Re: Advise on bass guitar for an absolute beginner
A lot of folks speak very highly of the Squier Vintage Modified series basses and they can be picked up used relatively easily. The Ibanez SR 200 series are widely loved, although they don't do it for me, the neck feels about the size of a broomhandle and I prefer a neck with some meat on it. Here in the states they can be found all over the place for +/- 100 bucks. They sound pretty good in stock form but do pay attention to the neck. Make sure it's not twisted, bowed, warped etc. They are highly adjustable and so long as someone hasn't been using it for a cricket bat you can probably tweak it back into shape yourself, but it is something to watch for. I suspect that due to their very low mass they can wander out of adjustment easily, but that is just my suspicion. I had one a while back that had all of 20 hours of playing time on it and sold it for $75. Sounded pretty good, but I just couldn't get along with that tiny neck. They are really well built and the fit and finish is usually far better than the price tag indicates. If you pick up a decent slab of wood, everything else can be upgraded pretty easily. Pickups and hardware are trivially easy to replace so down the line you can yank out the pups and drop in some killer Seymours and replace the tuners if you feel the need. As I've said elsewhere, I am something of a tone heretic and don't really care about the wood a bass is made of and don't buy into the whole "High Mass" bridge thing other than that I like the feel of a "High mass bridge" when I palm mute.
Yes, Rondo's stuff rocks. I have an Agile that they no longer make after PRS threatened to sue the pants off them and I'd put it up against any PRS out there with a price tag below $3500. At the very least it would keep up with the PRS if not be a nicer instrument. I paid $425 for it and dropped $130 worth of Seymours in it. Bam. Done.
For a budget amp the Fender Rumble's sound pretty good and if you hunt around on Craigslist etc. you can pick them up at a pretty good price. HERESY ALERT! For an entry level amp don't overlook Behringer. Yes, I know everyone is gonna pile on and say what crap Behringer is, and to a point they are right. If you are a touring musician you'll want a more durable amp, but for plunking away in your bedroom or living room as you learn they are tough to beat so long as you don't beat on them. I have a BX-1200 that sits in my living room for that very purpose and it ya know what? It doesn't sound as good as my Hartke rig does, but it also doesn't weigh give or take 250 pounds and cost near what the Hartke rig does. Just be reasonable with your volume, gentle with the "Ultrabass" option, don't kick it around, pour beer into it or leave it out in the rain and it'll do the job for some time to come. The Behringer stuff tends to have a pretty "Modern" tone, so if you are looking to emulate Jamerson it may not be what you are after, but for the price you can't beat it. I see them here on Craigslist for give or take $150 all the time. FWIW, I do run a Behringer Bass V-Amp Pro in the signal chain for effects and other assorted oddments and while I rarely get compliments on my technique, I do get a lot of positive feedback on my tone.
Bear in mind that at the end of the day you do not need to be married to any of this stuff. Pick up what you can afford now and be willing to change\upgrade\downgrade later. Try stuff you think you'll like and if you don't sell if off and try something else. At the end of the day it's all just that, "Stuff". Tools if you will. No carpenter worth his salt gets all wrapped around the axle of his tools, he focuses on his skill and technique and that how we as bassists should look at it. If your gear rocks and your skill sucks, you still suck. If your gear sucks, but your skill and ability rocks, you rock and THAT'S what people notice. Focus on your skill, the tools will take care of themselves.
That's my advice, and it's worth exactly what you just paid for it.
