So after trying several different instruments you finally decide to channel your musical talent on a bass guitar, and now you’re looking into buying your first bass guitar. However, it could be a bit tricky to buy a bass guitar for the first time, even though you probably have tried to play different types of basses. There are many things to consider, and if you want to invest on this instrument you have to be thorough because a good bass guitar doesn’t come cheap.
Tonewoods
Wood is the most dominant and most important material in a bass guitar, the quality of the wood could determine the quality of the instrument’s tone. The type of the wood also determines the characteristics of the bass guitar depending on which part it’s used for. Not any type of wood is suitable for creating a good bass or guitar, these woods should be those that have tonal properties, or also known as tonewoods.
There are several types of popular tonewoods being used in stringed instruments, and each of them will provide different characteristics and tones. It’s a very important thing to know, so you can choose a bass guitar with specific characteristics and tones that are suitable for your music style.
Ash and Alder
These two types of tonewoods fall in the same category because they are very similar. Ash and Alder woods produce well-balanced tone and great sustain. If you want a bass guitar that’s rich in harmonic overtones, then a bass guitar made with either Ash or Alder wood will be a great choice. Besides producing a great sound, Ash and Alder woods also provide attractive grain that looks fabulous with a semi-transparent or transparent finish.
Agathis
This type of tonewood resonates a rich tone that accentuates the lower midrange over the upper. A lot of entry level basses are made with Agathis because it’s not too expensive.
Mahogany
Mahogany wood generates warm sound, it has medium density and low resonance, these characteristics prevent you to produce string attacks that are too snappy.
Basswood
Commonly used for the body part, it’s suitable for a wide range of music style. Basswood can effectively absorb vibrations and provide an extremely soft sound. Its short sustain makes it perfect for complex playing techniques or music with faster beats.
Maple
A lot of high-end basses are made with this tonewood. Maple has a very high density that helps to produce crisp and bright tone with phenomenal sustain.
Strings
Your next consideration would be the strings. You can choose whether to buy a 4-string bass, 5-string bass or 6-string bass. But if you’re a beginner, it’s highly suggested if you just go for the 4-string bass. 4-string basses have the narrowest neck compared to the other options, they also have standard tuning of E-A-D-G format, so they’re much easier to play and more simple to be used when practicing your skills.
However, if you think you are capable enough, of course you can use the 5-string of 6-string. In fact, there are some certain music styles that are more suitable to be played with a 5-string bass with B-E-A-D-G tuning, like country and modern worship music because these music styles have more songs that root in B.
That said, 5-string basses or 6-string basses with B-E-A-D-G-C tuning will provide more room to explore for a bass player, especially if you will be playing a lot of bass solos. But without proper skills and knowledge, even the fanciest 5-string or 6-string bass guitar won’t do you any good. So you better stick with 4 strings if you’re a newbie.
Frets
In regards of the fretboard, there are two different types of bass, those that are fretted and those that are fretless. Frets on the neck of a bass will make it easier for you to hit the right notes, so fretted basses are obviously more suitable for beginners.
A lot of bass players prefer to use fretless basses because they think these basses offer a smoother and warmer sound. Without frets, a player mainly relies on muscle memory to place his or her fingers on the right position.
Pickups
There are basically two kinds of pickups that you need to choose from, either passive or active pickups. Both have their upsides and downsides, which finally comes down to personal preferences and music style.
Passive pickups create a dynamic warm sound with full tone, very suitable for those who love fat and punchy sound. The bad thing about these pickups is that they don’t provide with a lot of control over the tone of your bass guitar.
Active pickups are the newest generation of bass guitar pickups. They provide a clear, percussive, and bright tone. Active pickups could produce a much higher output because they come with a built-in battery-powered preamp. But remember that they will cost you more money, and you will also need to remember to change the battery periodically.
Necks
You will have to choose between a bolt-on neck design or neck through body design. The more common model is the bolt-on design, where the neck of the bass guitar is separated from the body, connected with bolts. The greatest advantage of this design is that you can easily replace the neck if it’s broken.
Basses that have a neck through body design are actually made of several pieces of wood that are glued together. in a neck through body bass design, the neck spans through the entire length of the bass guitar. Bass players usually choose this type of neck because it provides a more direct energy transfer and greater sustain.
Acoustic Basses
If your music is leaning towards more on an acoustic style, then an acoustic bass guitar might be more suitable for you. An acoustic bass guitar has similar characteristics of an acoustic guitar that creates sound through the resonance of its hollow body.
In case you just want to practice your skills without having to spend money on an amp, this acoustic bass guitar could also be a good option. However, today you can also find a lot of acoustic electric basses with excellent quality from reputed manufacturers. These basses allow you to play unplugged or with electric sound through an amp. But of course the electric sound quality won’t be the same as an electric bass guitar.
Price
So do you think you can already imagine the type of bass guitar that’s suitable for you? Then start your search and don’t forget to compare prices. Checkout different dealers that have the instrument that you want in order to find your ideal bass guitar with the best price.
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