Bass Guitars Buying Guide

Entertainment Articles | January 12, 2007

Once you have planned to Buying a Bass Guitars. The first criteria is to buy something you will enjoy. And full enjoyment of your new Bass Guitars means considering your music, your lifestyle and, of course, your budget.

The electric bass guitar (also called an electric bass or a bass) is an electrically-amplified fingered (or plucked) string instrument. The bass is similar in appearance to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and scale length, and, usually, four strings tuned an octave lower in pitch, in the bass range.

Discover Basics of Bass Guitar

Bass guitars are simple instruments and many of them share common features.

Bass guitar body

There is no industry standard body shape or design for bass guitars. An electric bass guitar has a solid body, which houses magnetic pickups. Bass guitar pickups come in two varieties: single-coil and humbucker. Single-coil pickups produce a bright, clear sound, but are susceptible to interference. Humbucker pickups aren�t as bright, but are more resistant to interference.

Magnetic pickups detect the bass guitar string�s vibrations and transfer them into an electronic pulse. This pulse is sent down a cable into an amplifier.

Bass guitar neck

The fingerboard is housed on the neck of a bass guitar. Fingerboards are studded with metal frets. Frets indicate where to place your fingers to produce different notes. By holding down the strings in different combinations, chords can be produced. Bass guitars are rarely strummed like an acoustic or electric guitar, however. Instead notes are produced by plucking or slapping.

Bass guitar head

On the bass guitar�s head, strings are anchored with tuning pegs. Tuning pegs adjust a string�s tone by changing the tension.

Even if you�re a beginner, it makes sense to buy a quality bass guitar. Quality bass guitars produce a richer tone and are more resistant to damage. Plus, if you buy a quality bass guitar, it�s more likely to hold its value. You�ll get more money for a quality bass guitar if you decide to sell it later.

There are many brands of quality bass guitars, including the Gibson bass guitar, Epiphone bass guitar, Fender bass guitar, Ibanez bass guitar, Peavy bass guitar, Warwick bass guitar, and Squire bass guitar.

Quality can vary greatly with independent bass guitar manufacturers. Some buy from large manufacturers and repackage the instruments. Others are individual craftsmen with years of experience who handcraft each guitar themselves.

Bass guitar materials and construction

The body of a quality bass guitar is made from woods like maple, ash, alder, and mahogany. Bass guitars are covered with a laminate made from plastic or exotic woods.

Bass guitars usually have a bolt-on neck and a maple, rosewood, or ebony fingerboard. Bass guitar necks can be fretted or fretless. Fretted boards are easier to learn on and play, since the fret designates where the notes should be. Fretless bass guitars create a sound more like that of an acoustic bass, but are more difficult to play and tune.

A good bridge allows you to adjust the strings of the bass guitar individually. This kind of bridge gives you more control over buzz, tone, and comfort.

Bass guitar condition

Before buying a bass guitar, find out how it�s been used. Ask a few questions, like how was it used, where was it stored, and how old is it to help you find the bass guitar that�s perfect for you.

When buying a bass guitar, make sure that the neck hasn�t been warped at all. Find out if there have been any splits, or if it�s ever been repaired. Split, warped, or bowed necks can all affect the sound quality of the bass guitar.

Bass guitar heads should be firmly attached. The tuning posts should turn freely and be seated well. The nut, which holds the strings in place, should be strong and well maintained.

Bass guitars usually have four strings, but can have as many as twelve. Strings can be easily replaced, so if the strings aren�t in great shape it shouldn�t be a concern.

Buying the bass guitar is just the beginning. Like most hobbies, you�ll also need a few essential accessories.

Bass guitar cases: A guitar case will protect your guitar and make it easy to carry. Many have compartments that are useful for holding picks or extra strings. There are hard-shell and soft-shell cases. Hard shells offer more protection, but are bulky and heavy. Soft-shell cases are light and highly mobile, but offer more modest protection.
Guitar strings: Guitar strings break. It�s a fact. Buy them in bulk and save.
Guitar tuners: Electric tuners make it easy to keep your guitar sounding great.
Guitar straps: Unless you�re planning on only playing while seated, you�ll need a guitar strap. Straps distribute the weight of the guitar to your shoulders, freeing your arms to play.
Cables: You need cables to plug your guitar into an amplifier.
Guitar stands: A good guitar stand will help protect your instrument from unintentional damage.
Instructional books: Using instructional books or videos is a good way to learn how to play. Even if you�re taking lessons, books and videos can be a great learning aid.

Once you know what type of bass guitar you want, go to the Musical Instruments portal, click Guitar, then Bass, and start searching for item.

Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, and Other Brands.
Keyword Search: Search title listings for specific words. For example, if you want to find bass guitars, type "bass guitar" (without quotation marks) into the Search box.