what to look for when buying used bass guitar

As the instrument that expresses your musical ideas, it'due south important to choose a bass that fits yous and your music. Just with and so many options available, what practice you lot await for?

Active or passive electronics? Maple or rosewood fingerboard? How many strings? Which make?

The choices can exist daunting, and finding a worthy musical instrument tin accept some fourth dimension. That's why we're kick off our "Enquire the Readers" cavalcade, with your opinions.

Before we polled No Treble readers, we got some expert insight from master luthier Pete Skjold of Skjold Pattern Guitars as to tips in buying your next bass. He shared five tips that he "learned the hard way" when shopping for a new axe:

1. Always make sure the bass is ready upward properly earlier the bass leaves the store and before you purchase it. In other words, make certain the truss rod is functioning properly and that you can adjust the saddles at the bridge to become the action where you want it. If this sounds similar tech talk and doesn't make much sense, so that brings me to my second tip.
2. E'er bring a more than experienced player with you to store for basses. It is important to accept someone with experience on your side to determine the condition of a detail instrument. More experienced players and buyers volition often have gone thru several more than basses than you and tin can help steer you in the right direction. If you lot can't get someone to go with yous ask an instructor what he or she recommends based on your budget and needs. They will have a good insight as to where you are in the process and what might be all-time for your level.
3. Always find out what a particular store's return policy is. In the issue you get the bass home and realize it isn't for you, know what options y'all accept for a refund or exchange. Never purchase a bass sight unseen if in that location is a no refund, no return policy with information technology. This is just asking for trouble.
4. Make a listing of what you really want this instrument to do musically. If you are doing a Larry Graham tribute anthology you might want to stay away from that Gibson EB-O or Hofner violin bass. Some basses are but improve suited for certain styles of music. Know what those are and stick to the ones that lucifer what you want to play.
5. You don't have to spend a small fortune to get a great bass. With proper set-up even budget basses can be made to play as well as many higher end models. That'south why tip #i is so important. Save as much as y'all tin can, hit relatives up in advance to assist contribute to the cause (a couple months before your altogether) and practice the best with the almost money you can but search out the deals likewise. You may observe a great trade in or vintage bass that would be much more if purchased new so proceed your eyes out for those deals hanging in the back of the shop.

Amidst those in the No Treble community, there were several common factors to finding a bass worth buying, though non everyone agreed on the reply.

Here are your responses to what you look for in a bass.

Brand

When it comes to make, we know amend than to make whatever claims. Merely No Treble readers (like all of us), accept their preferences.

Trevor Litteral said the first affair he looks for when it comes to brand is "The Fender logo," while Joshua Carmichael said "First thing- Not Fender."

Dale Carter asks, "Does information technology have Sting Ray or Sadowsky written on it?", while David Daw asks, "Is it a MTD?"

Experience/Playability

Feel and playability matter a ton, and nosotros weren't surprised to see this response was common.

Jay Michael may take said it best: "Before Whatever-thing else: Hold her. If she doesn't feel good to concord, why would I accept her home? Oh certain, she might exist gorgeous, talk a skilful game by sounding perfect… but If I'1000 going to cuddle with her all nighttime, she had better experience juuuuust right!"

Christopher J. Cassisi had a simple, yet practical view: "Feel offset and so tone. [I] don't care what information technology looks like or who makes it. Every bit long as information technology plays squeamish and sounds absurd I will like it."

Eric Fortner shared, "if it doesn't feel right in my hands the rest won't matter." And then he offered an interesting take: "Then check out tone [with the bass] unplugged, then plugged in."

James Kelley said information technology happens fast: "Yous can tell right away if it feels/fits correct."

Price

Unfortunately, toll matters for most of us.

Aaron Gibson asks himself a practical question offset: "Exercise I have any money in my checking account?"

Of form, price doesn't hateful everything, every bit Thom Miecznikowski points out: "Information technology's been my feel that price has very little to do with what makes a proficient instrument."

Adam Hollingsworth suggests establishing the financial part before you start looking. "Get a budget and stick to it," he offers. "View some in that price range. Choose two or more than to try. Feel the weight and the manner information technology's set up. Make sure the hand slides easily on the neck and that it's comfortable. Decided? Now work a deal with the store, and extras are good!"

