Electric Guitar Buying Guide

Table of Contents

• Intro
• Different Bass Guitars
• Bass Guitar Features Explained
• Trying Out the Guitar
• Bass Guitar Accessory Recommendations

Introduction

This guide explains the different types of bass guitar available and gives general tips on what to look for when buying one.

There are many different makes of bass guitar in each price range and, as a general rule, the build quality tends to be comparable within a given price range.

The first thing you need to decide is what type of bass you are looking for.

The Different Types Of Bass Guitar

Bass guitars are relatively uncomplicated instruments usually having four strings—although nowadays five- and 6-string versions are increasingly common. Basses can be either long-scale, medium-scale or short-scale, fretted or fretless, active or passive, and solid-bodied or acoustic.

The majority of basses are four-string, fretted, long-scale and solid-bodied, and these are generally fine for beginners, but for younger players, or adults with smaller hands, a short-scale bass would be a better choice.

Four-String:
When starting out it is advisable to buy a four-string bass guitar. If your hands are big and you want to play some types of heavy music, a five-string might suit you, but for most styles a four-string bass will be the best choice.

Fretted:
When starting out it is advisable to buy a four-string bass guitar. If your hands are big and you want to play some types of heavy music, a five-string might suit you, but for most styles a four-string bass will be the best choice.

Musicroom recommends...

Squier: Pete Wentz Precision Bass
Our Price: £229.99

Fretless
These have a rich, singing tone but are harder to play because, without frets, you have to stop the strings very accurately, as on a violin. Not recommended for beginners unless you particularly crave the rich, fretless sound.

Musicroom recommends...

Squier: Fretless Vintage Modified Jazz Bass
Our Price: £279.99

Long/Short Scale:
The scale of a bass refers to the length of the strings. The normal scale length is 34”, which is called long scale. In general, the longer the scale, the fuller and more powerful the basic sound will be. But bear in mind that the notes are further apart on a longer scale bass, so if you have smaller hands you should consider a short (30”) or medium (32”) scale bass. For most players, though, a long scale bass is what you want.

Solid bodied:
A bass guitar normally has a solid wooden body although there are some acoustic bass guitars. It is probably best to start with a solid one. The wood can have a significant effect on the tone: harder woods like maple give a nice bright, percussive tone; softer woods like alder, swamp ash and basswood have a warmer, more resonant sound.

Musicroom recommends...

Squier: Vintage Modified Jazz Bass
Our Price: £279.99

Acoustic Bass Guitars
The first acoustic bass guitars were developed in the 1960s by Ernie Ball to create with a bass that complemented the more toned- down sounds of the acoustic guitar. The features are generally the same with the one distinctive difference being the hollow body instead of the solid one. Most acoustic basses have pickups so they can be amplified and heard when played with other instruments since they can be difficult to hear even when played alongside an unplugged acoustic guitar.

Musicroom recommends...

Ashton: B100 Acoustic Bass Pack (Natural Finish)
Our Price: £189.00

Left hand/right hand:
If you are left-handed, you can buy left-handed basses, but this is not essential—many left-handed people play right-handed basses without any hassle. There are fewer left-handed basses to choose from, they are often more expensive.