Author:
Gregory Harris
Date Of Creation:
10 August 2021
Update Date:
1 July 2024
Content
Buying a musical instrument is a serious investment, especially if you are an aspiring musician. This guide provides guidelines for purchasing an affordable bass guitar for beginners.
Steps
1 Determine your purchase budget. A new bass guitar can cost anywhere from $ 200 to $ 5,000, depending on brand, quality and material. A used bass guitar can be bought in the range of $ 100- $ 1500, and it will be no worse than a new one, although prices may differ significantly from different sellers. 
2 Visit online stores. Recently, some online retailers have started selling beginner tools. The price of such instruments is usually much lower than in guitar stores. For example, a new beginner bass can be purchased for $ 129. But your goal is to research guitar stores in search of the most profitable and quality option. Also, check the ads regularly. Often times people don't even know what they are selling and you can get a good tool at a low price. 
3 If possible, try to test the product before purchasing. At most guitar stores, you can easily plug in any available instrument and play it. Evaluate how it sounds, looks, and feels in your hands. Don't buy a used item without testing it. An exception may be cases when the product is provided by a reliable supplier, and you have the right to return it if something does not suit you. Be careful when buying tools from sites like eBay and the like. If the offer looks too attractive, it is likely that you are being misled. 
4 Check with an experienced bass player. Ask him to test the tool you are about to buy or give his rating. If you are a parent buying a tool for your child, find an experienced person to help you. Subsequently, your child will be grateful to you. 
5 Take a look at used basses. Almost any used instrument has dropped in price over the years, but it can sound on par with newer basses, or even better. Always check the used item for damage, and test it before buying (or have someone else do it). If the item is located in another city and you cannot test it, be judicious and make sure you can return it.
Tips
- Even if you plan on buying an instrument from eBay or another similar site, find one at a guitar store and rate it.
- Fretless, acoustic, five-string, and six-string basses all have their own unique sound and benefits, but the best place to start is a four-string electric bass. This is especially important if you plan to study on your own using the internet and tutorials, since most of them are written for four-string fret electric basses.
- Avoid Squier Affinity Series basses. They sound good for their price, but have poor tuning and build quality.
- Most professional musicians had their first instrument second-hand. What matters is not what you start with, but how you end up.
- Look for people who bought the instrument and don't play it.If a guitar or bass just takes space from them, they can sell it to you for a low price.
- The SX, Douglas, and Brice are well built for their money; in this case, you pay exclusively for the bass and not for the advertising campaign.
- Squier, Epiphone, and Ibanez are well-known and large manufacturers of good quality instruments available.
- Take the time to learn bass guitars.
- Remember - the price corresponds to the quality. If you buy a $ 100 bass, it will sound like a $ 100 bass. However, be careful with some very expensive tools. Sometimes you just pay for design and exclusivity, but not for sound and quality.
- If effects are your thing, check out the $ 175 Line 6 LD15 amp with wah, chorus, octaver, and fuzz effects, and comes in 4 different models. Probably the best choice for this price point.
Warnings
- Guitar shop sellers often want to sell tons of different accessories to aspiring musicians. You will most likely need a tuner and a beginner's instruction disc or training book. You don't need the most expensive cable or stompbox. Just tell the seller that you will return to the store as soon as you decide to purchase additional accessories.
- A beginner bass is inexpensive and will work well for your practice, homework, and jamming with friends, but not on stage. If you have the option to buy a more expensive tool, buy it. Many cheap tools are poorly built and won't last long.
- Remember that different brands have different qualities, as is the case with cars (compare Ford Festiva and Mustang). A $ 200 branded bass will be no better than a $ 100 non-branded bass.
