To choose a bass guitar, you need to know a few basic nuances. Many beginners make the mistake of buying the cheapest guitar, as a result later there are problems with the sound and active wear of the instrument. To avoid problems, the first thing you should focus on – it’s the opinion of experts on forums, evaluation of instruments (brands or individual models).
Important! The manufacturer should not influence your choice. The logo on the fingerboard is not of fundamental importance for a beginner.
What concerns the sort of wood, you can understand the sound of a “species” only having experience and enough practice, which you can get having had a guitar course.
How to choose your first bass
When selecting an instrument, examine it externally. The guitar should be neatly made:
- Bubbles, streaks, cracks, or scratches are not acceptable on the body.
- 2. Check that the screws are tightly fastened and must not wobble when touched.
- the joints of the parts should be smooth.
- The neck should be level, with no concave or convex parts.
The next step of checking is the sound of the instrument. An unplugged guitar has its own sound. To check, place your hand on the body and pull each string in turn. Listen to the duration of the vibration of each string (sustain), the more it is, the higher the quality of the instrument.
Then ask your advisor for the most common tuner or buy one yourself and check how the scale is tuned. The notes on the twelfth fret correspond to the open string. It is important that the sound should be even, without any extraneous sounds and the notes should coincide. As for the fingerboard, pick up the instrument as if you were going to play it and choose the shape based on how comfortable it is to hold in your hands.
Bass Guitar for Beginners
A four-string instrument is recommended for beginners. This number of strings is enough to play over 90% of the songs that exist. Regarding the bore, for the first lessons of playing the bass guitar is suitable standard, with the experience will already be clear what sensors will be needed in the future.
Electronics of the instrument can be active and passive, if the guitar is purchased for concerts, the active circuit is a great option. To play at home it will only interfere with the feel of the live sound.
Don’t rush to buy the most expensive or the cheapest guitar. Its quality is not always directly related to cost. Ask a consultant for help and ask him to suggest an inexpensive option of good instruments.