Tone

"I put it on, unplugged up against my body and play it," Thom Miecznikowski said. "If I tin feel the resonance in my upper trunk, it'due south a skillful bass."

Uwe Forschner agrees with Eric Fortner: "Beginning I play it without amp, check the experience, hold it, look at the quality of piece of work, hear the wood resonating. So I plug in an amp like a Tecamp Puma, very neutral sounding. With that I check out how it sounds, checking out unlike pickup configurations. If possible, I play it with a band. The starting time impression is the virtually important one, if it does not feel right, it can't be 'the bass.'"

Lyall Storey'southward criteria is "Tone kickoff, Comfort second, looks third… all else is irrelevant. If it sounds peachy, hangs well and looks great why not purchase it?"

Ryan Brown focuses on tone control. "I actually like to exist able to dispense things from the bass."

Strings
Oh boy. The endless fence. We'll but share readers' preferences.

Jason Vorherr and others go traditional, proverb "four Strings."

Jeff Lieby goes beyond the string count, proverb "at least 5 strings, 34″ scale, nice strong neck, and versatile electronics. Those are my must haves."

Travis Bazanele does also: "I adopt cervix-through, active electronics with EQ boost/cut, and equally many strings equally possible."

Anthony Shagg Larch is among the "more is better" crowd, maxim "At least a vi-string as of right now, active pickups, any fretboard but maple, 24 frets, at least 35" calibration, and non-Indonesian hardware."

Structure

John Howery has a five-betoken inspection when information technology comes to construction: "1) Is it neck-through structure? I prefer cervix-through but will consider the correct commodities-on. two) Must be five-string. three) Forest used in body, neck & fretboard. 4) Aesthetics – Shape of body & access to all frets. 5) Pick ups & electronics"

Mohammed Darras starts with the forest selection: "Alder body, Maple Cervix, Rosewood Fingerboard, doesn't thing whether it's J, P or P/J. For the bridge, I don't care every bit long as I'yard replacing it with a Leo Quan Badass II."

Jeff Martin agrees that a dandy bass with some less than optimal hardware or electronics won't ulimately thing: "Quality of the body and play ability. I tin change out the electronics."

Electronics

Nonetheless some other in the never-ending bass debate.

Chris Peplinski has a strict policy: "No Agile Electronics…"

Will Brownish goes a bit across that: "Passive pickups, classic Fender style, and it just has to feel right."

Visual Appeal

When it comes to looks, Samuel Horner issues a alarm: "Don't be drawn in past how information technology looks… simple is always better."

Michael Kenny has more of a honey-at-first-sight method, and backs up his opinion: "At the chance of sounding shallow, the start matter is looks. Hear me out: Tone, balance, spacing, etc. are all very important to me, but my offset consideration stems from communication my father would requite to his customers when they were buying a car from him. If people were torn between choosing the car they wanted and a 2nd less expensive choice he would bespeak out that they aren't saving coin, they're wasting every dime they spend because every time they see that car in the driveway they are going to absolutely hate it. Then if I don't absolutely fall in love the moment I meet a bass my money stays in my pocket rather than my wasting it on something I'm going to resent every time I pick it up."

Neil VanderWerf agrees with Michael, maxim he sees what what his "initial attraction from across the room" volition be.

Weight

Last but far from least among the feedback we received was the weight of the thing.

Michael Bellenir's offered our favorite take on the subject of weight: "I cannot and exercise non want to play a iii 60 minutes gig with a boat anchor hanging from my shoulders. A few people boast how much they love 10 lb basses. Proficient for you!"

Alexander Martin points out weight isn't the just thing here: "Weight and remainder are a huge issue, same with the feel of frets and cervix. Overall tone next. Then looks of course. Sound is so low because although it is what you buy the musical instrument for, it is the most flexible thing about it."

Thanks to everyone who submitted feedback for this piece. Simply it doesn't cease here:

What practice you lot expect for when buying a bass? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Source: https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2013/10/31/buying-a-bass-a-checklist-by-no-treble-readers/

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