What are some good brand names for bass guitars? and will an electric guitar amp work for a bass guitar?
G asked:
What are some good brand names for bass guitars? and will an electric guitar amp work for a bass guitar?
What are some good brand names for bass guitars? and will an electric guitar amp work for a bass guitar?
A guitar amp will work for a bass but it will sound crappy because the guitar amp isn’t built for the low frequencies of the bass.
Fender and Ibanez are good brands for a starter bass. And I’d suggest getting one of the package deals with an amp and accessories. A guitar amp might work, but only temporarily.
I’ve been a bass player since i was a kid and I’ve played many different types of music. Warwick is the best all-around bass value for a pro-level bass ($1000-1200 range). I have a Warwick Corvette (active pickups) and I love it. But that’s kinda expensive for beginner/intermediate players, so I’d say to just play as many different basses as you can and don’t be afraid of used equipment as long as the electronics are in good condition and the neck isn’t warped. Beware: new Fenders are generally expensive because of brand name. Try Ibanez and Yamaha, they’ve been good values for years.
Do NOT use a guitar amp for a bass unless it’s a practice amp. You need to think about getting an amp so you can play loud enough to be heard by a band with a drummer. That should be your goal in getting a rig if you play rock, jazz, latin, reggae, or anything band-oriented. It’s better to have a cheap bass and a nice loud amp than a nice bass and an amp that is so weak that you can’t be heard. You generally FEEL the bass in a band; that should be your goal, to be felt, not exactly heard. Also, if you continue to play down the road, it’s better to have a nicer amp because your next upgrade will be to replace your cheap bass. If you get a mediocre bass and mediocre amp, you will need to replace both if you continue to progress. Look at combo amps above 150 watts with one 15 inch speaker. Peavey is a good value. Also, Line6 is coming out with bass amps and they may interest you because of the cool extras like bass modelers and FX that can make a crappy bass sound sweet. Basically, go to guitar center and bug the crap out of those douches that work there. They are generally snobs but they work for you and you should play as many basses and amps as you can to find what is right for u. Also, they are hurting for business these days so look for coupons and exploit their 0% financing deals with their credit cards. Good luck.