want. Totally up to you.

 

[MBony]

I am familiar w/ the guitar but not the bass, I know how to read music and tablature. I don't have an amp. Hope this helps

 

[nakedfrog]

I've violated this rule myself many times, but in general you should try to avoid buying a guitar online, unless it's someplace that has a good return policy. Even among the cheaper basses, sometimes there's a real gem that plays beautifully. Of course, if you don't know how to play, it's kinda hard to tell 😉
$149-249 seems like a pretty reasonable range if you're just starting out.

 

[EMPshockwave82]

musiciansfriend.com is amazing....

i got an ibanez GSR 200 from there for right at 200 bucks... right now i think they are 220 but should be having holiday sales here pretty soon... just remember that a practice bass amp with really low wattage makes you sound a little worse than you really are

 

[MBony]

What are some good name brands, and some to stay away from?

 

[Eli]

75 - 10,000$

😛

 

[MartyMcFly3]

amp and bass for me ran about 250 (got a $120 Danelectro)...... i enjoy playing it since ive only been playing like 2 years......

 

[YetioDoom]

I don't know where you live, but I went to a used music store in Chicago and got a Fender P-Bass (Mexican), Crate BX-50 amp, and case for $385. I talked to a few musicians, and they seemed to all have good things to say about Fender basses.

They come in many different price ranges -

Cheapest - Fender's "squire" guitars are very cheap, and if you're just starting out, may be a good bargain.
They have Fender's made in Asia, Mexico, and America, each one being more expensive than the last.

They range from like 200-800.

Like someone else said, make sure you try out your instrument before you buy, as each one will sound unique.

 

[thomsbrain]

i recommend a squire fender to start with. buy used if you can find it, then someone else took that value hit and you can sell it again later for the same money when it's time to upgrade.

 

[Triumph]

if you already know how to play guitar, playing bass is no sweat.

 

[faZZter]

Not neccesarily true. Yah you can play a bass ok, but the bigger strings and different techniques take some getting used to. Also mentally it is a just different than playing standard guitar. Just my opinion.

 

[amcdonald]

Playing bass is different from playing guitar because of style.
But it depends on what style of music you are playing...

 

[MBony]

thanks for all the help from everyone. this discussion has been very educational for me! 😀

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Definitely buy used when buying music stuff.

I like Ibanez and Fender basses. You should be able to get a good starter for around $200 or so, but the amp will make a huge difference, too.

 

[MBony]

Can anyone suggest a good starter amp?